Rationalization of Combinatorial Design in Architecture for Microhousing A thesis submitted to the Graduate School of the University of Cincinnati in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Architecture in the School of Architecture and Interior Design of the College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning by Paul Kim B.S. of Architectural Studies in the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign June 2011 Committee Chairs: Christoph Klemmt, AA Dipl. Udo Greinacher, M.Arch Abstract By taking a combinatorial design approach, this thesis explores spatial and programmatic arrangements of residential units to design microhousing for temporary residents living in urban settings. In order to explore spaces, it was critical to itemize a building’s spatial components. By distinguishing the essential and non-essential components of each space, necessary spaces are defined by the activities of daily living. Then I created boundaries around the essential components considering anthropometry and circulation suitable for microhousing. These essential action spaces became templates throughout the thesis. A growth of architectural form is one of the most critical factors in this exploration. Spatial combinations from the smallest to largest scale have facilitated this study in generating an ideal microhousing community. Rules and constraints are implemented to keep layouts organized and forms intact. The initial goal to preserve spatial efficiency was carried throughout the exploration. As scales grew, the primary focus was shifted from maintaining spatial efficiency to preserving modularity of combinatorics. The premise of this thesis was to analyze necessary spaces and to generate an architectural form by combining modular components. This thesis concerns with process of spatial combinations and analysis of their spatial efficiency followed by the analysis of generated forms. The design proposal hopes to benefit public and private interests, including single residents, students, young professionals, rehabilitating patients, senior citizens, and visitors. This thesis can persuade future real-estate developers, architects, and contractors to engage in the combinatorial design of microhousing to advance its construction techniques, to meet the housing demand, to sustain housing affordability, and to encourage innovative design strategies. More importantly, this thesis desires to encourage the combinatorial design method to architectural students to explore and expand their knowledge in generating innovative system of modular combinations. The thesis is an on-going process that encourages all participants to bring focus to a global scale. Wherever housing is needed, this method can greatly assist in supplying residences for everyone. ii v Acknowledgements I would like to thank my dad, my mom, and my sister for their never-ending support from miles away. I am only here because of you, and I hope to reunite with everyone once again. I would like to thank my closest friends Byungcheon Chang and Jason Cheung for words and acts of encouragement. You have always been there for me, knowing I was not fully capable of doing the same for you then. Our altruistic friendship is incomparable to others’. Lastly, I would like to thank Professors Christoph Klemmt, Terry Boling, and George Thomas Bible for sharing their knowledge and broadening my perspectives on architecture. Their expertise and patience in teaching deserve the utmost praise. vii Table of Contents Abstract ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ii Acknowledgements ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- vii List of Figures --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9 1. Introduction ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10 2. Related Works -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11 2.1 Combinatorics in Mathematics ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11 2.2 Combinatorics in Literature -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 12 2.2.1 Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 12 2.2.2 Oulipo ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 13 2.2.3 Rule and Constraint ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 14 2.3 Combinatorics in Gaming ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 17 2.3.1 Tetris ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 17 2.3.2 StarCraft -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 20 2.3.3 Block’hood ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 21 2.4 Combinatorics in Architecture ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 23 3. Case Study: Microhousing in San Francisco ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 25 3.1.1 Metabolism ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 25 3.1.2 Microhousing -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 27 3.1.3 Modularity vs. Prefabrication ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 27 3.1.4 Site: Mission Bay --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 28 3.2 Design Approach ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 29 3.2.1 Action Space --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 29 3.2.2 Action Module ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 32 3.2.3 Unit --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 36 3.2.4 Unit Pair and Unit Cluster ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 39 3.2.5 Cluster Level --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 42 3.2.6 Cluster Wing --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 44 3.2.7 Arrangement on the Site ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 48 Evaluation ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 51 Conclusion ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 52 Glossary -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 53 Bibliography --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 55 Image References ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 57 viii List of Figures Figure 1: Leonhard Euler. ............................................................................................................................ 11 Figure 2: The Tea Party in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. ................................................................... 12 Figure 3: Oulipo (Ouvroir de literature potentiélle). .................................................................................. 13 Figure 4: Tetrominoes. ................................................................................................................................ 17 Figure 5: Tetromino compositions in 10x8 boxes. ...................................................................................... 18 Figure 6: Right skew (D), left skew (S), and branch (B) Soma Cubes. ......................................................... 19 Figure 7: StarCraft II characters. ................................................................................................................. 20 Figure 8: Block'hood by Jose Sanchez from Plethora-Project. .................................................................... 21 Figure 9: (Top-left) Nakagin Capsule Tower fabricated Metabolism diagrams; (top-right)