ARCH 655_Project 2_Final

ARCH 655_Parametric Modeling in Design_Project 1

30 St. Mary Axe (The Gherkin)

1. Introduction

At the heart of the City, at 30 St. Mary Axe, the headquarters of the Swiss Reinsurance Company is not only an unmistakable landmark on the London skyline but also the first skyscraper built with British capital ecological criteria.

The building is where once the headquarters of the Baltic Exchange, a company that managed the maritime rents and which dealt with the sale of boats was. When in 1992 an IRA bomb destroyed the building, it was thought possible restoration, but later realized that the old structure could not be retrieved.

Only in 2000, however, consent to the realization of a new building began.

The integration of the Swiss Tower in the context of the City had to undergo however the rules of the London authorities, who expressly asked were respected identity and style of the other buildings.

Swiss Tower certainly does not go unnoticed and is clearly distinguished in the landscape of London, especially from afar, but it is also true that while walking along St. Mary Axe is not immediately senses the presence of a building “abnormal”, thanks to its mass, not overly impressive. The futuristic tower, which seems almost ready to jump off and land like a missile into the sky, has an incredibly aerodynamic shape despite its monolithic; her design won in 2004, the prestigious RIBA Stirling Prize with the unanimous vote for the first time.

2. General Information

Figure 1. http://Skyscrappercenter.com

Figure 2. http://Skyscrappercenter.com

3. Overall Scope for Project 2

Project 2 has three major parts, which are “Refined Model”, “Solar Analysis” and “Optimization with Galapagos”.

4. Parametric Modeling through Scripting

Creating the base circle by using Python for Grasshopper method.

After refining the model and applying Lunch Box, the final model has two separate color layers which are similar to the real Gherkin Tower.

5. Solar Analyzing through Ladybug

The Solar Analysis part can be divided into three small parts, which are “Sun Path Analysis”, “Sunlight Hour Analysis” and “Radiation Analysis”. We can start each analysis by clicking the toggle button.

6. Optimization through Galapagos

For this part, I minimize the Surface Area to Volume Ratio by using Galapagos. Because of the greater the surface area the more the heat gain/ loss through it.

7. Project Movie