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Crystalformationsandsymmetryi Crystal Formations and Symmetry in the Search of Patterns in Architecture Müge Kruşa Yemişcioğlu1, Arzu Gönenç Sorguç2, Çağlar Fırat Özgenel3 1,2,3Middle East Technical University, Department of Architecture 1,2,3{mugek|arzug|fozgenel}@metu.edu.tr Nature is always full of patterns inspiring all the disciplines and especially architecture in many ways. Currently, with the advances in technology and growing interest towards nature-driven studies, retrieving information from nature has a new connotation in scales and dimensions including both living and non-living beings. In this study, it is aimed to explore the scales of nature from Nano to Macro and a holistic approach is embraced to cope with the complexity of nature and architecture. To understand these complexities, patterns in different forms and scales serve as valuable tools to decode and recode information from one domain to another through locating the order and how patterns exist in different and changing environments with respect to forces and the urge of the existence of the being.This research focuses on the behavior of crystal formation which can be observed both in biotic and abiotic nature to understand the order generating the patterns in nature and its adaptation into a different and changing environment. This information of crystallization has great potential for architecture in terms of spatial structures, new materials and introducing a novel lattice for freeform structures. In this study, the potentials, limits and possible contributions of crystal formation are stated for architecture in the search of symmetry and patterns. Keywords: nature-driven, computational design, crystal formation, symmetry, pattern INTRODUCTION ifested in the façades, structural systems, ornaments, Men always search patterns which bring order and tiling, the use of materials and even spatial organi- predictability into Architecture. Observing the zations can be considered as the examples of how weather, recording the earthquakes, decoding DNA patterns in architecture determine the design. Na- are some examples of the quest for patterns. Ar- ture is always full of patterns inspiring all the disci- chitecture since from Vitruvius search for order as a plines and especially architecture in many ways. Cur- way to achieve strength, harmony, aesthetics. Differ- rently, with the advances in technology and grow- ent architectural styles with prominent features man- ing interest towards nature-driven studies, retrieving GENERATIVE DESIGN - Volume 2 - eCAADe 36 | 121 information from nature has a new connotation in vents in technology and need for novel solutions for scales and dimensions such as molecules, organelles, new challenging tasks like economic, environmental cells, tissues, organs, and living beings, behavior, and and social ones, researchers again gravitated towards ecosystem (Zari, 2010). In order to explore various di- nature with new tools and perspectives. Among mensional patterns, nature reveals as an important these approaches, biomimetics is taking attention model, mentor and measure in architecture (Benyus, with its methods, tools and exemplary studies. 1997) both living beings and inanimate part of it as a whole. Since nature and architecture are dif- Figure 1 ferent complex systems, finding patterns in nature Flow systems in which represent the ordered behavior is highly ad- action: the delta of vantageous to transfer information to architectural the Lena River in domain. Moreover, locating the disordered behavior northern Siberia according to force and formation provides a valuable (left) and a cast of a source to understand the adaptation of resultant pat- human lung (right). terns into changing conditions. Although this adap- (A. tation is mostly seen as an imperfection of the exist- Bejan/Doubleday) ing pattern, it is also possible to acknowledge it as a [url-1] new kind of order with new symmetry rules and pat- terns. In the scope of this study which is presented as a part of an ongoing Ph.D. research, it is aimed to ex- plore nature in terms of new orders and resultant pat- terns. Then the discussion of the broadened refer- ence domain towards a holistic one including both living and non-living beings is carried by focusing on abiotic nature as a source of information. In this re- spect case study is focused on the behavior of crystal formation which can be observed both in biotic and abiotic nature to understand the order generating the patterns in nature and its adaptation into differ- ent and changing environment. The information em- bedded in crystallization has great potential for ar- chitecture in terms of spatial structures, new materi- als and introducing a novel lattice for freeform struc- tures. The extent of the current biomimetic studies in Archi- PATTERNS AND NATURE tecture is mostly limited with the living natural world, Nature has always been source of inspiration and and this issue is explained by the urge of organisms information for science, mathematics, architecture, to survive, thrive and nurture in the environment that engineering, and arts. Among the information em- they proceed their life (Dorfman, 2016). Moreover, bedded in nature, symmetry and resultant patterns learning from the inanimate part of the nature is dis- which reflect the ordered and disordered behaviors couraged in the scope of Biomimetic studies by call- are prominent for these domains. Today, with the ad- ing it “Geomimicry” and it is claimed that adapting 122 | eCAADe 36 - GENERATIVE DESIGN - Volume 2 living nature’s aspects to survive and thrive on Earth The drawings created between 1917 and 1920 shows is the only valuable strategy, although water, stars, the influence of inanimate nature in his works, also air, and rocks are counted as important substances of explains the crystal inspiration on Crystal Pavilion “nature” (Biomimicry Institute, 2013). (1914) (Gomel & Weninger, 2004). Both the utopian As the Constructal Law introduced by Adrian Be- drawings and the pavilion can be seen as the explo- jan claims that nature works with same physical laws rations of the influence of environmental forces both both for animate and inanimate nature (Bejan & Zane, on nature and the architecture. Recently, Speck et.al. 2012), it is seen that both animate and inanimate na- proposed “Geology” as “geo-derived development” ture reacts to forces of their environment in a sim- and nature-derived development along with “Biol- ilar manner which architecture is also seeking for. ogy” as a source of information that have potential The exemplary study of Philip Ball shows that abiotic to contribute to design and engineering (Speck, et al., subjects have great potential to understand, analyze, 2017). predict and generate the built environment, and bi- Hence, in the scope of this study, it is aimed otic and abiotic nature is not that much different from to broaden the extend of biomimetic studies by each other, and they form the ecosystem together re-introducing inanimate nature and well-known (Ball, 1999). As it is shown in Figure 1, the genera- natural forces with their lessons to be learned tion and growth of geographical formations and our and adapted to architecture. Approaching nature lungs behave similarly depending on the flow of wa- through only living organisms is found to be under- ter and air and this can be explained by Geometric estimating the potentials of balance between ani- Similarity which is one of the similarity types that can mate and inanimate nature. It is also stated that inan- be established between two different scales. These imate nature along with natural forces has great po- similarities are described as “tree model” which is the tential for architecture, since the contemporary ex- non-dimensional pattern based on fractal branching amples are seemed to be limited with formal ap- according to the acting forces. proaches like biomorphic ones. Thus, comprehend- Learning from abiotic nature is not a new con- ing the natural system as a whole with all or related cept in architecture e.g. the hanging structural relations and changes in time provides more informa- model of Antoni Gaudi and book of Bruno Taut de- tion to architecture then acknowledging only one in- scribing a utopian city are still valuable examples stance of a part. showing the potentials of understanding the role of It is a fact that each of the natural beings is a forces on the forms in architecture. In Taut’s unreal- complex system showing “a complicated mix of or- ized drawings and explanations, a new city and ar- dered and disordered behavior” (Johnson, 2009). In chitectural approach is proposed based on the ge- understanding these complexities, patterns in differ- ographical formations formed by the natural forces. ent forms and scales serve as valuable tools to de- code and recode information from one domain to Figure 2 (a) Cave of Crystals, found in Mexico [url-2], (b) Collage of protein crystals and viruses grown in space (Credits: NASA). [url-3], (c) Examples of Crystal structure of human DNA (Manvilla, et al.,2012) GENERATIVE DESIGN - Volume 2 - eCAADe 36 | 123 another. In nature it is not a surprise to find geo- on the symmetry groups and elements. Crystalliza- metrically well-defined patterns like hexagonal hon- tion processes are chosen to understand the relation eycombs, spiral seashells, branching fractals of trees between different behaviors in different scales from and leafage, molecular distribution and lattice struc- nano to macro. tures of crystals helping to define growth and gener- ation. These patterns can be found in both two and CASE STUDY: CRYSTAL SYMMETRY AS A three dimensions in different scales. In order to un- PATTERN derstand the order in complexity and relate it with Crystal formations are observed as an important ex- architectural patterns, it is important to decode the ample on how animate and inanimate nature should existing symmetries and how the resultant patterns be taken into account in a holistic way. Crystalliza- exist in different and changing environments with re- tion process can be observed both in animate and in spect to forces and the existence of the being.
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