Structural Biomimicry | Kyle Redzinak - ID 598

STRUCTURAL BIOMIMICRY Kyle Redzinak

AN EXPLORATION OF A PORTABLE L-SYSTEM CANOPY The Portable L-System Canopy is a lightweight, quick assembly, and userfriendly structure intended to be packed up and brought anywhere, capable of shading and protection from the sun and rain. This structure gives the user the freedom to have a variety of angles and heights to accommodate different sun angles and water shedding patterns.

The structure consists of a base, rods, connectors, hooks, string, and a spandex sheet that can be assembled with as little as two people in ten minutes. This easy to assemble canopy provides over 160sq ft of protection while still fitting into a tent bag for ease of transportation and storage.

Washington State University | ID 598

PURE TENSION PAVILION

3D PRINTED NODES

5 Scaled Prototype – FDM print of node resulting from generic load conditions

PROJECT INSPIRATION

This project is an experimental structure that, similar to a concept car, is a working prototype that speculates on the future of personal mobility and alternative energy sources, while also exploring digital design methodologies and innovative structural solutions. The pavilion pushes boundaries at all levels, from structural performance to sustainability and portability. My project takes a lot of inspiration from the portability idea, being able to take the structure with you in a small bag where ever you go and easily assemble it. Although this pavilion can be disassembled and reassembled virtually anywhere, it does take quite a bit of time and requires at least three people to erect and dismantle it. The bag with all the parts also weighs over 150lbs. This is where my project adds value to the portability aspect, being less than 40lbs, 10 minute assembly, and smaller storage bag.

This project presents a design system for the construction and development of timber structures that use 3D metalprinted nodes. It explains how, through the use of an openended design system, small-scale structures are generated from basic geometric inputs. These basic geometric inputs promises high levels of geometric flexibility, which can be customized to various geometric and loading scenarios. My project is inspired by 3D printed nodes of simple geometries to provide a lightweight but strong and efficient structure. While this project looks at optimizing nodes and loading conditions, the structure is static, whereas my project allows for horizontal and vertical movement for a more user-friendly dynamic canopy.

Nature inspired design, also known as biomimicry, has been a common methodology for how we interpret nature’s forms into our every day lives.

Nature often creates beautiful and pragmatic forms through the use of ingenious organic structures. For example, the spiraling structure of a shell, or the complex structure of cells in any organism, or the branching structure of a leaf or branch. Although nature has always offered inspiration, it hasn’t been until recently, with the advancement of digital tools, that nature’s forms can truly be expressed and understood through a blend of architecture, science, and art.

These three fields can use nature as a catalyst for iconic designs, material qualities, and most interestingly for its seemingly optimized and complex structures. This project aims to produce a structure inspired by nature that allows people to interact with each other and the space created to have a better understanding and relationship of how nature impacts our every day lives.

Elevation of L-System Pavilion

AXIOM

The project is directly inspired by the L-system, which is a system to describe the behavior of plant cells that models the growth processes of plant development. This system can also be used to generate self-similar fractals such as iterated function systems. Plant structures are often described using this system as a way to logically understand the hyper-organic nature of these organism’s growth. A simple script was created that specified an axiom, the product rules (rules for how the leaf structure grows), and the number of recursions. The starting point is a basic straight line (axiom) that undergoes two recursions to generate the main supports for the canopy.

AXIOM PRODUCTION RULES

SCRIPT

L-SYSTEM

PIPE

# OF RECURSIONS RADIUS

RECURSION #2

RECURSION #1

AXIOM

L-System canopy script with structure branching

The two branching structures are able to rotate up to 110 degrees with the base being able to move up and down which allows more flexibility for shading and form making. The structure is also tilted 15 degrees to help counter act the tension forces applied by the stretching of the spandex canopy. This tilt also allows more protected square footage underneath the canopy. The 110 degree rotation and material properties of spandex creates a hyperbolic form which is visually intriguing in nature.

110

Branching structure axis of rotation and vertical movement

15

Structural tilt to counter act the tension forces of the spandex

The canopy can be built with a total of 58 pieces that can all be disassembled into their respective pieces. The base is a metal plate that can be staked into the ground. The rods are lightweight PVC pipe. The connector nodes are 3D printed plastic. The hooks are inserted into the top end of the rods at the top to allow the string and spandex to be held. The wire is a fishing line type tied to a ring that slides over the hooks. And to cover it all up, a waterproof spandex canopy with eyelets can be slipped on over the hooks for a secure fit.

SPANDEX x1

WIRE x7

HOOK x14

CONNECTOR x8

ROD x26

BASE x2

Diagram of all the parts to the L-System Canopy

Callouts of the main connections

Diagram depicting rain runoff and sun protection