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Digital Design - Module 02 Semester 1, 2019 Lan Yang (Lanna)

(961113) Tutor: Alison Fairley Studio20

Critical Reading: Kolerevic B. 2003. Architecture in the Digital Age

Kolerevic described three fundamental types of fabrication techniques in the reading. Outline the three techniques and discuss the potential of Computer Numeric Controlled fabrication with parametric modelling. (150 words max)

The three types of fabrication technologies are subtractive, additive, and formative fabrication.

The subtractive fabrication is to remove the material from solids by electro-, chemically- or mechanically- way. One of the examples are CNC milling.

Additive fabrication is object to subtractive one. Take 3d printing as an example, the materials are added layer-by-layer in a 2d slice.

Formative fabrication is to deform the reshaped material by mechanical forces. For example, double-curved glass can be fabricated by this method.

The CNC has already narrowed the gap between conception and production. The potentials with parametric modelling are that it can control budget, design what cannot be modelled and lower the threshold of design.

Architects can precisely plan the budget by controlling the geometry, so by changing the parameters, or applying some production strategies, the budget can be greatly reduced. Secondly, parametric design can generate vast amount of models at the same time, which may include some unexpected ones. Finally, tools like 3d scanning enables transformation from physical to digital which allows people who are not good at computer design more freely.

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SURFACE AND WAFFLE STRUCTURE Lofts

1.1

1.2

{0,0,150}

1.3

Matrix and Possibilities

1.4

{30,0,150}

{120,150,150} {30,0,150}

{15,0,150}

{150,45,150}

{150,105,150}

{0,60,150}

For choosing the loft surfaces, my idea changed from two intertwined surface into contrast ones because more possibilities can be shown in this way. {0,150,0}

{45,150,0}

{45,150,0}

{0,150,0} {150,0,0} {105,0,0}

Paneling Grid & Attractor Point

2.1

2.2

{60,0,0}

{150,0,0}

2.3

2.4 {100,-124,140}

Both offset grids and move components have tried and offset is the final choice because grid responds better to the surface. Points and curves are used as attraction to affect the offset position and distance. {3,-56,18} {Attractor Point and Curve Location}

Paneling

3.1

Paneling

4.1

{Attractor Curve Location}

3.2

4.2

{Attractor Curve Location}

3.3

4.3

{Attractor Point and Curve Location}

3.4

4.4

Some panels look ideal but they are actually unrollable or curved like 3.1, 4.1,4.2. Therefore, more 2d panels and developable shape are applied in the final version.

Key {0,0,0}

Attractor / Control Points (X,Y,Z) Attractor / Control Curves Grid Points

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SURFACE AND WAFFLE STRUCTURE

Structure Creation(1)

Creating a 150*150*150 box brep which is the bounding box of the structure.

Build contour lines based on

Move vertical contours in

the X Z unit of Cplane

horizontal unit (unit X) and

Deconstruct brep and use list item to chose edges and points on curves, which are lofted into two surfaces -

Offset horizontal contours inwards For surface 2 Y contours, since the four corners of this surface break in the middle. Therefore, it’s better to rebuild the struc ture based on this selected surface. Use list item to select the upper and bottom curves. Then divide the curves and connect (line) them.

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SURFACE AND WAFFLE STRUCTURE

Structure Creation(2)

Place a YZ plane on every intersec-

In order to laser cut those pieces out, they are oriented on XY plane with text tag.

Fins with gaps can be joint together without glue. are not able to be fully supported

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SURFACE AND WAFFLE STRUCTURE Panel Creation

First method I tried was morph 3d list, but I found that it actually won’t read all the multiple breps I set in. There’s only at most two breps which are playing a role.

Using this curve to attract the offset effect of grid.

Points closer to this curve will be offset less and bottom part will become bigger.

Using both point attraction and curve attraction to affect the weight of the offset grid component.

Since there’s only little effect, remap numbers is applied to magnify it. Therefore, the upper part is flat and simple while the bottom part is strong and massive, which lower the center of gravity to make the whole looks more stable.

A very dynamic curve is drawn on the surface as the attraction curve.

Therefore, the direction of those panels point to can also be dynamic.

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This line affects the weight of attraction, so points closer to it will be offset less.

Instead, I use the morph 3d and morph 2d to achieve the effect of setting in multiple breps. Namely, I baked all the panels out, culled them in rhino and wove them together, which are also needed to choose manually in grasshopper but faster in rhino.

SURFACE AND WAFFLE STRUCTURE The transition from 3d to 2d is made by the pattern which is half solid half flat. Offset distance is also getting shorter as getting closer to the upper right corner.

Isometric View

The flat pattern is made by morph 2d, with etch to create complicity.

In order to meet the requirement of 50% 2d pattern, the transition part of the change is replaced by a patter with flat part.

A single panel is divided into four so that the parametric change can be shown. The curve attraction helps to achieve the gradual change from pointing upwards to pointing downwards.

In order lower to center of gravity, the lower part is morphed by most complicated geometry and offset farthest. This kind of shape is chosen because of the two rectangular shapes which make it looks stable.

In addition, triangle on the side responds to the pyramid form on the other surface.

The waffle acts as supporting structure to connect two surfaces. The number of fins is minimized so that the panels can fit perfectly with waffle without any single fin crossing the panels.

The main idea of generating those two surfaces is to show the contrast. This is shown through the whole design process, from lofting two based surfaces, offsetting grids to paneling.

In all, it looks like a dancing couple, left side is strong and powerful, while the other side is sexy and dynamic.

The offset distance at bottom is almost 0, so it is replaced by 2d pattern which is the same shape of 3d part but projected on a flat surface.

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SURFACE AND WAFFLE STRUCTURE

5.3

4.5

Model Making

3.4

5.4

3.2

2.4 1.1

3.1

5.6

2.5

5.5

4.1

2.6

3.3

5.2

2.3

1.3

2.2

3.6

1.4

3.5

5.1

4.2

1.5

2.1 4.6

2.7

4.4

4.3

1.2

3.8

3.7

The solid can be modeled by using Unroll command in rhino. However, the number of panels joined depends on whether the unrolled surfaces are overlapped or not. Then a grasshopper script can make the tabs so that those single panels can be stuck together later.

Then, copying the line to laser cutting template and adjust which line should be cut or etched. For those folding parts, I chose to cut them in dashed lines.

Final part is nesting them to improve the efficiency. But mine is not that easy to nest manually but every single piece is different.

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3

4

11

8

2

5

13

6

7

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7

SURFACE AND WAFFLE STRUCTURE Photography of Model

Panel 1 ( right-hand side) 8

SURFACE AND WAFFLE STRUCTURE

Photography of Model

I’m interested in how the shape of panel transit from 2d to 3d. The transition on the right panel is to change the point direction, from pointing up to pointing down.

In addition, the shadow it creates is very mysterious, which responds to the dynamic shape of this side.

While the other is the changing of complicity. From simple flat panel to interlaced and stable one.

To achieve a smooth transition, I divide the panel into multiple ones which greatly increase the difficulties of making the model. Since paper card has its own thickness and tension, it is hard to make the panel perfectly fit with the waffle and the error gap became bigger as I stuck them.

This taught me the difference between the physical model and digital one, and I need to remember to test the tolerance of material next time.

Panel 2 (left-hand side)

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SOLID AND VOID

The printed 3d model A single string can go through all the space.

Isometric view in rhino

This is booleaned by a spiral tube. Sphere-liked form are created along the tube which act as space for people to stay or play.

The circulation inside is continuous and allows free shuttle. The tube merges inside with outside and eliminates the thresholds.

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SOLID AND VOID Boolean Creation(1)

Blend the spiral curve with two other curves at top and bottom to create different creature.

Join the curves and rebuild it to make it smoother

Firstly, set in two points to draw a spiral curve.

Draw a Bezier curve to connect the start and end point of the curve to close it.

Pick and choose all the segments and join them together.

Therefore, the interior circulation is more coherent.

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SOLID AND VOID Boolean Creation(1)

Reference point

Use the distance between the centroid of circle and reference point as a parameter to influence the scale of the circle. It is the same function as a point attraction, namely the closer the point the small the pipe.

Create multiple perpendicular frames (Plates) along the curve and draw a circle on each of the frames.

Compared with the component, pipe variable, this methods can allow me to control individual circles, while circles in pipe variable are still an integral whole.

Circles on the curve are dispatched in to two and wove back to loft into a continuous variable pipe.

In that case, it can create an effect of a lot f spheres set along the pipe.

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SOLID AND VOID Generating grids

1.1

1.2

Matrix and Possibilities

1.3 {58,128,162}

{58,128,162}

Using cellulate 3D grid to generate grid in the cube.

Various results are shown because of the points and curve attraction.

Main trunk of the tube

{Attractor Point Location}

{Attractor Curve Location}

{Attractor Point and Curve Location}

2.1

2.2

2.3

Grids are pulled from discrete form to a continuous curve.

Varity of the curve is shown in terms of number and curvature.

Main Boolean

3.1

3.2

3.3

{0,0,46}

Generate variable circles on the pipe to form different {0,0,20}

size of space in cube. Point attraction acts as a parameter to control the size of tube.

{Attractor Point Location}

Opening Boolean

4.1

4.2

{Attractor Point Location}

4.3

Use another Boolean to create more openings.

Key {0,0,0}

Attractor / Control Points (X,Y,Z) Attractor / Control Curves

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SOLID AND VOID Sectional Isometric The space is booleaned by a closed spiral curve, the middle part is void and continuous connecting with the rest of space along the spiral. Two spheres are booleaned additional at the top and bottom (Matrix 4.3) to create openings for light penetration. The top opening also creates a better view to see the inside space which has an infinite visual illusion.

The sphere-like shape around the spiral is influenced by the point attraction.

Therefore, it created an effect that the bottom part is more penetrating where more voids can act as entrances to show a welcoming feeling.

The bottom opening can act as a central functional space to stop people and extend the visiting time.

This sectional view is chosen because it can highlight the internal continuous space better and how it interacts with other space.

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SOLID AND VOID Photography of Model

Different functions of it can be developed by different forms. For the hand scale, it can be a lamp. It can also be a vase of various sizes. For large scale, it can be a recreation facility or pavilion due to the playfulness of the space.

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SOLID AND VOID Model Making

Mesh: When meshing or exporting stl. File, I tried to maximize the mesh surface to achieve a smooth surface. In addition, all open mesh and naked curves needed to be examined. Finally, we can use the thickness analysis to adjust the fragile part.

3d printing: Using makerbot to calculate the time and change the settings like infill and support density. We also need to make sure the supporting material is removeable.

Removing supporting: since there’s a lot of overhanging space, the supporting underneath need tools like tweezer to remove.

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Appendix Inspiration

https://www.pinterest.com.au/pin/667869819721088903/

The relation between two panels and the contrast was inspired by the gesture of dancing couple

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Appendix

Model making process

Finished waffle structure

First panel done

Finished laser cutting job

Single patterns are stuck together first and fit to the waffle in row

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Appendix Inspiration

TEK by BIG

https://www.google.com/search?q=BIG+TEK&rlz=1C1PDZP_enAU840AU840&tbm=isch&source=lnms&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjV5ZbHuM3hAhWPSH0KHSzmCMQQ_AUICigB&biw=1536&bih=706&dpr=1.2 5#imgrc=eo9YQliIxGq_LM:

https://www.google.com/search?q=BIG+TEK&rlz=1C1PDZP_enAU840AU840&tbm=isch&source=lnms&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjV5ZbHuM3hAhWPSH0KHSzmCMQQ_AUICigB&biw=1536&bih=706&dpr=1.2 5#imgrc=g2oyjdLSj13taM:

I was inspired by BIG’s TEK project in Taipei, the circulation and open space are unique and intriguing. However, I developed my own script in grasshopper and add more variable open space along the main circulation.

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Appendix Process

Previous test prints Removing supporting material by tweezer

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