Year 4 - Chiang Mai Workshop

Solar Blossom FACMU International Workshop Series Presents:

FACMU x BARTLETT UNIT 22 INTERNATIONAL DESIGN & FABRICATION WORKSHOP EXHIBITION In Association With: UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE, FACMU

UNIT 22 BARTLETT SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE, UCL

[

02.12 - 07.12.2013

[

FUTURENATURAL

Group 4- Louver

Solar Blossom

n Nivatvo isa

Peng Jiao

J

Ka m

s

How it Protects Nature: By making us more aware that Sunlight is a finite resource and one day that it will run out, thus making us to think more about how we use Sunlight.

n Han Wu oh

ng

Function: Solar shading, dynamic 3D Sunlight projector, Sunlight education.

P ly

Sir

Concept: Group 4 is redefining the traditional louver with a series of dynamic recycled CD solar reflecting panels that not only protect us from sunlight, but also to commodify sunlight, making it a more valuable resource. The recycled CD louvers are mounted on a bamboo frame, and can be adjusted accordingly from behind with natural bamboo pulleys to reflect the sunlight during different times of the day.

The sunlight reflected from the recycled CD panels will be projected on the façade of the Faculty building, with a multicoloured and 3 dimensional lighting display, it will provide a new dimension to sunlight that traditional louvers do not have the capabilities to highlight.

Solar Blossom

m ine Jas

B an k

How it reconnects us with Nature: It helps us to reconnect with nature by allowing us to see sunlight in a new/different perspective, which with traditional louvers we would not be able to see.

The Faculty of Architecture, Chiang Mai University,Chiang Mai 50200 Tel +66 5394 2806 Fax +66 5322 1448 l www.arc.cmu.ac.th

The keyword of Group 4’s brief is “Louvres“. From the very start we seeked to explore the concept of Louvre in a new light. A Louvre is traditionally defined as a set a of angled slats fixed or hung in a door, shutter, or screen to allow air or light to pass through. Every aspect of this definition is redefined and challenged in our project. A series of solar CD petals shields users from direct exposure of sunlight in its stoic state, but once adjusted can bloom and reflect sunlight onto the the facade of the Faculty building. The physical properties of the CD produces a multi-coloured, dimensional lighting display- a phenomenon not visible to the naked eye. By doing this we hope to convey a narrative that one day solar energy may become a limited resource and should not be taken for granted.

Site

Chiang Mai Architecture Faculty Entrance

12

2

AM

10

AM

PM

The site consisted of a series of arches, which according to the students were in the shape of a pencil head. The sun path and the light properties of the site were recorded as this would have a direct impact upon the scheme. Clusters of light would scatter on the site due to the shadding provided by the trees. So direct sunlight was actually limited. We saw this as an opportunity to create a scheme that would collect and react with the limited amount of light that we had access to.

This response proposed the habitation of the spaces between the faculty and the arches. A bamboo frame with spinning bamboo fans mounted on. The fan open and close as it spun, creating different llight conditions as a result.

Initial Responses

Each diamondshape shield structure is cladded with CDs. A reflective element that we selected due to its low cost and recycable nature. The cacophony of light produces a beautiful display of colours.

An early iteration of the 3d model shows bamboo structures clamped on to the arches. This created a series of supporting structure for several shading elements. The shading elements takes the form of a diamond shield-like structure. It’s curvature, angle and massing is a response to the light conditions of the site.

n

ble

Fa

sta

ju

Ad

t

et

k oc

in Jo

S

ll Ba

Clip Joint

m

ing

oo Bl

Tri-Joint

Interlocking Joint

Blooming CD Petals A later iteration of the design, showing more clearly each seperate elements. Each part of the design requires a different technique of bamboo joinery to be explored.

CD

ls

P

a et

Clip Joint

Clip Joint

Point A was held with a sharpened bamboo skewer and tied with rope.

The clip joint. I gave it this name because it is clipped on to the arches quite literally. Before the implementation stage we explored with the length and thickness of the bamboo. Too short a bamboo will not allow us to meet the bamboo at point A; approximately half way between an arch. Too thick a bamboo and the clip was more likely to snap at point B. So the bamboo was split in half to increase its flexibility. We explored clipping the arches in different positions and used various lengths of bamboo. What we found was that the clip joint was flexible enough to be skewed and angled at many different positions. This helped us greatly to increase the overall stability of the structure.

a

b

Interlocking Joints

Interlocking Joint

This page describes all the joinery techniques used for the construction of the bamboo hexagon.

This bamboo technique requires the incision of bamboo at 2 parrallel angles. A chisel is then hammered between the incision to break off the bamboo, creating a clean slot. Another bamboo with the same incision can then be place to lock the two pieces in place. The joint is then held by a nut and bolt, and rope. This technique was used at many points throughout hexagon. It allowed two bamboo ends to join together, without it the overall structure would be more rigid, which was something we did not want, because we knew that during the implementation, a certain amount of flexibility would help us fix the hexagons onto the clip joints more easily.

The tip of the bamboo is sliced in half along its length. This is done by creating an incision above the ring of the bamboo. Then a machete is hammered very gently down its length. This breaks off the tip very easily. The ring of the bamboo stops the machete from slicing any further down the length of the bamboo. Similarly this joinery also invites more flexibility into the overall structure. This technique was necessary in creating the curvature of the hexagon. By introducing a wedge like bamboo piece in between the joints, the bamboo could then be angled according to the angle of the wedge.

Wedge, Ball - Socket Joint

Figure 1 shows the cut line along the length of the bamboo to create a small wedge. The angle of the cut produces the corresponding angle to be used with the interlocking joints. By cutting approx 5 cm above the ring of the bamboo, we utilise the internal biology of the bamboo structure to its potential: the small filling inside the ring of the bamboo was a source of much of the strength of the bamboo.

Cutting the bamboo too thinly can break the core of the rings

3

2

4

Ball - Socket Joint

1

a

b

Figure a. shows the wedge placed in the joint, before being fixed into it. Figure a. was done by following method 1. Through more exploration, we discovered that these wedge pieces could be used as a ball - socket joint (fig b.) An insertion of a small wooden spherical ball fixed by bamboo skewers could create a joint that could rotate freely at any angle. However the thickness of the wedge had to be increased to make this joint work. Method 3- cutting at a more obtruse angle creates a larger, more stronger piece, allowing us to create a sucessfull ball-socket joint. Left over pieces of wedges were also used as handles for the blooming cd petals (fig C.).

c

The actual blades of the fans were bought from the local street market in Chiang Mai. All other parts were made from bamboo, finely sanded and sharpened to fit inside the hollow of the bamboo. The final iteration of the light filtering fans were much lighter, and more easily spun. By incorporating the ball-socket joint as the base of the fan, the user could operate it freely.

The idea of creating a light filtering fan had been there since the inception of the project. The first test model was created from small bamboo pieces, nailed together to a hexagon. It also included a pulley mechanism to spin the device. We decided early on that this would be unnecessary heavy and complicated.

Adjustable Fan

Interlocking Joints

Blooming CD Petals

Blooming CD Petals

The blooming CD petals were divided into 6 triangular segments for each hexagon. They were tied together using rope. It was the finally triangulated with 3 sections of bamboo in each corner. These were then tied to hexagonal frame. By pulling the string at the mid point of the bottom side of the triangle, the petal would blossom inwards, this allowed the reflection of light to be adjusted.

Tri - Joint

Tri - Joint

Tri-Joint

Future Natural Group 4 - Louvres

Medium size bamboo section, drilled to allow rope to be used to later to reinforce the joint.

Large size bamboo section. 3 slots were cut out, allowing the 3 tips of the smaller bamboo to meet.

The curvature angled so that it would recieve maximum surface area exposure to the sunlight. With the insertion of the bamboo wedge at the mid point of the bamboo length, the overall structure could be curved.

3 bamboo tips sliced along its length to be inserted in the slots of the large bamboo section. 4 tri joint were required to complete the 3 hexagon frame.