MODULE THREE: FABRICATION MAHSA MOAYEDI SEMESTER 1, 2013 VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENTS
IDEATION AND DESIGN REVIEW In module one we analyzed natural patterns to get inspiration in order to create a lantern. My chosen pattern was diamond and I started from choosing one of the elements that I achieved during the ideation process. As we are only allowed to position the lantern on one arm, I thought of encompassing the arm with lantern in first step.
Clay modeling
Base element
Emerged form
Initial paper model
2D paneling prototype with Shadow effect
PRECEDENT Having the option of dash-lines made me think of a way of using this feature for a more beautiful light effect. So by doing some research, I found very interesting examples of using the light with this type of design. The dash-lined ground is Walden studios in California and the lamp shades are done a Polish artist, Przemek. He was inspired by African gourds. Abu Dhabi Yas hotel’s exterior surface is designed as an environmentally responsive skin that by day reflects the sky and surroundings and by night is lit by a full color changing LED lighting system that incorporate video feeds that are transmitted over the entire surface of the building.
DIGITIZING PROCESS Circles arrangements to achieve each curvature by using Loft command
Offset command with the distance of 2 cm to achieve the extrusions Dividing the curvatures with Surface Domain Number command 10x10
Offset Faces Border command to achieve the extrusions (pyramid)
But there was a problem of intersection in some parts‌
Panel Custom 3D Variable command to avoid the intersection of extrusions in the core part
PROTOTYPE I used different colors for each layer, and in the cases when I faced overlapping, I made the parts separately. So again I needed to use different color to recognize the parts better.
FABLAB FILE As mentioned about the dash-line light effect, I decided to use the dash tabs for grasshopper. I decided to use the Fablab as I have so many irregular angles in my prototype which makes it difficult to do it manually.
IVORY BLACK
IVORY WHITE
CONSTRUCTION PROCESS
I have two curvature which one is twisting around the other one. I prefer to choose two colors; black and white, to make their difference more clear. After installing the lighting, I found out the black one is absorbing the light much more than the light one and diffusing the light from the top. So it was a good decision to distinguish the character of different lighting in one model. It was quite difficult to find an easy way to label all the tabs and find their relation in each column as I made my prototype by dividing into horizontal rows. There were also a few times in which I made a mistake in gluing them and so the shape was forming different than my digital model.
LIGHTING: MATERIAL AND CONSTRUCTION
Wire clipper to cut the wire and remove the coating
Cutter for cutting the segments of LEDs and wire
Electrical wire to be used for circuit and create intervals between LED segments
Soldering to connect the LEDs to the wire to secure the connection
Scotch tape to help the wires to bond together in some parts
Battery connector to attach to the wires and provide the required power for lighting
I chose LED strip instead of individual ones because they can stick to the model by themselves from one side and also they create more diffused light instead of concentrated
9 Volt Square battery as a power source
LIGHTING: MATERIAL AND CONSTRUCTION Attachment process First two segments
Attaching three segments To be adjusted in the first curvature
Connecting all the segments together to be attached to the power source
Passing the wire through the lantern
LIGHTING EFFECT I decided to connect them in parallel to minimize the use of the battery. It also makes it lighter and create a unit organization to turn on-off the lights.