topotheque.com Open in urlscan Pro
185.14.202.236  Public Scan

Form analysis
0 forms found in the DOM

Text Content

 * Projects
 * News
 * About
 * Services
 * People
 * Media
 * Contact
 * X

 
NEWS:
ASICS Personalization Studio at Paris

Enter site

The Amplified Kite : Workshop / Larisa , GR


 
Projects


GENERATIVE MASSING AND OPTIMIZATION TOOL

Generative Massing with View & Environmental Analysis


BENNET LINKAGE

Interactive Installation


FLYING DEVICES FOR SENSING AIR QUALITY

Digital Fabrication & Microelectronics workshop


TZOUMERKA DOME

Design/Build Workshop


PAREX HANGER

Product engineering


K-HOUSE

Single family house in Ioannina


CANOPY HOUSE

Interior design


TEXAS A&U RECIPROCAL STRUCTURE

Form Finding workshop


TESSERACT LAMP SHADE

IOT Pendant Lamp Shade


ENΛITE SUNGLASSES

Design Consultancy & Product Develepment


ATELIER ARIZONA-VANISHING POINT

Furniture Design Collection


NEW VIEW CANOPY

Research Pavilion


DIGITAL FUTURES 2020

Generative Design & Fabrication Workshop


ONE WARRIOR CANOPY FOR DOLAB

Engineering Consulting for a lightweight shell structure


ZERO GRAVITY

Retail Store Design


THE AMPLIFIED KITE

Digital Design and Fabrication Workshop


DIGITAL COST CHALLENGER

Real Estate Product Configurator


CONFESSIONAL WALL

Modular screen wall


COSMIC CONFIGURATOR

Design Tool Development for Cosmic Buildings


RIPPLE BENCH

urban furniture


“CITÉ DE REFUGE”

Venice Biennale 2016


YFALOS-ARTIFICIAL REEF DESIGN

Generative Design of Artificial Reef structures


FAB LAB IOANNINA

Digital Fabrication Laboratory


MIN-A-TTIC

interior design


TETRA-FORMING

Design by playing


101 TAIPEI LOBBY

Wein Chuan Pop up Store


LUSK MASSING ANALYSIS TOOL

Multi-Objective Massing Optimization


GREEDY GRID

Furniture design & fabrication
 * Studio

 * MENU

 * Design
 * Engineering
 * Education
 * Research
 * 



© 2016



Design Research Studio

News:


ASICS PERSONALIZATION STUDIO AT PARIS

Our design team has recently collaborated with #Asics and #DassaultSystemes to
develop an innovative generative design solution for the ASICS Personalization
Studio which was inaugurated in Paris in July 2024.



view more

During the project we worked closely with the Research team of ASICS to set the
specific requirements of a new production facility paradigm and thus provide a
flexible architectural design solution that can adapt to different sites and
spatial programmes. The first iteration of the project focused on providing a
suitable architectural layout for accommodating all the production equipment,
testing the product fabrication workflow, optimizing the workspace efficiency
and creating the digital twin of the space. Our team developed an algorithm that
allows the configuration of  multiple floorplan layouts and the generation of 
alternative facade skins. We strongly believe that the computational design
method we developed can become the archetype for a new type of prefab production
facility across the world! A big congrats to everyone involved in this project!
Without the hard work and open-minded approach of a truly interdisciplinary team
-which included architects, engineers, construction managers, software
developers and sports experts from California, France, Greece, Switzerland and
Japan- this innovative project would not be possible.

For the official press release: click here

For a video tour of the project: click here




PROJECT YFALOID AT THE TALLINN ARCHITECTURE BIENALLE 2022

Topotheque Design Research had the honor to participate in the Tallinn
Architecture Biennale 2022: Edible. Or, the Architecture of Metabolism curated
by Areti Markopoulou and Lydia Kallipoliti ,
in collaboration with Chief Local Advisor Ivan SergejevThe exhibition was
conceived as a "Metabolic Home" with multiple section and Topotheque's
installation "Yfaloid" was located in the “From Brick to Soil” section which
showcases a collection of edible, upcycled, productive and compostable building
prototypes and parts, magnifying the importance of awareness of the origin,
process, use and final destination of our built matter.


view more

“Yfaloid” addresses the question of how can architecture redefine resources,
produce food and be eaten away by developing and realizing a prototypical
artificial reef structure from design to production. Artificial reefs are man
made structures that are placed in featureless seabeds as a way to increase the
biodiversity of marine species in degraded underwater ecosystems. Simply said
artificial reefs are the substrate where algae “the food of fish” grows and thus
it can serve as a structure that can increase the population of fish which then
becomes the “food of humans”. The installation includes a 3d printed artificial
reef module in 1:1 scale as well as a scaled prototype which is placed in an
aquarium in an attempt to simulate a living underwater ecosystem.
The project was realized with the help Hyperion Robotics and Roman Tsernokozov
Photo credits Tonnu Tonel and  Jaan Sokk .

The exhibition will last until the end of November and we welcome everyone to
visit it! More info on the exhibition: https://2022.tab.ee/


Yfaloid: Talliinn Architecture Biennalle 2022 / Tallinn, EST



TOPOTHEQUE X HYPERION ROBOTICS

Hyperion Robotics invited Evangelos and Iason Pantazis in their facilities in
Helsinki in order to experiment on the prototyping and construction of an
artificial reef module to be exhibited at the upcoming Tallinn Biennale of
Architecture. Topotheque worked closely with Hyperion's team of experts on 3d
printing with concrete and set the foundations for a great future collaboration.


view more






SCHEMATA WORKSHOP PART ONE

Topotheque has completed the 1st part of the Schemata Workshop under the
auspices of the Postgraduate Program of Studies "Advanced Design:Innovation and
Transdisciplinarity in Design" at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki by
completing the 1:2 scale model of a 30 sq.m. pavillion set to be constructed at
the Architecture School of Thessaloniki. Great thanks to all the students and
the professors that took part in the workshop!



Architecture Engineering Fabrication
About:


TOPOTHEQUE WORKS WITH CREATIVE PEOPLE AND COMPANIES TO MAKE INSPIRING PLACES AND
OBJECTS

     We are a contemporary design practice operating on the intersection of
Architecture, Design, Arts and Science, featuring a fabrication facility and
strong experience in digital technologies. Our holistic design approach extends
across different scales and through multiple platforms, as we seek to redefine
the relationship between design, technology and craft. By bridging the gap
between conception and fabrication, we manage to fuse the experimental and the
innovative with the practical and the pragmatic to achieve the outstanding. We
like challenges, collaborative work and diverse points of view and are open to
new ideas and opportunities. Contact us


Computational Design
Research


SWARM ROBOTS



Architecture traditionally relies on careful preplanning of construction
processes with strictly defined outcomes, yet in nature, millions of relatively
simple social insects collectively build large-scale functional nests without
any global coordination or final blueprint. In this work we investigate dynamic
construction processes through the interaction of 200 hundred low tech bots,
leading to novel structures with user-defined qualities. The aim is to construct
a robot swarm, using a version of the toy “bristlebots” as a hardware
platform.The active robots operate in a large two-dimensional arena (2x4m)
filled with differently shaped passive building material, which they can
manipulate. The project took part within a 4 day workshop, entitled "Swarmbot
Assemblage" hosted from Smart Geometry conference at Chalmers University in
Gothenburg, Sweden. It explores how different structures emerge when the
swarmbot population is altered using “embodied encoding”, a way to affect the
behavior of the robots through mechanical features. This work is enabled by
close collaboration of architects, roboticists, and entomologists; with it we
seek to explore structures which are emergent outcomes of local interactions.


MORE

Research question

Swarms of robots have previously been shown to be capable of self-organizing
into complex predetermined patterns, however, in natural systems nests are built
according to functionality rather than shape. Likewise, in this workshop we will
generate emergent structures that exhibit certain predictable and potentially
useful features or functions instead of specific shapes and geometries given in
a top-down manner. We will explore how such a construction process can be
directed through embodied coding of parts and robots rather than software
control. 

Project goals

This work seeks to explore the relationship between a swarm of simple robots,
how they manipulate their environment and self-organise through stigmergy1. We
will explore the specific features that can be achieved reliably by the system,
and how the parameters of embodied coding affect them. We will use both a
physical swarm platform and a custom digital simulation to explore the design
space and tune the assembly process. 

Investigations

The work investigates the outcomes of the experiments either from the
perspective of s tructures. Our interest lies in the qualities and properties of
the structures and spaces that emerge. The ambition is to understand how these
properties can be controlled by altering either the shape of robots themselves,
the building blocks, or the environment.

Below are examples of such properties :

STRUCTURES:Structures are evaluated through the aggregation of clusters, formed
by either blocks or robots. Their morphology in terms of linearity (continuity)
is also investigated.

CLUSTERING: How can we control the sizes of structures/clusters that emerge? Can
we form clusters of certain qualities, like elongated, round, etc? DURABILITY:
Are the spaces temporary or permanent in nature?

DURABILITY: Are the structures temporary or permanent in nature?


SPACES: Spaces are defined as voids, in-between blocks and clusters of blocks,
that are travelled by the robots.

CLUSTERING: Are separated spaces formed, or is it an integrated network? To what
degree are the spaces one or two dimensional? And if they are two dimensional
are they large or small?

DURABILITY: Are the spaces temporary or permanent in nature?

The investigations are done to build understanding of how to alter the set-up in
order to control the behaviour in any one of the above areas. For each
investigation  we have attempted to come up with a clear and consistent way of
measuring the performance. We did that by adjusting the simulation based on our
design goal and measuring how close to this goal we could arrive when running
the physical experiment. We did this by developing a simulation tool in
Processing and Analysing the video captures we collected through a blob
detection algorithm within Python. The variables we focused are the following:
a) Shape of robots b) Number of robots (% of arena size) c) Shape of blocks  d)
Type of blocks e) Number of blocks (% of arena size) Friction of blocks f)
Environment, (Static elements )

Supervision:

Kirstin Petersen, Petra Jenning, Nills Napp

Team:

Evangelos Pantazis, Manos Vermisso, Jasmin Sadegh









METAPREDICTIVEMATTER

Unprecedented connectivity and social phenomena like crowdsourcing have a great
impact on how we communicate experience and envision space. In addition to this,
information technologies and the continuously expanding access to data, lead us
to a paradoxical relation between the potential of dealing with more complex
problems, but also, the necessity to develop new modes of design-thinking that
can handle this massive amount of data and complexity.




MORE

Abstract

As we stand on the threshold of a world defined in terms of digitally generated
realities we need to consider more carefully than ever before the question of
space and the nature of its reality (Woods,2002). We are observing a rapid
change in the way space is being perceived and mediated, which is a direct
consequence of advances in information and computational technologies. The data
handling capacities of computers, the cutting edge analysis techniques and
the custom developed software allow designers to address much more complex
problems than ever before. As a result, a broader solution space can be
explored, the designers gain access to massive data libraries and direct
collaboration among different disciplines is facilitated. This requires a whole
new set of design techniques, but, most importantly, new mind sets which enable
algorithmic thinking and even a new level of cognition and understanding of
space. Apart from mere geometrical representations, computational models become
the new interfaces between different domains, where information science and
mathematics respectively, play a crucial role. Models slowly become a new medium
of experience, exploration and learning at the same time,revealing different
levels of complexities.

In order to formulate a new design approach, in this context, there is a need
for a paradigm shift towards a more participatory and open design system, where
the designer’s intentions are informed by easily accessible data, relating to
user behaviour and where design intuition is combined with analytical tools.
Nowadays, architects can handle apart from non-Euclidean geometries,
multi-dimensional data-sets and they can develop custom design systems.

Thus, this study suggests reconsidering the notion of design-thinking
and speculates on novel ways of synthesising and producing architectural
textures. It regards space as a scalar field of activities performed within it
and uses as its reference system an abstraction of space, as it is experienced
by its users. In this way, it promotes a methodology of generative texture
formation by combining existing texture maps by means of computation. It
particularly focuses on: a) gaining insight in the intractable design
relationships that cannot be modeled using conventional associative methods and
b) addressing both the possibilities in concept generation and the challenges in
the translation from design to production.  

Design intentions and objectives

The project is built upon the idea that the activities performed in a specific
space are mainly based on the user’s intuition within the available
environmental context (light, sound etc). This intuitive human choice is
suggesting a topological relationship of spaces and materials, making activities
an abstraction of architectural space or indexes of any existing spatial
setup.We suggest a method for texture synthesis, which can be informed by
pre-srelected  or user defined texture maps. The research draws upon work done
on the field of analysis of multi-dimensional datasets, like Principal Component
Analysis (PCA)  and attempts to couple them with material research on
functionally graded materials. The algorithmic definitions of the design tool
were developed in Java programming language, while the experiments for the
realization of the design outcomes were conducted using different additive and
subtractive manufacturing technologies as well as a variety of materials (wood,
resin, gypsum, ABS plastic) to test the performativity aspect of the generated
textures.

The project was conducted from September 2012 till March 2013 at the Chair for
Computer Aided Architectural Design at ITA of ETH Zurich, under the supervision
of Professor Ludger Hovestadt, Manuel Kretzer and Hua Hao, by the students
Styliani Azariadi, Evangelos Pantazis and Daniel Rohlek. The project is still
under development and partially funded by the Ikea Foundation of Switzerland and
by the LG Hausys/ Hi-MACS company.

etric configurations.

Meta Predictive Matter















MetaPredictiveMatter



CA-TETRA FORMING

Tetra Forming is a study on combining the notion of world building with gaming
theory from the one side and the concept of computational design with of digital
fabrication in architecture on the other side. Worldbuilding or conworlding is
the process of constructing a fictitious world, sometimes associated with a
whole fictional universe, it is a metaphoric vehicle that allows us to imagine a
set of problems and contextualize them within a worldview.


MORE

We investigate this topic as a potential empowering tool that can provide us
with a new set of tools and skills to contextualize and tackle design problems.
Therefore we use it as metaphor to create the design space upon which we develop
a non linear computational design scenario. This approach combines gaming
theory, with basic tectonic and geometric principles as well as the real time
user experience and feedback that gaming involves .Inspired by natural phenomena
such as termites and their building activities, as well as technological
advancements in digital fabrication and material science this project describes
a ubiquitous game that speculates on a swarm construction system in which robots
and people cooperate to build 3D structures much larger than themselves in order
to expand the territory of an fictitious island located in the pacific ocean.



Tetra Forming from topotheque on Vimeo.






RENDERING AN “UPDATED MODEL OF MAKING”: SPATIAL AGGREGATIONS CLASS

Images from an ongoing project at DFAB (Gramazio and Kohler), ETH Zurich,


MORE

Images from an ongoing project at DFAB (Gramazio and Kohler), ETH Zurich,

This project is part of an elective course that is focusing on the notion of
Digital Materiality, which describes emerging changes in the expression of
architecture.Today, materiality is increasingly enriched with digital properties
and is developing into a formative effect of our built environment. Digital
Materiality arises from the interplay between digital and material processes
during designing and building. Data and material, programming and design are
intertwined. This synthesis is made possible by digital fabrication. The goal of
this course  is to position straight rod-like elements in space by making use of
robot`s six degrees of freedom. Part of the investigation is the configuration
of  buildup sequences as well as the evaluation of logics that allow to
aggregate spatial structures without the need of additional scaffolding. Such
aggregations lead away from conventional space- frame typologies, performing
ever more complex structural capabilities. In this, it is enabled a new design
scope while generating robust, inherently redundant aggregations with multiple
load paths and connection opportunities.

The proposed scheme takes as its departure points: a)the principle of the
reciprocal frame b) a certain numbers of sticks, as well as c) the basic
principle of the all the possible ways of connections between the rods.

With a script that was developed in Python, different patterns of connections
are being investigated. The generation of the geometry is based on two curves
that define one surface as well as a base curve that defines the footprint of
the structure.

At the final stage of this course, a selected design scheme will be further
developed and we will be constructed with the aid of the Chair’s robotic
facilities in 1:1  scale, during a 4 week workshop in June.

 

Title: Raristev.

Date: SS2012

Location:Zurich,CH.

Type: Architecture, Digital fabrication,Scripting

Platforms: Rhino, Python, Kuka robot












Services:

Spatial Design
Get it
Computational Desi...
Get it
Design Consulting
Get it
Product Design
Get it
Prototyping
Get it
Education&Wor...
Get it
 

Digital Fabrication
People:

Team
Evangelos Pantazis

Founder | Principal Architect

Evangelos holds a Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Viterbi
School of Engineering at the University of Southern California where he has also
worked as a teaching and research assistant. He has earned his Master of
Advanced Studies in the field of Computer Aided Architectural Design from the
ETH in Zurich and got his Diploma in Architecture from the Aristotle’s
University of Thessaloniki, Greece. Professionally, Evangelos worked in several
international offices, including Graft Architects in Berlin, Studio Pei Zhu in
Beijing, Buro Happold Engineering and IBI Group in Los Angeles. His research has
been presented in multiple Design-Computing Conferences and his professional
work has been exhibited at venues such as the Venice Biennale of Architecture,
the Modern Art Museum of Lausanne (ELAC) and the Benaki Museum in Athens.


Iason Pantazis

Founder | Principal Architect

Iason holds a Master of Science in Advanced Architectural Design from Columbia
University in New York as a Fulbright Scholar and prior to this he obtained his
Diploma in Architecture from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece and
attended Master Classes at the Technical University in Delft, Holland.
He is a registered architect in Greece and has taught Architectural Technology
at the Department of Architecture of the University of Ioannina and the
Department of Architecture of the University of Patras as adjunct lecturer over
the course of seven years.
His personal and collaborative work has been exhibited at the Venice Biennale,
the AIA New York Center for Architecture, the Benaki Museum, the State Museum of
Modern Art and the Byzantine Museum in Athens. He is the founder and Director of
Fab Lab Ioannina.





Alexandros Christodoulou

Computational Design Specialist

Alex Christodoulou is a Computational Design Specialist with over a decade of
experience in developing advanced digital design tools and methodologies for the
architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry. Currently, Alex
works as computational designer and in parallel is a PhD Candidate at the
University of Thessaly. During the first eight years of his career, he worked at
ARUP in Amsterdam, where he played a key role in creating and leading a
parametric building design automation and optimization framework, which was
applied to significant projects across the firm. His portfolio includes
contributions to major projects such as the Valley, Smakkelaarspark, and
Elements tower developments in the Netherlands, as well as the renovation of the
Bernabéu Stadium and several parametric master planning and building stock
analysis projects. Alex has also shared his expertise through teaching courses
at IaaC, KU Leuven, Shenzhen University, TU Delft, and the University of
Thessaly. Additionally, he has presented his research at prominent conferences
like IASS, SimAUD, and the Design Modelling Symposium.


Anastasios Dedes

Art Director | Graphic Designer

Anastasios experiments with lines, letters, colours, values, forms ,
intensities, deconstruction in both 2d and 3d environments. As 'Unidead', 'Matao
Oka', 'Littll' and 'Aaiikkoo' works across various fields such as visual
communication, typography, branding, identity, advertising, illustration,
concept design and photography. Anastasios Dedes has taken part in numerous
exhibitions and festival both in Greece and Europe, offering powerful visuals
and innovative street graphics.


Fab Lab Ioannina

Digital Innovation Hub

FAB LAB IOANNINA is an active node of the Digital Fabrication Laboratories
network Fab Labs and acts as a interdisciplinary platform for the development of
Digital Fabrication Technologies.
Main focus of the lab is the application of Digital Fabrication, Information and
Communication Technologies in order to foster Education, Collaboration and
Innovation in the local context of Greece and in the global concept of the
Network Society.




Lasercutter.gr

Fabrication Services

Founded in 2011, Lasercutter.gr is a fabrication start-up offering laser cutting
& engraving services to creative companies and individuals. Lasercutter.gr is
not your average manufacturer, but was founded by a team of talented designers
to serve professionals and individuals in Greece and abroad.


Past Team Members

Architects + Designers

Constantinos Schinas - CAM Specialist
Aristotelis Sdralis - Project Manager
Nikolaos Raptis - Fabrication Specialist
Vassilios Alexis - Project Architect
Yorgos Alexis - Project Architect
Eftychia Zapheiri - Project Architect
Sotiris Gonis - Design Intern
Alex Chelidonopoulos - Architect
Eleftheria Labropoulou - Architecture Intern


Join the team!

Internship Program

The goal of the Topotheque Studio Internship Program is to provide experience
and exposure to the many facets of architectural practice. Interns assist
project teams and may gain experience with schematic design, Cad Software,
digital fabrication and model making as well as construction documents and
presentation projects.
All Resumes, Inquiries, or Portfolios should be sent to iason@topotheque.com not
exceeding 8MB.


People we work with

Asics
www.asics.com
Cosmic Buildings
www.cosmicbuildings.com
Hyperion Robotics
www.hyperionrobotics.com

Findable AG
www.findable.ch
Atkins Realis
www.atkinsrealis.com
Halter AG
www.halter.ch

Biennale of Western Balkans
www.bowb.org
Onassis Foundation
www.sgt.gr/en
Romantso Cultural Centre
www.romantso.gr/

Giorgos Sfakianakis
www.gsfak.com
Small studio
www.smallstudio.gr
Kkervvit
www.kkervvit.com

ΕΝΛΙΤΕ
www.enlitevision.com
IKEA-foundation
www.ikea-stiftung.ch
Greek State Museum of Contemporary Art
www.greekstatemuseum.com

Interdisciplinary Design office

Media:

“EDIBLE; OR, THE ARCHITECTURE OF METABOLISM” Catalogue
Yfalos @ Designboom.com
Putting computation and robotics into practice – Archisearch.gr Interview
Tzoumakers Dome @ Archetype.gr
Biennale of Western Balkans Catalogue
AFETIRIES by DOMES
Venice Biennale 2016 Catalogue
Mildframe Magazine
8th Biennale
DeCorbuziers
ACADIA 2014
Maison Crystal Exhibition Catalogue
URBI Zine
Grasshopper3d Galleries
“The Beautiful is just the first degree of the Terrible”
 
Computation
Contact:

Ioannina

Arch. Makariou 11, 45221, GR
t: 30 6974999242
m: iason@topotheque.com

Zurich

Zeughaus Strasse 31, Suite 311. 8004, Zurich, Switzerland
t: +41 767494406
m: vague@topotheque.com

Design at the intersection of architecture, engineering and fabrication