Digital Design and Material Experimentation (Sofya Batsova)

UNIVERSITY OF WESTMINSTER MARCH (RIBA PT II) MODULE: 6ARCH002W DIGITAL DESIGN STUDENT: SOFYA BATSOVA ID NUMBER: 14423442

PART 1 LESSON RESPONSE

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Vase, Column or Tower?

Moving the resulted object breaks the history, so the shape can no longer be changed through manipulations with the mother curve!

Documenting Lesson Revolve

STEP 1 Starting with drawing a curve in a top view using control point curve command. It is located not far from the centre as like in a lesson it will rotate around the centre of axes.W STEP 4 Using the ‘revolve’ command with the center of rotation being at the start of the axes and rotation degree from 0 to 360, the shape was generated. Before completing the action, history was turned on. This remembered the mother curve and allowed the shape to be altered later by changing parameters of the ‘mother’ curve.

STEP 2 By chaning the view to perspective and turning the control points on, it is possible to make the curve 3-dimensional.

Control points can be moved manually, but it looks like using the gumball is better as it allows you to have better control.

STEP 3 While there are many ways of creating a surface in Rhino, for the purpose of this exercise revolve command is used.

You get a better control of the shape and more complexity on the outcome by adding more points on the mother curve. This can be done with either rebuild or insert control point commands.

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Vase, Column or Tower?

Documenting Lesson Polar Array + Loft

STEP 1 Like in previous exercise starting with drawing a simple curve close to the center of axes.

STEP 4 The result is very simular to the one achieve with revolve. However, you can choose the loft style from a number of options, such as ‘straight sections’, which gives a more faceted form. It can likewise be contolled

STEP 2 Using ArrayPolar 6 curves are coppied around the centre point.

Before completing the action, History is turned on.

STEP 3 Typing the loft command and selecting curves in clockwise (can be anticlockwise) direction brings up the ‘loft option’ window. The order in which curves are chosen will didcate loft formation, so it is importnat to choose them in order.

MIRROR Using mirror command before going on to the second step of modelling adds symmetry to the shape. In this case, curve is mirrored over the y-axis. History is again recorded whcih to enable parametrtic design proces. master curve mirrored curve polar array curve

The image on the left demonstrates a situation in which align curves can be clicked to fix curves’ order manually. ‘Closed loft’ should also be ticked to create a 360° surface.

Before completing the loft History is turned on again to record relationships between curves and surface.

OPTIMISING THE PROCESS It is useful to differentiate the master curve with it’s copies, as changing the child curves will break the historical connection.

This can be done by putting objects on separate layers and assigning colors to them.

Locking the layers that can affect the history can make it easier to manioulate the shape.

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Vase, Column or Tower?

Documenting Lesson Unrolling Surface

Same result can be achieved with Grasshopper script, but which allows a much better control and variety of outomes.

mirrors curve along the XZ axis (default setting for the plane input) connection to the initial curve

arraying the mirroved curve on yx plane (default) from 0° to 360° (default)

Unroll surface creates flat surface that can easily be converted to a laser cut file. ‘Explode’ option seperates the surfaces and makes it easier to manipulate in this case.

arraying the original curve on yx plane (default) from 0° to 360° (default)

DupBorder is then used to duplicate the border. As the unrolled surface gets deleted, the perimeter line is left. combininig results of polar array commands together

number of arrayed curves for each of the polar array components

loft options components alows to have better control over geometry. the slider is set in the range from 1-5 as that is the number of different loft types

It is a good idea to copy the surface before unrolling it, as it will allow to record the progress in case the shape gets changes. Inserting a control point can sometimes be more effective that rebuild command as it allows to be more precise with it’s location.

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Vase, Column or Tower?

Further explorations Physical model

For my model I chose to use 0.8 mm paper and tape to stick pieaces together. I have also laser cutted the base to attach the strips to it.

My first attempt to create a complex geometry based and a highly modified curve failed. I believe it was due a high curvature of particular segments as well as the fact that tape was not enough to hold the pieces in the right position that was also hard to guess.

My second attempt with a simplified model was quite succesfull. However, the quiality of this method was still not great. The hardest part was sticking the last pieces together to complete the loop.

I have also tried making overlaps by laser cutting offseted surfaces with bends at the right location. This, however, failed.

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Surface, Skin and Structure Lesson Documentation Rib structure for a curved surface

The box is formed around the geomerty to defeine all perpendicular frames that can slice up the surface into 2 perpendicular sets of ribs.

Curves are referenced from Rhino model space for U and V directions to create a surface. It is imporant to choose curves correctly, as the order that the object are selected in Rhino is the order it will appear in Grasshopper data structure.

Curves form the surface and frames are merged to create a loft at the point of intersection. This loft creates a gridshell.

Box edges are extracted using ListItem component and divided into 11 segments.

At each point a perpendicuar frame is created.

Region slits component is used to create gaps at the point of ribs’ intersection for the physical assembly.

However, as seen in the picture below it is not the best option.

Orient component remaps geometry on a different axis system. Here, it uses a number of frames as a count for a series of points on an X-axis. Series step defined how far apprat the ribs are from each other when flat.

Ribs’ surfaces oriented on XY plane

Control points are selected to modify curves.

Their shape forms the surface and influences rib structure.

Offseted surface to created thickness and intersection with frames for ribs.

Rib structure

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Issues associated with region slits component

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Surface, Skin and Structure Lesson Documentation Physical model and surface analysis

For my physical model I used the Bowerbird section component, which cretaed a section model from a mesh. The script differs from the one completed during the lesson with an additional MeshBrep component, that allows to mesh both the origianl and offset surface together. The thickness for section curves component was set to 2 mm, as the material for physical model was chosen to be a 2 mm MDF. Flattened geometry was laser cut in University of Wesminter Fabrication Laboratory. The assembly process was pretty easy, but was considerably slowed down due to pieces gettin mixed up together. It might be a good idea with gridshels to number each component in Rhino. v Surface curvature was then analysed and colored according to values calculated at those points that the surface was avaluated with. Close to red area signify that a particular are may problematic with specific materials.

To put both neagative and positive curvature numbers in one list, a lower limit is set as a negative of an upper limit. Bending limit can be set to a material specific value. Here, it was done to just have a general analysis of how the surface is constructed.

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Form Finding with Physical Simulations Lesson Documentation Kangaroo plugin

This lesson covered the basic pronciples of Kangaroo Physics plugings for form finding. While there is Kangaroo1 and Kangaroo2 versions, the first one was used in the class.

Kangaroo 1

Kangaroo 2

UnaryForce + SpringsFromLine based on a line

Force objects and anchor points go in separate inputs.

Both should always be flattened for the simulation to work. There is also a separate geometry input for that geometry that is to be modified.

PowerLaw + SpringsFromLine based on a circle

Solver is somewhat a simplified version. All forces, anchor points and geomerty go into goal object.

The following forces have been tested during the lesson:

SpringsFromLine based on 2 circles

SpringsFromLine - created springs between end points of a line based on Hook’s Law. The rest length of the force imput describes how much the line will slack.

UnaryForce + Springs form line based on 3 triangles The geometry to be modified is always the segments and not the original, as they are the one affected by forces.

PowerLaw - an attractor force between particles of geometry. This force is based on proximity, the closer the particles the more they are attracted to each other.

Unary Force - a vector force that is applied to the point, such as gravity force Anchor points can be used to keep points fixed in a certain location. No matter what forces are applied to them, they will not be moved. If these points are referenced from Rhino, moving them will interact with the simulation.

Basic principles for most simulations include the idea of spreading the force across parts of a geometry rather than whole. To make elements flexible they must be broken into smaller segments. The more there are, the more precise is the simulation.

Lines are divided into smaller segments to apply forces to them.

Because lines have a different starting length, segments from division are also different, which affects the final form.

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3 points at the edges of the first triangle are set as anchor points to hold the geomtry.

Rest length for springs is a factor of each segment’s length. This defines how much ‘catenery vaults’ will stretch.

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Form Finding with Physical Simulations Further Explorations

Kangaroo plugin allows creating forms that has in fact been a big part of architecture long before digital tools appeared. Architects and engineers have figured out that a catanery curve, which is an ideal arc that is formed by applying self weight to a line, becomes a structural element when put together with alike curves. Catenary vaults are strong as the forces applied to it are redirected into compression forces that press along the surface and transfer the load into the grounf through base points.

Instead of doing a model with a string, I wanted to used a piece of fabric to test the concept of catenery vaults.

It was interesting to me to see how a cloth that can freely adopt to any shape, creating all sorts of temporary surfaces can become structural and stay permanent. At the same time, I thought that since a fabric structure already consists of many individual strings, it can work as a good representation of many catenary arcs being put together.

My method involved hanging a piece of fabric on a support and applying a thin layer of plaster mixed with PVA to it. After approximetaly 2 hours I had a pretty strong vault model.

The process included: Step 1: I strated with building a structure that would work as a support for a hanging fabric. A nail was put into each of the 4 ‘legs’ facing up.

NADAAA catenary compression model

Investigating the properties of catenary vaults, bostonbased architectural practice NADAAA created a light - block structure that operated in compression relieving the ground from any physical contact. Each of the 60 individually carved blocks was CNC-modelled from foamboard. Puzzlelike pieces work against gravity and deflect tensile forces (Designboom, 2018).

Step 2: A piece of cotton fabric with a small percentage of stretchy mix was chosen for the model. I cut a small hole at each corner of the squared cut and tied it to the nails in vertical elements of the support. They were essentially thought to be as anchor points once the model is finished.

Step 3: Once the model was tied, I have deciede to try addding an element from the bottom that would twist and pull the structure. The idea was that adding more internal compression and tension woul make the vault even stronger.

Step 4: A mixture of PVA, plaster and water was prepared and applied with a thin layer onto the fabric and left to dry.

Digital catenary vaults by Keyan Rahimzadeh

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Fabric hanging of model support

Final model dried

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Material Optimisation through Stress Analysis Documention

Points referenced from Rhino are used to constract a mesh.

As by default the construct mesh componenet tries to create a rectangular face using 4 vertices, it is manually changed with the panel to describe a triangular face that is constructed with 3 points.

Mesh is deconstructed to find coordinates of vertices to which unary force is applied. To control the direction and magnitude of the force, unit z component is used to describe it.

The more faces the mesh has, the more precise is the deformation with kangaroo simulation. M+ stellate component is used to create a 1st iteration. Weaverbird is then used to loop this subdivision. Dynamic preview can be switched off to allow more divisions, but can slower down the process.

Mesh edges are extracted and merged in one list.

There are then turned into springs to create a network of lines that can make up the transformed geometry.

Lines' original length is multiplied by a factor. A factor <1 would contract these 'connections', a factor >1 would expand them.

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To form a dome from those lines, base points of geometry are used as anchor points. Zombie kangaroo is used to speed up processing, but it may be useful to see the whole process during form finding using boolean toggle and a timer.

Form found mesh is then put through a second simulation. Shell, Gravity and MeshSmooth are pre-made forces that are often used. These clusters can be opened to see detailed definition.

Gravity is another way of applying unary force. Shell creates bending stiffness to all edges of the mesh. Mesh smooth smoothes angle differences between in different places.

Number of itterations or the threshhold of movement can be controlled to avoid errors. In this case it had to be set to a number below 100 to get desired results.

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Material Optimisation through Stress Analysis Lesson Documentation

The difference in edge lengths (between original form found and deforned mesh) are used to understand where the structure requires more support. This approach can not be applied for realistic structural calculations, but more for a general understanding.

The domain of difference values from edge length goes from a negative to a positive number. Negative number (green) means deformed edges are bigger than the original meaning they have been stretched during the deformation and the structure goes into tension. Positive numbers (red) appear where the deformed mesh edges are shorter than the original. That area is in compression.

Finds the length of the edge conected to each point. Darker areas mean that there are smaller mesh edges in that area.

This roughly follows the way mesh was originally created through subdivision and allows seeing how it changes.

This data can also help to inform material deposition system through using mesh+ volume component that creates volume between 2 surfaces.

The thickness of straps can be adjusted according to analysis made in previous steps. They are thinner when in tension and thicker in compression.

Custom domain is useful for 3D print, as the lower end can be limited by the lowest allowed thickness.

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Material Optimisation through Stress Analysis Documention

The resulted geometry is then baked to be analysed in Rhino modelspace.

Step 1 Fill Mesh Holes is used to cap any holes Step 2 Mesh normals are unified Step 3 Mesh Repair Wizard to check mesh Step 4 Naked edges found using Show Edges command (Display - Mesh Wires On) Step 5 Faces made to patch using coomand Single Mesh Face Step 6 New faces joined, mesh noramls unified, all welded Step 7 Part of the geometry is extracted by drawing a box through the mesh and using Mesh Boolean Split command to cut out the segment.

When unsuccessfull due to gaps and intersections in the original mesh, a grasshopper script can be used to get rid of unwanted elements. It does so by creating a bounding box around the geometry, scaling it down slightly and getting rid of faces outside the bounding box.

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Material Optimisation through Stress Analysis Response - 3D printing

A group of 4 students from our studio has inversted into a 3D printer. The model is called Kossel Anycubic Plus, whcih is a DIY printer that operates on a linear system (printing head moves on vertical rails) to print models up to ø180 x 300. While the model has many limetations comparing to the ones in University of Westminster Fabrication Laboratory, I chose to try print my surface on it in order to get a better understanding of the whole process of printing as well as specifics of a device.

Printer reads GCode files that are generated by a slicing software called CURA. It translated STL files exported from Rhino into the required format for a specific printer. It is also capable of generating supports for models such as a double curved surfaces.

As the printer can not change the type of fillament during printing, it is hard to produce porous structures due to difficultes with taking the supports out of the gaps (unlike with powder printer, where material for supports dissolves in water). For this reason, I tried focused on producing a smooth surface that was created with Kagaroo Physics simulation. Mesh was thickened with WeaverBird for Rhino.

Printing layers displayed in CURA. Generated supports are shown in green.

Completed print ≈77 mm x 38 mm.

Printing job ≈ 70 minutes

Supports are printed with a less dense spread of filament, which makes them relatively easy to be scraped off.

Some lumps are present on a cleaned model. This is due to supports not reaching all the way, which stops material from settling properly.

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Print is ready, while the plate and printer nozzle are cooling down.

Original mesh edges from subdiviosion can still be clearly seen on a print.

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Custom Generative Patterns with Anemone Documenting the lesson Recursive tree pattern

When changing paramteters, the loop should be restarted by double-clicking.

Otherwise, sliders can be plugged into the trigger (the wire is hidden here).

Manual itteration by coppying is good for understanding what exactly happens with geometry. Creating a second level of recursion identifies the problem: crossreferencing of arcâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s end points. Curve paramter imput is grafted to ensure that every new recursion opperates on the new list for each trunk line.

Record data is turned on for the loop end to keep the geometry in.

Default plane for arc is oriented to the world XY axis.

It is manually changed to curveâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s plane. A new domain is constracted with negative maths component used to create an arc that is centered on the x-axis.

Brunching lines are constructed using the end points of the arc and frame point.

Precentage along the curve is specified to find itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s end. A curve input is reparameterised and a panel is used for a paramterter to avoid accidental changes.

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Custom Generative Patterns with Anemone Documenting the lesson Recursive tree pattern

Drawing a 'guide curve' from the end of the original line allows to control the way the 'tree' growth.

It refinines geometry by using distance values from curve closest point component. The condition is set to remove those points that are too far away from the guide curve.

As a result, brunching is trimmed to follow the guideline. Pluginning in the curve into trigger parameter allow simulation to run every time the curve is changed in rhino with control points.

List of points generated with Arc component in previous steps is refined with Cull Pattern. It removes those points that do not satisfy the distance parameter <5.

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Custom Generative Patterns with Anemone Dicumenting the lesson Koch curve

Lines are divided into individual line segments so that each itteration can happen on them separetly.

Before Anemone the sript was tested manually by making a second copy. Final line segements were grafted and used as a starting curve. It showed that the mid point should move in a vector direction, which is a perpendicular to each line segment. Therefore, an individual vector is found for each segment instead of using a global vector.

The amplitude of the vector is a factor of the line length.

This component ensures propotional growth of Koch curve.

5 points are connected together to create a new polyline by inserting a moved point into the original list of points. First 5 points from original curve give the first subdivision of Koch snowflake. Polyline is then exploded to start the next itteration from each segment.

To control the geometry, a line between a floating point in rhino and each mid-point of the segment is drawn.

Depending on the line length (distance to the point), Koch curve grows bigger or smaller.

Parameter is extracted to split the starting input in two parameters with one grafted.

Data is not recorded in this case to get the final polyline of the Koch snowflake.

floating point

original curve deformed

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Custom Generative Patterns with Anemone Further Explorations Research

Generative design tools allow designers to become curators rather then decision-makers (Howarth, 2017). I personally see it as a liberating opportunity to engage our creative and information-processing powers at a completely new level. Generative design that mimics natural world completely changes our perception of how we build structures.

In 2015 Ted Talk Neri Oxman spoke about the importance of ‘growing’ structures.

She believes that we should move on from the world made of parts, where things are assembled, which has been dominant at list since the industrial revolution. Natural systems are continius with gradual variation of functionality across it due to material thickness, layers arrangement etc.

Chitosan based structural member by Mediated Matter Group

New life forms were computanionally grown and manifactured additively. Synthetic biology became an essential part of the project. The flow of bacteria cultures was controled with digitally designed tubes that varried in transparency. Two microoganism that have never met in nature: cyanobacteria, that transforms light into sugar and E.coli, that transforms sugar into biofilm were infused into these tubes to create desired material quility.

Seeking for a way to produce a multifunctional structure out of a single material system, Mediated Matter Group together with Neri Oxman created a structure using chitosan paste derived from chitin - the most abundant renewable polymer in the ocean (MIT Media Lab, 2018). Varying the concentration of material, they were able to achieve a wide range of properties. It was then deposited with a robotically controlled multi-chamber extrusion system that varied material on the fly. Computanional worflow was implemented for design. Each component found it’s final shape upon contact with air.

As a result, a structure that could seamlessly transition from beam to mesh was created.

Benesi3pow2 fractal formula visualisation produced by Mandelbulb3D

Data-driven midsoles with New Bakance by Nervous System Tree root system

These design principles are being more and more implemented by both designers and architects. In 2015 Nervous System developed functional 3D-printed midsoles for running shoes. Their design was driven by the data collected by runners. As algorithmic design allows fast production of multiple options, it is possible to create a variable density cushioning that responds to person’s running technique (Nervous System, 2017).

Mushtari by Neri Oxman

Romanesco broccoli

Another project that incorporated principles of generetive design was a series of digitaly grown wearables by Neri Oxman called Wanderers.

Nervous System’s designs draw inspiration from natural phenomena andW come from crafted computational systems that produce a myraid of distinct creations.

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Discovery of fractal geometries in 1970s became a turning point in understanding natural growth. Many biological structures can now be described using a mathematical formula. Such softwares as Mandelbulb3D allow to visualise fractals and discover the rules that lie beneath them.

Overall, many say that generative design is a combination of computational design, additive manufacturing, materials engineering and synthetic biology. The process of generative design is essentially testing and learning from each iteration. As we now have access to high resolution analytic and synthetic tools, we are able to explore much further. The question to be asked and studied is wether returning to the creation with just one signle part would be followed by a better state of creation?

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Custom Generative Patterns with Anemone Further Explorations Script generation

MANUAL TESTING To further test possible solutions availible with Anemone plugin, I created my own recursive pattern. It was first created without Anemone in order to understant required conditoins for geometry generation.

OPTIMIZATION While optimizing the process, I have found that rotatint the whole polygon would create a cleaner geometry than when shifiting the list of edges. Using Anemone simplified the script and involved only components for scaling and rotation of polygons. Perhaps in this case it is not that benefitial to use the plugin.

STEP 1 A polygon is created with defined radius. In this case the radius is 8.

STEP 2 Using mathematical multiplication another polygon with the same center and doubled radius is created.

Rotation angle controls the incline of lines. It is a trigger for the loop, which allows to see how it changes the geometry without restarting the loop.

STEP 3 Both breps are then deconstructed separately and all sides are divided into 8 segments.

Number of segments for all 6 sides of each polygon is defined by multiplication component, where 8 is the number for each side. Data tree is then flipped to cross-reference correct points.

STEP 4 The list of edges for the second polygon is shifted before division, which allows to create inclined lines.

STEP 4 The process is then repeated.

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CNC Milled Relief Maps Documenting the lesson Relief map from an image

Step 1: To ensure better workflow, the script starts with Image Sampler component, as the chosen image describes dimensions for the point grid.

Image Sampler solves color codes. Color components such as ARGB or HSL allow to translate the code into the list of numbers that descrive that color.

Step 2: A new domain is set for each axis to match the image. A number of points withing that range defines mapping resolution, as the density increases. Each of the points from the grid is sampled trough image sampler.

Step 4: A surface is created through new points. Math addition is used to ger the u values as when the value for resolution was plugged into Range of a point grid, it created an additional value. For better visualisation, the surface is colored using Custom Preview.

Step 3: Color values are then remapped to the new domain that describes the height to which points are elevated. It can be the set to satisfy CNC maximum depth value.

X and Y axis describe a domain for coordinates that image sampler takes and allows grasshopper to read their color values. For this reason, the domain is changed to image size to fit the aspect ratio and pixel dimension.

Point grid to match image size

Step 4: To get the full range of colors from the image mapped onto a 3d geometry, a mesh is created.

Delaunay Mesh component uses points to create triangulated faces.

Custom preview of surface from points

Changing resolution value to a very high number may slower the process. It is good idea to type a number instead of dragging the slider.

Color dot created for each point in the grid

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Delaunay mesh sprayed with color values

An image of reaction diffusion pattern used to create a relief map. Here the list of colors consists of either 0 or 255 values, which represent white or black respectively.

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CNC Milled Relief Maps Documenting the lesson Relief map from a curve

Curve Closest Point finds the closest point in the grid to each line referenced from Rhino workspace. The list of points is flattened first to get rid of the data structure and then grafted to find a distance for each point. Values are sorted in a numerical order using Sort component.

Number are then remapped again from color to height values. The last ones are used as a factor to move points in Z direction.

As points are moved according to how close they are to the curve, relief is created with an outline of the original line. Custom preview can be useful to distinguish the surface from the rest of geometry.

Distance to a closest curve is extracted from the list.

The number of steps in a range of numbers defines how sharp the final surface will be.

Higher number will slower the process, so for this scripit it is useful to turn on â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Only draw preview geomtery for selected objectsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;.

Referenced curve from Rhino to fit within point grid

Distance between the gridpoint and the curve determines what color that point is. To find that, distance values are remapped to color values, wherev 0 is white and 255 is black.

Referenced curve from Rhino to fit within the point grid

Grid of dots coloured according to the assigned color code for each point

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Remapping distances from Crv CP to color values before heights was not necessary to create a desired geometry. The step was done do produce a color map with dots for better understanding.

Final relief surface without custom preview

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CNC Milled Relief Maps Further explorations CNC model

CNC (Computer Numerical Control) milling is a reductive manifucturing process that allows creating very complex 3-dimensional structures. It is the opposite process to 3D printing and therefore most machine have difuculties producing complex undercuts. Fabrication laboratory in University of Westminster only has machines that operates in X, Y and Z axis, meaning no undercuts are possible on them at all. The tools (drill bits) vary in diameter and roughness.

Bounding box

Files for CNC milling need to be prepared in a specific way. The preparation process for my model included: Step 1: Creating a surface using grasshopper script for relief maps from a curve. Ensuring the dimensions fit within the machine specific limitations. It was not necessery to have a solid model, a top surface is enough to proceed with the process.

Step 2: Placing a model at the bottom left corber of a CNC template created by FabLab. Placing elements on correct layers and drawing a 2D bounding box around the geomtery.

Step 3: CNC machines work of toolpaths that are generated by RhinoCAM plugin. In this step the correct parameters were set fot the plugin to work correctly.

This included: machine and material choice, model dimensions and setting up of machine operations.

There are normally at lest 3 operations for each 3D program: roughing, finishing and fine finishing.

Roughing removes extra material fast, while finishing and fine finishing are slower and complete finer details using drill bits of a smaller diameter. Bounding box created in previous step works as a vector within which all operations are completed. All vectors are previewed in Rhino model space.

CNC machine operation principle

Roland Modela MDX-40 that was used to produce a model

Anemone produced pattern

Relief model in Rhino on CNC template

University of Westminster Laboratoty offers two machines for small/medium models: Roland SRM-20s and Roland Modela MDX-40. The first one requires a code to be generated for each operation separetely and drill bits to be changed manually after each operation is complete. The second one works much faster, reads all codes together and changes tools. I used the latter one to produce my surface out of blue foam. My modelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dimensions were 150 x 150 x 30 mm and it took approximetally 30 minutes to manifucture.

Due to the angular nature of my surface geometry, final model looked very simular to the digital model. I have found through testing that it is really hard to CNC <90° angles, as even the smallest drill bit has a round shape. My attempt to create a puzzle joint out of soft Balsa wood failed beacause of that reason.

Roughing operation

Finishing operation

Step 4: A material is stuck to the machine bed using double-sided tape, as machine tools may move it during the process. A code generated from RhinoCAM is imported into a software for CNC machines in the order that was mentioned in Step 3. v Puzzle joint failed to be CNC manifuctured

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Final CNC model out of blue foam â&#x2030;&#x2C6; 150 x 150 x 30 mm

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PART 2 STUDIO INTERGRATION

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Studio Integration

Script 1 My main studio integration focus was to try understand the digital geometry that was generated to some extent by a grasshopper error. That, in fact, became a reason for it to be called Error 101, as a metaphor to how digital productions can teach us to believe in our mistakes and learn from them.

Step 2: Each face was then evaluated with a mid point using an MD slider.

Line SDL perpendicular to each face was drawn to a specified distance.

Unrolled surface of ribbons

Visualisation of Error 101

Step 3: A normal loft was created between all lines, which resulted in a pretty messy geometry. I tried CullPattern component to extract a sequence of lines.

The shape was generated as a result of tests and experemnintations with Fracturehopper plugin found on Food4Rhino website that allowed generating 3D visualisation of some of the fractal geometries. One of these geometries was a Koch tetrahedron. That is a simular idea with the Koch vcurve generated in lesson 5, but in 3-dimensional space.

Step 1: 3d itteration of Koch tetrahedron was created using the plugin.

3D printed geometry

WStep 4: I then created a new line SDL from the end points of a previos line to achieve a volume with a void inside and to have all ribbons of the same thickness.

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To further investigate the shape and be able to rationalise it, I unrolled the surface of the loft to see whether it would make a straight line. A result was a pretty chaotic curved strip. As Rhino controls the approximation of developable surface when unrolling, it is hard to tell what exactly led to this result. However, it is clear the the ribbon has a wavy pattern across the whole legnth.

Printing a 3D model on a poweder printer was also benefitial.

It could now be seen that all curves still resemble a shape of a pyramid. Moreover, on each side of the pyramid ribbons bend in 3d and that is what makes it beautiful.

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Studio Integration

In order to test the last outcome, I have generated a series of dgital test, in which I populate sides of a pyramid with random points and then lofted between lines SDL drawn from them.

Next I decided to turn to physical modelling. I understood that if i generated a grid that will form the shape of a pyramid I can attach ribs to it that will guide the ribbon.

I also decided to make the ribs extend in such way that when divided in 3 parts each part would be eqaul to the thickness of the strip. This way I could have that 3-dimensional movement of a curve that I could control dependending on how close I attach the strip to the grid.

There have been certain issues associted with this method. First of all, to create my grid I have used region slits component, which resulted slots for the grid not aligning correctly. As I have not noticed that before laser cuttig the model, I had to saw certain parts of the structure to finish the assmebly. Surprosingly, it was holding extremely well. Secondly, using a grid shell most definetally was not giving the right visual impression and was sort of ruining the concept of climbing the curve.

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Studio Integration

Script 2 My next step was to try and use grasshopper data structure to understant how certain loops and curves can be created.

From my test with polyproperene strips I found the most structural ‘curves’ and decided to replicate them in GH.

I figured out how tha pattern could fit the rectangular grid and listem the right items to create a polulynie through them.

For the first fold, I wanted to increase the loop radius the higher it want to create line that looked inclined like a side of a pyramid.

I then tried to produce a series physical model, but which to some extend can be called failed. They were not structure, nor visually satisfying to me. To bend plywood for the model in top right corber I have used a pattern cut that made it really flexible, but also made it lose it’s strength.

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Studio Integration

Script 3 Combining all the acquired ideas, I went on to try a new way of simpolifying and rationalising the structure.

First of all, In order to make a continius strip, there must be straight segemnents in geomtery approximetally 200 mm wide. I thought that if I create ribs, simular to those in the physical model with a grid shell, that are 200 mm wide and make the geometry go through them and therefore solve the issue with connections.

Secondly, for the structure to be stable I need to make an approximate 50/50 ratio of vertical vs horizontal curves, where vertical standing elements would be load bearing for the structure.

Thirdly, relaistic realization of the structure would be far too complex if every side is differnet. I have simplified that and made all 3 sides identiacal.

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Studio Integration Kangaroo simulation Script 4

In parallels with my main interst I was interested in origami patterns and wanted to experiment with Kangaroo possibilities to see how that could apply to my work.

Undestanding the pattern

Physical

Grasshopper script

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References and Bibliography

Books and Articles Desginbooom (2018). ADAAA reconsiders the tensile vault with interlocking ‘catenary compression’. Availible from: https://www.designboom.com/architecture/nadaaa-catenary-compression-the-tensile-vault-reconsidered-04-28-2016/ Fabrication Laboratory (2018). HOW TO PREPARE 3D RHINO CAM FILE FOR PETER, BERNARD, REM AND NORMAN v 17.2. Avalible from: http://fabricationlab.london/processes/cnc-machining/ Howarth, D. (2017). Generative design software will give designers “superpowers”. Dezeen. Availible from: https://www. dezeen.com/2017/02/06/generative-design-software-will-give-designers-superpowers-autodesk-university/ MIT Media Lab (2018). Water-based Digital Fabrication Platform. Availible from http://matter.media.mit.edu/ environments/details/water-based-digital-fabrication-platform/ Tedeschi, A., Andreani, S. and Wirz, F. (2016). AAD_Algorithms-Aided Design. Brienza: Le Penseur Publisher.

Neri Oxman (2018). Mushtari. Availible from: http://www.materialecology.com/projects/details/mushtari Nervous System Inc. (2018). Data-driven midsoles with New Balance. https://n-e-r-v-o-u-s.com/projects/albums/newbalance-midsoles/ Rahimzadeh, K. (2018). Comparison of vault variables. Digital catenary vaults.

Weston, R. (2011). 100 ideas that changed architecture. London: Laurence King. Available from: https://login.ezproxy. westminster.ac.uk/login?url=https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/lkingitca/vault/0?institutionId=1703

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