BIG DATA DESIGN
- Strange but familiar
MFA thesis by; Cecilia Margareta Tjärnberg
Supervisors; Einar Rodhe, Rebecca Ahlstedt, Tor Lindstrand, and Christian Björk Examiner; Tor Lindstrand Guest critic; Marcia Harvey
TABLE OF CONTENTS I. SUMMARY II. SYNOPSIS III. METHOD IV. REFLECTIONS V. IMAGES ( 1 - 10 ) VI. PROPOSAL VII. IMAGES ( 10 - 13 )
SUMMARY
Consciously utilizing
BIG DATA as a part of the creative design process and automating certain
design tasks is an important part of the evolution of contemporary digital design processes.
These new digital tools invite us into a complex world of infinite and instant possibilities. The
tools we use feed back into the things that we make. However, the traces made by the data-driven
wear and tear leave us with surprisingly manifold qualities. The traces from the digital and the
physical wear and tear left by these new technologies communicate important humanistic values
which more often are distinguished in the crafts. This second digital turn in architecture makes
way for a new design language -
Strange but familiar.
BIG DATA DESIGN strange but familiar is a thesis project where new technologies are used to explore the future of spatial design expression by exploring the possibilities of contemporary digital design processes. The focus is fixed on embracing the digital and physical wear and tear throughout the project. As the project comes to a full circle and a proposal in scale 1:1 has been built, questions about new materials, open source design, and not the least the relevance of architects are raised. In this landscape of physical spatial elements, you are invited to explore thresholds between the real and the virtual.
In naming the project from the perspective of a spatial designer I am referring to new methods of design relevant to the field and the term “big data” in general intending “The new tools helping us find relevant data and analyze its implications” . I collect data through different types of 3d scans exploring a range of 1
technologies, from precise laser scanning to hacking a discontinued motion-sensing input device derived from the gaming industry. I am interested in how the form translates as it moves between the physical and the digital realm. In the digital realm, the information captured presents itself as a messy abstraction of the original where some data is added while other data is lost. Developing the material, I adopt complex
content-aware auto-fill algorithms, a strategy that is essential for the project. This strategy is applied both in the digital and physical form. I have, during my work, been educating myself about how different alternative digital tools work and how these react to different kinds of information. I am using my insights to control certain processes and to automate selected tasks of my design process. I have explored a range of different mediums in which to materialize my designs, both digitally and physically. The result includes, amongst others, power carved wooden structures, large needle felted recycled polyester foam sculptures and collaborative workshops in glass blowing and computer programming.
My firm belief is that the traces from the physical and digital wear and tear add value in that they unpack my process, birthing something Strange but familiar.
1 Gil Press, 12 Big Data Definitions; What’s yours?, 2014, Forbes.
SYNOPSIS
We are in the midst of a second digital turn and we ask ourselves what this means for the craft of spatial design. Architectural historian Mario Carpo talks about how “Yesterday’s spline-dominated environment
was elegant and modern; today’s data-driven design environment is messily postmodern: disconnected, broken, fragmentary, rickety, patchy, and aggregatory” . This project is filled with examples. The second 2
digital turn referred to is built on the technological development of capturing form, storing and handling large amounts of data. Mario is talking about “big data”. The design is information-based and because we are working with copying materials from reality, which has its own quirks, and can store a lot of
information, the form created ends up messy in its character. My work has generated many examples of this. It is challenging to fathom but we are right now experiencing a change in the way we think about design. This includes for example; how design is created and our role in the design process; how materiality is perceived and how new materials such as interactive digital realms can be utilized by architects.
I look to artists like Wang and Söderström and pioneering creative practices like ScanLAB Projects who are exploring these new materialities which challenge our perceptions of experienced materiality both virtually and physically, and highlight the at times obvious and at others ambiguous thresholds. With one leg in the physical realm and the other in the digital realm, their projects are ambitious and their workflow with no doubt takes great advantage utilizing contemporary digital design processes.
However, in the near future, a lot of people might lose their jobs to machines. This is one reason why the subject of automation often provokes hostile emotions. Another topic that tends to provoke people is how the focus on technical progress at the expense of traditional learning indirectly erodes practical knowledge about material qualities. These are the reasons why projects exploring new technologies are important in the context of spatial design. Interior architects should be well educated in the qualities of the materials they handle. Nevertheless the kinds of questions we should ask instead are: how can we use these new technologies to evolve our understanding of materiality? And, can these new materialities have meaningful consequences for the social situation at hand?
At our current level of technology there is no threat of the relevance of architects and designers in this is in part due to high demands of creative thinking, ever-changing conditions and intense interaction with clients and coworkers . Still, the future development of deep learning might. However, by educating 3
ourselves about how these new tools work, we can contribute through our reflections on defining a preferable path for this development. Automating certain tasks, mind-numbing or not, does free our time up and allows us to focus on other areas. During site visits, a portable 3d scanner can copy
three-dimensional information and we can revisit this data and move around inside the created digital realm at any time and at any place thereafter. Compare this notion to reviewing two-dimensional images taken during a site visit. I once photo scanned seniors living in a home in a suburb community common here in Sweden. I returned to Margareta with a small 3d printed version of her which, I later learned, she
2 Mario Carpo,
Breaking the curve big data and design, Artforum, February 2014. Article.
3Anthony Woods,
METHOD
From the data gathered through 3d scanning, a landscape of spatial elements is developed. Selected interiors are refined digitally and materialized in the physical realm while others remain in the digital realm. All the while, the focus during the design process is kept on utilizing digital and physical wear and tear. I mean that I am embracing how the tools I use feed back into the things that I make. The digital wear and tear occurs through the following circumstances: the scanning technology captures its motive which is then reassembled in the digital realm. In the digital realm, the information captured presents itself as a messy abstraction to the original where some information is added while other is lost; and, also, by reducing the data and selectively choosing details that I want to further develop by cutting through the digital material. The digital tools include different complex content aware auto fill algorithms which I take advantage of. I set a few parameters, mark a cut and then leave it up to the program to generate a solution. I don't spend hours on the tedious sculpting of one design. My approach is rugged by choice. I spend more time selecting spatial elements which together create a harmonious landscape. I use my intuition or my personal built-in programming as I view my design in the digital space to assess whether a balance is apparent. In general, I find a balance where there are asymmetry and variations in the form. Slowly I build my own unique alternative universe. Throughout this thesis project I have tried to stay with these remnants ingrained, the mutation occurred through the digital wear and tear and ultimately physical wear and tear as the design is physically materialized. The artistic research presented concern a summary of a few main studies considering gain in the context of the tools used to capture the form, the software that is processing the data and the different techniques materializing a final design.
Four different types of 3d scanning technologies have been utilized during this project. The laser scanner was used to generate a precisely scaled digital point-cloud space. In this digital space, my ideas have been tested in a relevant context as the work has progressed. The device captures fragments of any mass that is in motion. For example, I scanned a very lively workshop. There is an artistic quality to the fragmented imagery of the activity at hand. The fractured data generated through photogrammetry is in contrast more sculptural in its character. Where information is lacking the software improvises by smoothening out or inflating what is instead a sharp edge in the physical realm, a reflective surface or mass in motion. Roughly, the software used assembles a sort of three-dimensional puzzle from the photos uploaded. The sharper my photos are and the more they overlap the more precise my model will be. The technology is accessible and portable. The light structure scanner setup, though, is more suitable for documenting smaller objects: from the size of a seashell to a small stool. The software can auto-generate detailed maps that visualize each scan-viewing point, a function which proves to be a great analytic tool for further conversation. The Kinect sensor paired up with Processing is the one setup used in this project which can 4
record three-dimensional point-clouds in motion. Collaborating with programmer and musician Alexander Wallin, a 120GB worth of point cloud stop motion imagery was created and later exhibited by projecting it in the form of a pulsating music video developed by Alexander.
4 “Processing is an
open-source graphical library and integrated development environment (IDE) / playground built for the electronic arts, new media art, and visual design communities with the purpose of teaching non-programmers the fundamentals of computer programming in a visual context”, Wikipedia, 2019, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Processing_(programming_language).
The value of collaboration throughout this project cannot be understated. It goes without saying that, when you open up and work with others your world gets instantly bigger. It is important for the field of spatial design to join this open source community. “Open source is expected to play a large role in the next big wave of evolution in the tech world. The future includes AI, machine learning, and big data analytics, which will not only make our systems smarter, but more valuable than ever” .5 Today, most of
us that are new to working with digital design are relying on free software, however, through
collaborating with computer programmers we could access open source software and start writing code consciously controlling and developing our digital tools. We know that the tools we use feed back into the things we make. During the project, I have become more familiar with the open source community through; youtube tutorials like the ones created by the coding train; and, Hackerspace Konstfack run by Palle Torsson, Senior Lecturer within the Department of Fine Art, and a contemporary artist working with videos, interactive works, live video games, and performance. I have learned to think about hacking in a broader sense. For example, innovative ideas are found when digital design and craft meet. In the spirit of open communication, I organized and moderated an open seminar on the theme of Spatial Design and
New Technologies joined by a panel of current authorities in the fields of architecture and design, craft, technology, and robotics. One topic that became central during the seminar was our understanding of materiality; how we experience materiality; how our training in our specific craft affects how we work with different materials; and, how we can influence the materiality by influencing the tools that build it, digitally and physically. My conclusion is that this type of open think-tanks gives a brief but inspiring introduction to different fields in the creative community where the goal that these people in the future will work more closely together. I have started to build a network of contacts that I hope to keep in touch with throughout my career.
I worked mainly in Meshmixer for the developing of my designs. Any larger point cloud was reduced in Cloud Compare and the photographed interiors that I wanted to 3d print were shelled in 3s Max. Moving the object to the physical realm, my strategy was to slice up the digital form like a loaf of bread. I numbered the slices and pulled them apart to thereafter print them on paper. These functioned as my templates, despite whether the form was reassembled in wood, foam, paper or plexiglass. To achieve a smooth finish in the wood, plexiglass and paper materials, as well as different milling techniques, have been used. As per the textiles, I worked with needle felting and tufting. The physical wear and tear occur in consensus with my rugged approach to construction and craft. The wild expression of the carpet is the result of me neglecting to clean the machine and sharpen the knife often enough. The marks in The Oyster compared to the marks in The Elephant tell the story of my research into the world of wood carving tools. Developing a collaborative design process I have actively been reaching out to a lot of different people. My design process has allowed me to explore the craft of glass blowing. In a creative collaborative workshop with Glass/Craft Artist Rasmus Nossbrig, a series of glass pieces were blown directly on one of my wooden sculptures. Throughout the project, form has been generated from form, real and virtual alike.
5Nick Ismail,
REFLECTIONS
I am passionate about craft and I am captivated by the complex world of infinite instant possibilities brought to us through this second digital turn in architecture. BIG DATA DESIGN strange but familiar is a thesis project where new technologies are used to explore the future of spatial design expression by exploring the possibilities made available by contemporary digital design processes. I have during my work made many interesting findings generated by the digital and the physical wear and tear created by these new technologies. In contrast to spline-based design, the data-driven designs generated communicate
important humanistic values which more often are distinguished in the crafts. By consciously utilizing 3d scanning and contemporary digital design methods as a part of the creative design process, a more valuable design output can be engineered. We are in the midst of a second digital turn and we ask ourselves what this means for the craft of spatial design.
For one, this means that we can, in a short amount of time, create a whole hyper-realistic universe of form that is messy in its character, houses fragmented colors and detailed textures. We can scale it up and down and we can place our designs in a precise context so that it becomes easy for anyone to empathize with the proposal. To physically materialize these creations, one must invest some time. The development of manufacturing will reduce costs. Although my approach to slice up my design and milling it down by hand can theoretically make the design available to a city because they could hire local craftsmen to build it. This could be one way for me to open source my design today.
By utilizing software problems while laser scanning, such as the difficulties that coincide while merging separate scans, we can build instant alternative digital realms. By simply moving back and forth and back again when using the laser scanner, my separate scans started merging into the wrong positions.
Suddenly, the digital realm contained a corridor in a place that was not represented in the physical realm. Imagine taking this one step further and deliberately scanning a series of physically different interiors. I am very curious about how this space would put itself together in the digital realm. These new techniques awaken me a new creative curiosity.
A topic that has been central to the whole project is the idea of our understanding of materiality. This second digital turn in architecture forces us who work within the field to review our understanding of materiality. Within the context of data-driven design and new technologies, we must review how we experience materiality, how the training in our specific craft affects how we work with different
IMAGES ( 1 - 10 )
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New Material 29, illustration, digital, Cecilia Margareta Tjärnberg, 2018, A2 (detail)
I first realized that I was working with pattern recognition as a strategy for developing forms when I discovered a filter in Adobe Photoshop called "content-aware auto-fill". Instead of using it for its original purpose, I inverted the area marked and
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7 Hagia Sophia, Photogrammetry, the 3D open mesh assembled to the left and the fragments that make up the form to the right,
Cecilia Margareta Tjärnberg, 2018
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Point Cloud research, drawing, digital, Cecilia Margareta Tjärnberg, 2019, precise scale (detail)
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9 Process, snapshots, digital, Cecilia Margareta Tjärnberg, 2019, -
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11 Inside-out interiors, modells, 3D printed, Cecilia Margareta Tjärnberg, 2019, circa 10x10x12cm
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12 Process, physical mixed media,
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13 Process, digital mixed media,
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14 On the top:
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three-dimensional digital space, but the physical experience of this interaction is challenging. It is different when the whole body becomes part of the interaction.
15Spatial Design and New Technologies
PROPOSAL
In the future, when we look back at the evolution of digital design I want to have been a part of the movement of creative people who explored and challenged data-driven design and who started developing new creative workflows. I have a genuine interest in technology. BIG DATA DESIGN strange but familiar is a thesis project where new technologies are used to explore the future of spatial design expression by exploring the possibilities made available by contemporary digital design processes. Specifically, I work creatively with different types of 3D scanning. From the collected data, I develop a design proposal that favors a specific context. Early in my process, I 3D print my designs. When the budget for the proposal is set, I begin to research suitable materials and potential collaborating partners. When I negotiate specific construction, I strive for synergy by using local advantages.
While I focus on research and develop my own creative process throughout BIG DATA DESIGN strange but familiar, I have also chosen to see the work as a pilot project where I get to try my ideas. For my thesis, I propose a spatial design where the conversation about new technology and data-driven design would be encouraged. Meaning that people get access to my research and are invited to do their own investigations. By laser scanning the site I get direct access to a digitized precise context where I can develop my
designs. This proposal is situated as a part of the annual degree exhibition at Konstfack, University of Arts, Crafts and Design, and I have to share the space and the visitor's attention with my 181 peers and graduating student body. Limited by a budget of 12 000 sek, I had to scale down my ambition utilize the workshops available to me at Konstfack. The developed proposal contains a handful of space elements that together form a visual-spatial landscape. A bench, a sofa, floor, a wall structuring element and a shelf that exhibits 3D printed models and material exploration. Although my creations are bordering on fine art, I view my spatial elements as interior architecture meant for people to physically use, to lean on for a while or climb. It is obvious but still interesting to reflect on how an alternative bench like The Oyster would challenge how people position themselves in a social context. A looping film with a summation of my research is projected on the wall capturing visitors attention as they get close. The color scheme is intense, polished and fluctuating keeping to a bouquet of lavender, peach, yellow neon and spots of cobalt. Inspired by the colorful work of Swedish Furniture Designer Fredrik Paulsen, I decided to be bold and take advantage of the large white painted halls in which Konstfack is situated. Through organizing and moderating an open seminar on the theme of Spatial Design and New Technologies I attempted to activate conversation and draw even more attention to the theme of my research.
IMAGES ( 11 - 13 )
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16 The degree exhibition, photo / video, Cecilia Margareta Tjärnberg / Arkitekten, 2019
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17 Digital Studio, The Oyster sofa, Digital Studio 2, mixed media, Cecilia Margareta Tjärnberg, 2019
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LIST OF REFERENCES IN PERSON
Einar Rodhe, Senior Lecturer within the Department of Design at Konstfack, Architect, and co-founder of Norell/Rodhe. Main tutor. Tor Lindstrand, Senior Lecturer within the Department of Design at Konstfack, Architect, and co-owner of the office of Larsson Lindstrand Palme arkitektkontor AB. Tutor and project examinator.
Palle Torsson, Senior Lecturer within the Department of Fine Art, and a contemporary artist working with videos, interactive works, live video
games, and performance. Tutor at Hacker Space Konstfack and guest at the seminar.
Gunnar Söder, Lecturer within the Department of Design at Konstfack. Technical advisor and guest at the seminar. Christian Björk, Visiting Lecturer within the Department of Design at Konstfack. Text.
Rebecca Ahlstedt, Senior Lecturer within the Department of Design at Konstfack, Designer, and founder of Studio Rebecca Ahlstedt. Tutor. Bella Rune, Professor of the Department of Crafts / Textile at Konstfack, and an exhibiting artist based in Stockholm. Guest at the seminar. Ulrika Karlsson, Professor in architecture at KTH School of Architecture, an architect and founding member of architectural research and design collaborative Brrum. Guest at the seminar.
Rasmus Nossbring, Glass/Craft Artist, and an exhibiting artist based in Stockholm. Co-creative and glass blower during collaborative workshop forming glass on one of my wood sculptures.
Alexander Wallin, a computer programmer, and musician. Co-creative during collaborative workshop recording three-dimensional space with the Kinect sensor. From the data, we collected together Alexander then created the music video.
Jonas Runberger, Adjunct Professor in Architecture at KTH and the Director of Dsearch, digital design development at White Arkitekter AB. Held and inspiring lecture on the topic of architecture and digitalization at Sveriges Arkitekter during the fall of 2018 . I contacted him 19
afterward and got to come by and visit Desearch. Jonas recommended me to direct questions about 3d scanning applications to Tom Svilans.
Tom Svilans, Danish architectural designer and researcher focusing on the intersection of fabrication, materiality, and emerging technologies. Research interview.
Inger Bengtsson and Jonas Oslund, Lecturers within the Department of Design at Konstfack. Technical support in the wood workshop. Rino Björk, Lecturer within the Department of Crafts at Konstfack. Technical support in the glass workshop.
Francisca Lagerberg, Assistant within the Department of Design at Konstfack. Technical support in the digital workshop.
Sawsan Ahmed, Interior Architect and one of my classmates studying Spatial Design here at Konstfack 2017-2019. Helped me solve the issue of closing the open photogrammetry interior mesh.
Mattias Sellden, Interior Architect and one of my classmates studying Spatial Design here at Konstfack 2017-2019. Technical support in the wood workshop.
IN WRITING / VIDEO
BOOKS
Mario Carpo, The Second Digital Turn: Design Beyond Intelligence, The MIT Press, 2017 Tove Jansson, Who Will Comfort Toffle?, Sort of Books, 2003
VIDEO TUTORIALS
The Coding Train, YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/user/shiffman/search?query=kinect
19Jonas Runberger,
ARTICLES
Mario Carpo, BREAKING THE CURVE: BIG DATA AND DESIGN, Artforum, December 18, 2018 Ellie Abrons, Headless Bellies and Other Forms of Architectural Allusion, University of Michigan
Matt McFarland, Google’s psychedelic ‘paint brush’ raises the oldest question in art, The Washington Post, March 10, 2016 Anthony Woods, Will AI replace creative professionals?, VentureBeat, June 1, 2017
Bertel King Jr, MTE Explains: What Is The Difference Between Free Software, Open Source Software, and Freeware?, MakeTechEasier, May 24, 2013
Nick Ismail, The value of open source software, InformationAge, November 16, 2017 PROJECTS
Wang & Söderström, Transitional Speculation, Solo Exhibition at Volvo Studio x Young Art, Personal Project, 2017
TECHNOLOGY
COMPUTER
Razer Blade, Laptop, 2018 (15.6", FHD, 144hz, i7-8750H, 16GB, 512GB SSD M.2, GTX 1060 Max-Q / Win 10)
HARDWARE
Leica BLK 360, Laser scanner Kinect One for Xbox, Sensor Windows for Kinect, Adapter
David HP Scanner, Light structure scanner Apple iPhone 4s, Phone camera
Makerbot 2x, 3d printer
TRADITIONAL WOOD WORKSHOP Straight saw
Band saw Planer
POWERTOOLS
Makita, 720W GA5030R, grinder Makita, GD0800C, grinder
Tivoly, saw blade, grinder attachment Arbortech, Turboplane, grinder attachment Arbortech, Ball Gouge, grinder attachment Craftomat, flap discs, grinder attachment Craftomat, flap wheels, grinder attachment
SOFTWARE Autodesk, Meshmixer Autodesk, ReCap Pro Autodesk, ReCap Photo
Robert McNeel & Associates, Rhinoceros 3D, Rhino 6 for Windows
Autodesk, 3ds Max
GPL, Cloud Compare
