DIGITAL DESIGN + FABRICATION SM1, 2016 M4 Journal - Second Skin: Sleeping Pod Wei Li
755414 Lyle / Seminar 11
CONTENTS 1.0 Ideation 1.1 Object 1.2 Object + System Analysis 1.2 Volume 1.3 Sketch design proposal 2.0 Design 2.1 Design development intro 2.2 Digitization + Design proposal v.1 2.3 Precedent research 2.4 Design proposal v.2 2.5 Prototype v.1+ Testing Effects 3.0 Fabrication 3.1 Fabrication intro 3.2 Design development & Fabrication of prototype v2 3.3 Design development & Fabrication of prototype v3 3.4 Final Prototype development + optimisation: 3.5 Final Digital model 3.6 Fabrication sequence 3.7 Assembly Drawing: 3.8 Completed 2nd Skin 4.0 Reflection. 5.0 Appendix 5.1 Credit 5.2 Bibliography
0.0 Introduction
The Second Skin. A Sleeping Pod. Bringing comfort and security; for all whom lies within.
1.0 IDEATION
1.1 Object
To measure the umbrella, I mainly used a measuring tape and a short ruler. There are many dimenesions of the umbrella to be taken, for instance when folded up and while the umbrella is closed. For the exterior part of the umbrella (the clothed part), the height as well as the diameter, I had used a tape measure. Meanwhile, for detailed measurements such as the hinges and and metal ribs, I had used a short ruler.
After that, I refered to some online Rhino tutorials as well as the knowledge learnt from my workshop to create an umbrella design on Rhino.
1.2 Object + System Analysis The umbrella uses a Skin and Bone structure. The basic frame structure of the umbrella is formed by repeating ribs and structures. There are eight ribs and stretches in total, which act as the bone component. Meanwhile, the umbrella’s canopy which acts as the skin component, is mostly made out of flexible plastic or fabric.
Above drawing indicates the components of the umbrella
Canopy material is made out of fabric/ flexible plastic for it to be waterproof
Forces acting on the umbrella when raining
1.3 Volume
This pictures shows the developmental process of my 3-dimensional reconfigured sketch model, which are formed by hollow rectangular and triangular prisms. I would like to define the cardboard surfaces as my skin. Then, I define the connected network of surfaces to be the bone structure.
The process of making this is simple and easy. I mainly used triangular or hollow rectangular prisms in different sizes. I first cut out the triangular and rectangular shapes out of cardboard, stick them together while overlapping certain parts
1.4 Sketch Design Analysis
A shell shape is used as the second skin, because it is protective and looks comfortable to lean on
This sketch model con the fact that trees ca place for taking shelte
ncept is based on an be used as a the er from the rain.
The main use of umbrella is to shelter from rain or extreme sun. However, when thinking of an umbrella, a mind-provoking thought that I had was an image of a bird’s wings when it is trying to shelter their youngs.
2.0 DESIGN
2.1 Design development intro
At this stage, one of our main purpose is to eliminate the idea and concept of the traditional “bed”; as we want our design to be unique. The first convention of a bed to be thrown out the window would be the concept of “laying down”. With the progression of modern society, people have relatively “less” hours in a day compared to before... Thus, we aim to design something that would make the most out of one’s sleeping time. In both of these designs, the user would not be laying down (or at least not straightly). There is also a sense of “security” and “personal space” present in these two, which is eessential to improve the quality of one’s sleeping time.
2.2 Refined Sketch Model
The next step is to play around with the previous ideas. We tried building something simple, while paying more emphasis on the bone structure itself. The end result successfully produced a huge volume. However, this design is rather overly-complex and inefficient.
2.3 Digitization & Design Proposal v.1
This is our very first Rhino model. As can be seen from the pictures, our idea has evolved to include a ‘shelllike’ structure or even a ‘helmet-like’ structure. This form of structure is meant for providing the user with their very own ‘personal space’.
The red line indicates how the model obeys by the principles of “Personal Space�, even outside the volume of the structure.
Refined version of our sketch design, with modifications done by tutor Lyle. Acts as the base of all our consecutive designs
2.5 Design proposal v.2
For this second design proposal, we made use of the several concepts as mentioned in the previous pages. For this, we had mainly used Rhino’s panelling tools to achieve the following effect:
Right view
Front view
Perspective
2.6 Precedent research
Burnham Pavilion by Zaha Hadid Architects
Tight, Innovation, Light, Curvilinear, Graceful
Burnham Pavilion is formed by multiform bent-aluminium structure, covered tightly with fabric skin. This creates a beautiful fluid shape that it is known for. One of the most fascinating quality of this building is the fact that such a big frame with a huge volume can be achieved by using the skin and bone structure, and yet still be safe and stable (by using the methods of overlaying). It is also very light. So by theory, to successfully integrate this into our design would mean that our design, too, can be safe, stable and light.
2.7 Design Development v.1
The idea of this design is based off our second proposal design. Having a similar structure arrangement, we integrated some ideas from the Burnham Pavilion. We came up with a more completed version of the second proposal design, complete with a back cover as well as support from a chair. We also made a better cover to the head, enhancing the sense of security and personal space. However, we have not added the skin part yet, as at this point, we were still searching for the ideal material for our prototypes. Additonally, we also attached an adjustable support at the back of the design. It can support the whole structure. So, even without a chair or wall, you can still use it.
2.8 Design Development v.2
Here, we have tried adding on the skin part, getting inspirations from Zaha Hadid. Apart from that, we designed a softer back for people to rest on. We intend to put something soft such as foam or cotton for the user to rest on comfortably. Also, we adjusted the size and angle of the design, allowing it to fit the human body even more similarly to a second skin. In short, this design is a good representation of our ideas.
2.9 Prototype v.1
The prototype shown on the left was made of two parts; the wooden ‘bone’ and the bubble wrap ‘skin. For the wood structure, it is attached by nails to ensure the stability. For the skin, we had used bulle wrap. We simply attached this to the ‘bone’ using glue.
2.8 Testing Effect
We found that bubble wrap was not a good choice for skin; it’s neither soft nor thick enough. However it still shows the idea.
Improvement Ideas for future: - The material used (wood) was neither thick nor dense enough; and it cracks too. - Employing the use of laser cut would be much more efficient - It is pretty hard to use nails, so look at using screws the next time
We tested this protype on people as we made this into a 1:1 prototype. The look of this prototype is what we aim to achieve as the roofed part of our finished product.
3.0 FABRICATION
3.1 Fabrication Intro
1). We decided to go with a more comfort-based design, which features an eave for blocking out sights as well as a shoulder support. The latter produces a strong response to human mechanics which at the same time can provide an a sense of security.
2). With reference to human physiology, a sleeping pod would function most comfortably when the back is being supported on two points; the middle of the back and the back of the neck. Therefore, we have agreed upon adding a curved back support, imitating the human’s skeletal structure, in order to maximise the comfort.
Feedback fro 1). Comfort to priority 2). Back supp 3). Consider f 4). Consider w issue
3). Considering the complexity of our waffle structure, it is essential to simplify the design. This can highlight our main idea more clearly and also makes the assembling procses later much easier.
om Module 2: o be of top
port feasibility weight as an
4). Adding onto feedback #3, such a dense waffle structure would end up being really heavy. Thus, the way of rectification is also to reduce the density and simplify the design.
3.3 Design development of prototype v.2
For this prototype, we did not exactly design a Rhino model for it, but rather designated this stage more as a ‘trial-and-error’ prototype, for us to test out the assemblage of the ‘waffle structure’ on a smaller scale. This is so that we could visualise the problems that we may face during the actual construction of final prototype. Therefore, we can use our knowledge and experience learnt form this stage and apply it on the final fabrication.
For this simple prototype, we cut certain shapes out of cardboard, then assembled them together. By giving the strips a certain height and shape, an obvious 3-D representation could be formed. In this case, an ‘arch’ structure was successfully formed. This is what we want to achieve for the top part of the model.
We used notches (an indent/hole starting from the edge of surface) on the strips of cardboards for joining them together. However, we found the notches rather hard and time-consuming to produce by hand. Estimating how deep they should be to sufficiently join two pieces of cardboard in a stable manner is an even more tedious task. With Rhino on the other hand, these problems are easily solved, as we could make use of the tool ‘BooleanDifference’ to produce notches at locations where two perpendicular pieces of cardboard meet.
We also came across another problem along the way; we found that the prototype was not very stable. Although the width of notches is the same as the thickness of the cardboard material (by theory, this fit should be very stable and steady), the structure is still pretty movable. This could be explained by some human errors such as some measurements being slightly off or some errors during the cutting process. However, as we persisted on with this manner, we found that the structure’s stability increased rapidly. By the time we had a 6-pieced structure, the prototype is finally stable enough. We concluded that with our final design, which would most definitely include many more pieces, it should be stable enough. Additionally, cardboard as a material is probably quite flimsy, so this trial session has made us reflect upon our choice of material; as it should be something hard and sturdy.
3.4 Prototype Optimisation
In the reading “Architecture in the Digital Age Design + Manufacturing”, Kolarevic has mentioned that architects drew what they could build and duilt what they could draw. During our prototype creation, yes, we have indeed changed the design twice in order to make it possible to be built. For our previous design development v.1, our Rhino model was made out of panneling tool. However, we found that the structure of this model would be hard to mimic in reality. Also mentioned in the reading is a production strategy that is often used called contouring. This method employs the use of modelling softwares to produce a sequence of planar sections (parallel and placed at regular intervals). These sections can then be easily produced by using laser beam cutting and assembled together. Additionally, the laser beam cutting technology would allow us to have clean edges on our model (considering that it would be rather difficult to cut irregular shapes neatly by hand. We decided to use contouring to create the waffle structure of our model
While designing the sleeping pod, our main focus was on comfort. As sleeping is one of the most crucial part of the day where people can finally rest, the pod should provide the necessary support in order to relief the spine after a long day. The back support shown on the left was designed to fit comfortably on one’s back.
As shown on the left, there is pretty much no regular shapes in our design. It is a myriad of curves and sharp angles; a completely asymmetric design. The jagged and agressive edges emanates a ‘don’t disturb me!’ aura, providing the users a sense of security. On the other hand, the inner space has smooth curves, including an eave at the front to block out light, providing both security and comfort.
As shown from the pictures on the right, we have tried our best to implement the laws of personal space. With that said, we have left just enough space (to prevent the model from being too huge) between the front of the person and the eave of the model to prevent user from feeling too squeezed and stressful. As for the back part, our design entirely covers the user’s back while the front of the body is not covered. We believe that this design can integrate all three of the laws of personal space, security as well as comfort.
We also added some soft foam on certain parts, in particular those parts which are in contact with the human body (back, armrest, etc). This is to maximise the comfort of the user. We have also modified the armrest. Our design of the armrest in such a manner is not only to increase the stability of the structure as a whole, but also acts as a headrest (with the addition of the soft foam).
Rhino Model Our design was initially made using panelling tool. Although it looks really unique on Rhino, we found that the compact structure is overly-complicated as there are too many layers. Thus, we ended up using contour tool instead, producing a simple and easy waffle structure.
Having a compact waffle structure (top left) would be visually appealing, giving off an air of sophistication. However in reality, it would be impractical (costly and timeconsuming).
As a result, we decided to simplify the structure by reducing the layers of the waffle.
This new structure (bottom left) would end up being much easier to assemble.
As for material of our model, cardboard is definitely not an option. With consideration to the stability and durability required of the chosen material, we decided to use wood as our material. However, we cannot randomly choose just any kind of wood. As our model is still somewhat complicated and compact, if we were to use some kind of dense wood, it would end up being a really heavy model, thus defeating the purpose of us creating a sleeping pod that defies the traditional ‘laying down’ method of sleeping. Finally, we decided to choose pylwood as it is light.
Also, in order to preserve the aggressive appearence, we decided not to add the soft foam to the outer parts of the model. Thus, we only covered some of the inside surfaces, mainly to prevent the direct contact between users and the hard wooden parts. As you can see, foam are present mainly at the back part and armrest.
One of the biggest disadvantages of having a design such as ours is during the process of template layout. As our pieces are irregular in shape and really big, it is impossible and really hard to nest them on the template very efficiently, as seen above. This is in fact already the best we could have achieved.
Second Skin Design (Semi-Final)
PERSPECTIVE
FRONT ELEVATION
PLAN
USER PERSPECTIVE
SIDE ELEVATION
BACK ELEVATION
BACK PERSPECTIVE WITHOUT CHAIR
FRONT PERSPECTIVE
BACK PERSPECTIVE WITHOUT CHAIR
Fabrication Sequence
Assembly Drawing
ASSEMBLY COMPONENTS 1). Head protection and sight security 2). Back support & Loading transfer 3). Shoulder support
1
2
3
ASSEMBLY: Y-AXIS
ASSEMBLY: X-AXIS
DETAILS ASSEMBLY COMPONENTS - SHOULDER
DETAILS ASSEMBLY COMPONENTS - BACK
DETAILS ASSEMBLY COMPONENTS - HEAD
Design Showcase
3.3 Fabrication of prototype v.3
In Week 11, we had to make a significant change to our design, requiring us to completely redo the model. As the previous waffle structure utilises the X-axis and Y-axis as a basis for the layout of waffle pieces, we had to use a different axis this time; the Y-axis and Z-axis. This step, though seemingly unnecessary, was in fact essentially crucial in improving the overall stability of the model.
In the reading “Architecture in the Digital Age - Design + Manufacturing�, Kolarevic has mentioned that architects drew what they could build and duilt what they could draw. During our prototype creation, yes, we have indeed changed the design twice in order to make it possible to be built. In our previous prototype v.1, our Rhino model made use of panneling tool. However, we found that the structure of this model would be hard to mimic in reality. Also mentioned in the reading is a production strategy that is often used called contouring. This method employs the use of modelling softwares to produce a sequence of planar sections (parallel and placed at regular intervals). These sections can then be easily produced by using laser beam cutting and assembled together. Additionally, the laser beam cutting technology would allow us to have clean edges on our model (considering that it would be rather difficult to cut irregular shapes neatly by hand. We decided to use contouring to create the waffle structure of our model
SECOND SKIN FINAL DESIGN
4.0 REFLECTION
4.0 REFLECTION
At the start of semester, while I was still fumbling about with Rhino tools, I would never have imagined to be able to build a human-sized sleeping pod. In fact, it wasn’t even until week 4 that realisation kicked in and I finally accepted that we were truly going to build this. According to Pye (cited in Marble, 2008), craft can be regarded as a risky profession, as the outcome is unclear and instead relies on the decisions, agility and vigilance of the designer. Along the way, we have clearly taken many risks in order to produce this piece of work. From the design concept itself up to the final prototype, we have been thrown in the face of countless risks which we have taken up; some we have failed and some we have succeeded - thus bringing us to where we are today. It was pretty tough at first, trying to design while still being an amateur at Rhino. I found Module 1 (the designing of our chosen object) to be essentially a stepping stone for us to improve our skills at using the software. Moreover, it also integrates the key concept of our sleeping pod, that is ‘Skin and Bone’ structure.
With that said, I learnt that it is crucial to have many sketch designs to choose from; they can vary from being very simple to very complex - the more the better. This way, it is also possible to combine two good ideas to form an even greater one. Compared to other groups, I believe ours is probably the one with the most asymmetrical design out there. This step was a rather risky process as we do not know if others may like our design. However, it is only after successfully overcoming such a risk, that we were able to further improve our design concept. Also, I found the importance of building prototypes. It may seem like a waste of money and time at first, however, it would come a long way in helping perfect the final model. For instance, we have done a total of three prototypes, and from each prototype, we have learnt something.
From the first prototype, we learnt that we needed to work with the right tools and materials (such as choosing screws over nails) to ease our job. From the second, we found that the idea of notches would most likely work, but we would still need to find a more suitable material. From the third and final prototype, we finally see our work come to life. However, a crucial makeover, which enhances the stability of the design, sets this prototype apart from our finished product.
And now, I can say that we have finally did it.
5.0 APPENDIX
BIBLIOGRAPHY
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