Aperture Cells

RESEARCH DATE: SPRING 2011

APERTURE

CELLS

Frosted Acrylic White Acrylic Clear Acrylic

Team: Lalima Chemjong Michael Gonzales Bo Lui Kim Nguyen

ASSEMBLY DIAGRAMS: Cellular Connections

ASSEMBLY DIAGRAM: Gusset Plate Connections

STUDY MODEL PROCESS: The initial analogue studies focused on the creation of a flexible network of cells formed from cutting and folding one sheet of paper. A flexible, four sided pyramidal cell emerged with an adjustable aperture at its center.

DIGITAL GENERATION: The cellular units are digitally recreated in Rhino using the parametric components of Grasshopper. The triangulated pyramid components are used to tessellate surfaces with a double curvature. The entire system can be parametrically mapped to any free form surface allowing the pyramids to vary in size and the mesh to increase its depth to provide for greater rigidity in areas with higher stress.

THREE CELL ANALOGUE MODEL

ASSEMBLY PROCESS: Bending And Fastening Of Acrylic Component Cells

The Aperture Canopy was conceived as a flexible system of modular components that are able to alter their parameters in order to perform as different tectonic elements. The folded geometry forms a series of diamond shaped pyramids that are fastened to a secondary substrate in an alternating pattern. This configuration allows the mesh to obtain thickness by growing outward from the center in both directions. All of the pockets are CNC milled from acrylic sheets that vary in texture and transparency. Through the use of distance based attractors, the parametric grasshopper definition allows the folded pyramidal cells to either grow into columnar structures that form an integrated support system at the base of the pavilion, or collapse to provide a thinner surface as the mesh expands into a sheltering canopy at the upper levels.

VARIABLE OPACITY APERTURES

PAVILION WITH PARAMETRICALLY CONTROLLED APERTURES

FULL SCALE PROTOTYPE