Design Computation: October 2017

Parametric Modeling in Revit Architecture

Absolute Tower by MAD

Source of the information on the built building:

https://www.archdaily.com/306566/absolute-towers-mad-architects

https://www.dezeen.com/2012/12/12/absolute-towers-by-mad/

Figure 1 -reference: Archdaily.com

Location: Mississauga, Canada
Height: 170 meter
No. of floors: Tower A: 56 stories/170 m
Tower B: 50 stories/150 m

Building Area: 95.000 square meters
Tower A: 45,000 sqm
Tower B: 40.000 sqm
Site area: 4090 square meters
Primary Use: Residential

Client: Fernbrook / Cityzen
Design Architect: MAD architects
Director in Charge: Ma Yansong, Yosuke Hayano, Dang Qun
Design Team: Shen Jun, Robert Groessinger, Florian Pucher, Yi Wenzhen, Hao Yi, Yao Mengyao, Zhao Fan, Liu Yuan, Zhao Wei, Li Kunjuan, Yu Kui, Max Lonnqvist, Eric Spencer

Associate Architects: BURKA Architects INC.
Structural Engineer: SIGMUND, SOUDACK & ASSOCIATES INC.
Mechanical Engineer: ECE Group
Electrical Engineer: ECE Group
Landscape Architect: NAK Design
Interior Designer: ESQAPE Design

Chinese firm MAD has completed a pair of curvaceous twisted skyscrapers in the growing city of Mississauga, Canada. Standing at 170 and 150 metres, the Absolute Towers contain apartments on each of their oval-shaped floors, but every storey is incrementally rotated to give both buildings a curved and twisted outline.

Figure 2-reference: Archdaily.com

"The concept of the tower at the beginning was very simple," said MAD founder Ma Yansong. "We just wanted to make something organic but different, more natural and more soft and not something too strong that would remind people of money or power.

Figure 3-reference: Archdaily.com

"Lots of cities like this are happening in China, just repeating the modern urban typology and always making square towers," added Yansong. "We were thinking; how about reversing that? "So we don't treat architecture as a product, or an artificial volume or space. It's more like a landscape."

Apartments in both towers boast panoramic views of the city skyline from continuous balconies that wrap around the recessed glass facades. This set-back also helps to shade each apartment from direct sunlight in the summer months.

Figure 4-Typiacl floor plan- Reference:Archdaily.com

The torsional form of the towers is underpinned with a surprisingly simply and inexpensive structural solution. The two residential towers are supported by a grid of concrete load bearing walls. The bearing walls extend and contract in response to the sectional fluctuation created by the rotation of the floors while the balconies consist of cantilevered concrete slabs.

Design intent

There are two towers in this project. The height of Building E is 157.9 meters / 518 feet with 50 floors above the ground, and the height of Building D is 175.6 meters / 576 feet with 56 floors above the ground.

Figure 5- Site Plan- Reference:Archdaily.com

This project is focused on building D which has 175.6 m height. The floor plan is repeated at each level. However, it is rotated at different levels from different angles. It means the floor plan is rotated in each level and the angle range from 1 degree to 8 degrees. With more concentration on rotation angles, a rule for rotation is founded. In other words, this building is consists of 5 individual sections in a vertical axis and in each section, the floor plan is rotated by one rule. As an illustration, in first section, which contains 10 floors from the street level, each floor is rotated 1 degree more than previous level. In second section which starts from level 10 and ends in level 25, each floor is rotated 3 degree more than previous level. The below table depict these rotation angles and different sections. Based on this sections, the rotation formulas were created.

Figure 6- Rotation Angles- Reference:Archdaily.com

Since the main character of this building comes from its twisting shape, I decided to use parameters for its angles in each section. So this building could work as a smart tower and rotates in different angles based on different climate situations. Moreover, I used parameters for plan dimensions due to emphasize its organic, natural concept which allows it to grow and extend.

The main features of the building which were the focus of a parametric study include:

-Proportional change of the scale of the building by manipulating the width and length of the building

-The rotation angle of the floor plan in every 5 vertical sections of the building

-The height of each vertical section individually

-The material of building envelop and its balcony

Parametric Volume of the Building (Rotation Angles)

Firstly, Open a new Conceptual mass that is adaptable. In refer level, draw several points. you see errors that point are overlapped. However, continue till you draw 7 points ( which will be used next to define levels). In the next step, go to an elevation view and move the points vertically based on the design approach of rotation rule. Now, draw an ellipse on the base floor and set each level, then pick the ellipse to have it on different levels. Now, select each point, go to the property bar and create a parameter for its rotational angle. In this phase, other parameters could be added such as radius of ellipses and height of each vertical section.

Figure 7- open a conceptual mass

Figure 8- create 6 adaptive point in 1st level

Figure 10- Set each level and pick basic ellipse (typical Plan)

Figure 11- Set each level and rotate ellipse based on total angle of each section

Figure 12- Add parameters as width ,length and rotation of each ellipse

Figure 13- Check Parameters in Family Type

Figure 14- Create Volume

Parametric Envelop of the Building

In this phase, envelope pattern is created in a conceptual mass - Metric Curtain Panel Based- and remember to select a rectangular pattern for base surface and match its dimension with volume division numbers. For envelope design, parameters are used for materials.