Michael Hansmeyer: Building unimaginable shapes

Translator: Morton Bast Reviewer: Thu-Huong Ha

譯者: Meilun Shih 審譯者: Audrey Her

As an architect, I often ask myself,

身為一名建築師，我經常問我自己

what is the origin of the forms that we design?

什麼是我們設計的源頭

What kind of forms could we design

如果完全不參考其它作品

if we wouldn't work with references anymore?

我們會設計出什麼樣式呢?

If we had no bias, if we had no preconceptions,

如果我們沒有偏好，沒有先入為主的印象

what kind of forms could we design

我們會設計出什麼的形體？

if we could free ourselves from

假如 我們將自已從

our experience?

積累的經驗中解錮出來

If we could free ourselves from our education?

或跳出教育的框架呢?

What would these unseen forms look like?

這前所未見的形式 看起來會像是甚麼

Would they surprise us? Would they intrigue us?

會帶給我們驚喜嗎? 會讓我們感興趣嗎？

Would they delight us?

它會讓我們感到歡欣嗎

If so, then how can we go about creating something that is truly new?

若是如此， 我們該如何著手開創全新的東西呢？

I propose we look to nature.

我建議師法大自然

Nature has been called the greatest architect of forms.

大自然是最偉大的形態建築師

And I'm not saying that we should copy nature,

在這裡，我並不建議僅僅複製大自然

I'm not saying we should mimic biology,

我不是說我們應該抄襲自然生物

instead I propose that we can borrow nature's processes.

相反地，我希望我們能借鑒大自然造物的過程。

We can abstract them and to create something that is new.

從中擷取，並創造出全新的形態

Nature's main process of creation, morphogenesis,

大自然主要的創造過程，最初的形體生成

is the splitting of one cell into two cells.

是將細胞一分為二。

And these cells can either be identical,

而這些細胞不是完全相同，

or they can be distinct from each other

就是透過不對稱細胞分裂

through asymmetric cell division.

形成完全不同的形態

If we abstract this process, and simplify it as much as possible,

假使我們能擷取這個過程並盡可能簡化它，

then we could start with a single sheet of paper,

那麼，我們便能簡單地從一張紙和

one surface, and we could make a fold

一個面向開始，利用摺疊

and divide the surface into two surfaces.

將一個面分為兩個面向。

We're free to choose where we make the fold.

我們可以自由選擇要如何對摺

And by doing so, we can differentiate the surfaces.

並藉此區別各面向。

Through this very simple process,

透過這個簡單的步驟，

we can create an astounding variety of forms.

我們能創造出令人驚艷的各種形態。

Now, we can take this form and use the same process

現在，我們可以利用這個形態和相同步驟

to generate three-dimensional structures,

來創造出三度空間立體的架構

but rather than folding things by hand,

但並不是徒手摺疊

we'll bring the structure into the computer,

而是將這個結構輸入到電腦

and code it as an algorithm.

並把它編碼成一個演算法。

And in doing so, we can suddenly fold anything.

如此一來，我們就能瞬間摺疊任何東西。

We can fold a million times faster,

我們摺疊的速度可以快上百萬倍，

we can fold in hundreds and hundreds of variations.

我們可以摺疊出成千上萬的變化，

And as we're seeking to make something three-dimensional,

而當我們企圖創造一些三度空間的立體物件時，

we start not with a single surface, but with a volume.

就不再是從單一平面開始，而是從體積開始，

A simple volume, the cube.

以簡單的立方體為例。

If we take its surfaces and fold them

假使我們將其平面

again and again and again and again,

不斷、不斷、不斷、不斷地

then after 16 iterations, 16 steps,

經過16次的反覆摺疊後，

we end up with 400,000 surfaces and a shape that looks,

最後會得到400,000個面向，以及一個看起來

for instance, like this.

譬如說，像這樣的形態。

And if we change where we make the folds,

假設我們改變摺疊處，

if we change the folding ratio,

或是摺疊的比例，

then this cube turns into this one.

那這個立方體就會變成這樣。

We can change the folding ratio again to produce this shape,

我們再一次改變摺疊比例可以得到這個、

or this shape.

或是這個形狀。

So we exert control over the form

因此，我們便能藉由針對特定的摺疊位置

by specifying the position of where we're making the fold,

施行對這個形體的控制。

but essentially you're looking at a folded cube.

但本質上來說，你看到的還是一個摺疊過的立方體。

And we can play with this.

我們可以這樣做，

We can apply different folding ratios to different parts

我們可以在立方體的不同部位運用不同摺疊比例，

of the form to create local conditions.

來創造出局部變化。

We can begin to sculpt the form.

我們可以開始雕塑這個形體。

And because we're doing the folding on the computer,

由於我們是在電腦上進行摺疊，

we are completely free of any physical constraints.

所以完全沒有任何實體上的限制。

So that means that surfaces can intersect themselves,

這意味著，各面向能夠自行交叉貫穿，

they can become impossibly small.

變成近乎不可能的小。

We can make folds that we otherwise could not make.

我們能夠做到過去無法達成的摺疊方式。

Surfaces can become porous.

平面變成能穿透的。

They can stretch. They can tear.

它們能夠伸展、能夠被撕裂。

And all of this expounds the scope of forms that we can produce.

而這一切說明了我們所能創造的形態範圍。

But in each case, I didn't design the form.

但在每個作品中，我並不設計形態。

I designed the process that generated the form.

我設計的是一個產生型態的過程。

In general, if we make a small change to the folding ratio,

一般而言，假設我們把摺疊比例作一個小小的改變，

which is what you're seeing here,

就像你在這裡看到的，

then the form changes correspondingly.

整個形態也會相對應地產生改變。

But that's only half of the story --

但這才說到一半而已--

99.9 percent of the folding ratios produce not this,

百分之九十九點九的摺疊比例所產生的並非如此，

but this, the geometric equivalent of noise.

而是像這樣，等同幾何學中的噪音干擾。

The forms that I showed before were made actually

我之前所展示的形態，事實上

through very long trial and error.

是歷經很長一段時間的試驗及失敗後才得到的。

A far more effective way to create forms, I have found,

我發現到，一個較有效的形態創作法，

is to use information that is already contained in forms.

是利用形體本身已存在的素材。

A very simple form such as this one actually contains

像這一個非常簡單的形體，

a lot of information that may not be visible to the human eye.

實際上，含有許多肉眼可能不能看見的素材。

So, for instance, we can plot the length of the edges.

舉例來說，我們能標繪邊長，

White surfaces have long edges, black ones have short ones.

白色區塊部份是長邊；黑色區塊則是短邊。

We can plot the planarity of the surfaces, their curvature,

我們能夠標繪表面的平坦性、彎曲度、半徑範圍

how radial they are -- all information that may not be

以及半徑－而上述所有資料

instantly visible to you,

或許並非馬上可以看見的，

but that we can bring out, that we can articulate,

但我們能把它們拿出來、把它們闡釋、

and that we can use to control the folding.

把它們這些資料用來控制摺疊的方式。

So now I'm not specifying a single

因此，我現在不再特定一個單一比例

ratio anymore to fold it,

去作摺疊，

but instead I'm establishing a rule,

而是建立一套規則，

I'm establishing a link between a property of a surface

在平面特性與

and how that surface is folded.

與摺疊方式之間建立一個連結。

And because I've designed the process and not the form,

由於，我設計的是過程，而非形體本身，

I can run the process again and again and again

所以，我可以一而再地運用此過程

to produce a whole family of forms.

創作出一整組形體。

These forms look elaborate, but the process is a very minimal one.

這些形體看起來非常複雜，但過程卻極其簡單。

There is a simple input,

只要一個簡單的輸入，

it's always a cube that I start with,

我永遠從一個立方體開始著手，

and it's a very simple operation -- it's making a fold,

然後是一個簡單的運作－開始摺疊，

and doing this over and over again.

並一直不斷的重複。

So let's bring this process to architecture.

現在，將這套過程運用在建築學上，

How? And at what scale?

怎麼做？到何等規模？

I chose to design a column.

我選擇設計圓柱。

Columns are architectural archetypes.

圓柱是建築學的原形。

They've been used throughout history to express ideals

從古至今，皆可看見圓柱被運用來

about beauty, about technology.

表現美學概念或工藝手法。

A challenge to me was how we could express

而我面臨的挑戰是，

this new algorithmic order in a column.

如何將這創新的演算模式套用於圓柱的創造。

I started using four cylinders.

我先從四個圓柱著手，

Through a lot of experimentation, these cylinders

歷經無數的實驗，這些圓柱

eventually evolved into this.

最後變得像現在這樣。

And these columns, they have information at very many scales.

而這些圓柱處處充滿著可供運用的資訊。

We can begin to zoom into them.

我們可以靠近一點來看。

The closer one gets, the more new features one discovers.

越靠近看，越能發現新的特色。

Some formations are almost at the threshold of human visibility.

有些結構幾乎是肉眼看不見的。

And unlike traditional architecture,

而且不像傳統的建築結構，

it's a single process that creates both the overall form

這是一個兼具總體構造及精細外觀處理的

and the microscopic surface detail.

和精細外觀的單一創造過程。

These forms are undrawable.

這些構造形式是無法被繪製的。

An architect who's drawing them with a pen and a paper

建築師用紙筆描繪它們時，

would probably take months,

可能要花上數個月的時間，

or it would take even a year to draw all the sections,

甚至，也可能花上整年時間才能描繪所有區塊。

all of the elevations, you can only create something like this

透過演算規則，你只能得到像這樣的

through an algorithm.

的立視圖。

The more interesting question, perhaps, is,

但更有趣的問題，或許是

are these forms imaginable?

這些形式是否能想像出來？

Usually, an architect can somehow envision the end state

通常，建築師能夠多多少少預視一些

of what he is designing.

他的設計物件最終的樣貌。

In this case, the process is deterministic.

但在此，這個預視方法是確切的。

There's no randomness involved at all,

其中完全沒有隨機不可測之處，

but it's not entirely predictable.

但又非全然可測。

There's too many surfaces,

有太多的面向，

there's too much detail, one can't see the end state.

有太多的細節，讓人無法一窺最終全貌。

So this leads to a new role for the architect.

因此，這給建築師們帶來一個新角色。

One needs a new method to explore all of the possibilities

建築師需要一個可以綜觀所有可能的新方法

that are out there.

可以立即使用

For one thing, one can design many variants of a form,

一個人可以為一個形體設計各種可能性，

in parallel, and one can cultivate them.

同樣地，他也可以創造它們。

And to go back to the analogy with nature,

現在回到自然界的相似性，

one can begin to think in terms of populations,

可以想想人口問題，

one can talk about permutations, about generations,

可以談談世代交替、

about crossing and breeding to come up with a design.

談談想法交流延伸最終得出一個設計。

And the architect is really, he moves into the position

而建築師事實上，一如交響樂家，擔負起

of being an orchestrator of all of these processes.

總合這些所有過程的職責。

But enough of the theory.

但說夠了理論。

At one point I simply wanted to jump inside

有一度我真想跳入

this image, so to say, I bought these red and blue

這個影像。這麼說吧！我買了這些紅色藍色的

3D glasses, got up very close to the screen,

3D眼鏡，非常非常貼近螢幕，

but still that wasn't the same as being able to

但這還是和可以

walk around and touch things.

四處走動觸摸東西的感覺不一樣。

So there was only one possibility --

因此，只剩一種可能－

to bring the column out of the computer.

把圓柱從電腦裡拿出來。

There's been a lot of talk now about 3D printing.

現在有很多人談論3D輸出。

For me, or for my purpose at this moment,

對我，或是對我當下目的而言，

there's still too much of an unfavorable tradeoff

一方面，在規模上，另一方面，在解析度和速度上，

between scale, on the one hand, and resolution and speed, on the other.

還是有著太多無法兩全其美的缺點。

So instead, we decided to take the column,

與其如此，我們決定把圓柱

and we decided to build it as a layered model,

當成一個層層疊疊的結構物，

made out of very many slices, thinly stacked over each other.

用很多薄片，輕輕地堆疊建立。

What you're looking at here is an X-ray

你現在看到的是剛才那根圓柱

of the column that you just saw, viewed from the top.

由上而下照的的X光片。

Unbeknownst to me at the time,

因為我們只見過圓柱的外觀，

because we had only seen the outside,

所以我那時並不知道，

the surfaces were continuing to fold themselves,

表面會持續地自我摺疊

to grow on the inside of the column,

在圓柱的內裡延展，

which was quite a surprising discovery.

這是一個十分讓人驚訝地發現。

From this shape, we calculated a cutting line,

我們在這個形狀上計算了切割線，

and then we gave this cutting line to a laser cutter

然後把它輸入雷射切割機來做切割，

to produce -- and you're seeing a segment of it here --

你在這裡可以看到其中一部分，

very many thin slices, individually cut, on top of each other.

許多單獨裁切的薄片，堆疊在一起。

And this is a photo now, it's not a rendering,

這是最後的成果照，絕非造假，

and the column that we ended up with

而我們大費周張後得到的圓柱，

after a lot of work, ended up looking remarkably like the one

看起來就和我們在電腦中

that we had designed in the computer.

所設計的一模一樣。

Almost all of the details, almost all of the

幾乎所有的小細節、

surface intricacies were preserved.

幾乎所有的複雜處都被保留了下來。

But it was very labor intensive.

但過程非常耗費人力。

There's a huge disconnect at the moment still

在虛擬和實體間也仍舊

between the virtual and the physical.

存在著巨大的差距。

It took me several months to design the column,

我花了好幾個月來設計這個圓柱，

but ultimately it takes the computer about 30 seconds

卻只花了電腦大約30秒時間

to calculate all of the 16 million faces.

就計算出了圓柱上全部一千六百萬個表面。

The physical model, on the other hand,

另一方面，實體的模型

is 2,700 layers, one millimeter thick,

總共有2,700層、一釐米厚、

it weighs 700 kilos, it's made of sheet that can cover

總重七百公斤、平展開來足以

this entire auditorium.

鋪滿這整間演講廳的圓片。

And the cutting path that the laser followed

雷射切割機來來回回所切割的總長

goes from here to the airport and back again.

等於是這裡到機場的來回距離。

But it is increasingly possible.

但這愈來愈可能做到了。

Machines are getting faster, it's getting less expensive,

機械速度越來越快，也越來越便宜，

and there's some promising technological developments

還有一些極具展望的科技產品

just on the horizon.

正逐漸展露頭角。

These are images from the Gwangju Biennale.

這些是光州美術館交換計畫的照片。

And in this case, I used ABS plastic to produce the columns,

我在這裡用的是ABS塑膠來製作圓柱，

we used the bigger, faster machine,

我們用了更大、更快的機器，

and they have a steel core inside, so they're structural,

因為裝有鋼鐵核心，所以可以用於建築，

they can bear loads for once.

足以一次承擔高工作量。

Each column is effectively a hybrid of two columns.

每根圓柱實際上結合了兩根圓柱。

You can see a different column in the mirror,

你可以在鏡子裡看到另一根不同的圓柱，

if there's a mirror behind the column

如果圓柱後面有一面鏡子的話，

that creates a sort of an optical illusion.

就可以創造些許視覺錯覺。

So where does this leave us?

所以這告訴我們什麼？

I think this project gives us a glimpse of the unseen objects that await us

我認為這個計畫讓我們 得以一窺原本不可見的事物，

if we as architects begin to think about designing not the object,

如果我們這些建築師可以開始思考，

but a process to generate objects.

如何設計產生物體的過程，而非設計物體本身。

I've shown one simple process that was inspired by nature;

我今天展示了一種借鏡於大自然的簡單方法

there's countless other ones.

還有許許多多種其他創造法。

In short, we have no constraints.

簡單來說，我們毫無所限。

Instead, we have processes in our hands right now

現在擁有的，反而是

that allow us to create structures at all scales

讓我們能夠創造各種

that we couldn't even have dreamt up.

之前連想都想不到物體的方法。

And, if I may add, at one point we will build them.

最後，容我再說一句， 早晚，我們也將會建造出它們。

Thank you. (Applause)

謝謝。（掌聲）