Semester Final Assignment

Overview

As the semester draws to a close, it’s inspiring to reflect on how far you’ve come. Not long ago, many of you were new to Rhino, Grasshopper, and QGIS. Today, you’ve not only mastered the fundamentals but also developed a strong grasp of parametric thinking and design, creating a range of Grasshopper scripts on your own.

For your final assignment, you are encouraged to integrate these individual scripts into a cohesive demonstration project. This assignment will showcase your skills and serve as a culmination of your efforts this semester. The goal is to "connect the dots into lines," helping you formalize a mature workflow that can guide your future professional practice.

General Description

In this final assignment, you're asked to design a 50m x 50m square. The tasks are divided into several tasks to guide you, but the assignment remains open-ended to encourage creativity. Specifically, you will:

1. Create your own site/terrain with topographic variation.
2. Design a path system that allows access from all four sides of the square.
3. Modify the terrain to create zones for human activities.
4. Plant trees in desired areas.
5. Analyze and evaluate your design.

You are encouraged to explore diverse design strategies and leverage tools like Grasshopper and Rhino to facilitate your process. Examples include parameterizing the path design, using optimization to find solutions, or constructing pipelines for terrain modification. While we value the final design, we place equal importance on your thinking process and the innovative use of tools.

Task 01: Terrain Generation (15%)

Create a 50m x 50m site with topographic features. The site should meet the following requirements:

• At least 30% of the site must have varied elevation; it cannot be entirely flat.
• Optional: Design your site as part of a larger, tessellated pattern. This means your site can be copied, rotated, and combined seamlessly with other instances to form a larger square.

Task 02: Path Design (20%)

Create a pedestrian path system that allows access from all four sides and connects the zones within the square. The paths must meet the following requirements:

• Each side of the terrain should have at least one entry point.
• The maximum slope of any path must not exceed 20%. (Note this is a relaxed constraint for flexibility. A pedestrian walk with 20% slope in reality is horrible...)
• Optional: Ensure paths connect seamlessly when tessellated into a larger site. (Similar to the optional assignment in Task 01.)

Task 03: Zone Design (30%)

Design and modify the topography of different zones within the site. At least one zone must support human activity, such as seating, play areas, or gathering spaces.

• Bonus Points (+5%): Develop diverse zones that enhance the square's usability and aesthetics.

Task 04: Tree Planting (15%)

Use tools like BeingAliveLanguage or Grasshopper to facilitate positioning of a series of tree clusters (a cluster can contain one or more trees) in your design with the following requirements:

1. Each tree cluster should be within 10m from the paths.
2. Total number of tree clusters should be > 4.
3. Distance between any two tree clusters should be > 20m.
4. The slope at the tree locations should be <15%.

Task 05: Analysis (10%)

Compare the original terrain from Task 01 to your final design. Your analysis should include:

• Calculations of cut-and-fill land for paths and zones.
• Verification of path slopes to ensure they meet the requirements.

Bonus Points (+5%): Perform additional analysis, such as shading or accessibility studies.

Deliverables (10%)

Your submission should include the following:

1. Design Documentation:
   • A .pdf file with:
     • Plan view: Include contour lines, paths, trees, and annotations for zone functions. Optional: add analysis (e.g., cut-and-fill, slopes).
     • Bird's-eye views: Show the original and final sites.
     • Description: Explain your design process and tool usage for each task (template provided).
2. Model Files:
   • A .3dm file showing the original and final sites.
   • A .gh file with scripts clearly grouped and labeled by task.
   • If applicable, the grayscale image used to generate the terrain.
3. Optional Materials:
   • Additional sketches, references, or files to support your design.

Input File

There's no input file for this final assignment.

Submission

Name the submission file(s) with the following format: LastName_FirstName_TimeForCompletion_AS05.xxx

Please submit the corresponding file(s) to the submission folder Submission_Final on the server:

9_HS_24\02_MScLA-Semester-1\07_Digital-Design-Methods\Assignment\Submission_Final\