Parametric Design Workshop - Kaunas as a part of Kaunas Architecture Festival KAFe 2016
Tutors: Krystian Kwieciński, Jacek Markusiewicz, Agata Pasternak
Organizers: Kaunas Architecture Festival KAFe 2016 and Aechitecture for Society of Knowledge
Coordinator: Ruta Barisaite
Participants: Rūta Vitkutė, Edita Gumauskaitė, Kateryna Yakovets, Evaldas Šemeta, Miglė Nainytė, Austė Kuliešiūtė, Rita Tamulevičiūtė, Irena Zonytė, Vitalija Orlovaitė, Deividas Jankauskas, Matas Vilkauskas, Aušra Černauskienė, Aurimas Valaitis, Vika Pranaitytė, Žilvinas Urbas, Žygimantas Gudelis, Oleksandr Voropai
The main goal was to design and build a parametric structure from plywood in the square in front of Romuva Cinema Centre in Kaunas employing parametric design tools and digital fabrication. This area was chosen not accidentally. The theme of KAFe 2016 is “Restart your city centre” and this square is situated next to Laisvės avenue – the longest pedestrian street in Kaunas city centre. Romuva cinema building is an important part of this area and a unique example of Kaunas inter-war modernism architecture, however, for now the space is quite abandoned and unattractive for citizens. This parametric object could be a start point that leads to the revival of this area.
THE PARTICIPATORY DESIGN PROCESS
The participants of the Parametric architecture workshop were divided into 5 focus groups of Kaunas’ citizens. For a day they were no longer architects and became representatives of Business owners, Families, Students, Performers, Inhabitants. All of them had spent a lot of time brainstorming and discussing in order to choose the best design and function that would fit in the area in front of the Romuva Cinema Centre and would represent different needs of these groups.
AUGMENTED REALITY (AR) AND PARAMETRIC DESIGN
Augmented reality is a live direct or indirect view of a physical, real-world environment whose elements are augmented (or supplemented) by computer-generated sensory input such as 3D model of the parametric urban furniture design.
In order to check suitability of the solutions they were simulated in the augmented reality. The AR application was using the printed map on which 3 different types of markers (wall, seat, laying) were placed. By moving and rotating them, the form of the bench was changing instantly and it was visualized in mobile devices (tablets, mobile phones).
As the proposals of each group were checked in augmented reality, the final discussion and voting for the best solution were carried out. The design of the Student’s group was recognized as the best one.
DIGITAL FABRICATION
The parametric definition allowed to automatize the production of the fabrication files of the chosen design. All pieces were CNC-milled out of plywood and numbered in order to assemble them correctly. The fabrication process took place in the fabrication laboratory at KTU Faculty of Civil Engineering and Architecture.
Location: Kaunas, Lithuania
Festival website: kafe2016.lt/en/parametric-architecture-workshop
2016.