World of Retardants

World of Retardant

An academic journal fromMsCAD(Designmorphine)

Balakumaran Ramalingam

My architectural journey with MULA encouraged me to explore computational and parametric tools that helped us to optimise and experiment design. Throughout the journey, I have learned about the potential of computational tools in design through constant experimentation and explorations. These explorations led me to explore and learn the computational world through the maters program at Designmorphine, UACEG through distant learning. The program comprises of five chapters namely prosthesis, corpuscle, amalgamation, kinesis and cosmogany. It focuses on creating a world for mutants in terms of mutant modelling, dwelling creation, colony design, locomotive design, and network design. The program helped me ideate, transform these ideas into sketches, convert these sketches into 3d models, and render them. Additionally, the program includes labs that helped us to explore further allied fields using AI tools through Concept lab, rendering techniques in the Media lab, 3d printing in the Prototype lab, interactive design in Robotics lab, walthroughs in the VRlab. Through the program, I have learned tools such as Maya, Advanced Grasshopper, Houdini and C#, which have paved the way for me in computational domain.

01 Prosthesis

With the destruction of Earth, a few humans traveled through a dimensional portal in search of a safe haven via ‘ArcX’. Acrash occurred, and the humans ended up in an extremely arid environment. Their bodies couldn’t survive the extreme heat, sandstorms, heat waves, and ferocious native animals. The creatures underwent various forms of mutation, from their skin shedding to new elements growing all over their bodies to facilitate their survival in this extreme environment.

The Mutant

Below Cage-like bones grew across their chest to protect their respiratory systemRight Afibrous tissue had grown around the waist and hip to protect the metabolic organs from heat Right Bottom The skin dried out from the intense heat and became more brittle and porous

The Receptor

Disintegrating muscles

Exposed Muscles

Disintegrating Bones

Fractal Bones

Exoskeleton

Exposed Bones

Dried Fractal Skin

The Anatomy

Below An exoskeleton had grown from the spine to protect the internal organs from the heat and dust Right top The feet had dried up and it had mutated into hard, porous surfaces like hooves Right bottom Most of the flesh on the limbs had burned off and disintegrated slowly, leaving many dried fractal bones around their joints

02 Corpuscle

As time went on, the mutants began to seek new forms of shelter in this radical environment. They started creating burrows made of fragmented rock pieces, pebbles, and mineral gems. These dwellings were typically composed of rocks and other geological materials like minerals, pebbles, and crystals, in an uncivilized, primitive mode of shelter.

The Dwelling

These dwellings were typically made up of long carved-out rock pods connected through a central cave, which serves as the heart of the dwelling. Each dwelling unit consists of a powerhouse, crawl chambers, research coves, cleansing chambers, and a nutrition space. The compositions of these spaces vary depending on their function.

Here is a tour of a mutant dwelling: their monolithic haven is made from layered rock panels, translucent dust filters, thermal pebbles, bio-luminous energy crystals, and more. The rock panels are the primary shell of the dwelling and are the main structural pieces holding in place the other components and creating resistance to the turbulent heat in this climate.

The translucent filters protect the spaces from flying particles, other sub-creatures, and dust. The bioluminous energy crystals serve as receptors for energy absorption, filtration, and conservation in the corpuscle. They also serve as sensors for danger.

Layered Rock Panels Translucent Dust Filter

Rock Panels

calliborators.

03 Amalgamation

Retardants began to seek new forms of shelter in this radical environment. They started creating burrows made of fragmented rock pieces, pebbles, and mineral gems. Their monolithic havens consist of layered rock panels, translucent dust filters, thermal pebbles, bio-luminous energy crystals, and more. To shelter them from the extreme heat, their colonies are usually nestled in the narrow spaces between canyon-like mountains.

The Colony

(Left) The retardants chose the hidden spaces between the mountains to protect themselves fromexternal factors. The retardant colony began growing from the lava in the mountains and expanded by accumulating minerals, rocks, and debris into a cluster of dwellings. These dwellings are actually held up by the electromagnetic forces emitted by the lava inside the mountains.

Aggregations

DWELLING PODS

The compositions and sizes of these spaces vary depending on the function of the dwellings and the number of occupants. Additionally, as the colony began to grow, retardants deployed a series of service hubs that help with the control and defense of the colony and contain most mechanical parts. Systematically, dwelling types A, B, and Conly aggregate with each other into micro clusters of 2 to 5 units, each of which contains a service hub to regulate its activities.

Dwelling type D, which is usually larger in size, typically connects to all other types of dwellings and serves as the main connection to the communal hubs. The communal hubs are the main core of the colony and house public functions such as auditoriums, recreational centers, stadiums, and more.

MICRO AGGREGATIONS

Public Space

The colony has a series of crystal farms and mineral depots that help harvest energy and grow minerals. A cave-like sheltered space amidst the interstitial spaces between the units acts as the communal hub. It has a series of crystal farms growing within a mineral lake, which is the most fertile part of the colony.

The mineral lake acts as a coolant, as the energy from the crystals reacts with the extreme heat and external bio-luminous forces, which then condense into liquid substrates that flow back into the lake. The mineral lake is one of the most desirable outdoor spaces for the retardants to gather.

The levitating crystal, located at the heart of this space, is filled with lava that creates a magnetic field around it, holding the different elements of the colony together.

04 Kinesis

Retardants evolved and made their way in this extreme environment. They built shelters, created colonies, and then started moving within the world in search of prey, new shelters, and resources. The electromagnetic and bio-luminous forces helped them find levitational paths and create vehicles to move. This chapter is an exploration of the vehicles and networks through which they navigate.

Networks & Nodes

Over time, retardants started developing networks and vehicles to move around the colony and connect themselves to other colonies. They wandered around the environment along the crawl networks to collect minerals and crystals. They used the private networks to move fromone cluster to another and from one corpuscle to the neighboring corpuscles within the amalgamation, with the help of private vehicles.

Retardants used the public networks to transport crystals and minerals from the mineral quarries to the amalgamation, with the help of public vehicles.

Left to Right

Crawl network > Private network > Public network > Public docking station > Private docking station

Parts & functions

The retardants made vehicles that were run by energy crystals to track the energy trails. The public vehicles were used by the retardants to mine and excavate the crystals and minerals from the mineral quarries. These crystals form the lifeline of the retardants and the colony. Structurally, the vehicle has a stay area and a mechanical area. The mechanical area is above the stay area where the retardants store and gather. The stay pods are occupied by retardants who store their collected crystals and minerals from the mining sites. The collection capacity changes according to each retardant.

Docking Stations

The public vehicles dock along the energy rocks that derive their energy from the floating lava mountain. These lava mountains levitate due to the electromagnetic field from the molten minerals that have been in a lava state for a long period of time. The crystals inside these energy rocks are the roots of the trails as they are calibrated to create trails that lead to the great mining quarries. The docking station hosts the public vehicles, which are boarded through an entrance where the retardants enter into the lower lobby and find their stay pods. Whereas the public networks are energy trails that are heat shocks created through the attractive forces from the mining quarries from the unique heat crystals embedded in public docking stations.

Scan/ click here to peek into the world of retardants!