MODULE 4 SARAH MAIR 641049 SEMESTER 2 2013 GROUP 1 1
PANNEL AND FOLD MATERAL SYSTEM Guided by Miralles short documentation ‘How to lay out a Croissant’ drawings were made and so the begining of systems exploration began. Measuring, documentation, devision of new techniquies suited to documenting the specified system were undertaken. Jackie Kirwan
Jackie Kirwan
INFLATABLE MATEIRAL SYSTEM
PERSONAL SPACE Personal space as Sommer suggests is an individuals ‘invisible boundary’ which cannot be defined by a set code for it is entirely situational and dependent on the individual it serves. Personal space is effected by light, sound, time and place and responds to each situation accordingly. Interestingly, personal space is very much a product of societies expectations. Different cultures and lifestyles breed alternate interactions between individuals and consequentially their sense of personal space. But what purpose does personal space serve? A social construct which provides protection at the same time as affording individuals comfort and intimacy and is in essence, invisible.
DESIGN BRIEF
PROTECTION IDEATION
Visible protection systems occur in the animal kingdom in abundence where visual clues exhibit the nature of the animals personal space. The crocodile, who largely prefers solitary existence, displays a network of scales that act as an armour to protect itself in dangerous situations. By having the most dominent scales down its spine the crocodile is protecting the most vulnerable and out of site area of its body. This vulnerable area is similar on humans and if protected would offer a sense of consolation to the individual.
The benefit of an inflatable depiction of personal space lies in its ability to adapt to the situation. The materiality of inflatable space is largely limited to fabrics and plastics and in doing so renders inflatables as approachable boundary setting devices. The boundary may be inflated and deflated around or exterior to the body as in these examples.
Is is important to look at both examples of others in addition to ones own observations. Esspecially as the design is to respond to an individuals sense of persoanl space, inevitably that of the group, we must, as Jensen highlights, remember that ‘observation is a necessary part of creation’. Cloud City by Tomas Saraceno is certainly the embodyment of new conceptualisation of space and the people who inhabit it.
IDEATION OF PERSONAL SPACE
INFLATABLE IDEATION AND RESEARCH
The idea of an exceptionally large personal space has been created by Pierre Stephane Dumas through the creation of an inflatable dome. Rather than the space changing to adapt to its surrounds the dome creates its own personal environment within itself. Such a space may also act for the occupant as a barrier from the outside world or a position in which ones surrounds can be viewed. With a little space, or persoanl spac, the individual may view their world with greater clarity.
More in tune with the movement of the body and the accuracy of key personal spaces is the applicaiton of multiple personal bubbles. In her designs Lucy McRae has achieved some interesting body art which appears to represent key feminine areas of for heightened levels of personal space. The models here appear to exhibit both greater levels of comfort and the illusion of protection but at the cost of an attractive appearance.
DEVELOPMENT OF SYSTEMS INTEGRATION
THINKING THROUGH MODEL MAKING As Daniel Charny suggests ‘the most powerful way to solve a problem’ is through making. This became apparent in our model making exercises. With limited time and no set goal in mind the integration of the two material systems resulted from this active way of thinking. Throughout the semester this thinking through making becomes a common trend, with new discoveries being made as a result of prototyping and making experiments.
Jackie Kirwan and Bilal Hallak
The base structre from which the model was to be based was modelled off the scaled 123Dcatch model of Bill. The design hugged the body and ballances on the shoulder.
RHINO DEVELOPMENT
The reading Lost in the Parameter of Space accentuated the feelings I encountered with Rhino. As Schenrer and Stehling highlight, architecture is a process of communication. When approaching this design limitations were felt as to the level of my ability to communicate my ideas onto Rhino. After hours of practice and failure the origins of the design emerged.
As I played further with Rhino techniques and attractor points I was able to redirect spikes. This formation does not represent the protective warning system we are looking for. The downward facing spikes are not evocative enough.
This model Jackie constructed workes with the idea of high density spikes that are accentuated at the shoulder. This would prove to be incompatable with the person wearing the piece.
The number of rows were minimised so as to produce large based pyramids. This model tappers off at the ends, in response to the body protection needs. The spikes however are unable to be unrolled in this curved state. As shows in the documentations Things that can be built from paper and Lost in the paremeters of space, not everything can be solved, even with deterministic algorithms.
The final prototype corrected the pyramids into an unrollable form. At the shoulder the last row of spikes were divided into two in order to allow for a better transition between the front and the back.
RHINO DEVELOPMENT
The honeycomb offers a tesselatable pattern of 2Dimentional shapes that can be extruded to a vertex or together in order to form cells as in the above image.
Developing the idea of multiple personal bubbles and the separation of one large personal space in to smaller bubbles requires an arrangment of 3D shapes that may tesselate. Inspired by the naturally occuring formation of bubbles is the Beijing Water Cube, above.
FRONT TESSELATION DEVELOPMENT
This is the origional drawing was developed to respond to the idea of a comfortable personal space. Its intention is to adapt to its situation and provide different levels of boundaries.
At first soving this issue of a bubbled surface, and simultaniously integrating a panel and fold network appeared impossible. Here is an unsuccessful attempt at a customised polygon pannel.
The ideas behind the Water Cube were not alone in their discoveries. Whilst reading Digital Fabrications Iwamoto highlights the process of calibration from virtual model to physical artefact and their accociated restraints and possibilities through a number of examples. One example was that of Chris Bosse’s ‘Digital Origami’ who utilised a particular shape in order to tessilate 3D space.
The shape is called a Tetrakaidecahedron, however this was not the solution to all my problems yet. In order to perfectly tecilate 3D space the includion of a dodecahedron was required.
FRONT TESSELATION DEVELOPMENT
Again, working off the origional base shape the jigsaw puzzle of Tetrakaidecahedrons and dodecahedrons was moulded around the body.
The origional prototype was very straight and angular agains the body. The method of creation meant that each surface was at least doubled and proved very difficult to unroll.
PANEL AND FOLD ELEMENT OF THE FRONT
In order to fit to the body, the back section was cut to form a flat surface which will later hold the inflation network for the bubbles.
The final prototype on the body. The 3D model of Bill enabled us to scale it correctly and form a satisfacory design without numerous prototyping. It is here the benefits of computer modelling become apparent.
FINAL PROTOTYPE OF DESIGN
In order to integrate the two systems smoothly, the idea of half card, half plastic modules developed. I like the way that the light reflects off the design and the potential it holds to be scattered across the design.
PROTOTYPE FABRICATION
The inflatables were made out of a fine plastic to reflect the vulnerability of the boundary however large they may be.
For the prototype six inflatable ‘persoanl spaces’ were made to protrude from the front of the piece in order to enlarge the boundary surrounding the individual at will.
PROTOTYPE FABRICATION
Pushed taughed by the consistent air flow the inflatable is ridgid in its shape. There is a satisfying feeling possessing one at full capacity. Dispite its fragile materiality it feels firm and is surprisingly resistant to damage.
In the design and creation of the inflatables careful consideration was given to the air flow and pressure.
Because of the thickness of the card and the required consistent accuracy of polyhedrons, folding and glueing the prototype was cause for a large amount of learning.
Joining the poylhedra also required patience and time. Inaccurate modules would be entirely unable to teclate correctly with even 3 mm of error.
Certain methods of folding were prefable as well as certain glue types. Some glue bled through the paper whilst other glue took too long to dry. Bilal Hallak
LESSONS LEARNT IN PROTOTYPING
The back prototype reflected well on its creator, Jackie. Each row matched up correctly until the shoulder piece. The reduced size peices were omitted from the designs in order to allow for better connection with the developed shoulder piece of the modular panel and fold front. Additionally, the height of the spikes was over shaddowed by the height of the front. In order to restore balance, a select number were increased in height.
Jackie Kirwan
PROTOTYPING
The final design of the shoulder piece used entierly 3Dimentional shapes in order to form a connection unlike the previous prototype which relied on a number of thin 2Dimentional joints. Spikes were trialed from the transition, places atop the dodecahedrons however the result was crude and inappropriate.
FINAL DESIGN
Due to the complexity of the shoulder and the cut away at the back the design required a number of specially tailored modules to be created. This meant for the front and shoulder there were eight different shapes to be unrolled some of which required up to 20 duplicates.
PRINTING THE FINAL DESIGN
The final fabrication was a time consuming exercise with over 70 seperate modules to be glued, each with at least 4 tabs and most with 14 tabs. It was necessary to be very careful and accurate with glueing so as to insure the successful tesselation further down the process. Once all the modules had been assembled I started with the shoulder piece and worked my way down the interior of the front and later adding the very front peices onto the existing framework.
FINAL FABRICATION
The exploded image of the shoudler joint shows the composition of the first stage.
The final product was a ridgid coral jewell looking thing gasping for air and tabs as lips. It was unfortunate that that complexity and the internal beuty of the design had to be hidden. On top of this was laid the back piece which acted as the structure on which the lungs of the design were to be mounted.
SHOULDER CONSTRUCTION
Unforseen as a problem, the backpiece was too small. The difference in the thickness of a line and the thickness of two pieces of card accumulated and marginally increased the size of the design.
THE HEART AND LUNGS
These scetches show the experimentation and origional sketches of the lungs design. This element of the design acts as the safe transporter of air into the inflatables. The design takes the single stream of air into its heart and from there dispenses air into the six adjoining tubes to the six inflatables. The rough design is largely largely hidden and reflects the complex and often unexpected motivations and inner workings of an individuals personal space measure. In this picture you can clearly see the development of the modules around the body.
FURTHER DEVELOPMENT AND FABRICATION
In order to integrate the ridgid modules into the spikes and around the body the idea from the origional prototyping stage was utilised. Modules were added around the sides of the body with elements covered by a tailored plastic film. To the viewer these dispersed the visual interaction with the desing making it more approachable from the front.
PRINTING THE FINAL DESIGN
Jackie Kirwan
In Branko Kolareric’s reading Architecture in the digital age the method of fabrication we used is simply listed as 2Dimentional fabrication, the most common form. Whilst it may be common my awakening to ‘the digital age’ through this medium is most certainly ‘reconfiguring the relationship’ between my conception and production of ideas. Kolareric’s reading sparked my imagination and opened my eyes to new possibilities of fabrication to be explored next time round.
FURTHER SPIKES DEVELOPMENT
FINAL DESIGN A simple complex simple design that attempted too much and dreamt too little. If your personal space dictates protective services at the back and encourages interaction at different levels at the front depending on the situaiton and the people you face then this is representational of your personal space. And if the individual who wears this as their personal space, do be mindful, for once your personal space has been violated, those inflatable comforting spaces will leave a ridgid structure for your protected behind.
REFLECTION
This process has expanded my horizons in the world of fabrication, and yet I know I am just scratching the surface. My initiation into the digital age comes at a time when the opportunities are increasing dramatically. Once alienated from the craft and mathematical abilities of manufacturing, designers new and knowledgable now have access to the production of one off customized products. As highlighted in Disturbed Capitalism, the market is shifting and the power is investing in the internet which enables limitless connections to a distributed manufacturing market. My design, however small, played a part in this new and exciting manufacturing process. My struggles to communicate my design ideas into Rhino computing technologies highlight the main issue in this expanding arena. Deamer Bernstein in Building (in) the Future suggests computers are the epitome of regularity, and humans; the invigorators of variability and risk in design. Together their capabilities regulate one another as I personally experienced in my design process. Both sides offered positives and negatives in my design and creation. With new reduction in the divides between fields has greatly benefitted my learning. I have felt the process we have undertaken to be highly progressive and positively developmental of my digitally aided crafting skill. The heavily structured design process we undertook over the semester felt robotic and at times did not flow. However, this rigidity of the course I feel is beneficial in the learning and understanding of the complexity required in the design process. The process of research and sourcing a sense of narrative through precedents for a design acts to ground a design and enrich its form. The iteration of the design process took many forms throughout the semester with elements of ideation, design and fabrication being repeated time and time again. As Thomas Heatherwick draws attention to in his TED talk, there is an importance of scale and the resultant soul of design. This semesters process exercised the conceptions of scale when evaluating and depicting the invisible boundaries that reflect the individual, their contextual background and their situation. Originally I obsessed over the idea of a large personal space. I saw personal space to be something that you intuitively allow yourself to expand or contract but also may allow for more intimate individuals to enter into your personal space. Thomas Heatherwick inspired the rationalisation of this large all encompassing inflatable structure, in tune with the panel and fold system I had to incorporate. The result was a tessellation of my sense of personal space, formed out of two simple modules which nest seamlessly together. There creation out of card meant their rigidity was secured and yet hidden. The outer inflatables hide the firm structure of space behind and represent the comfort created in an expanded personal space. The meaning derived from the rigid structure underneath is obvious in the filmed performance. Personal space may appear large and comfortable, however, if violated, the expansive nature of the individuals personal space is irrevocable deteriorated leaving a bare, unyielding surface behind. In response to the personal space behind an individual, arose the warning defense system. Grounded in the naturally occurring protective mechanisms in the animal kingdom the back aims to exude a sense of warning and in doing so deter approach from the back. If approached the spikes reaching up and out would render interaction with the back impossible.
IMAGE REFERENCES ‘Cloud City’, Tomas Saraceno, viewed at <http://www. tomassaraceno.com/>. ‘Inflatable Cloud umbrella’, viewed at <http://www. inewidea.com/2009/03/18/7291.html>. ‘The Bubble Tree’, Pierre Stephane Dumas, viewed at < http://been-seen.com/travel-blog/go-cabin/ inflatable-igloos>. ‘Evolution’ American Vogue, Lucy McRae, viewed at < http://www.lucymcrae.net/>. Crocodile Skins, Google image search ‘crocodile scales’. Bubble Pattern, Google image search, ‘bubble structure’ Honeycomb, Google image search ‘honey comb’ Beijing Water Cube, CSCEC + PTW + CCDI and ARUP, <http://www.ptw.com.au/ptw_project/watercubenational-swimming-centre/#>
READINGS
Heath, A, Heath, D & Jensen, A 2000, 300 years of industrial design : function, form, technique, 1700-2000 Watson-Guptill, New York, Selected Extracts Miralles, E, Pinos, C “How to lay out a croissant”, El Croquis, 49/50, pp. 240-241 Sommer, R 1969, ‘ Spatial invasion’ in Sommer, R, Personal space : the behavioral basis of design, Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, N.J, pp. 26-38 H.Pottmann,A.Asperl,M.Hofer, A.Kilian (eds) 2007 “Surfaces that can be built from paper” in Architectural Geometry, Bentley Institute Press, pp 534-561 Heatherwick, T (March 2011) Thomas Heatherwick: Building the Seed Cathedral [Video file] retrieved from http://www.ted.com/talks/thomas_heatherwick.html Scheurer, F, Stehling, H 2011, “Lost in Parameter Space?”, AD: Architectural Design, vol 81 pp. 7079 Kolarevic, B, 2003 “Digital Production” in Architecture in the Digital Age - Design and Manufacturing , Spon Press, London, pp30-54 Iwamoto, L 2009, Digital fabrications: architectural and material techniques, Princeton Architectural Press, New York, Selected Extracts Charny, D “Thinking through making” In Power of Making, exhibition catalogue, 6 September 2011- 2 January 2012, V&A, South Kensington, London Rifkin, J 2011 “Distributed Capitalism’ in The third Industrial RevolutionPalgrave Macmillan, New York pp107-126 Marble, S 2008 ‘Imagining Risk’ In P Bernstein, P Deamer (eds). Building the Future: Recasting Labor in Architecture/, Princeton Architectural Press, New York, pp 38-42