Parametric Modeling Projects

Arch 653| Project 01: Mary Axe (The Gherkin)

Neda Sadeghi

Spring 2021

Project Information

·        Architects: Foster + Partners
·        Client: Swiss Re
·        Location: London, Britain
·        Appointment: 1997
·        Completion: 2004
·        Area: 64 469m²
·        Height: 180 m
·        2.75m floor to ceiling height
·        150mm raised floors
·        16 high-speed, high capacity passenger lifts
·        1.5m planning grid
·        360° panoramic views
·        Structural Engineer: Arup
·        Quantity Surveyor: Gardiner & Theobold
·        M+E Engineer: Hilson Moran Partnership
·        Landscape Architect: Derek Lovejoy Partnership
·        Lighting Engineer: Speirs and Major
·        Photography: Foster + Partners
·        Fully glazed double skin facade
·        Dual power supply
·        Low energy services & envelope design
·        One person per 10 sq m design criteria
·        Four-pipe fan coil air conditioning system
·        Use of the restaurant and panoramic lounge bar

Description

The Mary Axe tower also known as the Swiss Re Building and the gherkin, is a commercial skyscraper in London's primary financial district, the City of London. It is Generated by a circular plan, with a radial geometry, the building widens in profile as it rises and tapers towards its apex. This specific shape of the tower is considered because of the existed constraints of the job site location. Forty-one stories high, it provides 46,400 square meter net of office space together with an arcade of shops and cafes. The dome offers a spectacular 360 degree panorama across the capital.

v Project Concept

The Gherkin is essentially an elongated, curved, shaft with a rounded end that is reminiscent of a stretched egg. It is covered uniformly around the outside with glass panels and is rounded off at the corners. It has a lens-like dome at the top that serves as a type of observation deck.

v Environment

The building maximizes the use of natural light and ventilation. Its design allows in extra daylight, reducing the need for artificial light. The Mary Axe is also designed to increase the flow of air through the building, reducing the use of air conditioning. Its profile reduces wind deflections compared with a rectilinear tower of similar size, helping to maintain a comfortable environment at ground level, and creates external pressure differentials that are exploited to drive a unique system of natural ventilation.

Modeling Process

To start the Autodesk Revit 2021 is used to model the project. The modeling process can be included as firstly, creating the general solid mass of project; Modeling the different types of parametric curtain panels; Applying the different type of curtain panels o the solid model; Creating the Floor and Roof for the solid mass and finally the exterior and Interior Rendering.

Fig.01 Creating the General solid Mass of project

As you see in Fig.01, to create the solid model, the multiple circles are created in different level with different radius.

Fig.02 Creating the General solid Mass of project

Because of the complexity of the curtain panels, we created the separate solid model base don the different circle for the top floor which is shown in Fig.02.

Fig.03 Created General solid Mass of project

Fig.04 Creating parametric relation between the values of mass

Fig.05 Changing the overall shape of the solid mass by changing the parameters

All of the other parameters are defined based on radius 1. By changing the radius1, the overall shape of the solid mass is changed.

Fig.06 Creating the curtain panel of Glass-Type1

Fig.07 Creating the curtain panel of Glass and frame-Type2

Based on the Fig.07, I created the parametric relation between the width and length of the frame.

Fig.08 Changing the curtain panel of Glass and frame-Type2.1

I created the specific type of the curtain panel type2.1 for the dome.

Fig.08 Parametric Changing of the curtain panel - Type2

Fig.09 Creating of the Parametric Curtain Panel - Type3

Based on the Fig.03, I created the complex curtain panel type which is contained the frame, post and glass. The value of the post is defined based value parameter of the frame.

Fig.10 Completing the Parametric Curtain Panel - Type3

Fig.11 The completed Parametric Curtain Panel - Type3

Fig.12 Solid Mass of Mary Axe

After creating the different type of curtain panels, I used the Rhomboid curtain panel as one of the default curtain panel for the solid model and then I applied the two different type of curtain panel which are shown in the following.

Fig.13 The General Solid Mass of curtain panel type 3

Fig.14 The General Solid Mass of curtain panel type 2

Fig.15 The General Solid Mass of curtain panel type 2

The challenging issue in modeling this project is the dome. As you see in Fig.15, If I use the same curtain panel as the lower facade, The dome facade is not properly adjusted with the curtain panel. I used the specific curtain panel which is shown in Fig.08 with the smaller dimension of frame.

Fig.15 The General Solid Mass of curtain panel type 2.1

Also, I used the smaller dome on the top the floor as roof to solve the problem.

Fig.16 The dome for the top floor

The final solid mass with the curtain facade is inserted into the project. The flooring and roof are created based on the 40 floors of tower. In the following the screen shots of the project are presented in different view.

Fig.17 The general model of the project with the curtain panel

Fig.18 Final Mass model

Fig.19 Final Project Model-Close view

Fig.20 Final Project Model with the curtain panel of frame and glass for dome-Top view

Fig.21 Final Project Model with the curtain panel of glass for dome-Top view

Fig.22 Final Project Model with the created floors

Rendering

The exterior and Interior rendering are conducted for the two type of curtain panels (Type 2 and Type3. The transparency of the glass is considered 80%.

Fig.23 Exterior Rendering of project curtain panel type 3

Fig.24 Exterior Rendering of the project curtain panel type 3-Top View

Fig.25 Exterior Rendering of project curtain panel type 2

Fig.26 Exterior Rendering of project curtain panel type 2-Top view

Interior Rendering

The floor plan of the floor six is presented in Fig.27. Besides, Fig.28 is interior rendering related to the project with curtain panel type 3 and Fig 29 is interior rendering related to the curtain panel type 2.