Daniel Lordick

Institute of Geometry
Dresden University of Technology, Germany

Rutgers University, New Jersey, May 11th 2009
Architectural Fractals
Principles of Construction
Iteration
Self-similarity
Scaling
Questioning
Which phenomena in nature, technology and design show these principles?
How strict can the principles be applied?
How can the principles be systematized?
As far as mathematical theorems are dealing with reality,
they are not certain, and in so far as they are certain, they
are not related to reality.
Albert Einstein, 1921
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Architectural Fractals Daniel Lordick, TU Dresden 3 / 42
Koch curve, Koch snowake, photographs of snow akes
Pont du Gard, photograph and rendering
Architectural Fractals Daniel Lordick, TU Dresden 4 / 42
Architectural Fractals Daniel Lordick, TU Dresden 5 / 42
5 Euro bill
Tetrahedron inside of a cube
From: Zeitler/Neidhardt: Fraktale und Chaos
Stars by M.C. Escher
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Fractal of the tetrahedron, steps 0 to 3, the rst step is the Stella Octangula
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Fractal of the cube, three-dimensional analogon to the Koch curve,
Illustration from: Zeitler/Neidhardt, Fraktale und Chaos
eine Einfhrung
Rendering after four iterations
Kazimir Malevich, Architecton
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Koch curve of regular hexagons in steps 1 through 3. From: Zeitler/Neidhardt, Fraktale und Chaos
Fractal of the Oktahedron, steps 1, 2 and 3
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Sierpinski carpet constructions on several polygons Menger sponge, the fourth iteration of the construction process
Architectural Fractals Daniel Lordick, TU Dresden 11 / 42
Proposal for a fractal roof according to the sierpinski carpet
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Architectural Fractals Daniel Lordick, TU Dresden 13 / 42
Natural sponge, fractal curve
Steven Holl,
Simmons Hall, Massachusetts
Institute of technology (MIT)
Cambridge, MA, United States, 1999-2002
Mikio Taka, landscape of heart, 2005
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Pinwheel fractal. Being obtained from substitutions, the pinwheel tiling can also be seen as a fractal.
Architectural Fractals Daniel Lordick, TU Dresden 16 / 42
Lab Architecture Studio, Ronald Bates und Peter Davidson: Melbourne Federation Square, 1997-2002
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Lab Architecture Studio,
Ronald Bates und Peter
Davidson: Melbourne
Federation Square, 1997-2002
The faade makes use of the
Pinwheel tiling, an aperiodic
tiling proposed by John
Conway and Charles Radin.
Goldsmith drawings of Basle. From: Paul Naredi-Rainer, Harmonie
Ma, Zahl und Proportion in der abendlndischen Baukunst
A sequence of scales,
relevant for:
Architecture

World
Continent
Country
Region
City
District / quarter
Street / square / block
Building / house
Wing / at
Room
Furniture
Drawer
Box
Trafc routes
Highway
Interstate road
Main road
Minor road / side street
dirt road / Zufahrt
Hallway / Corridor
Room
City planner
Architect
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James Wines,
groop SITE (Sculpture
in the Environment),
Highrise of Homes,
1981
Project, ink und
charcoal on paper,
55,9 x 61 cm
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Louis I. Kahn, trafc scheme, project, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1951-53
Architectural Fractals Daniel Lordick, TU Dresden 20 / 42
Trafc planning for Chicago
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Architectural Fractals Daniel Lordick, TU Dresden 22 / 42
Le Corbusier
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Architectural Fractals Daniel Lordick, TU Dresden 24 / 42
Le Corbusier, plan voisin, Paris
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Manhattan, detail
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Manhattan, another detail
Konrad Wachsmann, wooden construction
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Skeletton of the right arm of a human
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Eiffel Tower, drawing,
detail
Fractals in Berlin
River Spree railing
Cieling of the New National Gallery
(Mies van der Rohe)
Bridge of the transportation
system
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Girder fractal
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DIN-paper format (proportion 1 : sqrt (2)
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Container fractal in space (proportion: 1 / 2^(1/3) : 1 : 2^(1/3) ) Module for the container fractal
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Container fractal with tubular module
Cantor set (preserves area)
Cantor dust in two dimensions
Castle fractal, based on the two-dimensional Cantor dust
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Architectural Fractals Daniel Lordick, TU Dresden 37 / 42
Pythagorean trees and tiling
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Y-fractal, made with a 3-d-printer at the 3D LAB B25, Institute of Geometry, TU Dresden
Branching fractals, 2006
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Yuken Teruya, Notice-Forest 2005, cover, detail
Yuken Teruya, Notice-Forest 2004, cover, detail
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Architectural Fractals Daniel Lordick, TU Dresden 41 / 42
Town hall Osnabrck, Lower Saxonia, window
(One Location of the end of the Thirty Years War.
On 15 May 1648, the Treaty of Osnabrck was signed.)
Architectural Fractals Daniel Lordick, TU Dresden 42 / 42
Landscape of Corse with a ctional building