USP-E0314 - Capstone Project, Lecture, 5.9.2023-5.12.2023
This course space end date is set to 05.12.2023 Search Courses: USP-E0314
Tervasaari Workshop 5-11/9/2023
Background information on Tervasaari island
The map and geospatial information service of the City of Helsinki:
https://kartta.hel.fi/?setlanguage=en#The site includes background maps, service maps, city planning, real estate units, buildings, streets, parks, outdoor illumination, design manuals, walking and cycling, public transport, name register, laser scanned data, elevation model material, hill shadings, cultural environments, environment and nature, projects as well as statistics.
Information in Finnish:
https://www.kyppi.fi/palveluikkuna/raportti/read/asp/hae_liite.aspx?id=126004&ttyyppi=pdf&kansio_id=91https://historia.hel.fi/fi/media/243
On the shutting down of Hanasaari Energy Plant (in Finnish):
https://www.hs.fi/kaupunki/art-2000009467574.htmlMethod
Generally on evolutionary design
Evolutionary design is a methodological approach that allows growing an entity in a natural way, where it is based on varying and optimising design solutions (1). This approach is based on the biological or nature historical principles of natural selection and evolutionary reasoning, and guides the generation and refinement of design solutions. In biology, evolutionary design is based on the principles of natural selection and evolution, which were first described by evolutionary biologists such as Charles Darwin. Evolutionary design answers to the increasing complexity of a context by simple, flexible and self-organising design recipes. The method is iterative and incremental and one of the main benefits of evolutionary design is that based on a robust design made by minimum effort, it can help designers to overcome the limitations of their own creativity and experience by allowing also other agents to develop their design further. As an example, the first aeroplane by Wright brothers was very simple compared to contemporary fighter planes. Evolutionary design has been more often used in the development of computer software and industrial design than architecture this far. Software and applications, which started their life in a simple format and later became elaborated is an example of an evolutionary process. Crowdsourcing is another example of evolutionary design, where an initial idea or a rudimental sketch is developed by numerous volunteers. The important feature in such a process is that components can be freely substituted to improve the design, modify performance, or change another feature at a later time.How evolutionary design works
The idea is to use defined principles to generate and refine design solutions that meet specific criteria. Evolutionary design guides the generation and refinement of design solutions. This approach can be applied to architecture to generate and refine designs that meet specific goals, such as functionality, aesthetics, or sustainability. Using evolutionary design for architecture can help to generate creative and optimised design solutions . Evolutionary design can also be used to produce design alternatives that are optimised for multiple criteria (multi-objective optimisation), which are very common in architecture, but can be difficult to achieve using traditional design methods.(1) Steadman, P 1979: 71-152. The Evolution of Designs: Biological analogy in architecture and the applied arts. Cambridge University Press.
(2) Rittel, H and Weber, M 1973: Dilemmas in a general theory of planning. Policy Sciences Vol 4 pp. 155-169; Coyne, R. 2005: Wicked Problems Revisited. Design Studies Volume 26, Issue 1, January 2005, pp. 5-17.
Qualitative design parameters (some of them)
Place
•selection of locations
•utilisation of existing spaces
•sightseeing possibilities
Time and movement
•taking seasons into account
•spatial succession; series of spaces
Life
•the creativity of spatial programming
•event programming
•sociality
Type
•the development of building and block typologies
Experience
•targeted creation of feelings
•spatial brand experience
•athmospheres
•the play of darkness and light
•multi-sensory experiences, including soundscape, smell and touch
•dramaturgy of excitement and relaxation
Relationships
•interconnectedness
Rarity
•uniqueness
Values
•interplay of diverse value systems
•critical capacity of design
Information
•physical characteristics, which give new information to a user
Energy
•the quality of the proposal for living with local food and energy production (not just the technique of energy production, but how it has been integrated in the area in an aesthetic and meaningful way)
Steps for qualitative evolutionary design
1 Define the input. This means deciding on the "module" (that could also be called a "pattern"), whose performance will be measured, including its extents and type. In the case of this workshop, this should lay within the sphere of urban design.
One consequence of evolutionary thinking is that you may divide the environment into manipulable parts - "modules", which will be then allowed to evolve in an asynchronous manner. Modular design states that a product is made of subsystems that are joined together to create a full product (3). This structure of division may be a new way to comprehend environment consisting of patterns (combinations of spaces and/or volumes, and their use) and allow the non-synchronised development of these. For example, a city block or a building can be divided into unconventional parts that can evolve in their own pace without integrated control – such as an entrance, roof-scape, or ground floor spaces combined. This type of thinking is rather new for building architecture and urban design and planning, where it has traditionally been the totality which is supposed to to be the key unit of development – Gesamtkunstwerk – and not its allochronic components.
A module in our task can be a whole area, a block, a public space (such as the street network), a specific street, parking places, urban squares, the already mentioned ground level spaces of blocks, the roof-scape, entrances, or alike. This can be combinations of traditional components of architecture or new ones in an unorthodox manner (e.g., addressing all garbage sheds of the area at the same time).
2 Select your qualitative topic. This could also be called the parameter, or "the characteristic goal". Start by clearly defining the goal you want to achieve by selecting at least one of the aims from the above list. This can alternatively be some other qualitative goal defined by you.
3 Research how the success of your specific goal - its "fitness measure criteria" has been measured earlier and elsewhere. Use internet and literature in this sub-task to understand which have usually been the criteria for evaluating how successful your solution for the input is. Don't worry if the criteria appear obscure or confusing – this "swettiness" is typical for qualitative criteria.
4 Decide on your own measurement technique. Dictate the qualitative criteria that will be used to evaluate the quality of each design solution within your selected module and topic. Decide on how you are going to evaluate the success of your designs, based on the information from the previous stage and your reaction towards that.
5 Generate an initial "population" of design alternatives – a set of different quick designs. These design solutions should be diverse and cover a wide range of possible directions. This forms the initial "rough sketch" - components and alternatives, with which the system is allowed to only barely work by answering to the fitness measurement criteria, but is not necessarily yet much developed. Using AI image tools (Dall-e, Midjourney etc.) might be practical in this stage and in the following steps.
6 Measure the fitness of your sketches (population) against your success parameters and select the best ones for further development.
7 Morphogenesis and variability: Apply evolutionary "operators" such as mutation, recombination, and selection, to generate new design variations from the initial selections based on your fitness criterium.
8 Repeat the process. Continue to generate new, evolved design solutions and evaluate their fitness until the "best solution" has been identified.
9 Refine the solution. Once the winning solution has been identified, refine that further to improve its performance or address any potential issues, as well as remember to reserve enough time to produce the presentation material.
(3) Ulrich K 1995: The role of product architecture in the manufacturing firm. Res Policy 24(3):419–441. doi:10.1016/0048-7333(94)00775-3, 1995.
Outcome
Timetable of the Tervasaari Workshop
5/9 Workshop starts
9:15-12 Excursion in Aalto Campus hosted by Antti Ahlava
Meet in the entrance lobby of Väre Building (Otaniementie 14)
- Otakaari 1 (Undergraduate Centre)
- Dipoli
- Learning Centre
- School of Business
- Väre
12-13 Lunch time in Väre
13:15-15 Introduction to the workshop by prof. Ahlava
Space: Väre, hall F102 (reserved 12-21), in the main lobby, does not require access card
- people introduce themselves
- the workshop site (Tervasaari) and task (Antti Ahlava)
- timetable for the workshop week
- division into groups
- groupwork begins: steps 1-2
6/9 Excursion in the centre of Helsinki by feet + independent groupwork
Hosted by prof. Ahlava
9:00 Meet at the entrance of Kamppi Chapel (address: Simonkatu 7)
- Kamppi Chapel
- Glass Palace
- Kiasma
- Oodi
- Kaisa Library
- Tervasaari
- Senate Square
Return to Aalto Campus from Helsinki University metro station by underground
13-21 Independent groupwork in Väre, Q201: steps 3-4
Requires access pass (doors opened by Aalto students from your group)
7/9 Tervasaari workshop - Independent groupwork
9-19 Undergraduate Centre (address: Otakaari 1) Deloitte (U119)
Open access, does not require access card
steps 5-7
8/9 Tervasaari workshop - Excursion to Suomenlinna + mid-review
Hosted by prof. Ahlava
Meet at 9:15 at Suomenlinna Ferry Pier (at Helsinki Market Place - Kauppatori; at the point marked as "HSL Salutorget" on the map below.)
Back to Aalto campus by metro from Helsinki University station
13:15-16 Mid-review in Väre, F102
hosted by Antti Ahlava, with Heini Saari as a visiting critic
in the main lobby, does not require access card
9/9 (Saturday) Tervasaari workshop - Independent groupwork + free time
Väre, F102
in the main lobby, does not require access card
steps 8-9
free time
10/9 (Sunday) Tervasaari workshop - Independent groupwork + free time
Väre, J302
Requires access pass (doors opened by an Aalto student from your group)
step 9
Please remember to prepare also your reflection (thoughts and ideas for improvement) on the method used in the workshop and its further development.
free time
11/9 Tervasaari workshop - Groupwork + workshop's final review
Groupwork 9-15:45
Väre, J302
Requires access pass (by an Aalto student)
16:00-19 Workshop's final review
Väre, F101
In the main lobby, does not require access card
1. Introduce yourselves in the group
2. Show the video
3. Reflect on the theme of evolutionary design and on the medium of video and animation presenting this and how to develop these methods in design tasks.
Aalto students: Please save your groupwork to Mycourses before the 12th of September at 23:55.
- 22 June 2023, 2:07 PM
- 5 September 2023, 8:51 AM