Brian Harms / Portfolio 2012
Contents Autonomous Fabrication Robot + Robotic Flexible Manufacturing Plant
04 - 29
Stadium of International Lunar Olympics 30 - 39
LOCATION San Luis Obispo YEAR 2010 DURATION 2 Months PROJECT TYPE Academic (thesis research) ADVISOR Stephen Phillips
Staubli Grasshopper Simulation + Control “SGSC” LOCATION Los Angeles YEAR 2012 DURATION Ongoing PROJECT TYPE Independent ADVISOR NA
2
52 - 63
LOCATION Los Angeles YEAR 2012 DURATION 2 Months PROJECT TYPE Independent ADVISOR NA
LOCATION The Port of Los Angeles YEAR 2010-2011 DURATION 6 Months PROJECT TYPE Academic (thesis) ADVISOR Stephen Phillips
The Machine
V-Dress
40 - 51
64 - 71
LOCATION The Moon YEAR 2010 DURATION 2 Months PROJECT TYPE Independent ADVISOR NA
Digital Fabrication / Fluorescent Luminaire LOCATION San Luis Obispo YEAR 2009 DURATION 3 Months PROJECT TYPE Academic ADVISOR Brent Freeby
72 - 87
Urban Recycling Center
88 - 101
LOCATION Rome YEAR 2009 DURATION 2 Months PROJECT TYPE Academic (abroad) ADVISOR Tom Rankin
Mixed-Use Infill
102 - 113
114 - 121
LOCATION San Francisco YEAR 2010 DURATION 5 Weeks PROJECT TYPE Academic ADVISOR Sandy Miller
Future Cities Lab
LOCATION San Francisco YEAR 2010 DURATION 5 Weeks PROJECT TYPE Internship ADVISOR Lisa Iwamoto / Craig Scott
122 - 127
154 - 161
LOCATION San Francisco YEAR 2011 DURATION 1 Week PROJECT TYPE Internship ADVISOR Jason Johnson / Nataly Gattegno
IwamotoScott
LOCATION Mariposa County YEAR 2010 DURATION 2 Weeks PROJECT TYPE Academic ADVISOR Randy Dettmer
Ingleside Public Library
128 - 153
LOCATION Los Angeles YEAR 2011-2012 DURATION 1.5 Years PROJECT TYPE Internship ADVISOR John Enright / Margaret Griffin
LOCATION San Luis Obispo YEAR 2009 DURATION 10 Weeks PROJECT TYPE Academic ADVISOR Chuck Crotser
Bus Stop + Parametric Bench
Griffin Enright Architects
162 - 173
Autonomous Fabrication Robot + Robotic Flexible Manufacturing Plant LOCATION The Port Of Los Angeles YEAR 2010-2011 DURATION 6 Months PROJECT TYPE Academic (thesis) ADVISOR Stephen Phillips
ADDITIONAL INFO The primary focus of this project is the production hall of the factory. The vast hall is populated with production “hives” – reconfigurable stacks of workable manufacturing space – which are designed to be custom tailored to a specific client to meet their manufacturing needs. The goal of the complex is to move away from current methods of manufacturing, seeing them as too linear, too inflexible, and underutilizing existing robotic technology. For example, using a six-axis robot arm, which has the potential to be programmed to accomplish a seemingly infinite number of tasks, to repeat the same operation over and over from a fixed position along a line. The end result is a project which is majorly influenced by the robotic inhabitants of the building. To better understand the relationship between the two, I designed one of the factory’s robot operatives (nicknamed A_FAB). This yielded certain technical, mechanical, and aesthetic inspirations and constraints to help define the spaces it would inhabit. A_FAB is a walking hexapod robot with the ability to create and alter it’s environment. Intended for production supervision and light manufacturing tasks (3D printing in this case), this team of robots also have the capacity to transform the factory. Over time, the robots will reappropriate building materials as they see fit and print or construct new architectural elements in their wake.
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A-Fab in Idle / sit position RIGHT
A_Fab robot at 50% stand height
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Structural frame
Structural frame + 3D printing mechanism + Walking systems
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Structural frame + 3D printing mechanism
Un-skinned A_Fab robot
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Completed A_Fab robot equipped with microcontroller, wireless transmitter, and servo controller A-Fab’s leg armor is made of vacuum formed PETG Plastic and attached with neodymium rare earth magnets
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Close-up of motor mechanics and 3D printing assembly. Robot at 100% stand hieght RIGHT
View of A_Fab robot at 50% stand height
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ABOVE
Delta bot testing with Grasshoppper BELOW
The brains of A_Fab: Arduino Uno, Pololu Maestro servo controller Xbee wireless receiver
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LEFT
Close-up of motor mechanics and 3D printing assembly (Robot at 100% stand height) RIGHT
Proof of concept 3D printing sequence (top to bottom)
80X85mm TURBINE FAN
ELECTRONICS HOUSING ARDUINO, BREADBOARD, SERVO CONTROLLER, XBEE
3X 2000mAh NIMH BATTERIES LEG ASSEMBLY {RADIALLY ARRAYED ABOUT CENTROID 6X} BALL BEARING CAP FOR ROTATING LEG COLUMN FIRGELLI ACTUATOR
6X GWS SERVOS RESPONSIBLE FOR LATERAL MOBILITY
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3X EXI SERVOS RESPONSIBLE FOR END EFFECTOR TRIANGULATION {DELTA BOT} 3X SERVO BRACKETS 3D PRINTED
3X DELTA BOT ARMS 3D PRINTED EXTRUDER ACTUATOR HOUSING CAP 3D PRINTED
FIRGELLI ACTUATOR FOR EXTRUSION
PLUNGER 3D PRINTED
Exploded Axonometric
60 ml PLASTIC SYRINGE 50 mm VERTICAL USABLE
= drawing match line
FLEXIBLE MEDICAL TUBING FOR MATERIAL {GEL} TRANSFER
END EFFECTOR ASSEMBLY 3D PRINTER SHOWN MAY BE RECONFIGURED TO PERFORM ALTERNATIVE TASKS
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The Port of Los Angeles Size of harbor / 3300 acres Size of port / 7500 acres Available berths / 270 Vessel arrivals / 2,813 (FY 2004) Annual cargo tonnage / 162.1 million metric revenue tons (FY 2005) Annual container volume / 7.3 million Twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) (FY 2005) Value of cargo / US$148.5 billion (CY 2004) Passenger traffic / 1.10 million passengers (FY 2005) Annual revenue / US$351.5 million (FY 2004) Net income / US$90.9 million (FY 2004)
Site Considerations LEFT
In locating a site for the project I looked primarily to industrial zones that bordered residential or urban areas so that the factory may integrate public functions that are easily accessible to the surrounding neighborhoods. TOP
I chose this portion of the port of Los Angeles because of its position as a mediator between the industrial setting of the port and the residential fabric of San Pedro. It helps define the gateway to the port and has advantageous opportunities for import / export / transportation via boat, rail, and vehicular access.
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Vehicular Six-Axis Arms 02a
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These mobile robot arms, protected in a mechanical exoskeleton, would traverse complex track systems within the factory to navigate between production zones. Left
Wireframes of a heavy-class vehicular robot in various stages of activation Right
Ghosted layers of vehicular robot and exoskeleton Far Right
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Renderings of track mounting and opened exoskeleton
A_Fab Robot Docking Stations LEFT
3D printed 3/4” = 1’-0” scale model of docking cell showing sectional cavities purposed for data / cable networks, battery storage, and water management TOP
View of ceiling array of robot cells showing a single A_Fab bot docked for charging and data transfer RIGHT
Rendered perspective doublesection
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Production Hives (Beta) These hives are beta versions of those on page 24. They are made up of customizable floor levels and house a system of tracks for vehicular robot arms.
Double - helix conveyor
Floor plates
They also mark a change in thinking of manufacturing as a linear process to one that can be more nodal and dynamic due to the increased flexibility yielded by making production robots mobile and intelligent.
Reconfigurable utilities
Base isolation system
Robot track network
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BUILD IN PROGRESS
HEAVY CLASS BOT PERIMETER BELTS / INSPECTION
STORAGE / ON DECK POD
UTILITY DUCTS BASE ISOLATION
CENTRAL ROBOT CIRCULATION UNDERGROUND NETWORK
LEFT
Alternative (re)configurations and exploded diagram of a single production hive. Each hive is networked by a track system which allows the heavy class vehicular robot arms to navigate the system. RIGHT
Renderings of an array of redesigned production hives showing several A_Fab operatives flying through the hall.
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Assimilated Warehouse The assimilated warehouse is a 3D pattern study which shows how a swarm of A_Fab robots could transform a normative structure into a parasitic hive of docking stations. The placements of these stations are dictated by a circle-packing logic which allows for efficient distribution. LEFT
3D printed model with translucent diffusing film and an array of arduinocontrolled LEDs pulsing at varying frequencies to simulate the effect of hundreds of A_Fab robots charging in their docking cells simultaneously. TOP RIGHT
Roof plan view of assimilated warehouse showing the individual sections that make up the physical model.
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ABOVE
Site diagrams / adjacencies and connections TOP RIGHT
Diagrammatic site plan showing program arrangements and a gradient between human (public) and robotic (private) zones BOTTOM RIGHT
Section of the production hall, postassimilation
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Private / Robotic
Public / Human
The Machine LOCATION San Luis Obispo YEAR 2010 DURATION 2 months PROJECT TYPE Academic (thesis research) ADVISOR Stephen Phillips
ADDITIONAL INFO The Machine is an interactive study utilizing the arduino microcontroller, several light sensors, and two servos. This experiment was set up to incorporate many facets of electronic prototyping as a learning exercise. The form of the piece is reminiscent of a mechanical / cyborg organ, and the idea was to make it pulse, expand, and contract when nearby movement was detected. There are six photocells (light sensors) that are integrated into the shell of the organ with wires as veins that run along its skin back to the microcontroller. These sensors alter the voltage running through the system when light is present. The microcontroller reads these changes and activates the servos. The servos are then fastened to radial scissor mechanisms that translates simple rotational input into expansion and contraction. Vacuum-formed plastic panels are flexibly connected to these radial mechanisms and cover / reveal the inner workings of the organ as it expands and contracts. This creates the sense that the organ is living.
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LEFT
Initial expansion / contraction experiment using a single photocell, one servo, an arduino and a simple processing sketch RIGHT
Un-skinned mechanism with photocells mounted just above the arduino board BELOW
Stages of expansion and contraction
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TOP LEFT
Do-It-Yourself vacuum forming solution using a custom made vacuum box, two standard vacuums and a conventional oven to heat the sheets of plastic BOTTOM LEFT
Close up of formed panel showing receptacle for photocell and vein for wiring TOP RIGHT
Milled MDF parts for vacuum forming BOTTOM RIGHT
Plastic panel dremeled from PETG sheet
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ABOVE
Fully closed and fully open positions RIGHT
Viewers perform live interactions with the machine
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Staubli Grasshopper Simulation + Control “SGSC� LOCATION Los Angeles YEAR 2012 DURATION Ongoing PROJECT TYPE Independent ADVISOR NA
ADDITIONAL INFO SGSC is a set of Grasshopper tools that allows users to simulate and control a range of Staubli six-axis robot arms. It contains a highly customized inverse kinematics solver, visual simulator, diagnostic tool, and code generator. SGSC helps to solve many of the problems with traditional trigonometric IK solvers, including allowing joint calculations to go well beyond +/- 180 degrees, and resetting joints whose angles exceed their limits. There are a multitude of inputs and options that allow users to create highly customized and complex control logics that are all editable at a high level of programming (so that none of the underlying coding needs to be changed). A major benefit of SGSC is the ability to take advantage of the advanced logic and data matching methods built in to Grasshopper to parametrically assign simulation and control settings. For example, the electrical and pneumatic outputs can be triggered based on changing parameters of the simulation.
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IK Cluster The IK solver is the primary component of SGSC and is responsible for all of the trigonometry, rotation calculations and formatting data for other components like the diagnostics tool and Val 3 converter.
Visual Simulator This component is responsible for previewing the simulations in Rhino. It can be driven by a simple number slider or the custom counter to scroll through the available target frames.
Diagnostic Tool The diagnostic tool outputs information regarding the status of each target frame and whether or not they will cause problems during the simulation. See page 46 for more detail.
Format String This component ormats angle values into a single 47 character string to be used with the streaming control python script developed by Kruysman Proto.
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Robot Library This component contains all of the referenced robot meshes, joint positions and orientations as well as a list of angle limits for each robot.
Custom Counter This counter is used to automatically loop through target frames at a specified rate which can be customized based on an input pattern.
VAL 3 Converter This component takes data from the IK solver and user defined inputs to generate VAL 3 code with specific speed and I/O settings.
Angle Utility There are a total of six angle utility clusters in SGSC (one per joint). These utilities are responsible for all the angle calculations, corrections, and adjustments.
ABOVE
Complete example file (This template can be downloaded from brian-harms. com) BELOW
Screenshots of SGSC being used in different configurations (SCI-Arc’s robot house and Andrew Atwood’s wall mounted TX60L)
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Grasshopper user-object components
BLUE planes indicate target frames that cause one or more joints to exceed the manufacturer-defined angle limits.
RED planes indicate target
frames that are out of reach of the robot, given its origin point and orientation.
PINK planes indicate target frames at which one or more joints will “correct” themselves.
For example, if a joint that is limited to +270 degrees and needs to rotate to +275 degrees, the joint will pause, rotate backwards 360 degrees and continue along it’s original path.
CURRENT JOINT ANGLE VALUES J1 J2 J3 J4 J5 J6
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-162.69 +002.17 +099.78 +000.00 +078.05 +377.31
A TouchOSC interface I designed to allow users to have complete control over SGSC using an iPhone or other mobile device. The Grasshopper definition this interface is connected to is set up to work in conjunction with a Microsoft Kinect, creating a hybrid of robotic control interfaces.
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Hybrid Interfaces Live testing of a hybrid interface for the SGSC robot toolset for Grasshopper. This interface uses a Kinect to track the user’s hand to create a target point for the robot, while the orientation of the end arm (joints 4, 5, and 6) can be controlled by the accelerometer of a smartphone. Users also have access to all major options in SGSC via the custom TouchOSC interface shown on the previous page. In the photos on the right, the Kinect is placed to the right of the robot outside of the shot.
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V-Dress LOCATION Los Angeles YEAR 2012 DURATION 2 Months PROJECT TYPE Independent ADVISOR NA
ADDITIONAL INFO The V-Dress (or voronoi dress) is a speculative fashion and fabrication experiment that deals with such issues as 3D scanning / imaging, variable corporeal exposure, digital fabrication and advanced robotics. The idea was spawned from a previous project (Voronoi lamp) when a colleague of mine (a fashion designer) wanted to create a dress in the same vein as the lamp. To push the former project and process into a new realm, I began to explore other methods of fabrication that would differentiate this project from previous work. The result is a provocative garment that takes advantage of complex six-axis cooperative robot milling paths to create molds unique to the user’s body. This process generates a single part, as opposed to the piecemeal construct of the previous voronoi project. The dress would create a gradient of exposure from fully covered, to partially unveiled, to fully revealed.
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One major aspect of the project involved the digitizing of a body or dress form. I experimented with several methods of modeling the given form and found that the most efficient method was also the most automated. The first method used serial profiles of the dress form as it was rotated on a lazy susan. This method generated smooth but disproportionate models that were bulky at the shoulders. Ultimately I used an Autodesk program called 123D Catch to create a digital mesh constructed from approximately 30 photos of the dress form. The resulting mesh needed some patching and smoothing but produced the most accurate digitized model.
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LEFT
Original dress form adorned with small black strips of felt for texture recognition needed for the 123D Catch process CENTER LEFT
Serial profiles of dress form from being incrementally rotated on a lazy susan CENTER RIGHT
Resulting surface from lofting serial profiles RIGHT
Un-smoothed mesh result from 123D Catch program
LEFT
Complete diagram of dress tool path generated on a voronoi / triangular grid hybrid pattern. RIGHT
Frames of an animation exploring patterning options for the dress involving the transition between a regular triangular grid and a more randomized voronoi one. Since all regular grids (rectangular, hexagonal, triangular) can be described using a voronoi diagram, only one simple algorithm was needed to generate the hybrid patterns.
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Virgin dress form would be CNC’d from a single block of high density foam.
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Milling process involving multiple robots which would drill/ dremel or melt a patterned reveal into the form.
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Stages of fabrication / production from virgin CNC body form to cured latex mold
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Completed mold for wrapping in cellophane and ready for pouring liquid rubber / latex into the pattern’s void. The continuous nature of the pattern ensures each vertical pathway is connected to the next and would allow the liquid material to flow through and fill the void (assisted by a vacuum).
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Once the liquid material has cured, it can be delicately stretched / removed from the form and worn. The process of removal would be the most difficult part of the process and would involve a great deal of experimentation to create milled voids wedged enough to promote the easy removal of cured latex.
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The tool path shown below consists of four distinct parts. First, the 2D voronoi pattern is propagated along the body’s surface. Second, the individual cells of the pattern are scaled about a single point in all directions to create the outer rims of the positive cells. Third, there is a spiraling path between these scaled cells and the originals (to allow the drill bit to remove material gradually and smoothly, rather than all at once). Finally, there are entry and retraction paths that navigate between each cell to prevent the end arm tool from clashing with the dress form. The individual paths are ordered very precisely in order to create a single continuous path. To create a path the robot’s can read, the polyline needs an associated orientation. Since each cell is generated via scaling about a singe point, the orientation of the drill bit can always be described as a vector between the current point on the polyline and the specified center of scaling.
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Color study proposing the use of multicolored dyes mixed with latex rubber
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Transparency study proposing the use of translucent liquid gels to create a range of opacities based on the local and overall thickness and distribution of cells
Stadium of International Lunar Olympics “SILO” LOCATION The Moon YEAR 2010 DURATION 2 Months PROJECT TYPE Independent (competition) ADVISOR NA
ADDITIONAL INFO This project was a non-academic design competition sponsored by Shift Boston, which called for the speculative design of any structure on the moon. The project was designed over a 2 month period with the collaboration of my colleague, Keith Bradley. The design evolved out of the idea that the moon is not a site of extreme constraint but one of incredible opportunity. It was important to us to take advantage of the unique conditions not found here on Earth, rather than treat the design as something subservient to the technical obstacles the moon presents us with. The result is the Stadium for International Lunar Olympics (SILO), where structural spans, tower heights, and even sports are affected by the microgravity of the moon. Our design was published in Scientific American, CNN, ArchDaily, and several European design magazines. Most recently our
submission was featured in a French children’s science magazine.
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TOP LEFT
Initial massing model of the SILO, showing basic program layouts and the potential for mag-lev transportation to other lunar colonies. TOP RIGHT
Rendering of typical hotel room with panoramic views that peer out over the top of the SILO’s crater. Fused Silica glass windows would have interactive screens projected on them to give inhabitants access to pertinent facility and event information.
BOTTOM
Rear of the tower showing fuel cell power generators and housings for mechanical systems. See competition board on page 66 for more information regarding energy and environmental factors of the design.
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Digital Fabrications / Fluorescent Luminaire LOCATION San Luis Obispo YEAR 2009 DURATION 3 Months PROJECT TYPE Academic ADVISOR Brent Freeby
ADDITIONAL INFO The fluorescent lamp has not had a warm welcome into the residential sector. These lamps convert electricity into visible light 4-6 times more efficiently than a standard incandescent lamp, yielding much lower energy consumption and costs. Still, many people resist the adoption of this energy saving technology in their homes because of the much “warmer” feel incandescent lamps emit. The goal of this project is to give the linear fluorescent lamp a more human feeling by enclosing the bulbs with an organic, sculptural diffusing element that is much more personal than the standard fixture. The parametric aspect of this project allowed for quick analysis of a variety of design decisions. Using Grasshopper in conjunction with Rhino made it possible to make instant changes to the lamp at any time during the design process. The Voronoi algorithm was used to create the lamp’s cell pattern. The pattern was then applied to a surface which was derived from diagrams of light waves. Grasshopper was used to parametrically scale and loft the cell pattern to create the 571 cells. A script was used to unroll and label each cell, then they were laser-cut and assembled.
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Lamp installed in cellular enclosure. The lamp is a 3’-0� long, T5 double lamp which was taken apart and installed in a custom fixture. The ballast was rewired so that it can be placed on the mounting surface (as opposed to being attached directly to the lamp hardware). A mylar film was later added to the interior of the enclosure to reduce lamp imaging.
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Box Morphed Aggregation The primary alternative to the voronoi method was the box-morph method. This involves the creation of a single module which is populated along a surface in a grid.
Parameters With box-morphing the parameters of both the module and the overall lamp can be adjusted. Shown above are both round and rectangular modules on surfaces with varying divisions in the U and V direction.
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Digital Process The process of developing the lamp enclosure was done entirely in Grasshopper from start to finish, including the generation of cut files with etch, cut, and score lines on each piece. Then each piece was nested into a series of 18� x 32� rectangles for laser cutting.
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Cut Sheets 571 pieces single-ply bristol paper 1800 paper clips for gluing modeled in Rhino and Grasshopper produced with Autocad laser cut and assembled individually 70% material efficiency
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Prototype / Renderings LEFT
Photos of luminaire prototype, which tested different methods of gluing cells to one another RIGHT
Renderings of final luminaire design
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Model Process Each piece was parametrically assigned a small tab for gluing (to close each cell). These cells were glued together using paperclips to hold the tab in place while drying. Once all of the cells were closed, they were organized and assembled one by one, using the 3D Rhino model as a blueprint.
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Rendering and Photo
Urban Recycling Center LOCATION Tiber River, Rome YEAR 2009 DURATION 2 months PROJECT TYPE Academic ADVISOR Tom Rankin
ADDITIONAL INFO A contemporary recycling center in Rome’s Trastevere neighborhood. The primary goals were to reconnect the city to the river and to redefine the junkyard in an urban setting. The site is located on the edge of the Tiber river and is home to a 17th century building dubbed the Arsenale - a late baroque ship maintenance and storage facility. It is a symbol of industry and commerce that separates the city from the river. The project called for the preservation of the Arsenale, so I’ve proposed to purpose this building as a gateway to the new reuse facility. The site is home to a very popular open market on Sundays. On these days, vehicular traffic is not permitted along Via Portuense (the main street adjacent to the site). The site becomes filled with pedestrians crammed in the narrow street. There is a great opportunity to integrate the river walk into the site, but the existing buildings on the site block all access to the river. I’ve proposed to reconnect the two via several pedestrian paths and slices in the building’s mass to allow pedestrian traffic to pass through.
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Via Portuense One goal of the project was to make the site much more bicycle-friendly. After visiting the site and taking several tallies, I estimated that on any given day (except Sunday) there is only one bicycle present for every: 3 pedestrians, 96 scooters, and 120 cars. This trend completely reverses on Sunday for the open market. The project aims to create an open market atmosphere every day, so that the relationship between pedestrians / bicyclists and motor vehicles is balanced.
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Site Analysis My massing strategy for the project involved using various types of explicit and implicit connections to subdivide the site into smaller modules. These modules could be re-merged to each other or subtracted to create voids where programmatically necessary. Important site lines, street axes, pedestrian connections and proposed bike paths all contributed to the breakdown of the site.
ABOVE
Initial diagrams of program, massing, and section RIGHT, TOP TO BOTTOM
Site plan, rendering of covered pedestrian bridge to Testaccio with horizontal louvers that diffuse light into the restaurant, and atrium just past the Arsenale
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06 Serial Sections and Site Plan
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BELOW
Bio-climatic section showing the passive ventilation system that draws light into the centers of the lower floors. Rain water is collected on the building’s skin and stored in a cistern below grade. RIGHT
Diagram showing integration of shelving and structure. Interior shelves and racks hold clothing and other personal items. Exterior shelves hold raw materials and appliances.
Physical Model LEFT, TOP TO BOTTOM
View of Arsenale and main entry, View of Power Gym, View from the Tiber river looking north at the docking area and pedestrian bridge to Testaccio RIGHT, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP
Bird’s eye view of entire site, Bird’s eye view down river with Testaccio on left, Bird’s eye view north showing Porta Portese and the bridge of via Antonia Cecchi
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Mixed-Use Urban Infill LOCATION San Luis Obispo YEAR 2009 DURATION 3 months PROJECT TYPE Academic ADVISOR Chuck Crotser ADDITIONAL INFO Located at 1144 Marsh Street in San Luis Obispo, this building is a mixed-use urban infill project with two levels of underground parking, retail spaces on the ground level, and three floors of apartments. The apartment levels have floor to ceiling glazing for maximum natural daylight and are wrapped in a sculpted system of deep horizontal louvers. These louvers are pinched and separated in elevation to expose the storefront areas and provide privacy to the tenants, while diffusing direct sunlight. The interior of the building is a void which serves as a circulation zone, a means to separate public and private areas, and a vehicle for bringing in natural light into the north facing apartments. The project involved the production of several study models to develop the louvers and void as an interior and exterior skin to the apartment levels.
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Void Space The interior of the building is a freeform subtraction that contrasts with the rectangular form of the exterior. This space provides well lit open spaces for tenants and gives almost every residence the opportunity for southern exposure. Translucent wall panels would allow light to pass into the space on the front of each unit.
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LEFT
Light, shade, and structure studies for the interior circulation space TOP RIGHT
Floor plans showing various unit types and relation to void BOTTOM RIGHT
Eye-level rendering from Marsh Street looking North-West
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Interior Glazing
Horizontal Louvers
Interior Partitions
Floor Plates
Diagrid System
Vertical Louvers
Exterior Glazing
Structural System
TOP LEFT, COUNTER CLOCKWISE
Project components, view from Marsh St. looking East, Bird’s eye view of Marsh St. facade
Physical Model 1/8” = 1’0” scale model made of laser cut paper, bristol board, bass wood, and chipboard
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Reconfigurable Void exploration
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Massing / void study (laser cut acrylic)
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Positive form of void with diagrid
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Structural frame
Bus Stop LOCATION Mariposa County YEAR 2009 DURATION 2 weeks PROJECT TYPE Academic ADVISOR Randy Dettmer
ADDITIONAL INFO A two-week project calling for the design of a small public transit node in Mariposa County, CA. The project had several specific constraints. These requirements included using hard woods, blocking prevailing and storm winds, providing two ADA accessible restrooms, five large solar panels angled at optimal solar orientation, battery storage, and seating for approximately twenty people. My strategy was to first design the seating area (parametric bench) and to let design of the facility act as a hard, protective barrier to the softer form of the bench. The final transit node is a composition of elements that each serve multiple functions: the bench serves as a place to sit or recline in a variety of positions, the roof protects the seating area while folding to accommodate optimally oriented PV panels, the glass screen blocks prevailing winds and displays travel information, and the bathrooms block storm winds from the east.
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05 LEFT
Diagram of various seated positions and corresponding curves of support RIGHT
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Serial sections of parametric bench. Since the duration one spends sitting in a given location directly influences his or her desired seated position, this bench aims to accommodate a variety of poses corresponding to different wait times (upright for shorter times, reclined for longer ones).
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Photo of physical model showing partto-whole relationships and the use of graphic fritting or film on glass to produce signage and identity as well as privacy for the restrooms.
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TOP RIGHT
Rear view of bench and low-profile photovoltaics on roof BELOW
Elevation as seen from street
Ingleside Public Library LOCATION San Francisco YEAR 2010 DURATION 5 Weeks PROJECT TYPE Academic ADVISOR Sandy Miller
ADDITIONAL INFO A five-week studio project calling for the design of a small library on the site of the Ingleside Branch Library designed by Fougeron Architects. We met several times with architects from the firm and used the building as a case study for our own projects, using similar program and area requirements. My concept for the library was a safe haven for the imagination. This idea was reinforced in several ways. The center of the building is a courtyard with a soft form in plan that contrasts the solid / rigid exterior. This interior courtyard is a place to take books to read and be outside without the street noise. The children’s stacks have a sculptural bookshelf that takes the shape of a wave, as if the books were leaping off of the shelf. The wave also creates a small cove for story telling. The teen area has a room dedicated to movies and video games so that teenagers can play in a supervised environment. The adult stacks are lit from an undulating surface of LEDs which dip down over the stacks as if the books were pulling at the ceiling.
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TOP LEFT
Library entrance BOTTOM LEFT
In situ perspective TOP RIGHT
View of main stacks near courtyard CENTER RIGHT
View from front desk BOTTOM RIGHT
Children’s area and “Wave” bookshelf
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reading courtyard
reading courtyard
children's area
children's area
theater / video game
adult circulating books
teen area
teen area
theater / video game
circ desk
reading courtyard
meeting area
staff sorting
holds
holds
computers
holds
self check
holds
closet managers office
marketplace
adult circulating books
marketplace
closet
managers comm. office closet
comm. closet
staff work space circ desk
teen area
teen area
theater / video game
theater / video game
circ desk
reading courtyard
reading courtyard
children's area
children's area
meeting area
staff sorting
computers
computers adult circulating books
staff room kitchen
staff room kitchen
managers office
marketplace
staff bath
staff bath
closet
closet
managers comm. office closet
staff work space
comm. closet
meeting area
adult circulating books
marketplace
staff work space circ desk
teen area
teen area
theater / video game
theater / video game
circ desk
reading courtyard
reading courtyard
children's area
children's area
OPEN / ENCLOSED
OPEN / ENCLOSED CONCEPT ELEMENTS
holds
holds self check
self check
meeting area
CONCEPT ELEMENTS
DAYLIGHTING
self check
meeting area
staff bath
holds
computers
meeting area staff sorting
meeting area
staff sorting
meeting area
children's area
marketplace
staff bath
staff work space
comm. closet
teen area
teen area
theater / video game
theater / video game
self check
closet
self check
closet managers comm. office closet
staff work space circ desk
circ desk
computers
reading courtyard
reading courtyard
children's area
children's area
DAYLIGHTING
marketplace
adult circulating books
DAYLIGHTING
staff room kitchen staff bath
managers office
holds
holds
adult circulating books
staff room kitchen
PLAN
computers
SEATING
computers
SEATING
children's area
children's area
meeting area
marketplace
reading courtyard
children's area
ENTRANCE / SIGHT
theater / video game
theater / video game
staff sorting
reading courtyard
AFTER HOURS
comm. closet
staff work space circ desk
reading courtyard
adult circulating books
staff room kitchen staff bath
AFTER HOURS
managers comm. office closet
staff work space
circ desk
ENTRANCE / SIGHT
teen area
AFTER HOURS
closet
teen area
theater / video game
staff sorting
staff sorting
holds
holds
closet
teen area
theater / video game
self check
teen area
self check
staff bath
self check
managers office
marketplace
closet comm. closet
staff work space circ desk
staff work space
adult circulating books
staff room kitchen
adult circulating books
marketplace
computers
staff room kitchen
staff sorting
staff bath
marketplace staff bath
closet managers comm. office closet
staff work space
circ desk
computers
staff room kitchen
staff bath
managers office
self check
adult circulating books
marketplace
meeting area staff sorting
computers adult circulating books
staff room kitchen
meeting area
AFTER HOURS
staff work space circ desk
meeting area
computers
staff room kitchen
self check
comm. closet
SEATING
managers comm. office closet
staff work space
children's area
children's area
computers
holds
holds
closet
reading courtyard
children's area
meeting area
self check
staff bath
closet
self check
staff bath
reading courtyard
staff sorting
staff sorting
adult circulating books
marketplace
teen area
theater / video game
CIRCULATION
meeting area
computers
staff room kitchen
managers office
reading courtyard
staff sorting
children's area
staff room kitchen
teen area
theater / video game
circ desk
reading courtyard
staff sorting
teen area
theater / video game
self check
comm. closet
staff work space circ desk
DAYLIGHTING
holds
holds
adult circulating books
marketplace
closet
self check
closet managers comm. office closet
teen area
theater / video game
circ desk
children's area
staff bath
staff work space
closet comm. closet
staff work space circ desk
meeting area
computers adult circulating books
staff bath
adult circulating books
marketplace
staff bath
closet managers comm. office closet
staff work space
staff sorting
computers
marketplace
staff bath
managers office
marketplace
CIRCULATION
staff sorting
staff room kitchen
managers office
reading courtyard
meeting area
children's area
staff room kitchen
teen area
theater / video game
circ desk
reading courtyard
staff sorting
teen area
theater / video game
staff room kitchen
holds
staff work space circ desk
computers adult circulating books
SEATING
comm. closet
self check
self check
closet
managers comm. office closet
staff work space
computers
staff room kitchen
self check
holds
holds
adult circulating books
marketplace
staff bath
closet managers office
marketplace
CIRCULATION
computers adult circulating books
staff room kitchen staff bath
CIRCULATION
computers
staff room kitchen
adult circulating books
holds
staff sorting
staff room kitchen
meeting area
staff sorting
meeting area
marketplace
staff bath
comm. closet
teen area self check
computers
computers adult circulating books
staff bath
managers office
closet
managers comm. office closet
staff work space
reading courtyard
marketplace
staff bath
closet
circ desk
marketplace
holds
holds
staff room kitchen
comm. closet
teen area
teen area
theater / video game
theater / video game
self check
staff room kitchen
staff work space circ desk
circ desk
reading courtyard
reading courtyard
children's area
children's area
meeting area staff sorting
staff sorting
meeting area
staff sorting
meeting area
children's area
computers
computers
staff room kitchen staff bath
self check
closet
managers comm. office closet
staff work space
comm. closet
staff work space circ desk
staff sorting
adult circulating books
marketplace
staff bath
closet managers office
marketplace
teen area
teen area
theater / video game
theater / video game
self check
staff room kitchen
holds
holds
adult circulating books
OCEAN AVENUE
126
adult circulating books
theater / video game staff work space
self check
PLYMOUTH AVENUE
closet managers office
circ desk
reading courtyard
reading courtyard
children's area
children's area
meeting area
staff sorting
meeting area
LEFT
Plan and associated diagrams ABOVE
Main stacks and computer area, looking at courtyard
PLYMOUTH AVENUE
BOTTOM
Primary elevations
OCEAN AVENUE