Birds and many other living organisms rely on large old trees for their survival. However, these trees are rapidly disappearing from many landscapes. The regrowth of such trees takes hundreds of years, and in many disturbed landscapes, wildlife populations cannot persist without temporary human-made replacement structures. In 2022, Mirra et al. [1] conducted a study on the AI-based generation of 3D models, or visual abstractions, of large old trees. An AI agent analysed a dataset of these trees to identify features that appeal to animals and generated forms that approximated these features. The researchers also evaluated the usefulness of the AI-generated forms as artificial replacements for trees using morphological and cost criteria.

Building on this research, we developed our pavilion entry for the IASS 2024 design competition. Our focus was on creating (1) a design strategy to translate the AI-generated visual abstractions into buildable tensegrities, and (2) a fabrication method that facilitates the transport, assembly, and disassembly of these structures using repurposed and biodegradable materials. We named this prototype “FloaTree”. We have constructed prototype tests in Melbourne, Australia, and will build the full-scale pavilion during the annual IASS symposium in Zurich, Switzerland, in August 2024.

The design of music venues, such as concert halls and open-air concert stages, requires an integrated approach in which the acoustic response of the space being created is evaluated at every stage of the process to inform its formal development and associated performance. Various software exists to assess acoustic performance: Odeon is considered by many as the industry standard standalone software for detailed and accurate acoustic analyses, whereas Pachyderm is a plugin for Grasshopper (Rhinoceros 3D), which provides architects and engineers with more rapid feedback on preliminary design ideas because of its integration with a parametric modelling environment. Although an experienced acoustic designer could rapidly learn to use any of these programs, their usefulness during conceptual design or teaching activities is limited by the computational power and time required to get acoustic performance results. In these instances, testing time is more valuable than accuracy. This paper introduces Aeolus, an acoustic modelling plugin for Grasshopper. Unlike other similar Grasshopper plugins, Aeolus allows users to control the simulation accuracy and can therefore be used to rapidly test the performance of design ideas. Aeolus can also easily be interfaced with various Grasshopper optimisation plugins. Aeolus v0.1 was publicly released on 7 March 2023, and will be the focus of a Masterclass offered at the IASS Symposium 2023 in Melbourne, Australia.