DIGITAL DESIGN + FABRICATION SM1, 2016 M2 JOURNAL - CONNECTION
Natalie Keynton, Thomas Huntingford and Brett McColl (615887, 835306, 832138 ) Josh + 1
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SKETCH DESIGNS SKETCH DESIGN 1
SKETCH DESIGN 2
SKETCH DESIGN 3
Through the exploration of the interaction of the skin structure and the bone assembly Natalie’s preliminary sketch design focused on how the skin structure could be used to control and move the bones. The proposed piece was to be worn on the body like spikes that would be activated through the user pulling on a skin structure to increase the volume around themselves. This volume was created using the rigid bone structure. The fluctuating personal space could therefore be controlled by the wearer depending on their personal comfort levels and situation.
Brett’s sketch design, focused around creating a barrier between an individual’s own personal space, and the world around them. This would be achieved by removing all of the individual’s senses, and allowing them access to only the world within the design. The physical design is based around the bird masks doctors wore during the time of the black death, as this also had the idea of removing the senses of a person from the world in order to protect them. This idea of solitude and separation from everything beyond one’s personal space was carried through in Brett’s designs.
Tom’s initial design focused on the elasticity found in the skin and bone system of the party whistle with the intention of creating a sense of compression on the wearer. The skin of the design is extremely elastic meaning it can be pushed and distorted but will always returning to its original form. The bone system of the design was intended to distort the appearance of the wearer and create volume in certain areas. The property of the whistle explored here was carried through to the next stage however the bone system was adapted to also represent the properties of a spring.
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Refined Sketch Model SKETCH DESIGN 1
SKETCH DESIGN 2
Brett’s model developed through exploring how to create volume using the skin and bone components he identified in M1.
SKETCH DESIGN 3
Tom’s sketch model developed by exploring the curves given by the coiled wire and skin surface from the original found object.
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PERSONAL SPACE
Through a consideration of personal space as a positive and negative balance where the body became the negative space and the ‘personal space bubble’ the positive, our group considered how two positive areas would interact. Choosing to represent through a wearable architecture the interaction between two close friends we examined how the bubble may change and incorporate another positive space.
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DESIGN 1 This first proposal builds upon Brett’s sketch design masking the form of the wearer and maintaing their isolation while allowing them to be directly exposed to sensory and emotional stimuli within their personal space. After conferring with others Brett modified his initial design moving away from the panel and fold system towards the skin and bone system. This modified design focused on creating a combined system, where the bones required the skin to remain upright as much as the skin needed the bone to remain structurally sound. Brett’s second proposl also repsonded to the joint personal space context.
Seperate Units
Doors connect magnetically
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DESIGN 2
Generative model making - testing the technique. Became interested in a rigid structure as a skin system.
Scan of figureing out how to put on body
Interaction between skins
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Maison Martin Margiela 1988
Thinking about how it may sit on the body
DESIGN 3 This proposal builds upon Tom’s sketch design with the bone elements translated into curves following the form of the unfurled spring of the reconfigured object. The skin was again intended to be stretched across the frame and compression the body between the framing elements. The idea of joint personal space is also beginning to be introduced with a system of interlocking loops beginning to develop.
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NAPKIN TABLE
Concept: Connection, conversation, engagment The Napkin table by Hung Lu Chan, graduate of industrial design at Tunghai University, is focussed on the experience of two people eating together and is intended to combat the impersonal communication through technology while eating. The table connects two people via neck straps and when being worn forms a small table between the two people. The concept of personal space in this design is very interesting as the conjoined personal space of the wearers is a symbiotic relationship governed by the rules of common courtesy. Were one user to remove themselves the entire system would fail and the other would be unable to enjoy their meal thus although the physical connection is easily undone the connotations of the shared space are binding.
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CATENARY POTTERY PRINTER Concept: Ordered Irregularity,
The Catenary Pottery Printer is designed to create parametrically designed objects using an analogue system. The frame system has various measurements marked out so that the skin system will take a specific shape when the weight of the clay is added creating irregular forms with a very precise and regular system. The progression of our design has been inspired by the fabrication of irregular forms through a highly regulated program. In this way we attempt to emulate a seemingly disorganised form through a set of rules.
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CATENARY POTTERY PRINTER
Concept: Persecution, Life & Agression The Steilneset Memorial designed as a collaboration between Peter Zumthor and Louise Bourgeois addresses the persecution of suspected witches in the 17th century. The project is composed of two distinct parts the frame and the cocoon like skin form that hangs within it. What is interesting is the frame and the infill were designed separately with Zumthor conceiving the scaffold-like frame as a response to the ideas of life and emotion and the internal form composed by Bourgeois representing more transient ideas of burning and aggression. This is reflected in our design with the metal curving frame conveying the constant emotions surrounding personal space and the flexible skin surfaces the more personal, emotional connection to the body.
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APPLICATION OF PRECEDENTS
Above: the Good Things 2 People example showed us the importance of creating an ordered system to create disordered form. Left: the napkin table influenced our thinking of the effects of our design. This ties the users together while also creating an unusual image for any passerbys.
From Catenary Potter Printer precednet examples we considered the relationship between the two systems and briefly explored different join types possible for connecting our two different materials.
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DESIGN DEVELOPMENT A single unit with both male & female connections points can be mirrored to perfectly connect seemingly random forms.
Intersectng shapes Development of connections between two forms
Skin supports bone, bone supports skin
Skin
Bone
Development of skin and bone
Development joints and form
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Laser cut skin panels curve in two directions
Bone can be joined purely by the points of contact with the skin
FINAL PROPOSAL The final proposal explores the bone system as a seemingly irregular group of forms that reach into space as an incomplete entity which can only find balance through connection to an identical, opposing system. This is representative of personal space as a concept which inherently does not exist and is therefore incomplete when one is alone. Furthermore, the curved skin panels form the connection to the body like infill between the cold metal structural members; a humanising element that grounds the connection of the two people onto each while obscuring and confusing the forms of the two joined bodies.
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PROTOTYPING - BONE STRUCTURE The metal bone structure was prototyped first using very small models composed of paper and the wire from the found object , as shown in the sketch below, however the paper was unable to prevent the wire from coiling. The coiled wire was therfore abandoned for a bone system that was stganant . This system was tested for its ability to interlock with similar forms on the small scale , top right, and then at full scale using aluminium rods curved by hand and held together using fabric and thread. This large prototype tested joining the bone and skin for the first time as well as the structural capability for the skin to support the bone. It was decided that a more rigid skin would be preferable to limit the movement of the bone structure.
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PROTOTYPING - METAL
Prototype 1
Prototype 2
Prototype 3
Prototype 4
Prototype 5
Prototype 6
Each of the above experimental prototypes follows a set of rules based around 2 types of curves. The first being a general curve who’s variable is number and angle. And the second set being on each arm of curve 1, whose variables are the number and direction in the z axis.
Bend 1: 90 degrees 1 bend, 2 arms Bend 2: bends in opposite directions
Bend 1: 60 degrees 1 bend, 2 arms Bend 2: same direction in Z, more bends
Bend 1: 90 degrees 2 bends, 3 arms Bend 2: opposite direction in z plane
Bend 1: 30 degrees 5 bend, 6 arms Bend 2: opposite z directions, multiple bends
Bend 1: 1 bend, 2 arms Bend 2: opposite z, 1 bend in 1 arm, 2 bends in other
Bend 1: 1 bend, 2 arms Bend 2: same z, 1 bend in 1 arm, 2 bends in other
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fequalsf.com
PROTOTYPING - PLYWOOD SKIN STRUCTURE
parametric kerf #2 fequalsf.com
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fequalsf.com
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Testing Effects
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Our final design creates a interconnected space between two users who are locked into place by their fluctuating personal spaces. This creates a sense of connection between the two, but for onlookers the feeling may be one of discomfort at witnessing two people bound in such a way.
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