Styx
Computational Growth Simulations
The installation Styx was designed and constructed with the AA Visiting School at the Angewandte Vienna in 2018, taught jointly by Igor Pantic, Christoph Klemmt and Andrei Gheorghe. The students explored the possibilities of Cellular Growth Simulations that mimic the development of form based on processes of cell proliferation and cell differentiation. Similar to the way that organisms grow in nature, living architectural bodies are grown computationally. Those are programmed to react to different intercellular behaviours and external forces that are used to direct the growth towards a desirable outcome. An iteratively updating structural analysis was integrated into the algorithm to evaluate the load-bearing performance of the organisms.
Discretization
The geometries generated by the algorithms are initially free-form arrangements of cells in space. In order to include a logic for the construction, the cells are then positioned within 3-dimensional grids so that repetitive identical components can be placed along them. Further tools were used to control component densities and alignments. For the construction of the physical 1:1 prototype, timber beams of predefined lengths were used. The algorithm then automatically placed those components and calculated the required length of material required. The components were prefabricated and assembled within two days. Augmented Reality and Hololenses were used during the assembly to quickly determine the placement of the next component.
Project Credits
Workshop: Architectural Association Visiting School at the Angewandte Vienna
Year: 2018
Tutors: Igor Pantic, Christoph Klemmt, Andrei Gheorghe
Teaching Assistants: Alexandra Moisi, Nasim Nabavi, Saba Nabavi, Adam Sebestyen
Students: Diana Khotimskaya, Diana Marin, Tamara Salman, Nuraddin Kazimov, Irina Balan, Qinya Liu, Ada Gulyamdzhis, Iunia Borsa, Tianye Zhou, Xiye Mou, Guangrui Wang