Journal module 3

DIGITAL DESIGN + FABRICATION SM1, 2016 M3 JOURNAL - Obscure Shell

Bud Lo/ Chris Sun / Calvin Lim (723261/ 761196/ 802052) Lyle + 8

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Introduction

From Module 2, we developed a form of the sleeping pod however it does not really meet what we expected. In Module 2, we designed the hands to go outside of the pod and now we designed the hands go inside the pod and the hands are supporting the forehand to sleep.

Panelling with multiple similar geometrical shapes creates possibilities of great transformation. For example, playing around with extrusion and intrusion technique with a particular geometrical shape such as a triangle can result in creating a sense of space and texture. With one simple principle of arranging the shapes in different levels can create different depth in a defined area. By having different scale for the triangles, the ultimate form it creates can differ from a uniform scale of triangles.

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Design development

Since the pod is in irregular form and does appear to be very dynamic, hence having it stands out from the environment conveys a message of isolation and also sends out a much stronger privacy bubble to other people around.

The design clearly shows how it is protecting the personal space of the user while providing enough space and comfort for the user to sleep in it.

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Design development + fabrication of Prototype V.2

This prototype shows both how a user look from the outside, as well as the inside. The design clearly shows how it is protecting the personal space of the user while providing enough space and comfort for the user to sleep in it. The panels are supported by little pieces of “skin“ in order to ensure its integrity as a form.

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Reading Response Wk 6 Architecture in the Digital Age - Design + Manufacturing/ Branko Kolarevic, Spon Press, London c2003

Briefly outline the various digital fabrication processes. Explain how you use digital fabrication in your design?

Images from the Text As part of our digital fabrication processes, we digitally modeled a smoothly curved surface using multiple countours lines with loft and panneling tool. With the surface being the basic form of our sleeping pod, we turned the smooth curved into over eighty panels of triangles, and finally unrolled them for laser cutting purpose.

Images of our design

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Reading applied to design How does the fabrication process and strategy effect your second skin project?

After unrolling the panels, we can do laser cutting using the unrolled panels, it helps to reduce the measurement errors if we cut it by ourself.

Moreover, we used panelling tools to help us figure out the shape.

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Reading Response Wk 7 Digital Fabrications: architectural + material techniques/Lisa Iwamoto. New York: Princeton Architectural Press c2009

Describe one aspect of the recent shift in the use of digital technology from design to fabrication?

Images from the Text Two-dimensional Fabrication It is the most commonly used fabrication technique nowadays. It involves two-axis motion of the sheet material relative to the cutting head and are implemented as a moving cutting head. Various cutting techonologies can be regarded as this kind of fabrication such as plasma-arc, laser-beam, water-jet and laser cut.

Laser cut works by directing the output of a high-power laser most commonly through optics. The laser optics and computer numerical control are used.

A typical commercial laser for cutting materials involves a motion control system to follow a CNC or G-code of the pattern to be cut onto the material.

Images of our design

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The laser beam is directed at the material, it melts, burns, vaporizes away, or is blown away by a jet of gas, leaving an edge with a high-quality surface finish.

Industrial laser cutters are used to cut flat-sheet material, structural and piping materials.

Reading applied to design Referencing from the lectures and readings, what is the implication of digital fabrication on your design ?

We use one of the two-dimensional fabrication - Laser cutting during our design. We used cardboard in M2 and now we used MDF as our material. Cardboard is too soft and fragile but MDF is harder and presents better as a material. We use laser cutting for MDF which the the error of measurement is lower.

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Prototype development

We measure the angles in rhino and stick the panels together according to the angle with hot glue gun. We found that there may be slight difference because of the thickness in hot glue gun but we solve the problem by applying plaster.

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Prototype optimisation

The sleeping pod covers the back and shoulders of the user, he or she will feel safe when using it as it can protect his or her personal space of the back of the head.

The idea of the sleeping pod is to let it becomes part of the table, make it fuses with the furniture. The person using it also becomes part of the design.

There are some hollow parts in the design, this is designed for ventilation. Morever, these hollow parts are created for letting the users know what is going on outside.

Prototype optimisation

We unrolled all the panels according to layers. The layers are arranged from high to low. There are nine layers fromed, they are labeled so they can be identified which layer are belong to.

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Prototype optimisation

We used MDF as the main material of the sleeping pod, the material is hard enough and can support its own weight.

We apply plaster on the sleeping pod, as our aim is to let the pod become part of the table, we apply white on it as a ‘protective’ colour.

2nd Skin final design

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The idea of emerging is reflected in this design through its form and the variation of scale in each planes. The dynamic form provides the sense of direction as per how the viewer is going to perceive it.

Hollow parts for ventilation

To begin with, the user will be resting his/her head on the table within this design, the user will then rest his/her hands inside the sleeping pod hence supporting his/her forehead and finally sleep peacefully knowing he/her is protected by this sleeping pod.

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Fabrication Sequence

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Assembly Drawing

We exploded the file to layers, this is also how we build the model physically after we laser cut all the panels. We do it layer by layer.

2nd Skin