SELF EVALUATION MING TANG, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP.

Transcription

1 Self Evaluation SELF EVALUATION MING TANG, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP. Assistant Professor. University of Cincinnati. Introduction It has been five years since I joined the School of Architecture and Interior Design (SAID) at the University of Cincinnati as an Assistant Professor in Its rich academic environment and cutting-edge facilities have provided me a vigorous platform to enhance my research, teaching, and practice. My focus on digital design and computation in the field of architecture and interior design has been reinforced in the past five years and becomes the thread that engages various activities in my teaching, research, and practice. This focus can be demonstrated with three main areas: Design (parametric design and computation), Making (digital fabrication), and Validation (performance driven design and simulation). 1. DESIGN: Parametric Design & Computation experience research I define parametric design in architecture as a design approach that generates design solutions based on a series of related parameters. It emphasizes geometric relations between parameters and forms, and uses variables and algorithms to construct such geometric relations. My research on parametric design is disseminated in my recent book, Parametric Building Design with Autodesk Maya, published in 2014 by Routledge in both U.K. and the United States. It is the first book of its kind that aims at architects and designers who wish to harness the opportunities presented by the advanced modeling program Maya. It integrates the theoretical research of computational design and non-linear modeling techniques associated with simulation, animation, digital fabrication, and form finding within 2-D & 3-D design. With a foreword by Fulvio Wirz, the lead architect at Zaha Hadid Architects, the book features case studies from Zaha Hadid, Greg Lynn, Gage Clemenceau, as well as from my own award-wining projects. Endorsed by Autodesk, the book also showcases my ongoing teaching on parametric design and digital computation at UC. Architect Wirz described the book as a must have book to learn parametric design in architecture. He commented that, Maya s architectural workflow has been developed by students and advanced designers all over the world through a creative reinterpretation of its standard commands. But now I have finally an answer for these enthusiasts who want to step into this unique design experience: just read this book!" Over the past five years, I investigated various computational methods and datadriven design. The research was fruitful and resulted in six journal papers, 1

2 Ming Tang. AIA. NCARB, LEED AP. research teaching sixteen conference papers, eleven refereed exhibitions and one book chapter 1. I presented my research at various conferences including ACADIA 2, ARCC 3, ACSA 4, SimAUD 5, CAADRIA 6, SIGRADI 7, Energy Forum 8, and NCBDS 9. My contribution to the parametric design field extended from the local, regional level to the international level. I was invited to give lectures to practitioners at Autodesk Webinar, Autodesk University, BLVD Architects, and Dalian Urban Development Institute in China. I was also invited by many universities to attend international symposiums, forums and workshops, including Tsinghua University, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing University of Technology, Shandong University, and Qingdao Technology University in China. I believe collaboration expands knowledge and fosters innovation. My expertise in the digital design field has led to many collaborations with architects, educators and researchers from Southern Illinois University, University of Nevada, Perkins + Will Architects, and Autodesk. These collaborations with academics, practitioners, and software developers have helped my research develop to a new level. Through the introduction of theories, methods, and advanced applications of parametric design, I encouraged my students to question the logic between correlated parameters and explore the meaning of data that flow among various computer-aided design (CAD) software and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) software. My students engaged in a non-linear thinking process and learned various computational methods to assist their design. The non-linear structure of my course forced students to engage in multiple design solutions simultaneously, which reinforced the notion that design is a non-linear process. This mindset was intended to address digital computation related to all areas of design disciplines historical, theoretical, technical, environmental, and cultural. The outcome of this data-driven process and student achievements were truly rewarding. My paper reflecting this new teaching pedagogy, titled Parametric Computation: Student voices on parametricism and design technique, was published in the International Journal of Interior Architecture + Spatial Design (ii journal) in Several projects from my courses were exhibited at international conferences, such as 100th ACSA conference 10, 101 st 1 Book Chapter. Innovative Tools. Data Driven Landscapes. Innovations in Landscape Architecture, Edited by Jonathon Anderson and Daniel Ortega. Routledge, forthcoming Conference. Association for Computer Aided Design in Architecture (ACADIA). 3 Conference. Architectural Research Centers Consortium (ARCC). 4 Conference. Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA). 5 Conference. Symposium on Simulation for Architecture and Urban Design (SimAUD); Society for Modeling & Simulation International (SCS). 6 International Conference of the Association for Computer-Aided Architectural Design Research in Asia (CAADRIA). 7 Conference. Iberoamerican Society of Digital Graphics (SIGraDi). 8 Conference. Advanced Building Skins Conference Proceeding, Energy Forum. Bressanone, Italy Conference. National Beginning Design Students Conference (NCBDS). 10 Project Exhibition. Performance-based Generative Design: An investigation of the parametric nature of architecture. 100th ACSA Annual Conference. Poster Exhibition. Boston. MA

3 Self Evaluation ACSA conference 11, 2013 ACADIA conference 12, and 2014 ACADIA conference 13. My student Hans Koesters won the Director s Choice Award at the 2012 DAAP Works. My teaching contribution was also recognized by my colleagues. I was greatly honored to receive the DAAP outstanding junior faculty award. 2. MAKING: Digital Fabrication experience teaching The emerging CAD and manufacture tools have yielded a significant renovation for designers to explore digital fabrication and new materialization processes. However, there is a difference between designing a building form according to the geometric manipulation of software and the tectonic parameters of the actual building materials. The distinction and relation between digitally developing a model and physically fabricating a model is an essential component of my research. One of my key elements in teaching digital fabrication is to promote interactions and collective intelligence among fabricators, educators, and designers. Over the past five years, I worked very closely with the DAAP Rapid Prototyping Center (RPC) to teach digital fabrication, focusing on the making of architecture through advanced technologies, simulated construction, and material experiments. My students were engaged in creative approaches of digital representation and physical prototyping. Laser cutting, CNC milling, vacuum forming, and 3-D print technologies were introduced through courses on Digital Media and Skills, Design Visualization, and Design Studios at both undergraduate and graduate level. Through my course website 14, all enrolled students shared their investigations through posts and comments. The resulting coursework became a valuable resource for future students. The outcomes of teaching digital fabrication were truly rewarding. The student projects were presented in several papers published in the d3 journal Assemble in , 2015 ACADIA Conference 16, 2014 Advanced Building Skins Conference of Energy Forum 17, 2011 NCBDS Conference 18, and the 2011 International CAADRIA 11 Project Exhibition. Rule-Based Computation & Generative Form Seeking. ACSA 101: New Constellations / New Ecologies. Project catalog book. San Francisco, CA. 12 Project Exhibition. dform: digital fabrication of responsive materials. ACADIA 2013 Proceedings Book: Adaptive Architecture. Cambridge, Canada. 13 Project exhibition. Integrated work of MAN and MACHINE: digital craft as design agent. ACADIA 2014 Conference Proceedings Book. Los Angeles, CA Paper. Visualizing GIS Information: Digital fabrication and 3D diagrammatic urban models. 16 Project exhibition. Transmuted Tectonics ACADIA Conference. Cincinnati, OH. 17 Paper. Adaptive Skin: Data-driven design and fabrication. 18 Paper. Representation and Realizing: A hybrid process of immaterial and material. 3

4 Ming Tang. AIA. NCARB, LEED AP. creative works exhibition Conference 19. A set of concreate and ceramic panels from my 2014 digital fabrication course was permanently installed in the DAAP building. I believe the influence of digital fabrication is increasingly evident in architectural form seeking and analysis as related to architecture and interior design education. My efforts have been focused on stimulating students interests and providing opportunities for students to grow. As the faculty founder and adviser of the UC student organization Digital Fabrication of Responsive Materials (dform), I initiated various workshops, independent studies, and design competitions to encourage students to embrace the emerging technologies. The 2013 dform student competition involved designing and building acoustic walls for UC Niehoff Studio by using parametric design and digital fabrication methods. dform won a $7,000 grant from the University, and the result was exhibited at the 2013 ACADIA conference. I also made an effort to nurture the student leadership within the organization. Under strong student leadership, dform has hosted a series of workshops to teach emerging digital design. The workshops have attracted students from the entire DAAP community across all year levels. Students have been actively involved in the broad range of training activities and empowered themselves through professional development. The unlimited possibilities of digitally fabricated forms have also renewed my design and making process, and inspired me to discover new tectonic approaches and integrate digital fabrication into traditional casting and form making. My sculpture mathmorph was 3d printed by American Precision Prototyping and won the Best in Show at the 2013 Rapid Conference 20. Five of my digital fabrication projects were also recognized in the academic field and exhibited at the v1b3 Art2make exhibition in Chicago, the Repetitive Play exhibition at Northern Clay Center, the Center for Visual Arts at the Greensboro Cultural Center, the 2010 ACADIA conference in New York City, and the 2010 SIGGRAPH 21 conference in Los Angeles. I collaborated with Mara Marcu on the digital fabrication project Strange Wall, which was exhibited at the 2014 SOFA Expo in Chicago 22. A full paper describing the unique fabrication method has also been accepted by the upcoming 2015 ACADIA conference VALIDATION: Performance Driven Simulation experience As important as Design and Making addressed in previous sections, I believe Validation is not only the evaluation of the final form but the engine of form generation, and should be integrated in the early design stage. Performance 19 Paper. Form Follows Parameters: Parametric modeling for fabrication and manufacturing processes. 20 Rapid Conference Pittsburgh, PA. 21 Conference. Special Interest Group on Graphics and Interactive Techniques Conference (SIGRAPH). 22 SOFA Expo (Sculpture objects functional art and design exhibition) Chicago, IL. 23 Paper. Data Mapping and Ornament in Digital Craft. ACADIA 2015 Conference. 4

5 Self Evaluation teaching teaching award teaching driven design uses evidence and measurable data as the essential design driver. My research related to validation was focused on performance simulation and design optimization process. I developed methods of using quantifiable data, such as heat gain, solar radiation, and structural behavior to interact with building parameters. Through the collaboration with researchers at Perkins + Will Architects, I taught methods of performance-driven design in Building Design Research Studio and the graduate elective Re-Skinning Studio. The emphasis was placed on collecting, analyzing, visualizing, and modeling environmental data to assist the architecture design. The results of my investigation were published in the 2012 AIA Forward journal 24, ARCC journal 25, and Perkins + Will research journal 26. Two papers on environmental performance were also presented at the 100 th ACSA conference 27 and 2012 NCBDS conference 28. In my fourth-year Capstone Studio, students also learned how to interpret material and structural behavior into parametrically controlled forms that could be translated into design iterations. Using the 2013 ACSA Fabric in Architecture competition as the studio project, I introduced the method of optimizing tensile forms and simulating its structural performance based on Antoni Gaudi and Frei Otto s analogue models. My student Trey Meyer was ranked first in the competition. His project was exhibited at the ACSA 102 nd Annual Meeting and the AIA National Convention in Overall, I believe that this amply demonstrates that my teaching has resulted in dissemination or recognition of work at a local, regional or broader level 29. Performance in the Urban Scale & Global Engagement Following the success of teaching performance-driven design in architecture, I expanded my teaching from architecture scale to urban scale by bridging the fields of green building design and sustainable city design. Working with Prof. Wang, Prof. Auffrey from the School of Planning (SOP), and Prof. Lu from the School of Energy, Environmental, Biological & Medical Engineering (BCEE), I developed a UC Forward course Sustainable Urbanism, Study Abroad in China program. Supported by UC Forward as a transdisciplinary course, we focused on the concept and practice of urban sustainability in the global perspective that 24 Paper. Data Driven Transmutation: An investigation of performance-based design and adaptive systems. AIA Forward Journal Paper. Performative Computation-aided Design Optimization. Architectural Research Centers Consortium (ARCC) Journal. 26 Paper. Re-Skinning: Performance-Based Design and Fabrication of Building Facade Components: Design computing, analytics, and prototyping. Perkins + Will Research Journal. Vol Paper. Performance-Driven Design and Prototyping, Design Computation and Fabrication. Perkins + Will Research Journal. Vol Paper. Performance-based Generative Design An investigation of parametric nature of architecture. Presented at 100 th ACSA Conference. 28 Paper. Adaptive Skin: Performance driven design and fabrication. Presented at 2012 NCBDS conference. 29 School of Architecture and Interior Design Criteria for Reappointment, Promotion, and Tenure. 5

6 Ming Tang. AIA. NCARB, LEED AP. grant research grant support the simultaneous improvement of society, economy and environment. Through the field studies across various disciplines, we examined the most challenging sustainability issues in China and the United States. The course provided students with experiential learning in the application of the current theories, models and methods used in architecture, engineering, and planning to specific, real-world issues of sustainable urbanism. We were granted $9,200 in 2013, $10,000 in 2014, and $7,800 in 2015 by the UC Forward to develop this multidisciplinary course. In the past three years, the interdisciplinary approach of the course has attracted many talented students from nine different majors across UC. We successfully recruited fifty-four students and traveled to China for a series of lectures, seminars, and field trips. During their stay in China, students interacted with Chinese scholars and students from four Chinese universities 30. They learned about emerging issues, challenges, and opportunities facing Chinese cities during the rapid urbanization process. We organized the Resilient City Symposium in 2014, and Future City Symposium in The transdisciplinary teaching, learning, and research received excellent feedback from students and colleagues. Provost Davenport described this program as the poster child for the University of Cincinnati s educational experience in her endorsement letter for IIE s Andrew Heiskell Awards for Innovation in International Education in Through collaboration, I researched sustainability through an interdisciplinary approach. By contributing with my knowledge on peformance-driven design, I expanded the research on sustainable urbanism to include the quantitative environmental, economic, social, and geographical factors. Working as the principle investigator (PI), I collaborated with my colleagues in SOP and BCEE on the Urban Simulation and Modeling project in The project won an $18,175 grant from the University Research Council. I also led as the PI for another research project titled Low Carbon City, funded by Shenzhen Center for Design, under ALCCA 31 Parallel Research Grant with 50,000 ($8,069). Along with researchers from Harvard University, University of Columbia, Syracuse University, and Hong Kong University, my research team works on sustainable infrastructure and low carbon strategies. The research was presented in the 2015 ALCCA forum in Shenzhen, China and published in the book Low Carbon City: A developer s menu. Through these grant-funded projects, I was able to investigate advanced technologies and integrate performance driven design with GIS, Space syntax, and agent-based methods in the urban simulation field. The research outcomes were published in four papers at the 2015 ARCC 30 Tsinghua University, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing University of Technology, Shandong University. 31 Alternatives for Low Carbon City. Architecture and Life (ALCCA). Organized by Shenzhen Center for Design. 6

7 Self Evaluation creative works award conference 32, 2015 SimAUD conference 33, 2013 SimAUD conference 34, and 2011 ARCC conference 35. My research also became an important feedback loop to my practice and stimulated my professional work. I worked on an urban design project in HYK District, Dalian, China, collaborating with Prof. Wang and Prof. Arefi in SOP in In this project, I led a group of Chinese urban planners in optimizing the transportation system in the HYK District by implementing my movement simulation and path optimization method. The project was awarded first place in the invited competition. The method was later applied in another commissioned project to design the Silicon Valley of China in I was also invited by Architectural Urban Forum in Italy to submit a proposal for Milan urban development in I was also first place in the d3 Natural System competition, as well as an honorable mention in the 10-up international competition organized by Young Architects Forum of Atlanta in My sustainable design works have achieved recognition at the international level. My projects were featured in books published by Grey-Scale 36, evolo 37, Braun 38, LinksBooks 39, and Actar 40. My works have also been published in international journals and magazines including Domus (China edition), Rouge (China edition), and the newspaper New York Times 41. It was my great honor to be selected as one of the finalists in the 2009 Earth Award, and to be interviewed by broadcast journalist Charlie Rose in New York City SERVICE Design, Making and Validation were integrated and reinforced by my research, teaching, and. I would like to add that my has always been aligned with my research and teaching. 32 Paper. Data-driven Urban Modeling with the Agent-based System ARCC coference proceedings book. 33 Paper. Self-organizing City: Experiments using multi-agent model and space syntax SimAUD conference proceedings book. 34 Paper. From Statistical to Diagrammatic: Geo-spatial & time-based data visualization through parametric modeling SimAUD conference proceedings book. 35 Paper. Information Urbanism Parametric urbanism in junction with gis data processing & fabrication ARCC conference proceedings book. 36 Book. Contemporary Digital Architecture: Design and techniques. 37 Book. Skyscrapers and Skyscraper for the XXI Century, both published by evolo 38 Book. Low Price Architecture Starter homes, minimal houses, emergency accommodation. 39 Book. Minimum Dwelling. 40 Books. City Sense: Shaping our environment with real-time data; and The Self Sufficient City Envisioning the habitat of the future. 41 Article. The Shipping Container as Building Block. The New York Times, January 31, Folded Bamboo + Paper House project, interviewed by broadcast journalist Charlie Rose, Earth Award Gala. Four Seasons Restaurant, 01/12, 2009 in New York City. The Earth Award Jury: Nicky Gavron (Former Deputy Mayor of London), Peter Head (Director, ARUP), Dr. Kenneth Yeang (Architect, Llewelyn Davies Yeang), Thom Mayne (Architect and Founder, Morphosis Architects), Paola Antonelli (Senior Curator of Architecture and Design, MOMA), Adam Bly (Founder, CEO and Editor-in-Chief, Seed Media Group). 7

8 Ming Tang. AIA. NCARB, LEED AP. school school university Over the past five years, I have continued to provide a comprehensive tutorial library for my colleagues and students through a dedicated website 43. It includes more than 250 videos covering ten software applications related to building design. I customized tutorial categories based on learning objectives, provided downloadable source files, and added new content on a weekly basis. My library served as a collective learning environment for my colleagues and students to study various digital design process and stimulates their creativity. Both the tutorial content and the number of visitors have grown exponentially since It now offers more than 100 hours video tutorials and has been visited 423,000 times since then. My book, tutorial library, open class websites and dform workshops were offered as a platform to support collective intelligence. These shared experiences have become a fast-growing and reliable learning source in this period of radical technological change. In the past five years, I served as the thesis Chair for two graduate students and thesis adviser for nineteen graduate students, including students from SAID, SOP and School of Design (SOD). I offered ten independent study courses for fiftythree students and covered a broad range of topics, including 3-D modeling, real-time visualization, fabrication, interactive design, and scripting. I served as the faculty adviser for the student organization dform since 2011, a member of many school ad college committes, including SAID RPT Committee, SAID faculty search committee, DAAP RPC digital design & fabrication specialist search committee, and SAID admission review committee. I served as the re-appointment reviewer for one junior faculty in SAID, and two junior faculties in SOD. I served in Faculty Research Grant Review Committee three times from 2013 to I am also supervising three visiting scholars in I was honored to be invited by DAAP Dean Probst to design a sculpture for President Ono s Investiture in The sculpture was an abstract piece symbolizing the essence of the university. Working with Dean Probst, DAAP Rapid Prototyping Center, and UC President s office, I completed the design and fabrication in one month. Four hundred sculptures were 3-D printed for every guest of the Investiture. I also designed a larger sculpture, a complex mathematical driven form. Dean Probst presented the sculpture as a dedicated gift at President Ono s investiture. I was truly honored to be a part of this historic event. I was also highly honored to be selected as one of the provocateurs to give a presentation at Life of the Mind in 2011, an annual series that highlights the innovative thinkers on UC campus with multidisciplinary interactions via provocations on important themes. I presented my research projects to the UC 43 Online tutorial library. password: bearcat. 8

9 Self Evaluation professional grant community and discussed how the emerging technology was inspiring new ways of design and making. I also assisted previous Provost Ono during his 2011 Hong Kong trip to further the collaboration between UC and Hong Kong Polytechnic University, as well as his meeting with UC alumni in Hong Kong. I believe educators should promote global engagement to educate future leaders in their respective fields, enhancing an understanding of the arts and science, contributing to cultural understanding in a global society 44. As a faculty leading the study abroad program in China in , I worked very closely with the UC International Office and UC Forward to promote multidisciplinary courses and the study abroad program. Serving as the treasurer of the Chinese- American Professors & Scientists (SoCAPS) Cincinnati chapter, I have also assisted the organization in a series of social and academic events since Outside the university, I served as the associate editor for the International Journal of Interior Architecture and Spatial Design (ii journal), book reviewer for Routledge publisher, and paper reviewer for Perkins + Will Research Journal, ACADIA conference, Living Future Conference, ARCC conference, ACSA conference, CEUP 45 conference, and USC BIM Symposium. To serve the professional community, I joined the ACADIA 2015 Conference Chairs Committee and worked closely with five other colleagues to organize the upcoming ACADIA conference at UC. I wrote the conference proposal, and also coordinated site related events and exhibitions. I believe it is vital that educators stay current with new trends and developments in both pedagogy and new technologies. To better serve the community, I have undetaken many professional trainings. I received seven individual grants from UC Faculty Develop Council (FDC), and two grants from UC International program, totaling $ 16,604, in the past five years. These grants allowed me to participate in conferences and workshops, purchase equipment, complete architeture licensure, pass three Autodesk Certification programs, and hire research assistants. research SUMMARY Looking back at the past five years at UC, I firmly believe that I am on the path of unifying my teaching, research, creative works, and into a coherent entity. My curiosity about the unknown and passion to extend my views of design encouraged me to embrace future challenges. If I am granted tenure, I would like to expand my current research into the new field of data visualization. I believe it is important to present computational data 44 Mission Statement of DAAP, UC. 45 International Conference on Civil Engineering and Urban Planning (CEUP). 9

10 Ming Tang. AIA. NCARB, LEED AP. in studies of the human-environment interaction, presentation of scientific information, and communication to the general public. I am currentlly the PI for an ongoing project titled Interdisciplinary Approach to Using Immersive Data Visualization for Teaching and Research, funded by UC Faculty Development Council (FDC) with $ 9,700. Using this seed grant, I would like to explore data processing and computation in the virtual 3-D environment. I believe the data visualization, along with the emerging virtual reality hardware, and augmented reality technology in the mobile device, will fundamentally change architecture and interior design in the near future. I am passionate about bringing cuttingedge technology to educational programs, research, and creative works at UC. As a registered architect with more than ten years of experience, I would like to assist SAID program to develop programs related to NCARB Integrated Path to Licensure. I believe this action will greatly promote UC s presence in the architecture profession, especially in the areas where UC is strong: cooperative education. As a designer specializing in digital technology, with a passion for global engagement, I place high value on works and studies that are academically rigorous, technically sound, socially responsible, and aesthetically superior 46. I am confident that I can contribute to the school, the college, the university, and the academic community by sharing my expertise. I would also like to take this opportunity to express my sincere appreciation to my colleagues, students, and friends for their endless support. 46 Mission Statement of DAAP, UC. 10