SnP Research Cluster 5&6
MArch Architectural Design, 2017-2018
The Bartlett School of Architecture | UCL
SnP Team Members :
Aikaterini Konstantinidou Laura Lammar Tatiana Teixeira
Tutors :
Daniel Widrig Guan Lee Igor Pantic Adam Holloway Stefan Bassing
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT We would first like to thank our project tutors Igor Pantic, Daniel Widrig, and Guan Lee of the Bartlett School of Architecture at University College of London. They consistently pushed us to explore the project, and steered us in the right direction. We would also like to thank the B-made Team who were involved in the material research and fabrication for this project. Without their passionate participation and input, physical tests would not have been successfully conducted and led to an industrial fabrication. Finally, we must express our very profound gratitude to our family and our close friends for providing us with unfailing support and continuous encouragement throughout this year of study and through the process of researching and completing this project. This accomplishment would not have been possible without them. Thank you. SnP Aikaterini Konstantinidou, Laura Lammar, Tatiana Teixeira
Table of Contents 1. Project Introduction - Introduction
2. References - Geometry - Materials
3. Material Research - Testing Materials Jesmonite Expanding Foam Plaster Recycling Plastic
4. Fabrication
- Fabrication Methods Injection Compression Extrusion Shredder Machine
- Molds’ Research
- Molds’ Design Problems Solution
- Casting Process
5. Geometry Research
- Components Reassemble System Interlock system Point to Point system
- Aggregation Studies Blocks Surfaces Columns
- Stable Structure Study Shape Connection - Straight Elements Straight Elements’ use Architectural Chunk
- Geometry Aggregations | Without Constrains Components Blocks - Digital Studies | Growth Generated Pattern of Shortest Path Surfaces - Scale Shift Different Scale Components Columns - Geometry Scale Studies Columns Furniture
6. Architectural Applications 7. Physical Models
PROJECT OVERVIEW
PROJECT OVERVIEW
The main intentions of the SnP project are the reuse and the flexibility, firstly of the material and secondly of the geometry. The idea of reuse of material is achieved in the project by upcycling plastic waste into new building components. The plastic gives a flexibility to the structure, as with plastic any shape can be obtained which allows us to produce very accurate elements. Moreover, for the structure, we work with elements that are connected only by interlocking and point to point connection and do not require any other fixing method. This allows the assembly and disassembly of the geometry and like the endless reuse of the plastic components. The flexibility of the geometry is therefore achieved as we can create structures with different use and function. SnP uses recycled plastic as a resource for the creation of building components. As the material is light weight, the transportation of the elements is facilitated and encourages the reuse and flexibility of the project.
PROJECT OVERVIEW Intention S n P project uses recycled plastic as a resource for multi-use and reconfigurable building components. The two key elements are hollow octagonal pipes in “S” and “P” shape which can interlock with one another or connect point to point with linear aluminium segments. The assembly and disassembly of different designs depending on uses and sizes can be done manually or optimised digitally. These plastic components are manufactured using industrial injection moulding machines, lightweight yet robust, easy and quick to produce yet precise. S n P hopes to reshape the tendency of making plastic elements for single use to one that is sustainable and multivalent.
REUSE
FLEXIBILITY
Material
Geometry
PROJECT OVERVIEW Intention
Stool
20 Components
Chair
94 Components
Table
143 Components
Column
240 Components
Wall
852 Components
Pavilion
4500 Components
PROJECT OVERVIEW Material Our world is not only filled with plastic but we have become a plastic world. Plastic can be found anywhere and in any use. Currently, around 6.3 bn tonnes of plastic has been produced. 79% of this plastic is accumulated, 12% incinerated and only 9% is recycled. The aim of using recycling plastic as our material is to show that plastic does not have to be only seen as waste but can be turned into a powerful resource. Using recycled material to build new components that act as structural elements emphasises the idea of upcycling.
REUSE PLASTIC
FLEXIBILITY
LIGHT WEIGHT
RESOURCE
ADAPTABILITY
TRANSPORTABLE
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REFERENCES
REFERENCES Geometry
Clay_Cuts | Research Cluster 5&6
“To understand the fabrication of component better, the 3D printed components were used for aggregation according to the digital design. There are 12 kinds of components to be used. Through the structural study, a coloumn and a chair could be acchieved. “
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Polyomino | Jose Sanchez
“ The objective of the studio is to design a smart brick that can reconsider industrial serialization from a perspective of the economy and criticizes mass production by generating differentiation and customization using combinatorics.�
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REFERENCES Materials
Dave Hakkens | Manifesto
“We try to push the boundaries of plastic, how it is produced, reproduced, viewed and consumed by society. We like working with plastic in a more human way on a smaller scale with room for details and love. Like a craftsman.“
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Smile Plastic | Plastic Sheet
“Smile Plastics is a materials design and manufacturing house making exquisite hand-crafted panels from waste materials. All our panels are made using 100% recycled materials. These are arranged by hand before pressing, making each panel a unique piece.�
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MATERIAL RESEARCH
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MATERIAL RESEARCH
The main intentions of the SnP project are the reuse and the flexibility, firstly of the material and secondly of the geometry. The idea of reuse of material is achieved in the project by upcycling plastic waste into new building components. The plastic gives a flexibility to the structure, as with plastic any shape can be obtained which allows us to produce very accurate elements. Moreover, for the structure, we work with elements that are connected only by interlocking and point to point connection and do not require any other fixing method. This allows the assembly and disassembly of the geometry and like the endless reuse of the plastic components. The flexibility of the geometry is therefore achieved as we can create structures with different use and function. SnP uses recycled plastic as a resource for the creation of building components. As the material is light weight, the transportation of the elements is facilitated and encourages the reuse and flexibility of the project.
Melted recycling plastic into a block and then milled it in the CNC.
MATERIAL RESEARCH Testing Materials Our research on material started with the testing of materials that have different behaviours and textures. We are interested in the idea of having soft and hard materials, as well as light and heavy ones. After several trials on different materials, we decided to deep in the use of recycling plastic, which seemed to us as a material of abundant possibilities.
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MATERIAL RESEARCH Mold Process In order to create a perfect mold to cast our components, we had to create a CNC component first. More specifically, the CNC component was milled in a high-Sdensity foam, along with the key that creates the hollow part for the point to point connection. After the component was milled, we glued the two parts of the component and the key to complete the first step of this process. After this part, we created a box to orientate the mold and place the component with the key in the half part of the box. Then, we pour silicone and repeated this process for the other half. Once we had created our mold, we pour the plaster inside. It is important to point out that this mold was created in silicone in order to use it for the other materials too.
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Digital explanation of the creation of the mold
CNC Foam Component
Creating Box
Second Part of Silicone
Silicone Mould
Pouring Silicone
Component
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MATERIAL RESEARCH Testing Materials Expanding Foam In this experiment, we noticed that, in order to achieve the desirable result, temperature is crucial. In more details, the temperature of the materials needs to be at 22oC all the time. Moreover, concerning the expansion of this material, air is important too. For this reason, our experiments were unsuccessful because the mold didn’t have air holes. However, when we tested the material with an open mold, in the one half of the mold, the expansion was uncontrolled. Another interesting point for this test is that we noticed that after some time, more than a month, the material started being ruined.
- Cream Time (100g 20° C) - 15 - 25 seconds - Rise Time (100g 20° C) - 2 minutes - Demould Time (components @ 20° C , Mould @ 35° C) - 20 minutes - Full Cure (100g 20° C) - 12 hours
Experiments
Mesuring
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Test A
Test B
Test C
Part 1: 30g Part 2: 10g Temperature: 22ºC
Part 1: 30g Part 2: 12g Temperature: 22ºC
Part 1: 30g Part 2: 15g Temperature: 22ºC
Expansion: x1/2
Expansion: x2
Expansion: x3
Open mold Part 1: 60g Part 2: 30g Temperature: 22ยบC
Close mold Part 1: 75g Part 2: 35g Temperature: 22ยบC
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MATERIAL RESEARCH Testing Materials Jesmonite Jesmonite, similar to concrete’s properties, is durable in all conditions of external weathering including water features. In addition to that, jesmonite is lighter than conrete. For these reasons we casted jesmonite to fabricate our components. In this experiment, we noticed that the result was still quite heavy. Moreover, the point to point connection in the components were breaking almost in all castings. - Wet Density : 1950 kg/m - Dry Density : 1850 kg/m - Compressive Strength : 40-45 Mpa (oven dry) - Drying shrinkage : 0.1% - Impact Strength (Charpy) : 5.0 – 10.1 Mpa
Experiments
Mesuring
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Test A
Test B
Part 1: 50g Part 2: 10g Temperature: 22ºC
Part 1: 40g Part 2: 10g Water: 7g Temperature: 22ºC
Demould Time: 30min
Demould Time: 30min
Test C Part 1: 500g Part 2: 1000g Temperature: 10ยบC Demould Time: 180min
Test D Part 1: 250g Part 2: 50g Temperature: 22ยบC Demould Time: 90min
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MATERIAL RESEARCH Testing Materials Plaster Casting plaster was the fastest method comparing all our other materials tests. It took 30’ minutes for the component to be dry enough to release it from the mold. However, although the components weighted less than every other experiment, most of the point to point connections were broken. Accordingly, we didn’t continue casting plaster, as the result wasn’t strong enough and could break easily. - Decomposition : 1200oC - Density : 2.75 - Water Solubility : 7.2 g/L - Plaster to Water ratio : 1.45Kg/L - Compressive strength : 2131psi
Casting Plaster
Pouring silicone
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Drying
Result
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MATERIAL RESEARCH Testing Materials Recycling Plastic “Plastic is made from oil, a fossil fuel that took thousands of years to be created. Yet, we trash plastic in a matter of minutes. Once we burn it, is gone. Oil is running out and plastic with it. It is time to treat this scarce material as a valuable, scarce and finite resource. Plastic is one of the longest lasting materials on the planet. It does not decompose and will stick around for hundreds of years. Yet we use it to make the cheapest, most disposable products. Plastic is made to last forever but designed to be used for minutes.”
High-Density Polyethylene | HDPE Temperature: 270ºC
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Polyethylene terephthalate | PET Temperature: 270ºC
Polyethylene terephthalate | PET Temperature: 270ºC
Polysterene | PS
Temperature: 270ºC
Polyethylene terephthalate | PET Temperature: 140° C
Polypropylene | PP Temperature: 230ºC
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MATERIAL RESEARCH Recycling Plastic
Name 1
PET 2 HDPE 3
Type
Properties
Common Uses
clear, tough, solvent resistant, bar-
soft drink, water bottles, salad
80°
tainers
hard to semi-flexible, resistant to
shopping bags, freezer bags, milk
face, softens at 75°
containers, shampoo, crates
rier to gas and moisture, softens at
chemicals and moisture, waxy sur-
strong, tough, can be clear and solvent, softens at 60°
bottles, juice bottles, icecream
cosmetic
containers,
electrical
condult, plumbing pipes, blister packs, roof sheeting, garden hose
PVC 4
domes, bisquit trays, food con-
surface,
Cling wrap, garbage bags, squeeze
Hard but still flexible, waxy sur-
Bottles, icecream tubes, straws,
solvents, softens at 140°
ture, food containers
Soft,
flexible,
waxy
scratches easily, softens at 70°
bottles, refuse bags, mulch film
LDPE 5 PP 6
face, translucent, withstands
Clear, glassy, opaque, semi tough, softens at 95°
PS 7
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Properties depend on the type of plastic
flowerpots, dishes, garden furni-
CD cases, plastic cutlery, imitation glass, foamed meat trays, brittle toys containers
automotive, electronics, packaging containers
Burning
Toxic Levels
- yellow flame
Safe and clear . Never heat.
SAFE
- difficult to ignite
Lower risk of leaching, but limit
SAFEST
- yellow flame
Rigid or flexible.
NOT SAFE
- little smoke
- smells like candle
- green spurts
Safe for ONE use only.
how often you refill.
Contains numerous toxic chemi-
Safe / Not safe
cals including lead and phthalates.
- difficult to ignite
Soft and flexible.
SAFEST
- blue yellow
Hard yet flexible.
SAFEST
- smells like candle
- tipped flame
- dense smoke
Avoid using in microwave and dishwasher.
Rigid. Can leach styrene, a known neurotoxin with other harmful
NOT SAFE
health effects.
- depend on the type of plastic
Varies. Avoid unless you know
exactly which plastics are being
NOT SAFE
used.
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MATERIAL RESEARCH Recycled Plastic Creating our components our of recycling plastic was a challence. Recycling plastic needs to be melted in a different temperature according to its type. Moreover, the types of the plastic can’t be mixed and melted together, as the result will be burnt and the mix will not be homogeneous. For these reasons, each type of plastic had to be tested seperatelly. During these experiments, we noticed that the strongest result was from Polysteryne (PS). However, in our research we figure out that PS is not safe to work with. For this reason, we didn’t continue testing PS. The next strongest result was from Polypropelyne (PP). Moreover, PP had as a result a smooth surface too. High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) had a really strong result as well, but it couldn’t become liquid enough to create a homogeneous effect. The final test was with Polyethylene terephthalate (PET). It was the least strong result, as the final piece was always breaking after cooling down. However, when working with plastic pellets the result for HDPE and PP had the desirable effect. Because of that, along with their safety melting effects, we decided to continue fabricating the components with these types.
High-density polyethylene | Natural Melting Temperature: 200o
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Polypropylene | Natural / Green Melting Temperature: 240o
Polypropylene | Natural / Blue Melting Temperature: 240o
Polypropylene | Natural / Green / Blue Melting Temperature: 240o
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MATERIAL RESEARCH Colour gradient research After our first melting test we did some research on the colour gradient of our components. We tried to make some variations on the percentage of colours we added in the different tests to see which test corresponds us aesthetically the most. The six examples on the picture show that the output of the colours can be well defined by ourselves.
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MATERIAL RESEARCH Machines for Recycling Plastic Before starting fabricating our components, a fabrication process research had to be done. There are four machines that works with recycling plastic, with the most common being the injection machine. The injection machine is melting the plastic pellets and then press it into a mold. Another common method is the extrusion machine. More specifically, the extrusion machine melts the plastic pellets and then extrude the plastic in a cylinder shape. Both these machines, have an embedded funnel that holds the plastic pellets. The third machine is the compression. In this machine, the mold is already filled up with plastic pellets. Then, the mold is being compressed and heated up, until it melts the plastic and create the shape of the mold. The last machine is the shredder. The shredder helps in order to shred the recycling plastic in smaller pieces for a better result. However, it is possible to buy recycling plastic pellets in order to avoid shredding it.
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Shredder
Compression
Injection
Extrusion
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FABRICATION
MOLD RESEARCH
After the decision that plastic is the perfect material for our geometry, we worked on the different ways we can use plastic. We tried to melt, to compress and to CNC the plastic. It turned out that plastic is perfectly suited for casting and the results are very precise. For the fabrication SnP had to do a lot of research on the aluminium mould needed. As the plastic shrinks considerably, the design of the mould had to be adapted taking in consideration this property. The first mould was a simple mould divided in half, which was sufficient for the realization of the round geometry. However, as the geometry of the component changed to on octagonal shape, the design of the mould became very complex. In the final mould we fabricated multiple plastic pipes by melting the plastic in the mould in the kiln. Afterwards, we decided to use an industrial fabrication, which injects the plastic in a mould using pressure. This process allowed us to have 8000 plastic pipes.
MOLD RESEARCH Fabrication difficulties Aluminium mold Creating the right mold for the recycling plastic was one of the biggest challenges of this project. The mold had to be milled in the CNC, under the right temperature and coolant. Moreover, another important factor was the design of the mold. More specifically, in order to create the hollow part, where the point to point connection lock, we had to design a key to at the top left of the mold (as it shown in the diagram).
Diagram of the process method with the Kiln
Open mold
Plastic is shrinking
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Close mold using die spring
Refill mold
Fill mold with plastic pellets
Open mold for result
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FABRICATION Melting in the kiln The result of the melting in the kiln were in general a success. The pipes were entirely melted and they did not present any airgaps. The process although took us to long and we figured out that this way will not be efficient to produce multiple elements. During the process we had to refill the mould several times because of the shrinkage property of the plastic, which made us lose time as the kiln cooled down every time we opened it. For the shape, we realized that it is not stable enough as it can rotate in different directions. The smooth surface does not help to make the components stay in one fixe position. We decided therefore to change the geometry which will be explained in the next steps of the research. High-density polyethylene Melting Temperature: 200
o
Time: 03:50
Weight: 124g
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Polypropylene
Melting Temperature: 240
o
Time: 05:15
Weight: 167g
Polypropylene
Melting Temperature: 240o Time: 05:30Weight: 140g
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FABRICATION Fabrication difficulties Press Machine The first method we tried was a press machine. More specifically, we tried to compress recycling plastic in each half of the aluminium mold. The press machine was heated from both sides but didn’t reach the temperature HDPE needs in order to be melted. As a result, the plastic was not melted completely and the component was fragile. Thus, one side of the component was completely stuck in the aluminium. However, even if this method had been successful, we would still need to glue the two halves of the component, which is not the desire result.
Fill mold with recycling plastic
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Place in the press machine
Result
Diagram of the process method with the Press Machine
Mold in half
Fill mold with recycling plastic
Cover mold with an aluminium plate
170o
Place the mold in the press machine
Detach component from the mold
Glue two halves
Result
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FABRICATION Melting and CNC CNC Plastic Sheet In the second method, we tried to create a plastic sheet and then mill the components. The task for this method was to always maintain the temperature in CNC because the moment the plastic reaches a specific temperature starts melting. For this reason, the coolant for the CNC was necessary and had to point the cutting tool all the time. The first step for this method was to melt the plastic pellets into the kiln, similar to the previous method. After the plastic was melted, the plastic sheet had to cool down. The next step was to face both sides in the CNC to create a smooth and nice sheet. Finally, we milled the components out of this plastic sheet.
Diagram of the process method with the Kiln and the CNC
Melt recycling plastic at 240o
Facing side
Facing side
Melting Temperature: 240o Melting Time: 05:00 Facing Sides Time: 01:00 Milling Time: 03:45 Total Time: 09:45 Milling the components
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Cutting Components
Result
Diagram of the process method with the Kiln and the CNC
Melt recycling plastic at 240o
CNC
Facing side
Cutting components
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FABRICATION Plastic components with CNC process The CNC plastic components are very precise and the pattern of the plastic are clearly visible. Although the method is not very fast, yet, the CNC part it is faster than the melting in the kiln process.
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FABRICATION Melting in the kiln In order to make the above process faster, we design a new mold with an embedded funnel. The whole mold, along with the funnel on the top, will be filled with plastic pellets. At the time that the mold would need to be filled up, the plastic pellets in the funnel will start being pulled with a weight. In general, this idea will reduce the needed time for fabrication by half.
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Problematic part
The component is shrinking in these parts
The melted plastic has to fill the component in this direction
Creating a flat block
The problem remains
The inside of the mold needs to be in different angles to help the component be released
Showing the lower part of the different angles of the mold
Final angle of the component inside the mold
Final design of the mold, upper and lower part
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FABRICATION Melting in the kiln Diagram of the new process method with the Kiln
1. Closing and Filling the mould weight plastic pellets
Mold designed with an embedded funnel and weight
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The weight is filling with plastic the rest of the mold.
1.
2.
3.
4.
2. Putting the mould in the kiln and cooling down
The component is being completely filled and put in the kiln
5.
7.
6.
8.
10.
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FABRICATION Melting in the kiln Diagram of the new process method with the Kiln
3. Opening the mould and releasing the component
Cool down and open the mold
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Release the component
11.
12.
13.
14.
4. Result : Success and Failures
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PHYSICAL MODEL Plastic stool
Front View
Right View
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FABRICATION Industrial process
Mold structure
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The production of the plastic components is industrial and will be done using an injection machine. The process requires a complex mould which is CNCed in steel. The mould is then closed and the plastic is injected with high pressure inside. After cooling down, the components can be taken out and the two half will be glued together with heat. The injection process takes only a few seconds which makes the production very efficient.
Injection
Closed mould
Half components
Gluing the two halfs
Finished components
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FABRICATION Industrial process
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FABRICATION Industrial process
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GEOMETRY
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GEOMETRY
The geometry is based on the research of Clay-Cuts, a project from research cluster 5&6 20162017. The starting point of the geometry research was to understand the aggregation system this team has been working on. SnP decided to improve the components used, by changing the section of the pipes from a round shape to an octagonal shape to guarantee stability in different angles. This geometry change and the reduction of the number of components allows to have a very precise assembly system. SnP works with two connection types, first the interlocking of the components which gives the elements the function of a junction themselves. The second is the point to point connection which is enabled by using a prefabricate aluminium profile. The shape of the geometry emphasis the possibility of connections and allows a growth in multiple directions. This has as a result that the structure is very flexible and multifunctional.
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DIGITAL STUDIES Stable Structure Studies Section
Plan section
90°rotation
45°rotation
Interlocking connection tests Plan section
Detail of interlocking
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PHYSICAL STUDIES Section - Point to Point connection Testing the above geometries we mentioned that the round shape is not as stable as the one with the octagonal shape. More specifically, the round shape allows a point to point connection that can be rotated in multiple directions. For this reason, the components are not holding each other and the structures are not strong and stable. From the other hand, the octagonal shape can connect being rotated in 90o and 45o. Accordingly, the components are linked , creating a very strong and stable structure.
Round section
Endless possibilities but unstable
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Octagonal section
8 stable point to point connection possibilities
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PHYSICAL STUDIES Section - Interlocking connection Testing the above geometries we mentioned that the round shape is not as stable as the one with the octagonal shape. More specifically, the round shape can interlock being rotated in any desirable degree. For this reason, the components are not holding each other and the structures are not strong and stable. From the other hand, the octagonal shape can interlock being rotated in 90o and 45o. Accordingly, the components are locking with each other, creating a very strong and stable structure.
Round section
Endless possibilities but unstable
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Octagonal section
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GEOMETRY Components
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DIGITAL STUDIES Connections The first connection is done by interlocking our octagonal pipes. Because of the shapes the components can be interlocked in different directions
Detail of interlocking
Physical model showing interlocking
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The point to point connection which we use to assemble our components is done by prefabricated octagonal aluminium pipes. Allow us to have a stable join which helps us a lot for the creation of a stronger geometry.
Detail of point to point connection
Physical model showing point to point connection
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CONNECTIONS Connections with “P” shape
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CONNECTIONS Connections with “S” shape
Connections with “S” shape
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CONNECTIONS Nodes
z
z
z
y
y
x
y
x
x
z
z
y
y x
x
z y x
z y x
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z z
z y y
z z
y
z z z
y y y
z
xy x y x
x
z
x xy x y x
x
z z
z
x
y
z z z z
y
z
z z
x
z
x
y y y y x xy x x y x
y z
z
z z z z
xy x y x x
z z
z
x
x
y y
y y
z xy
y
xy x y x x
x z
y y
z
xy x y x x
z y
z z
y y
z
z xy x
z
xy x y x x
z y x
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PHYSICAL STUDIES Connections To prove the different connections and there stability we rebuild them using 3D printed components. This gave us the possibility to check if the design knots are physically possible. We tried the different angels that the shape allows us and we developed different knitting pattern working with interlocking connections.
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COMPONENT’S LANGUAGE Aggregation Studies
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COMPONENT’S LANGUAGE Aggregation Studies
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Small Structures
x13 Components
x20 Components
x20 Components
x24 Components
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GEOMETRY STUDIES Surfaces
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GEOMETRY STUDIES Columns
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GEOMETRY STUDIES Connections with blocks
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COMPONENTS AGGREGATIONS Components
Rules B
A
C
G
E 0° F 90° E0°
E D
A 90°
F
1x
3x
10x
Rules A
B C
G E D F
A 90° F 0° /90° / 180° /270° A 90° E 0° 1x
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3x
10x
100x
50x
50x
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COMPONENTS AGGREGATIONS Components
Rules A
B
F 90° C
G
D 270° F 180°
E D
D 270°
F
1x
3x
10x
Rules Rules B
A
E 0° C
G
F 180°
E D F
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1x
3x
10x
100x
50x
50x
100x
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BLOCK AGGREGATIONS Blocks
C B
A
A 0째 C 90째
1x
A 90째 B180째
50x 112
3x
10x
C B
A
A 90° B 90°
1x
A 90°
3x
10x
/90° / C 0° 180° /270°
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BLOCK AGGREGATIONS Vertical Growth In this study, it is visible the different way of growth when using different parameters. More specifically, the first example uses both interlocking and point to point connections but with the restriction to grow only vertically. The second example uses both connections as well but the restriction is not that strict as it can grow in every direction. Last but not least, the third example has as restriction to be loose and not packed as the other two examples.
Vertical direction
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Multiple Directions
Multiple Directions
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GRID STUDY Voxel Growth 2D
A B A
B
A A
A
A
A A
A
A
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A B
B
A
A B
B
A
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GRID STUDY Density Study The surface study consists in trying different densities using the same pattern. The pattern are done using point to point connection for the plane and interlocking to connect using a knitting logic. The pattern is growing in diagonal and the knitting follows the direction of the main structure. To have a less dense surface long aluminium pipes are used for the point to point connection replacing “S� shape pipes. Putting more layers and using more elements makes the surface denser.
Replacing the straight connections by pipes to make the surface denser
Sparse surface by introduction of long pipes The knitting follows the direction of the long pipes 118
Overlayering surfaces to raise the density even more
Rise of density by changing the direction of the knitting pattern
Increase knitting pattern to make surface denser
Sparse surface by introduction of long pipes
Overlayering surfaces to raise the density even more
Surface gets denser by replacing straightpipes
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GRID STUDY Direction Study
Rotations
Rotations
0°
0°
Rotations 90° Rotations
270°
0°
180°
Horizontal Direction
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Multiple Directions
Rotations
Rotations
0°
0°
Rotations 90° Rotations
270°
0°
180°
Combination of Directions
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CONNECTION STUDIES Direction Study
Horizontal Direction
Perspective view
Front view
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Multiple Directions
Combination of Directions
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INTRODUCTION OF LONG PIPE
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DIGITAL STUDIES Straight Elements’ use Point to point connection with long pipes The other use of the aluminium pipes is by joining them as a point to point connection. This permits us to make this connection longer and give a general length to the entire structure. As said before in the interlocking description, we are able to create straight surfaces by using this connection.
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GEOMETRY STUDIES Straight Elements Interlocking with long pipes We introduce the use of straight octagonal pipes of different length to our geometry. One application of the long prefabricated aluminium pipes is by using them as an interlocking connection. The “S” and “P” components are aggregated in the way that they can stabilize long pipes. . The idea of this new element is to allow a difference of density in the structure and to create surfaces.
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ARCHITECTURAL SCALE Column research
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Components: Plastic: 160 Aluminium: 3.25m
Components: Plastic: 148 Aluminium : 11m
Components: Plastic: 178 Aluminium: 11.5m
Components: Plastic: 178 Aluminium: 11.5m
Components: Plastic: 144 Aluminium: 29m
Components: Plastic: 151 Aluminium: 14.5m
Components: Plastic: 160 Aluminium: 32m
Components: Plastic: 160 Aluminium: 32m
Components: Plastic: 86 Aluminium: 17.75m
Components: Plastic: 240 Aluminium: 22.5m
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GEOMETRY STUDIES Columns
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ARCHITECTURAL SCALE Column research
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ARCHITECTURAL SCALE Column research
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ARCHITECTURAL SCALE Column research
Assembly details
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DIGITAL STUDIES Stairs
Single components: 168
Single components: 330 Long components: 90
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Single components: 500
Single components: 60
Long components: 500
Long components: 90
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GEOMETRY STUDIES Density study
Surface following pattern of shortest path
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GEOMETRY STUDIES Knots
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DIGITAL STUDIES Generated pattern of shortest path
Block point-to-point aggregation
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Block interlocking aggregation
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ARCHITECTURAL SCALE Tranistion research Transitions with S components
Transitions with P components
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COMPONENT AGGREGATION Aggregations
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AGGREGATION STUDIES
z y
Cluster Directional Growth y
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Top view
x
Side view
Perspective
Top view
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E
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D
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x
y
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Side view
z y
y
x
y
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Perspective
Top view
Top view
Side view
Perspective
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K
Front view
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GRID STUDY Surface Voxalization This study has as main goal to voxalise a surface following several parameters. A grid is put on the surface and the shortest path from a point A to a point B , or following curves, is calculated. After the generation of the shortest path, a colour gradient linked to the distance to this one is given. In a last step, the coloured boxes are replaces by voxels corresponding to the different gradients. This allows us to generate pattern with denser or loser areas controlled by points or curves.
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40 B
40
Starting and end points
B
520-1000
520-760
240-520
0-240
40 A
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Starting and end points
A
0-120
B
120-240
240-560
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Reference curves
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560-1000
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B
520-1000
Shortest path from A to B
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240-520
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Gradient linked to the distance to the shortest path
Voxalized surface
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A
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Shortest path from A to B
B
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240-560
560-1000
Gradient linked to the distance to the shortest path
Voxalized surface
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Shortest path linked to reference curves
Gradient linked to the distance to the shortest path
Voxalized surface
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ARCHITECTURAL SCALE Surface research
Assembly explanation
Perspective View
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Top View
Bottom View
Elevation
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GRID STUDY Volume Voxalization This is an example showing the voxalisation if a volume. We replace the points of a grid with voxels to create a volume with different pattern. The voxels are chosen linked to the distance to a given curve chosen by the shortest path. This will create a different hierarchy of outcome and an outcome with the voxels that alterns from each other.
A B
B Main volume
Shortest path from A to B following grid system 158
Grid in volume with starting points A and B
Boxalisation according to the distance to shortest path
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CONNECTION STUDIES Different Directions
Horizontal Direction
Combination of Directions
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Multiple Directions
Multiple Directions with straight pipes
Straight pipes transitions
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CONNECTION STUDIES Different connections
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INTRODUCTION OF PANELS Assembly material
Glazing Bar
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Section
Polycarbonater sheet
Assembly system
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3.
4.
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ASSEMBLE METHOD
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ASSEMBLY WITH AR
REASSEMBLE YOUR FUTURE
YOUR BOX HAS BEEN SELECTED
PETIT BOX
P
The Petite Box gives the possibility to assemble different small furnitures using small amount of S and P components conencted by interlocking or Point to Point connection. 20 x
20 x
40 x
SUPER BOX
S
The first connection is done by interlocking our octagonal pipes. Because of the shapes the components can be interlocked in different directions
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50 x
loading ...
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100 x
ASSEMBLY SYSTEMS
PETIT BOX
ASSEMBLY OPTIONS
Interlocking Connection
Stool
Chair
Table
Partition
Pavilion
Point to Point Connection
Column
LETS GET STARTED
ASSEMBLY STEPS
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loading ...
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HOLOLENS Buidling with HoloLens SnP project has already been tested in fabricating 1:1 stools, chairs, columns, walls etc. However, the guidance through the digital model isn’t enough to help the user build fast a model. With the help of HoloLens, it would be possible to create a realistic three - dimensional environment and place it around each user as if the object was really there. Hence, through this technology each user will be able to upload its design in an application and then through AR build it step by step by interaction. HoloLens will save time in the overall process, by visualizing, transporting and interacting with the provided 3D data.
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2.
3.
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HOLOLENS Buidling with Hololens
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FURNITURE
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PHYSICAL MODEL Stool Design
Physical Model 176
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FURNITURE SCALE Dense structures
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Number of components: S : 20
Number of components: S: 20 P: 8
Number of components: S: 12 P: 12
Number of components: S : 94
Number of components: S: 105 P: 38 Total: 143
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FURNITURE SCALE Table Design
Number of components: P: 14
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Number of components: S: 6 P: 8
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FURNITURE SCALE Chair Design
Number of components: S: 46 P: 30
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Number of components: S: 22 P: 10 C: 6 Total: 38
Number of components: S: 12 P: 12
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ARCHITECTURAL SCALE
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ARCHITECTURAL SCALE Corner transitions
z y x
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ARCHITECTURAL SCALE Corner transitions with many units
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ARCHITECTURAL SCALE Edges transitions
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ARCHITECTURAL SCALE Wall Corner
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ARCHITECTURAL SCALE Corner Walls
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ARCHITECTURAL SCALE Enclosed space
Ceiling Transition
Wall corner
Bench
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ARCHITECTURAL SCALE Surfaces interactions 3.4 m
2.2 m
2.2 m
3.4 m 6.7 m 3.4 m
B-Pro Part
Initial surface
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2.2 m 6.3 m
Front View
Side View
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ARCHITECTURAL SCALE Surfaces interactions
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ARCHITECTURAL SCALE Surfaces interactions
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ARCHITECTURAL APPLICATIONS PROPOSAL 1
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ARCHITECTURAL APPLICATIONS Proposal 1 In the first architectural application, the language we chose is a messier aggregation of the pipes, which follow different directions without a clear hierarchy. The result of such a composition is a loose structure through the light can enter the space.
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ARCHITECTURAL APPLICATIONS Proposal 1
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ARCHITECTURAL APPLICATIONS Proposal 1
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ARCHITECTURAL APPLICATIONS PROPOSAL 2
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ARCHITECTURAL APPLICATIONS Proposal 2 The second architectural application follows the logic of the directionality. The walls, ceiling and floor follow a strict direction which gives a strong character to the spaces. As the entire project relies on interlocking, the surfaces can be interlocked while changing the directions. This example shows, that the logic of the geometry works not only on the scale of the single components but is the leading element for the architectural composition.
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ARCHITECTURAL APPLICATIONS Proposal 2
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ARCHITECTURAL APPLICATIONS Proposal 2
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ARCHITECTURAL APPLICATIONS Proposal 2
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PHYSICAL APPLICATIONS
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COLOUR STUDIES Grey and White Gradients
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ARCHITECTURAL SCALE Wall research
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ASSEMBLY First wall
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ASSEMBLY First wall
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ARCHITECTURAL SCALE Number of components The chunk we built requires 856 plastic components connected using point to point and interlocking connections
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