rocker-lange blog

We’re pleased to share that Christian J. Lange and Mono Tung’s collaborative MArch research studio, conducted in Fall 2023 within the Faculty of Architecture at the University of Hong Kong, has been featured in the latest issue of the HKIA Journal. The studio focused on AI-driven design strategies for the renewal of aging public housing estates in Hong Kong.

Their article, “Reimagining Choi Hung Estate: AI’s Role in Future Public Housing Design,” highlights innovative design methodologies that leverage artificial intelligence to reimagine one of the city’s most iconic housing developments. The piece explores how tools such as Midjourney and Stable Diffusion were integrated into the architectural design process, enabling students to generate speculative yet contextually grounded proposals.

Addressing key issues of urban renewal, housing density, and community identity, the studio demonstrates how computational design—when paired with cultural sensitivity—can offer a forward-thinking model for the future of public housing in Hong Kong and beyond.

To read the full article, please go here:
HKIA Journal – Issue 80

I am thrilled to share the upcoming book launch at HKU of “Cities of Repetition,” co-authored by Christian J. Lange. The book launch is part of HKU’s discussion series and will be held on 23 October, 2024.

Abstract:
Housing is one of the most fundamental elements of urban growth, and Hong Kong has for decades hosted some of the most intense built environments on the planet. The city’s urbanization has produced unparalleled living conditions in terms of building scale and density. Due to lack of space, topographical constraints, political conditions, and extremely high population density, Hong Kong became an incubator for the development of housing models and tower typologies for high-density living.

“Cities of Repetition provides a comprehensive graphic documentation and analysis of the largest Hong Kong housing estates built by private developers from the late 1960’s through the early 2000’s. The original drawings and diagrams illustrate and compare the ultra-dense, mass-produced, highly repetitive built environments in which hundreds of thousands of Hong Kong residents live. Drawings, diagrams and photographs not only display the immense scale of the housing estates within the city, but also present the hundreds of similarly planned housing units and their subtle differences. Detailed diagrams compare statistical information to show how the planning of these massive estates has evolved over the past decades to efficiently conform to building regulations. The publication and larger research project present a comprehensive analysis of the architectural and spatial realities of some of the most densely populated, urban environments ever built. Overall, the project presents an investigation and analysis of how hundreds of residential towers in Hong Kong, built in the final decades of the twentieth century, were shaped by regulatory and economic forces that radically standardized the city and limited architectural specificity in relation to context.

Fall 2024 Discussion Series
Date: 23 October, 2024
Time: 18:30-20:00
Venue: KB419, Knowles Building, The University of Hong Kong

Speakers:

Christian J. Lange, Associate Professor (Teaching), Department of Architecture, Faculty of Architecture, The University of Hong Kong

Jason F. Carlow, Associate Professor and Head of Department, Department of Architecture, American University of Sharjah

Discussants:
– Eunice Seng, Head, Department of Architecture, HKU
– Juan Du, Dean, John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, University of Toronto
– Gary Chang, Managing Director, EDGE Design Institute Ltd. HKU MArch 1987⁠
– Lam Lai Shun, Associate, Thomas Chow Architects HKU MArch 2013

We’re excited to share the upcoming discussion series “Critical Disruptions,” organized by Christian J. Lange at the University of Hong Kong. This series of talks will explore the rapidly evolving role of artificial intelligence in architecture and its potential to critically reshape the discipline and the architect’s role within it.

Abstract:
Computational tools based on artificial intelligence (AI) are advancing fast and becoming more accessible to the industry of Architecture. Since 2022, the profession has witnessed an extraordinary development on architectural representations with applications, such as Midjourney, Dall-E, or Stable Diffusion. A recent RIBA report disclosed that 41% of all UK architects are already using AI in their daily work. The question at stake is whether AI is just another tool at hand in creating architecture, or whether it is, as some say, a disruption to the industry, shaking up the very definition of the role of the architect.

Last semester, the studio “Vary (Strong) | Upcycling public housing via AI” taught by Christian J. Lange and Mono Tung started a first discussion in the Department of Architecture at HKU on how to utilize AI in the discipline. The studio generated some very innovative outcomes by developing novel methods in the design process with the help of AI.

The “Critical disruption” discussion series is a next step in bringing attention to the subject by inviting some architects and designers who have dedicated their work and research in recent years to the subject of AI and to advance its usage in the profession.

Organized by
Christian J. Lange

Moderator
Adeline Chan
AI Researcher & Project Associate, Department of Architecture

Discussant
Christian J. Lange
Director of the Fabrication and Material Technologies Lab and Associate Professor (Teaching), Department of Architecture

Discussion Schedule:

Tim Fu 傅倜龍, CEO, Studio Tim Fu (London)
Friday, 12 April 2024, 6:00–8:00pm

Hamid Hassanzadeh, Founder, Parametric Architecture
Tuesday, 16 April 2024, 6:00–8:00pm

Hao Zheng 鄭豪, Director, Architectural Intelligence Group (AIG)
KB419 Lecture Hall, 4/F Knowles Building, HKU
Wednesday, 17 April 2024, 12:30–2:00pm

Carlos Banon, Architect, Associate Professor of Architecture and Sustainable Design, SUTD
Thursday, 18 April 2024, 6:00–8:00pm

Wanyu He 何宛余, Founder and CEO, XKool
KB730 Lecture Hall, 7/F Knowles Building, HKU
Tuesday, 23 April 2024, 1:00–2:30pm

Arturo Tedeschi, Director, Studio Arturo Tedeschi
Thursday, 9 May 2024, 6:00–7:00pm

For more information, please use link below.
https://www.arch.hku.hk/event_/critical-disruptions/?page_num=10

“I am very proud that we finally finished the installation of our upgrade for the Robotic Fabrication Lab at HKU. It took a while but the result has been rewarding.

“Here the official text:
The Robotic Fabrication Lab at the Faculty of Architecture of The University of Hong Kong has undergone a transformative expansion, showcasing cutting-edge advancements in the latest robotic fabrication technology.

“The Lab now proudly houses two large-scale robots mounted on tracks, representing a significant leap forward for the Faculty’s research activities in robotic fabrication. These state-of-the-art robots are equipped with diverse end-effectors that can be changed seamlessly and instantaneously, demonstrating remarkable application versatility.

“The introduction of these advanced robotic systems marks a pivotal moment for the Faculty’s commitment to staying at the forefront of technological innovation within the architectural field. Incorporating robots on tracks with quick-change mechanisms amplifies the scale of fabrication and enhances accessibility for our researchers and students.

“The Lab’s emphasis on adaptability is particularly significant, as the robots’ ability to swiftly switch between different functions – concrete printing, clay printing, pick & place solutions, welding, and many more – enables a broad spectrum of fabrication techniques for our various research activities. This versatility opens up new possibilities for architectural experimentation and pushes the boundaries of what can be achieved in terms of design complexity and material construction.

“The upgrade of the Lab has been initiated and planned by Christian J. Lange, Leader of the Robotic Fabrication Lab, together with team members Jacky Chu and Mono Tung.

“From more than 5,400 entries from 90 countries to Dezeen Awards this year, the tidal stool project is one of 15 sustainability projects that are in the running to win an award later this year in the sustainability categories.” Thanks to the team @ Robotic Fabrication Lab | Faculty of Architecture | The University of Hong Kong and at our collaborators at the Centre for Chinese Architecture and Urbanism, HKU.
So, if you have time, please vote for us!!!!!

For more information on the project, please use the following link:
https://www.dezeen.com/awards/2022/shortlists/tidal-stool/

To vote, please use the following link:
https://www.dezeen.com/awards/vote

Vote closes 10th October. Thank you!

Finally I can show some pictures of the latest outcomes of the Fall 2019 studio. This MArch studio is the third studio that focused on 3d clay printing and brick specials. This time we looked into spatial arrangements of this peculiar material system. Below you can find an excerpt of the brief:

Agenda:

Over the past three years, the agenda within the research and teaching of the robotic fabrication lab in the Faculty of Architecture at HKU has focused on the development of novel approaches for 3d printing ceramic brick specials. The key question within this specific research trajectory was on how we, as designers, can rethink one of the most traditional material systems in Architecture with innovative fabrication methods of today.

While in previous studios the focus was primarily on the development and making of the individual brick and its performance beyond physical strength, this semester, we will re-direct our attention to structural capacity and techniques of assembly. Traditionally Bricks are put together via a level and a plumb line. That method is suitable for walls, but more complex systems such as arches and vaults need temporary scaffolding or a specific false-work to achieve accurate assembly and structural strength.

The studio, therefore, will investigate how robotic 3d printing and novel fabrication processes for false-work can rethink and transform structural brick systems that rely on pure compression. The ultimate goal of the studio is to develop, make, and test experimental prototypes, and to understand their fitness for inventive programs, types, and spaces.