ACADEMIC WORKS
SELECTED A N T O N I O
N O R S W O R T H Y
Washington State University School of Design + Construction
EXPERIENTIAL GEOMETRY Led by Mary Polites, this seminar focused on the development of a simple component which could be aggregated to form emergent qualities toward an architectural use. At the onset of this project students were asked to define their aims: specific outcomes which we expected to achieve through the development, refinement, and implementation of our component and the system it forms in aggregation. My aims were simple-- structural simplicity and viability as an architectural construct. Presuming simple aims would be accomplished by the use of simple geometry I began with a rectilinear plane. Through a series of simple manipulations I produced the initial working component. This component was then transformed through a series if iterations which in turn produced an array of possible volumetric configurations from which to choose for structural analysis and material behavior at a physical scale. Finite element analysis of the initial planar component informed decisions made toward structural optimization in the volumetric component. This logic was carried forward through the development process and served to reinforce decisions made in response to a formal aesthetic.
TOP PERSPECTIVE Digital Render Selected
Academic Works | ANTONIO NORSWORTHY
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PROFESSOR: Mary Polites SEMINAR: Digital and Fabrication Logistics
PLUTONIC SOLID
Flaps
Hub
60째
60째
DEVELOPMENT SEQUENCE
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Actual Proportions Applied Load Structural Redundancy
Redundancy Removed
Rotational Axes
Restraint Required (Glue)
1>psi
1<psi Radial Thrust
Deflection Exaggerated 5000 times
FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS Structural Optimization
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OUTER LIP
[height, width]
After development of the component itself I shifted my focus to possible connection and aggregation strategies. Though the hermaphroditic joint never materialized as a working physical model, it was nonetheless valuable in determining the final connection logic and aggregation scheme as it’s failure set boundaries on my exploration in the form of practical constraints.
SLEEVE BODY
[height, width, thickness]
STRESS FILLET [radius]
INNER LIP
[height, width]
JOINT DEVELOPMENT
THICKENED BASE (COMPONENT OMITTED)
4’-6””
The images at left top depict the details of the idealized hermaphroditic joint: as a male end the sleeve body closes to fit snuggly in the other joint-half, while an outer lip on the closed end forms a mechanical joint with the inner lip on the open end. Stress fillets at the base of both sleeve bodies reinforce the connection to the component and prevent shear or tension failure at that critical moment of connection. Images at left bottom show the finalized component with a more simplistic connection logic. With a secondary system of variable hubs, the geometry of the component inherently supported rotation about four principal axes, allowing a multitude of possible aggregation schemes at either scale. Fabrication strategies depend on the final material, so the component was developed at physical scale to be constructed out of wood or aluminum panels.
12
’-0
”
1’-6”
FINAL COMPONENT Large and small
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The final component inherits many formal and functional aspects from earlier iterations yet differentiates itself by the absence of an integrated joint. Aggregation of the final component relies on a secondary element to realize the componentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s inherent structural properties. Implementation of the final component proposes two variations: an impromptu play structure and an experiential art installation. The play structure results from aggregation of the small-scale component in sequential steps while the art installation considers an aggregation of large-scale components. Each facilitates spontaneous interaction and engagement of adults and children, and fosters collaboration at two scales--person to person and person to world.
VARIABLE HUB
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PUBLIC SPACE
ENGAGEMENT
COLLABORATION
RENDERED PERSPECTIVE Selected
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An impromptu playstructure begins as a series of dissociated components, perhaps located in a park or playground. Beginning in a public space would impart feelings of equitable standing and willingness of strangers to engage in the collaborative acts of building and play. As passing curiosity gives way to the primal drive to explore, participants would begin to gather and assemble the components. Bit by bit, this engagement would foster communication and exchange between individuals and groups, where the basic geometry of each component helps to create a memorable experience. The act of building is then a vehicle for meeting new people, reinforcing existing relationships, and collaborative exploration. The final structure at this scale then creates the opportunity for continued explorative play and development of new personal relationships. Children play together while adults play with the children or connect with each other at the level of relatable conversation and experiences.
FULL ASSEMBLY
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PHOTO-VOLTAIC CELL
BATTERY BANK
FLAT PANEL LED
The alternative implementation employs components which are six times larger than the small scale aggregation. At this scale the opportunity is created for experience of the aggregation as a sculptural installation, while also demonstrating the use of self-sustaining interactive features. While the sun is up, visitors experience the dynamic shadow patterns as light penetrates the aggregationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s non-rectilinear geometry. PV cells absorb solar energy, which is in turn stored in small battery banks placed within the core of approximately half of the components. When the sun drops below the horizon, variably timed low-wat LED panels are illuminated. This illumination would be easily programmed with the use of a small, inexpensive microcontroller such as the Arduino Uno.
Using the art installation as a working example, this arrangement would be a didactic deployment where the merits of self-sustaining systems are demonstrated in a playful way. Modular components allow easy fabrication and deployment to a variety of public spaces where the final arrangement would respond to contextual conditions. In this way, the aggregation becomes part of the narrative of its chosen site and enhances the experience of place.
ALTERNATIVE ASSEMBLY Selected
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PERFORMANCE DRIVEN DESIGN The undergraduate architecture curriculum at WSU currently relies on a traditional approach to design where students are encouraged to develop a conceptual narrative that serves as the guiding principle for subsequent aspects of the project. That concept is cultivated in response to a specific set of program and environmental considerations-- a top down approach. Based on the capabilities and limitations of wood structural members I have developed a deployable system that, in aggregation, is capable of adapting to a range of programmatic and environmental constraints-- a bottom up approach. For this systems-based design methodology I utilized a bottom-up approach which sought to inform subsequent aspects of the design solution based on capabilities and limitations of wood as a construction material. This project evolved from an investigation into wood products for their intrinsic qualities. A survey of the vernacular use of wood in the Pullman area finds consistent themes of clapboard siding for residences and utility structures. Builders in the area likely sought the use of this rectilinear building element for its low production and maintenance cost, ease of installation, and its potential for a wide range of design schemes stemming from its modular, human-scaled dimensions. The development of a parametric algorithm enabled quick exploration of potential system configurations based on a response to material attributes and a set of defined parameters. The versatility of the system is demonstrated by three possible deployment schemes on three distinct sites across WSU and Pullman. Each are equally viable in terms of their architectural merit.
RENDERED PERSPECTIVE Selected
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PROFESSOR: Arash Adel STUDIO: Types, Prototypes, and Systems
SOCIAL NODE | Nevada Street Pavilion
PERFORMANCE VENUE | Open-air Theater at Kimbrough
CULTURAL ICON | Downtown foot bridge
PROPOSED SYSTEM ADAPTATIONS
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VIEWS
LIGHT MODERATION
STRUCTURAL EFFICIENCY
MATRIX OF SYSTEM VARIATIONS Formal Attributes SHELTER ACOUSTIC RESPONSE
DESIGN PARAMETERS Experiential Conditions shelter Selected
Academic Works | ANTONIO NORSWORTHY
light moderation
views
acoustic response 11
After demonstrating the system’s versatility and successful deployment as an academic exercise, I sought to test it’s effectiveness in a real-world setting with practical constraints and limitations. As an ideal candidate for this scenario, the Pullman Civic Trust is currently finalizing plans for a new footbridge to connect walking paths between Johnson Road and Bishop Boulevard near Fireside Grille and Crimson and Grey. In addition to the physical span, the system will bridge the gap between traditional values and new ideas in performance-driven design.
SOUTH PERSPECTIVE Digital Render
DOWEL OR BOLT ASSEMBLY
STEEL BRACKET
VIEW SOUTH Digital Render
JOINERY
3” X 18” WOOD PLANK
PROTOTYPICAL SYSTEM Exploded Axon Selected
Academic Works | ANTONIO NORSWORTHY
PHYSICAL MODEL Birch Veneer, Chipboard CONCRETE FOOTING
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The area map and site plan depicted at left show the context of the new bridge proposal. While existing vehicular circulation paths are maintained, pedestrian paths are enhanced as the bridge connects disjointed footpaths along the south fork of the Palouse River in Pullman.
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Additionally, the bridge ties the previously sparsely traveled North side of the river to the much more frequented commercial venues along Bishop Boulevard at this location.
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3
1
MAP KEY
PEDESTRIAN
1 VILLAGE CENTRE CINEMAS
VEHICULAR
2 FIRESIDE GRILLE 3 SUMMIT THERAPY
SITE PLAN NORTH
4 POOCH PARK 5 CRIMSON AND GREY 6 DENNYâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S
SOUTH ELEVATION Selected
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To test the viability of construction of the bridge proposal concept, and also to demonstrate its spacial qualities, I built a 1/16” scale model of the bridge and it’s immediate vicinity previously depicted on the site plan. Along with the aid of WSU’s fabrication facilities, great care was taken to preserve the bridge’s proportions and material attributes. An image of that model is shown at left. The addition of proportionally scaled entourage helps an observer to imagine themselves experiencing the bridge as if it were constructed full scale. Line drawings help tell the rest of the “story”.
PHYSICAL MODEL Birch Veneer, Chipboard
WEST ELEVATION Selected
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thank you
A N T O N I O N O R S W O R T H Y antonio.norsowrthy@email.wsu.edu | 5 0 9 . # # # . # # # #