LAURENS BOEVÉ ROJAS

Contents

Plastika

PHYSICAL MODELING [1:5] BIODEGRADABLE PLASTICS AS KINETIC STRUCTURES, LONDON, UK

THIRD YEAR | 2023

PLASTIKA, a digitally fabricated and hand made infrastructural system that merges locally sourced and sustainable materials with flexible earthquake-resistant design, through a kinetic bracing system to incorporate stability in inherently unstable structures of heritage. Specifically, the Rumeli Hisari, in Istanbul, Turkey - an area prone to seismic activity. The system is based on prefabricated sheets of starch-based plastic and timber through a process known as kerfing [perforating solid surfaces, to make them bend and fold into a desired three-dimentional object]. These are assembled and constructed on-site to be joined to areas natural heritage [tree root system], with an addional binding process of airblowing a separate mixture of bioplastic into a web network.

The composite material incorporates biodegradable bio-based plastic (made from local ingredients, ranging from, cornstarch, virgin glycerine harvested from native plant oils, crude glycerine [byproduct of biodiesel industry], and salts, and water), boud with kerfed timber. The prototype on the right is composed out polyethylene and timber.

The outcome comprises of a layered frame made out of rigid bioplastic and timber sheets that can be rolled, packed and transported easily. Woven together by a webbed membrane. Assembled in short period of time, the exoskeleton-like structure can continue to be deployed around different places of significant heritage to host spaces for community housing and humanitarian aid.

Polypropylene and Timber

Blow Molding starchbased plastic solution onto a node system to undergoe dehydration and contraction. A webbed network is left behind.

The Voronoi tessellation algorithm is a method of dividing a plane into regions based on proximity to a set of points.

The component takes the input points and calculates the Voronoi cells or polygons that are generated by connecting the midpoints of each pair of points. The resulting polygons represent the regions of the plane that are closest to each input point.

Webbed Node Curation

Photographic evolution of a starch-based plastic webbed node by applied blow molding. An analysis of its density through the use of light, provides valuable insights into the behavior and characteristics of the system.