DigitalFab 4.0 Fall 2010 Projects

//dylan powell//arch 711//fall 2010

//project1: component prototyping

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Draw a rectangle, then explode it into its constituent parts to use as construction lines.

From the exploded rectangle, draw the lines that form the simplest parts of the component’s shape.

One of the common methods of approaching a design problem in a computational design and fabrication environment is through the means of the ubiquitous Component. Components are employed in a variety of situations, where the reasons are unique to the circumstances. However, a number of postulations about when and how components should be used may be made.

Components are often used in situations where a large number of very similar yet unique parts need to be made in order to achieve a continuous surface or the appearance thereof. They are powerful tools of mass-customization at the disposal of designers, due to the fact that they facilitate speedy and accurate fabrication by manufacturers, avoiding material waste and pollution through tighter control methods in the factory.

Due to the greater involvement of the designer/ architect in the process of material fabrication, the designer also has the potential for a much greater degree of control over various specific qualities of the design, such as allowing a component to be closed in one area to prevent excess light from entering a space.

Create a loft between the lines to manifest the geometry of the component, separate from that of the entire array of components.

Establish an independent rectangular grid to be populated by the component, as well as the surface geometry that the component must adhere to.

Remap the rectangular grid onto the surface geometry.

Populate the lofted geometry of the component across the surface grid, using an image mapper to create variation in the Z axis of the component.

By exploiting the ease of information transfer between professions, designers can achieve a more holistic result; an integrated effort on the part of all professions and trades involved. In this way digital fabrication is an homage to the ancient ideal of the Master Builder, the designers/contractors/engineers of yore.

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//project2: material intelligence

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Loft the base curves to get an initial surface shape to work with. A doublecurved surface is preferred, as its shape is more difficult to match.

Section the surface at even intervals to establish the first axis of a surface grid.

Using a mono-matierial (material with similar behavior to that of steel or other homogenous structure), is it possible to optimize a flat sheet of that material with a pattern of some kind such that the sheet of material can be made to fit to nearly any shape? We hold that it is, and that such investigation can have benefits for other professions outside the field of architecture/engineering as well.

Material experimentation and innovation has long been a key part to the practice and application of architecture in the field in the past and the present.

The Ancient Egyptians experimented with various techniques of sloping their pyramids and vaulting before achieving the “ideal� outcome. Curtain walls are built and exposed to the elements to observe how they may perform. Similarly, through rapid prototyping, various aspects of a material may be tested and re-configured before going through the expense of full-scale mock-ups.

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Divide the section slices into equal numbers of segments to get an even grid of points across the surface.

Analyze the curvature of the surface at each point in order to help determine what the behavior of the cutouts could be.

Utilize the curvature analysis data to experiment with various forms of cutouts for optimizing the bending radius of the material to fit the surface form.

Various shapes of cut-outs and perforations were tested, with the result that the ellipse (shown above, 5b) and straight lines offered the best results.

Perforations of straight lines offered the best overall performance, as overlapping lines proved to be the most effective at increasing the bending radius.

Flatten the surface in Rhino to use as a template for laser cutting, while quickly swapping out various perforation patterns for cutting.

In this instance, a waffle-slab-like frame was added to increase the ability of the shape to stand on its own, as well as to provide a consistent surface to test a fabricated template against. The ribs can be configured in a variety of ways—here they are simply used as a kind of customized post-and-beam or stud-and-bracing system. In the interest of supporting and maintaining a collaborative and dynamic open-source online community, scripts like this one are often shared and collectively improved over time.

Sectioning the surface form at regular intervals allows the application of a structural frame to the shape, which becomes the standard shape to test sheets of material against .

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//project3: solar studies for studio: courtyards

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Make the block profile into a plane, and find its centroid.

Divide the outer profile into equal segments, and draw 20-meter-long lines towards the centroid for minimum daylight access at the perimeter.

Connect the endpoints of the lines into a polyline to create the courtyard’s profile.

Extrude the block mass upwards, and subtract the courtyard volume from the block.

Subtract all block mass that would otherwise block solar access to the courtyard at 10am, 12pm, and 2pm on December 21.

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The final form of the maximum theoretical envelope for the block.

In the extreme northern climate of Norway, where the sun never fully rises in the winter, is it possible to allow all the occupants of a building or city equal access to precious sunlight? Can such a potential also be utilized to enhance the architectural and urban fabric with another layer of texture, increasing the imaginative and functional possibilities of both?

By strategically enhancing the passive strategy of solar courtyards with the subtraction of building volume at key times and angles during the winter, excess building volume is removed that would have blocked direct sunlight to the interior of the building. Such an approach helps to offset the effects of Seasonal Affective Disorder during the most crucial months of the year and provides a sense of connection to the outdoors in keeping with Norwegian traditions and values.