DESIGN JOURNAL MODULE THREE: FABRICATION
Jackson Wylie 638578
Sierra Stathis 640338
PRECEDENCE
WINDE RIENSTRA, PETER ZUMTHOR AND LOUISE BOURGEOIS
We drew inspiration from Dutch designer
Winde Rienstra, Swiss
architect Peter Zumthor and contemporary artist Louise Bourgeois. Their work focuses on the
skin and bone design concept. The
elements we used in our design were the ‘interior skin’ and ‘exterior bone’ displayed in the Steilneset Museum and the fashion design
geometric
and positioning of the shapes on the body.
This gives the inner skin the ability to look as though it is floating and also creates some very unique shapes as the materials composing the inner skin are stretched. In our design, we want the inner skin to be stretched dramatically to create a very unique, organic shape.
DESIGN SKETCHES & DRAWINGS IMAGES
Our designs have progressed from initially being movable to a solid structure. Gradual modification of the design through
prototyping
and
further
investegation
into
precedence have helped us to reach our final design option.
DESIGN EVOLUTION RHINO MODELS
INITIAL PROTOTYPING & MATERIAL TESTING PHYSICAL MODELS
METAL PROTOTYPE
CARDBOARD PROTOTYPE
WOOD PROTOTYPE
These were our Initial prototypes for our design, and the problem we were attempting to solve with these models wat what sort of materials we would use to construct it out of. What we found was, cardboard was far too flimsy and couldnot withstand the pressure that the fabric would put on it when taut. The wood was strong enough but joining it at the corners was extremely difficult as the wood would split and thus loose all of its strength at the joins. Metal was definitely strong enough and could pssibly be joined much more effectively than wood by either soldering, welding or other means. We decided that we would opt to use metal as our ideal material for the outer ‘bone’ layer.
FURTHER DEVELOPED PROTOTYPE & CHANGES IN DESIGN
After our decision to choose metal as the material for our ‘bone’ layer we came across a few technical challenges. First problem was that most metals were quite heavy and this could result in the second skin being very uncomfortable and difficult to wear for prolonged periods of time and it may even impair the persons’ posture. We solved this issure by choosing to use hollow aluminium tubing which was extremely light.
The second issue that we came across was how we would join the aluminium tubing together and to the fabric. Inspiration came from camping tents which share almost identical frame material of hollow fibreglass or aluminium tubes, and they were joined together quite effectively by elastic rope which runs through the middle of it.
IMAGES AND MAKING PROCESS METHOD: STAGE 1
The first step was ensuring all our materials were collected and cut down to size. We calculated the number and length of the aluminium tube we needed. Important element of building our model was ensuring all the ends of the aluminium tubing was blunted to ensure it wouldn’t cut the elasted feeded through.
FRONT BASE FRAME
BACK BASE FRAME
IMAGES AND MAKING PROCESS METHOD: STAGE 2
Stage two added the 3D aspect of the model. The Triangles were added individually using the same piece of elastic as the base frame to minimise the visible knots and to ensure maximum strength. This process was quite similar to the building of the base frame as it still involved running elastic string through each of the aluminium pieces and securing them with a knot at each of the pyramid’s pinnacle/intersect point.
IMAGES AND MAKING PROCESS METHOD: STAGE 2 CONTINUED
After all of the pyramids were complete, the front and back pieces needed to be connected to complete the frame and make it wearable. This was done simply by adding two 20cm aluminium pieces between the top of the front and back pieces, and this was joined by doubling up the elastic string to strengthen these two pieces and allow the shoulders of the model to support the entire second skin’s weight.
IMAGES AND MAKING PROCESS STAGE 3
Then the flexible skin layer could be added, this was the most difficult part of the entire fabrication process. We proceeded to stretch the fabric between each pyramid to get rid of folds and slack areas of the fabric, we found as we were doing this that it was also adding strength to the overall second skin structure.
To secure the fabric to the edges of the frames we first attempted to sew, this proves to be very difficult as it was very time consuming, so instead we decided to explore other ways in which we could secure the edges of the fabric. Hot glue, was very quick however it did leave a slight discoloration of the fabric which was not ideal.
We ended up sewing each corner of the fabric and glueing the fabric to the metal in between. This approach worked because the stitches at the corners held the fabric in place, which gave the glue time to dry.
RHINO ASSEMBLY IMAGES RHINO
To aid the assembly of our second skin frame we made a simplified 2D version of the frame. This was very helpfull as we could see all the different lengths of aluminium tubing that we required to scale and proportion.
In this assembly rhino drawing we seperated
the frame into the top
and back base assembled which consists
of only 20 and 30cm pieces and below in groups of three each of the lengths required for the 3D pyramid element of the fame.
RHINO EXPLODED FRAME IMAGES RHINO
PERSPECTIVE VIEW
TOP VIEW
FRONT VIEW
FINAL RHINO DESIGNS SECOND SKIN
FINAL PHOTOS FRONT AND BACK