Brickolage
Chair for Computer Aided Architectural Design www.caad.arch.ethz.ch
Brickolage The brief for this project was very similar to the design task of the previous year. Again the students were asked to come up with an idea for a temporary structure to be exhibited at the Chair’s own premises. The module focused on the relationship between design, various methods of (generative) computer modeling, the importance of materiality (in this case Ytong - aerated concrete) in the digital age and the physical representation of information using CAD/CAM devices (in this case a Kuka robot). The students were encouraged to think beyond Parametrization and how they can use the computer to generate an aesthetically appealing structure, which couldn’t be done manually. After an intense week of conceptualizing and designing, one proposal was selected for further development. The idea was based on a Reaction-Diffusion algorithm, programmed in Processing, to create a three-dimensional self-standing structure.
Brickolage
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Brickolage
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While the initial idea was based on a triangulated mesh network to create the two interwoven surfaces, the concept was then adjusted towards a voxelization of the structure, due to the limited cutting-angle of the robot (45째), a simpler setup process and a more homogeneous and smoother surface. The orientation of the 1148 individual bricks was adjusted depending on the overall curvature of the shape. The resulting elments were then intersected with the main geometry and grouped into several modules depending on load and assemblability.
Brickolage
Throughout the further development of the project the students remained seperated into different groups, each foscusing on a certain aspect of the pavilion. Whereas the design and tesselation group continuously adjusted the shape and geometry, based on surface area, amount of parts, curvature and load distribution, the material group focused on hands-on experiments, examining the structural limits of Ytong, various possibilites for connecting the individual parts and a series of coatings to smoothen the porous surface.
Silikat grundierung aussen. swingcolor
Silikat grundierung aussen. swingcolor
Epoxy -Sikafloor 156/280 - Miscellaneous 9 ¾ -Sikafloor 156/280 ¼)
Epoxy -Sikafloor 156/280 - Miscellaneous 9 ¾ -Sikafloor 156/280 ¼)
Glättspachtel Pastos (thin layer)
Glättspachtel Pastos (thick layer)
Silikat grundierung aussen. swingcolor
Clear High glos EPIFANES blanke bootlak Vernis
Glättspachtel Pastos (thin layer)
Glättspachtel Pastos (thick layer)
Silikat grundierung aussen. swingcolor
Clear High glos EPIFANES blanke bootlak Vernis
Swing color SEIDENMATTLACK Laque Satinee Vernice Satinata
Epoxy
Epoxy + polyth
-Sikafloor 156/280 - Miscellaneous 9 ¾ -Sikafloor 156/280 ¼)
-Sikafloor 156/2 -Stellmittel SIK -Sikafloor 156/2 ¾)
Epoxy
+ -Sikafl oor -3 Epoxy + polyth -Sikafloor -3 -Sikafloor 156/2 -Stellmittel SIK -Sikafloor 156/2 ¾)
Clear High gloss varnish EPIFANES blanke bootlak Vernis
PROBAU Spachtel-masse SPA1High gloss varnish Clear EPIFANES + Sabesto blanke bootlak Pulverisateur Vernis Da caoutcouc Liquide PROBAU Spachtel-masse SPA1 + Sabesto Epoxy + polythylene Pulverisateur Da caoutcouc Liquide ¼ -Sikafl oor 156/280
-Stellmittel SIKA-T Polyethylene fibre -Sikafloor 156/280 - Miscellaneous 9 ¾)
+ Sabesto Pulverisateur Da caoutcouc Swing color Liquide SEIDENMATTLACK Laque Satinee Vernice Satinata + Sabesto Pulverisateur Da caoutcouc Liquide
-Sikafloor 156/280 - Miscellaneous 9 ¾ -Sikafloor 156/280 ¼)
+ -Sikafloor -3 -Sikafloor -3
+ -Sikafloor -359. RAL9010 -Sikafloor -359. KOMP. B Epoxy + polythylene -Sikafloor 156/280 ¼ -Stellmittel SIKA-T Polyethylene fibre -Sikafloor 156/280 - Miscellaneous 9 ¾) + -Sikafloor -359. RAL9010 -Sikafloor -359. KOMP. B
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In the meantime the fabrication group made themselves familiar with the seven-axis robot and not only developed and continuously improved the jigsaw tool (up until an external fan for additional cooling), but also prepared specialized blades to increase the cutting-width and smoothen the cut-surface, as well as a variety of clamping mechanisms to get the maximum number of parts out of one single Ytong brick.
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The final structure consisted of six separated elements, due to means of transportation and simpler assembly. Each element was built manually by glueing the robotically fabricated bricks together. 350 kg of specialized Ytong glue plus an additonal 50 kg of stong cement glue were consumed. A customized python script generated labels indicating the position of each brick within the individual elements and further depicting its orientation and absolute height. After the glue had dryed, the finished elements were loosely attached to their neighbouring parts. Cardboard formwork helped to keep the parts in place during assemblage.
Brickolage
The final surface was then sanded to smoothen out irregularities and occasional holes were filled with mortar. The last step included covering the complete surface with a transparent epoxy reisin to remove the porosity but keep the masonry tesselation visible. The complete process took approximately 300 hours of cutting and another 150 hours for assembly with 8-10 people working in three shifts for 24 hours a day.
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MAS 2011/12 Team: Katia Ageeva, Diana Alvarez, Orestis Argyropoulos, Stella Azariadi, Tianyi Chen, Yun-Ying Chiu, Ivana Damjanovic, García Pepo Martínez, Melina Mezari, Bojana Miskeljin, Evangelos Pantazis, Stanislava Predojevic, Stylianos Psaltis, Meda Radovanovic, Daniel Rohlek, Miro Roman, Castro Mauricio Rodríguez, Teemu Seppänen, Grete Soosalu Supervision: Mathias Bernhard, Manuel Kretzer, Tom Pawlofsky
Thanks to: Xella Porenbeton Schweiz AG www.xella.ch Sika Schweiz AG, Zürich www.sika.ch
Master of Advanced Studies Computer Aided Architectural Design http://www.mas.caad.arch.ethz.ch/ http://www.mas.caad.arch.ethz.ch/mas1112/
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Chair for Computer Aided Architectural Design www.caad.arch.ethz.ch
Manuel Kretzer, 2012