Foundations of Design : Representation, SEM1, 2017 M3 JOURNAL - PATTERN vs SURFACE Imogen Walsh
(916713) Anneke Prins + 6
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WEEK 6 READING: SURFACES THAT CAN BE BUILT FROM PAPER IN ARCHITECTURAL GEOMETRY Question 1: What are the three elementary types of developable surfaces? Provide a brief description. (Maximum 100 words) Three elementary types of developable surfaces include cones, tangent surfaces of space curves and cylinders. These surfaces are developable because they have vanishing Gaucassian curvature. Moreover these surfaces also include special ruled surfaces because of a tangent plane, which is tangent to the surface along an entire ruling rather than a single point.
Question 2: Why is the understanding of developable surface critical in the understanding of architectural geometry? Choose one precedent from Research/Precedents tab on LMS as an example for your discussion. Developable surfaces are essentially an architectural advantaage because of the attractive nature of their construction process. Most developable surfaces for example can be covered with a sheet of metal or made from a sheet of metal. In the case of the Cloud Canopy, there were key construction limiations that determined the design including, a short time frame for onsite construction, difficulty accessing the sight and weight limitations. As a result, developable surfaces are ideal for pre-fabrication architecture. However, it is important to understand the developability of a surface when it comes to complex geometry. The cloud canopy utilised complex geometric shapes such as hexagons which appeared uniform on the rop but were irregulat from below because of the pitch angle.
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PANELLING PATTERN
2d Panelling, Pattern: Triangular
3D Panelling: Triangular
3D Panelling: Cube
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Investigating 3D Patterns: Triangular and Cubic
PANELLING PATTERN: EXPERIMENTATION AND INVESTIGATION
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3d Panelling Pattern Base Shape: Triangular i)
ii)
iii)
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3d Panelling Pattern Base Shape: Cubes and Quadilateral Openings i)
This is interesting in terms of insets which facilitate shadows and corridor, however it created issues when unrolled and is not a developable shape..
ii)
Similarily, a three cube shape is too complex and although provided interesting heights and surface texture, is a problem for unrolling.
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VARIABLE 3D PATTERN
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3D PANEL TEST PROTOTYPE & TEMPLATE
The unrolled plan of two panels. The design did not allow for 6 to be unrolled at a time due to the complexity of the cube.
Two cubs unrolled. Printing directly onto the paper and then cutting is messy and the lines are visible which is not ideal. A final
In hindsight this should have signalled the design was not developable as a 3D model. Exporting the unrolled plan to adobe
version will need to ensure lines are merely traced before cutting.
illustrator was not possible and the file had to be exported and opened as an Autocad drawing.
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WEEK 7 READING: DIGITAL FABRICATION
Question 1: What is digital fabrication and how does it change the understanding of two dimensional representation? Digital fabrication is often one of the final stages of the process and it is very much a ‘way of making’. The digital nature allows a computerized process to blend processes that are typically compartmentalized. In effect digital fabrication streamlines the translation from two dimensional designs to three dimensions and allows us to understand that two dimensional representation is as important as machine capabiltiy.
Question 2: Suggest two reasons why folding is used extensively in the formal expression of building design? Folding expands the three dimensional vocabulary of surface by naturally producing deformation and inflection. Moreover, folding creates an easier process of construction because of the potential to our concrete into the foldeedd form led to a rise in mid twentieth century use. Furthermore, folding is capable of a greater variety of forms, such as creased surfaces, folded plates, wrapped volumes because of it’s ability to turn a flat surface into a three dimensional one.
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EXPLORING 3D PANELLING
Top View
Perspective View
Lattice landscape pattern incorporates the three rotations of the same cubic shape. Geometric openings aim to enhance the lattice quality which is composed towards the centre, which is the focal point.
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3D Shape to be panelled
UNROLL TEMPLATE OF YOUR FINAL MODEL Two Panels
Four Panels, letters used to orient cutting method
Single Panel
The final unrolling method consisted of three templates, one for a single panel, a two panel section and a four panel section. The design required many two panel sections due to the currvature conflicting with cube forms.
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PANELLING (INCOMPLETE) Light bounces off the sides of the cube providign tone, and it is more effective when the cubes are joined from below rather than adjoining sides.
Holes aimed to enhance positive and negative space and use geometry to allow light to pass through the landscape. Moreover, the cubes act as individual frames of the landscape.
Construction was messy due to poor management of time however the shadowing effect which was desired was somewhat successful. However this urbanised interpretation of the landscape proved too ambitious
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The longest panel achieved was 4 cubes in a row, with the design requiring several cubes to be unrolled individually.
A FINAL WORD In what seemingly feels like a failure to produce a final terrain, digital pannellling evident creates a seamless process between the two dimension and the three dimensional construction. However, it is important to note that hand construction and craftsmanship does not correlate with harsh modernist geometry which I tried to instill in the design. Rather a triangular form to enhance the undulating surface would have been more effective. My focus on patternation dominated an exploration of successfully creating a surface and in future I will try to balance the two focal points. Bauhaus and Modernist patternation combined with the notion of honecomb fabricated surfaces provided the basis of the final design. However, practicality lost importance and as a result the landscape suffered.
Plan for a Brick Country House, 1923
De Stijl Architecture
Final Landscape Design
Mies Van Der Rohe
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APPENDIX
Creating a surface layer to panel
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3D Panelling of surface and offsetting points for variable panelling
Cutting out panels from Ivory Card A1: Technique included tracing unrolled panel onto tracing paper, indenting card with the outline and then cutting the indentations
Planning and Organising Unrolling of Panels
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