Selected Works_B Review

Archana Chenthil Kumar Environment / Architecture / Design / Manufacture

Selected works 1. Structuring Irregular Aggregates 2. Hortus Botanicus 3. Blue Habitat 4. Malavahalli Catalyst Project 5. Lincoln Harbour 6. Pendulum Vehicle 7. Robotic winding 8. Steam bending timber 9. Arduino Assist 10. Bespoke components 11. M_Penthouse

STRUCTURING IRREGULAR AGGREGATES The substitution of concrete with natural stone in the architecture, engineering and construction industries can reduce CO2 emissions by up to 90%. Throughout the world’s quarries are a large quantity of unusable, fractured, and irregular stone fragments brought about by the explosive and selective nature of extraction processes.

This project questions the necessity of discarding a material with such low embodied energy in an age of advanced digital tools. By exploring new applications of 3D scanning and parametric design workflows, it has begun to develop a methodology that affords the freedom of high precision and precise control over a non-standard material resource.

Taking a systems-engineering approach, the project defines a series of procedural methods capable of processing, classifying, and cataloguing an array of topological features into a library of scanned objects and optimal orientations.

As each construction unit is unique in form, they require a digital notational system to assemble without construction drawings. An augmented reality application was created to process digital 3D models and their defined sequential construction logic. The app then uses computer vision techniques to detect and recognise the unique silhouette and surface features of an individual unit to instruct its placement within the system.

Structuring Irregular Aggregates

This project attempts to explore and conceive an approach of construction with such an ‘unusable’ material, within the framework of fabrication technology combined with procedural form finding, structural optimization and digital augmentation. links:

Team: 3 member Location: Bartlett School of Architecture, London Year: 2019

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Metrology - Scanning

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https://www.ucl.ac.uk/bartlett/architecture/structuring-irregularaggregation https://vimeo.com/377061230 Detailed project publication: https://issuu.com/archana.c.k/docs/dfm

Optimization & Analysis

Maximise Span

Minimise COG Distance

Maximise Deviation

Computational design

Material & feasibility study

Various curvature analysis radii results

Shape grammer & design

Stone curvature profile mapped as an outline. piece held in place with four M4 bolts.

Aluminium Jig to hold the pieces in place.

35 mm dia. Aluminium tube of 1.8 mm thickness.

Computer aided manufacture

Toolpath for robotic wood milling.

Custom made Jig for work holding.

Robotic fabrication

• 4 axis - CNC CNC machining

Solid Aluminium rod 50 mm Dia.

5 mm dia. hole for piece alignment.

• 3 axis - CNC

Custom workholder setup

• Fusion filament fabrication

Additive manufacture

Develop workflow

Material Research

STEP THREE

Augmented Reality - prototyping

STEP TWO

STEP ONE

using UnityEngine; using System.Collections; using Vuforia; using System.Collections.Generic; public class DynamicDatasetLoader : MonoBehaviour { public int CurrentState; // index of current level private List<string> modelTargetNameList; private List<string> dataSetNames; public Transform LevelsCollection; // gameobject that contains all the levels of the assembly private List<Level_augment_objects> allLevelsAndAugsList; // Use this for initialization void Start() { Debug.Log(“DDLT start”); //Select the model Target to target CurrentState = 0; dataSetNames = new List<string>() { “NewTracking_rock25”, “NewTracking_rock5”, “NewTracking_rock21” }; //importing all levels allLevelsAndAugsList = new List<Level_augment_objects>(); for (int i = 0; i < LevelsCollection.childCount; i++) { Level_augment_objects tmpLao = LevelsCollection.GetChild(i).gameObject.GetComponent<Level_augment_objects>(); Debug.Log(i+”::In start::tmpLao.name::” + tmpLao.laoName); allLevelsAndAugsList.Add(tmpLao); }

AR app development (Vuforia, Unity + C#)

final prototype - testing

Design Intent was to establish a level datum.

The flat surfaces were procedurally identified.

built prototype - performance criteria

Macro-fouling: Micro-fouling: macro organisms settle and create possibility for 1. conditioning : 1 minute to 1 hour attachment of larger organisms.

2. attachment : 1 hour to 24 hours 3. colonization : 24 hours to 1 week after a year, Initial coral sprouts start to develop. 4. growth : 2 weeks to 1 month. a full reef is developed in 15 - 25 years.

Blue Habitat Team: 2 members Location: Waterstudio.nl, Rijswik, Netherlands Year: 2017 Type: Professional work

Biodiversity

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Blue habitatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; is a futuristic project that lets you have an underwater garden or ecosystem that is tethered to your floating home, deck, or bridge! It is a design for biodiversity.

It provides the possibility to create and nurture a secure environment for marine ecosystems that promote and safe guard flora and fauna, while also enabling proximity and constant surveillance. This design is targeted at improving water quality and encouraging a revival of ecosystems that needs restoration.

Hortus Botanicus Team: 3 members Location: Waterstudio.nl, Rijswik, Netherlands Year: 2017 Type: Professional work

This project was a floating water-front proposal for Google. It is a mixed use facility. The philosophy of the space was to embrace a holistic work environment while incorporating a sustainable lifestyle. The quarters had various functions including living quarters, vegetation growing pods, market areas and community spaces. Some of the key elements of the design included pop-up spaces that was powered by a hydraulic mechanism. My role was involved in various stages of the projects from conceptualization, research, design development and visualization.

Futuristic design proposals

Malavhalli Catalyst Team: 2 member Location: Integrated Design, Bangalore, India Year: 2016 Type: Professional work

The project was to establish a rural centre for continuous learning and innovation as a Catalyst project in the field of agrarian and non-agrarian practices. This is done with the help of advanced research and demonstration to develop local livelihood and restore natural processes. My role was involved with creating socially relevant, economically viable solutions with considerations of sustainability, biodiversity and land resource management.

Work entailed masterplanning and research. It was to create a new benchmark for sustainable practices in this specific geo-climatic context.

Landscape & sustainability

Timber plantation Shelter Belt Testing faculty - phase II

Bamboo buffer

Orchard Reed bed system

Wind breakers

Solar roof Water harvesting

Mixed cropping

Fodder grass crop Gray water treatment Seed bank

Seasonal wetland Cattleshed Vermicomposting Biogas digester

Multipurpose space Plaza

Food processing unit Excelsa groove

Panchayat

Row plantation Orchards, mixed crops

Reservoire Nursery Bed Hedgerow Apiary Vegetable Herbal garden cropping Swale

Lincoln Harbour Team: 4 members Location: Waterstudio.nl, Rijswik, Netherlands Year: 2017 Type: Professional work

This is a design proposal for Lincoln Harbour in New York. The design entails a pier and yacht club with many different user groups sharing the high-end facility. A significant aspect of the design was the design of the spaces in order to capitalise the central location, views between manhattan and NY and to maximise the advantages of a floating facility. My role was in the facade design, design development and visualization. My work also entailed modelling the elements and preparing presentations.

Design development

Esthec Lounge Team: 2 members Location: Waterstudio.nl, Rijswik, Netherlands Year: 2017 Type: Professional work

Conceptualization

This was a futuristic living quarters for a typical â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;millennial generationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; user. It encompassed concepts of prefabrication and minimalism. It allowed the users to pop-up spaces as and when one needs it through a hydraulic mechanism. The proposal was also designed to dismantle into four units (2.4 x 6.4 m containers) which can be easily transported and assembled on site. The four different sections of the design housed different fuctions such as recreation, rest, cooking and bathing. It also incorporated new aesthetic sensibilities through projections and displays on its facades.

testing principles

Pendulum Vehicle Team: 5 member Location: Bartlett School of Architecture, London Year: 2018 Type: Academic work

This is a playful experimental project with a goal to use the performance of the pilots to move a vehicle forward in a linear motion. It translates the forces generated by the motions of the humans into a rotary motion by using a flywheel mechanism. The project developed through scaled models, iterations, manufacturing processes and culminated with a working prototype.

The key processes involved were metal and timber works, lathe, CNC, MIG welding and plasma cutting.

manufacturing methodologies

component based production

Vehicle Video: https://vimeo.com/383989038

prototype testing

Material Research

Timber_Steambending Location: Bartlett School of Architecture, London Year: 2018 Type: Academic work

The project was about material research and mastering the technique of steambending wood. It was a study to understand creating with timber in a sensitive manner without energy intensive processes. It involved research and understanding of the types of wood, material selection, wood grain properties, process, drying periods and temperature and spring backs. In order to achieve certain curves and degrees of curves, specific jigs were developed.

M_Penthouse Team: 4 member Location: Mancini, India Year: 2018 Type: Professional work

CAD - construction drawings & details

This project is located in Maharashtra, India. It is a luxury penthouse tailor made to the clientâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s aspirations and requirements. My role involved meeting tight deadlines that required highly detailed construction drawings sent to site as the construction simultaneously progressed. Developed detailed resolution in terms of mockups, detailed joinery, wood work drawings, material palette etc.

Building materials

Robotic Winding

It involved making custom jigs and tools for the various experiments in robotic fabrication.

FEEDER TOOL TIP

fabrication logic

ATTACHMENT TO FLANGE

SPOOL HOLDER

Team: 2 member Location: Bartlett School of Architecture, London Year: 2019 Type: Academic work

The goal of this project was to generate iterations that demonstrated the techniques and nuances of working with robotic fabrication.

It was showcased through tightly wound yarn, copper wires etc around screws in a wooden board. The logic for fabrication was a crucial exercise that took into consideration material, collisions. tolerances and design of a custom â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;end effectorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; for the robot.

robotic fabrication

Bespoke components Location: Bartlett School of Architecture, London Year: 2018 Type: Academic work

This project was to produce CNC components as part of a windowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s retractable shutter design. Aluminium was used for the components and the toolpaths were developed in fusion 360 to generate the Gcodes for production. It was then machined using a Haas 3 axis CNC machine.

Apart from the components for the window, various other forms were also produced using both 3 axis and 4 axis CNC machines.

CAM software knowledge

% O01001 (Using high feed G1 F5000. instead of G0.)

(T1 D=6. CR=0. - ZMIN=-9. - flat end mill) (T2 D=3. CR=0. - ZMIN=-8.5 - flat end mill) (T3 D=3. CR=1.5 - ZMIN=-7. - ball end mill) (T4 D=8. CR=0. TAPER=90deg - ZMIN=-0.75 - spot drill) N10 G90 G94 G17 N15 G21 N20 G53 G0 Z0.

CAM experience (2D Contour4 ) N25 T1 M6 N30 S6000 M3 N35 G55 N40 M8 N45 G0 X107.576 Y70.095 N50 G43 Z15. H1 N55 T2 N60 G0 Z5.

N65 G1 Z3.4 F300.

N70 Z3.1 N75 X107.577 Y70.102 Z3.006 N80 X107.579 Y70.124 Z2.915 N85 X107.582 Y70.16 Z2.828 N90 X107.586 Y70.209 Z2.747 N95 X107.592 Y70.27 Z2.676 N100 X107.598 Y70.341 Z2.615 N105 X107.605 Y70.421 Z2.565 N110 X107.612 Y70.508 Z2.529 N115 X107.62 Y70.599 Z2.507 N120 X107.628 Y70.692 Z2.5 N125 X107.68 Y71.29 F600.

N130 G3 X107.134 Y71.94 I-0.598 J0.052 N135 G1 X51.549 Y76.761 Z-2.381 N140 X51.337 Y76.781 Z-2.4

N145 G2 X41.5 Y87.72 I1.163 J10.938 N150 G1 Y92.28 N155 G2 X51.549 Y103.239 I11. J0.

Arduino_Assist Location: Bartlett School of Architecture, London Year: 2018 Type: Academic work

The concept behind this project was to create an agent that responds to a physical stimulus and reacts accordingly; a potential assistance in manufacturing processes.

Similar to Braitenberg vehicles, it is based on a simple reactive behaviour. It is an agent that can autonomously move along a coloured line, based on its sensor inputs. The motion of the vehicle is controlled by two colour sensors that then instructs the servo motors. It changes course when the colour changes are detected by the sensors.

Arduino with C++

archana.dfm@gmail.com +91 9902552084

Thank you.

Additional projects & detailed work is available on request.