After I decided on the location for the bridges I run the pedestrian flow analysis again with newer houses as a ORIGIN and the two bridge locations as DESTINATIONS. The results showed how many people were coming from different directions at the bridge locations. The research question I was most interested in was how to design with numeric input and how literal and detailed to take the data. So even if I used the analysis data for my formfinding, I was still following a traditional design process. The numbers of people "drawing" from each direction reminded me of vector forces that draw on a net structure, which initiated the form of the final bridge. Frei Otto and Antonio Gaudí experimented with physical tensile models to simulate material behaviour. I started using a 3D simulation to be able to directly add context and change parameters and scale.
|
Tensile structure simulation with Kangaroo
With using the plug-in Kangaroo for Rhino 3D I created a net structure that obliged to rules of physics. With number sliders I adjusted the weight drawing on the structure or the strength of the net until I was satisfied with the result. I always tested the result in a quick drawing with human scale but also in 3D where I added human-sized blocks so I could wander around in 3D perspective to see how a person would perceive for example standing under the bridge.
|
The last step was to add the bridge organically to the town context. Knowing from which directions the most people would be approaching the bridge I could accommodate for more people along that path. The bridge becomes more than just a river crossing and offers shade and space for resting and recreation underneath. Different leisure activities can be found within close proximity such as playgrounds, open-air chess, benches and tables, a café and a bike repair station.
|