Ddf landscape m3 journal jade isaac

DIGITAL DESIGN + FABRICATION SM1, 2018 M3 JOURNAL - GUILTY PLEASURES Jade Tan & Isaac Yang

(752875 & 837495) Roise Gunzburg + Group 1

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Introduction “Making becomes knowledge or intelligence. In this way thinking and doing, design and fabrication, and prototype and final design become blurred, interactive, and part of a non-lincar means of innovation.�- Lisa Iwamoto From Module 2, we chose to focus around the eyes and the upper torso. The idea of guilty pleasures involves the individual being isolated in his or her own bubble.

We experimented mostly on moire patterning to convey the blurring effect in M2. However, it was not as successful as expected without creating a distance between the two perforated surfaces. Also, we found that one of the draft paper models had a complex geometry that could equally convey the idea of blurring, by blurring the outline of the body. As such, we developed our prototypes in M3 based on this paper sculpture.

Cyclone Lamp precedent, showing template for one unit, and assembly of one module

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Design development

Design development + fabrication of Prototype V.2 <our draft paper model from M2

Although the card is easy to curve into our desired shape, the paper is still too thin to hold the middle of the module, where five units meet. This point is critical, for each module to hold its curvature. Also the connections were too weak and eventually the structure collapsed under its own weight.

Left, polypropylene. Right, Optix Black Card^

We finally chose 0.6mm thick black polypropylene, as its material thickness gave enough friction to hold the centre point of each module, allowing the eventual form to curve organically.

We first experimented with 200GSM Optix Black Card to test the rigidity of the structure with slightly harder/ thicker material than paper

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Polypropylene Model

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

Connection However, in the process of assembly, we found that even though intersecting and overlapping the units could hold the shape of each module temporarily, as more modules are added, additional force is applied in the opposing direction, thus pulling apart the original module. Therefore, for the sake of ease of assembly, we had to devise a better method of connecting the units so that the shape holds as more modules are attached.

Each module is pulled in several directions during assembly, requiring tighter connection

The wide variety of digital technology helps designers to visualise their design. The digital fabrication processes imply that the constructability in building design becomes a direct function of computability.

One of the most commonly used fabrication technique is two dimensional fabrication, including plasma-arc, laser beam and water-jet. Take laser-cutters as an example, it cuts the material by burning or melting it with a high-intensity focused beam of infrared light in combination with a jet of highly pressurized gas. Depending on the materials, different techniques are used. There are also various three-dimensional digitalisation processes that enable the display of a modelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s physical composition, such as subtractive fabrication, which takes surfaces or a specified volume of material away from solids by milling. On the contrary, additive fabrication increase the volume by adding material layer-by-layer.

We used laser cutting in our fabrication process. It allowed us to customize the details of each panel to have stronger hooks to connect to each other. Laser cutting also greatly reduced the time needed to cut each panel, so that we have more time to design the overall form of our second skin, knowing that each panel would be identical and accurately cut.

As shown here, the polypropylene offers far better structural integrity than the flatter black card structure

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Reading applied to design

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

The digital fabrication process enabled us to view and simulate how the model would look like in reality and allowed us to change the appearance of the form easily to satisfy our concept. By using the laser cutting technique, we could quickly assemble small parts of our final prototype for testing of structure and resistance to gravity. This physical prototype would then be input back into digital space again after making modifications to suit real world conditions. This was how we refined the digital model, while using it initially as a simulation.

Although the digital fabrication process will ignore real world conditions that might be the cause for the failure of the design, it is still very useful for the overall fabrication of our second skin.

Digital modelling technology changes rapidly, providing plenty of new tools for architects to create complicated curvilinear surfaces. According to this reading, the computer modelling process enables the transformation of sections from a two dimensional state to a three-dimensional form. Digital techniques not only allow architects to perceive the physical form of the design, but also to convey the intricate detailing of their design and express it in an articulate and meticulous way. Sectioning also allows the translation of the design information to the manufacturer. In terms of the shift in technology, these translated messages are produced with a machine. Sectional construction provides architects with the ability to show their complicated model surfaces, detailing and building structure in an experimental manner. This technology in fabrication narrows the gap between design representation and the final outcome.

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Reading applied to design Digital fabrication means that our design can be everything that we can imagine and as complex as possible. Designers can design whatever they want in digital space, free of real world constraint. At the same time, changing a few parameters in the digital software can result in totally different designs, creating more potential to produce a variety of design options. Digital fabrication also provide an opportunity for us to visualize the model before it is completely assembled and to finetune our design, saving time and monetary cost. Digital fabrication further eliminates the tedious and endless hand-made process of model making, so that more time can be given to producing detailed connections and experimenting with more solutions.

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Prototype development Building on our prototype model using polypropylene,we added more units to test its structural rigidity. This became the shoulder part of our final prototype.

From this scale we could deduce certain rules governing the way the units curve. They tend to curve up to form a sphere, hence we can approximate which sections would curve up and which would curve down. By rotating modules in Rhino we built a guide model for assembly.

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Rhino Model

We simulated the curving of the overall form in Rhino, by rotating the individual modules and connecting them with a three point connection. By arranging the modules linearly, we found that they follow their own curvature into a general spherical shape, which can go around the body.

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Prototype optimisation 1 (Connection)

In our earliest prototype we used super glue as that gave the rigidity we needed to keep the shape of the modules. However, the super glue was too runny and left visible marks outside of the panels and was aesthetically unappealing. We then tried to clean up the marks using acetone, but the acetone lifts off paint as well, and resulted in ugly white marks on the panels.

painting around the edges with superglue

Super Glue

We then attempted to work with rivets, but that distracted the viewer from the swirl pattern around the five point connection which we wanted to have, to add to the blurring effect. simple intersection and overlap

using superglue, shows white stain when dry

using 2.4mm rivets in pre-drilled hole

using hot glue

clean up with acetone

We also tried spray painting the modules to cover up the stains. This was successful in concealing ugly marks, but resulted in a matt finish. We chose not to use this method, as the original glossiness of the polypropylene created a dimensionality and reflectiveness that we felt was more suitable for our concept of blurring.

Acetone

spray paint

Glue

1st Unit

2nd Unit

3rd Unit

4thUnit

5thUnit

In the final module we used hot glue to hold theunits together, but only placing glue on the tips of the panels so that as little glue as possible is visible. Hot glue is not as runny and watery as super glue, and the adhesive is easy to clean post-assembly by gently scratching off.

Thus, it is the most manageable and aesthetically pleasing connection.

Spray Paint

attempting cover up by painting with black marker, which was a slightly different shade of black

Marker

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Prototype optimisation 2 (Rhino Model)

The modules still cover the eyes and the front of the body, but is far more condensed so that it can sit better on the body.

During assembly we realized that some parts of the original rhino model could not realistically hold up due to the cantilever of the modules.

As a result, the new model is much smaller, and closer to the body, so as to be supported by the body itself. We rearranged and rotated the modules again to produce this new rhino model, which shows how the modular system is flexible to come up with a variety of forms.

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The structure is designed to be supported around the neck and the shoulders.

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curve of template-->planar srf

identify hooks that over/underlap-->trim polysrf, trimmed part is rebuilt so that it curves

flow along srf-->mesh-->reduce mesh to reduce file size

sliding individual units in place, with rebuilt â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;hooksâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

sliding two units together, and gluing the hooks in place

creating a curved surface using two identical curves->sweep one rail

the fifth unit is assembled, but leaving one corner of the unit unhooked

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the third and fourth units are assembled in the same way

unhooked, the module is flat

the additional underlap and intersection allows the entire module to curve up

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Assembly Drawing

three point connection

using the model as a guide for assembly

five point connection

convex surface formed by the three point connection

the modules when arranged linearly, form a curve (concave), but with a three point connection, can begin curving another way (convex)

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concave surface

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2nd Skin

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