Research Documentation 2.3

ARCHITECTURAL RESEARCH & PROPOSAL

IRREGULAR STRUCTURES: METHODOLOGY FOR COMPUTATION AND FABRICATION

Student: Vasily Sitnikov FFM 2014 SAC

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CONTENTS:

0.0

FOREWORD

1.0

RESEARCH

IRREGULAR NETWORK STUDY ADEQUATE COMPUTATION METHODOLOGY MATERIAL SYSTEM TECHNOLOGY

2.0

PROPOSAL: THE ATMOSPHERE PROJECT PROGRAM STRUCTURE

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0.0 FOREWORD With my architectural approach I aspire to represent such a system, in which random processes are running within a logic of incontestable rules. The inspiration for this thesis I found in works of Jackson Pollock, particularly they were perceived as architectural drawings. As an evidence of presence of graphical dominance in this images can serve the choice of color: coal black, sienna brown, dark green; thous colors one can as well find in any technical drawing, where color is conditional to the established notation system. Therefore, this works can literally be considered as encoded drawings, presumably spatial diagrams, which somehow can be decoded into architectural treatises.

And so, aiming to achieve an architectural technique, in which shape and structure would be correlating to expression of those works, the research was launched.

1.0 RESEARCH This reasearch was initiated by a material experiment, where an irregular spatial structure was extracted out of a solid body of a Styrofoam panel. With a goal to avoiding any narrative expression, the structure was developed only on the basis of the preexisting context of a certain region and so emphasized a shape that was emerging mostly by itself.

Within a translation of the emergent structure into geometrical language, was found a pattern that is not describable by any algorithmic expression. In order to compress the collected data, the initial object was described in a format of specifically invented notation system, that cptured interrelations between existing nodes.

Following elaboration of the subject was focused on this node areas, abstractly conceived as points, which were defined by sets of three dimensional coordinates.

For its digital simulation was used an algorithm of generative isosurface that equally retreats from an abstract axial carcass of an item.

In architectural terms this node areas represent joints, and in the found structure their phenotype by itself is unpredictable, however it is computed out of the context that a joint belong to.

IRREGULAR NETWORK STUDY

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EMERGENCE OF THE STRUCTURE

GEOMETRIC TRANSLATION

←

←

ON-OBJECT NOTATION

NETWORK ANALYSIS

← PHYSICAL MODEL

← DIGITAL MODEL

← SCHEMATIZED STRUCTURE

← EQUATOR POLYLINE

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INVENTED NOTATION SYSTEM

1.2 ADEQUATE COMPUTATION METHODOLOGY After the definition was given to the subject of study, the major effort was directed towards parametric simulation of correlating structures.

Quite soon was created an algorithm based on OMEGA-involved spatiel distribution of points, then established proximity network and finaly generative isosurface which uses this linear carcass as the axial scheme of the outcome structure.

SCHEME OF PARAMETRIC MEDITATIONS

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0.1

0.2

1.1

1.2

δ=700

δ=30

RHINO COMMAND:MeshFromPoints δ=NUMBER OF VERTICAL DIVISIONS

INPUT SURFACE

INITIAL MESH

EXTRACTED VERTICES

GRASSHOPPER

2.0

2.1.1

2.2.1

2.2.2

DRAW POLYLINE FROM TOP TO BOTTOM

APPLY LAPLACE OPERATOR

EXTRUDE FACES BOTH SIDES

SORT VERTICES

BY Z-VALUE

CULL POINTS

2.2.3

ESTEBLISH 5 CLOSEST FROM EACH POINT

FIND ALL FACE TRIANGULAR CELLS IN THE NETWORK

CREATE SOLID

COMPUTATIONAL PROTOTYPES

� Overal shape built within trangular prism units

� The resultative model with both Laplacian and Catmull Clark operators applied

DESCRIPTION OF THE FOUND PARAMETRIC SYSTEM

REGION

RANDOM DISTRIBUTION OF POINTS

NETWORK BASED ON PROXIMITY

ISOSURFACE WITH DIFFERENT PARAMETERS

FINAL PROTOTYPE AND OPTIMIZED PARAMETRIC PATH

← Model, prepared for 3D print

00

10

20

30

CLOSED SURFACE

CLOUD OF POINTS

PROXIMITY NETWOR

ISOSURFACE

SPECULATIVE INTERIOR DESIGN

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EXPOSITION ON RUNDGANG ‘14

PRINCIPALS OF THE MORPHOGENESIS

COLLECTION OF POINTS

PROXIMITY NETWOR

JOINT-BASED SPACE FRAME STRUCTURE

SOLID NETWORK

JOINT FOR IRREGULAR SPACE FRAME STRUCTURES

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ILLUSTRATION OF JOINT’S PHENOTYPE ALTERATION

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THEORETICAL JOINT SIMULATIONS: DIGITAL AND PHYSICAL

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A MODEL OF A JOINT

1.3 MATERIAL SYSTEM The final challenge of the research was to reproduce the process of computed morphogenesis in a physical experiment and on its basis to develop a material system for efficient fabrication of such items. As a potential way to physically simulate the process was considered a thermodynamic interaction between hot wires and meltable materials, such as ice, wax or cured gelatin solution.

First experiment with ice approved the feasibility of the simulation. With a direct current of electricity which heats metal wires tunnels inside of a solid block of ice can be melt within fairly short time frames.

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PROTOTYPICAL PHYSICAL SIMULATION: THICKENING OF A FRAMEWORK WITH VICID PLASTER SOLUTION

← A PRTOTYPE OF A SOLID STRUCTURE

FIRST EXPEREMENTAL EQUIPMENT

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A REFRIGIRATOR WITH VIBRATION SET UP FOR CLEAR ICE PRODUCTION

EXPERIMENTS ON PRINCIPAL FUNCTION

↑ Wire heating machine ↗ Wire heating in progress ← ↙Remolded cast, pilot #1

↑ Ice mold � Casting in progress

↑ Casted ise mold, an object full of features to study

↑ Environmental machine 2.0

� Progressive melting

↑ Observatory

1.4 TECHNOLOGY Further with a goal to produce a castable mold, ice was replaced by cured gelatin. The pilot experiment with gypsum captured two types of possible products: the first type has loose wires and so represents a non-regular curvature along the surface, the second with rigid straight wires leads to predictable and precise outcome.

The final model is a sample of space frame structure based on irregular joints. For this model joints were produced out of Epoxy resin.

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MOLD FABRICATION PROCESS

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GYPSUM SAMPLE OF A FINE PRODUCT

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REDY TO USE MOLDE ← CASTED MOLD DEMOLDED JOINT

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← ACCELERATED PROCESS OF MOLD FABRICATION: INCREASED WIRE THICKNESS ←

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← ←

EPOXY RESIN PRODUCT SAMPLES: STRUCTURAL TYPE: TETRAVALENT JOINT

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SAMPLE OF A JOINT-BASED SPACE FRAME STRUCTURE FRONT VIEW TOP VIEW ←

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DAY VIEW FROM THE OPPOSITE RIVER BANK

2.0 PROPOSAL: THE ATMOSPHERE PROJECT The Atmosphere project creates a space with variable air pressure conditions. It is design to serve for two purposes: simulation of low atmospheric pressure for mountaineers and offering a medical serves for hypertensive patients, creating a stable pressure in times of low or high conditions of such in nature.

The architectural approach aspires to represent such a system, in which random processes are running within a logic of incontestable rules. For that reason this very project is designed to establish a mental connotation between an irregular network and a metaphysical idea of a sphere, to somehow link together abstract and figurative.

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NIGHT EXTERIOR VIEW

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DAY INTERIOR VIEW

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MEMBRANE: THREE INFLATION CONDITIONS

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SECTION ← TOP VIEW PLAN

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EXTERIOR STRUCTURE

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INTERIOR STRUCTURE

Contacts: vasilysitnikov@gmail.com