AA Int13 2016/17_DENDRIFORM SCAFFOLDS

DENDRIFORM SCAFFOLDS TRANSFORMABLE MATTER

AA Intermediate 13 ALLISTER LAW

Tought by Soomeen Hahm

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Material & Generative Experimentation

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Site Research, Contexts, & References

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Architectural Proposal

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Material & Generative Experimentation

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1.1 Initial Studies of Material and Form Loosely inspired by the lightweight 3D printed supports shown on the previous page, I began to explore branching forms through polygonal modelling. A few of these were 3D printed to test their performance, and to get a sense of the physical quirks of the 3D printing process.

I wondered if there might be an algorithmic method to generate similar kinds of structures, and I began to test out a few simple ideas, as well as experiment with off the shelf 3D printing software and their automatically generated branching support structures.

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Random Point Sorting

FlashForge FlashPrint

Autodesk MeshMixer

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Input Surface Geometry

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2.

Populate Points

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Define Origin

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Generate Proximity Map

1.2 Generative Branches - Shortest Walk

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Calculate Shortest Paths

The shortest walk algorithm, when used to compute the paths from a single point to many points, produces a pattern that appears to be somewhat similar to leaf venation or branching structures. When combined with freeform input surfaces (as opposed to running the algorithm on a flat surface), interestering results can arise.

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1.2 Generative Branches - Reaction Diffusion The reaction diffusion algorithm simulates the concentrations of two particles as they move across a region and interact with each other. An array of different patterns can be produced by varying the parameters of the algorithm. When the frames are extruded along the Z-axis according to time, under certain conditions, branching structures can emerge.

F 0.030 K 0.058

F 0.030 K 0.061

F 0.022 K 0.051

F 0.023 K 0.051

F 0.025 K 0.011

F 0.049 K 0.058

du 0.20 dt 0.10

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du 0.20 dt 0.10

du 0.20 dt 0.10

du 0.20 dt 0.10

du 0.20 dt 0.10

du 0.20 dt 0.10

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Generation 0 0 Divisions 1 Endpoint 10

Generation 1 1 Divisions 4 Endpoints

Generation 2 2 Divisions 12 Endpoints

Generation 3 3 Division 36 Endpoint

G

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Generation 4 4 Divisions 108 Endpoint

1.2 Generative Branches - L Systems L-Systems are based on fractal geometries. By recursively dividing ever smaller portions of a line into multiple segments, dense branching structures can arise.

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1.3 Furniture Scale - L System Branching Various iterations attempting to bring the branching produced by L System into a furniture scale.

Patterns on the seat and table surface are not decorative, but rather derived as a by-product of the L System recursive subdivision.

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Diagrid

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Hexagonal

Quadrangulated

Triangulated

1.4 3D Printed Mesh + Expanding Foam I began by testing out different types of mesh grids to see what effect this had on constraining the expansion of the foam. When fully cured, the foam inside the mesh becomes a single continuous piece, allowing multiple pieces of mesh to be joined without adhesive.

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Immediately After Fully Cured Foam: 1 sec @ 3 points Mass: 24g Overflow:15mm

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Foam: 2 sec @ 3 points Mass: 29g Overflow: 20mm

Foam: 3 sec @ 3 points Mass: 35g Overflow: 25mm

Foa Ma Ove

1.5 Foam Expansion - Mass In the previous set of tests, there was often a high degree of spil-over of foam out from the mesh openings, resulting in a messy appearance and lessened design control over the overal shape. Notably, even after it is injected, the foam continues to slowly expand for more than an hour, and only stops expanding just as it solidifies fully. Therefore, a series of tests are needed which tests diffferent amounts of foam injected, and the corresponding fully expanded result.

Foam: 4 sec @ 3 points Mass: 41g Overflow: 30mm

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1.6 Variable Mesh Profile Explorations with meshes that have continuously changing cross sections, as opposed to the cylindrical shape of preceeding experiments. As the mesh grid expands and contracts, interesting textures arise.

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Generative Form

Raw Mesh

Mesh Retopography

1.8 Revisiting Generative Tools Given the large flexibility that a foam filled mesh posesses, I returned to some of my earlier experiments with generative tools, in order to help me find form. Due to the nature of my material system, it was appropriate to further explore the reaction diffusion method, as it produced thick voluminous branches which could be converted to a mesh to contain the expanding foam.

To 3D Printer

Divide into Sections

dA= 1.0 dB= 0.5 TimeStep= 1500

Grid Size= 250 x 250 IsoValue= 0.6

f=0.014

f=0.013

f=0.012

f=0.011

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f=0.010

k=0.054

k=0.048

k=0.049

k=0.050

k=0.051

k=0.052

k=0.053

k=0.054

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Site Research, Contexts, & References

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United Kingdom

Regent’s Canal. London

2.1 The Site I have selected a site in London which has interested me for some time now. It is located on the north-east end of Regent’s canal, in an area populated by old warehouses. The canal and its towpath, once a utilitarian infrastructure used to transport good to and from London, has long been repurposed as a civic leisure space. It weaves through the urban fabric, between parks, homes, warhouses, shops, a thin strip of totally public space in a city which nowadays has even less and less of it.

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100m

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2.2 Site Analysis La

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Site

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On this page are analyses of the chosen site, as seen through a variety of factors.

Charted here are the site’s relationship to nearby urban infrastructure and landmarks. as well as the site’s relationship to key circulatory routes and traffic/activity conditions.

Activity Level

Connectivity

Region of Moderate Activity

Parks

Region of Low Activity

Primary Circulation Secondary Circulation

Land Use

Residential

Traffic Sources

Traffic Sources

Warehouse Vacant

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2.3 Proposed Programme and References Given the context of the site, it seemed ideal that the proposed project was somehow communitydriven in nature. I was interested in the idea of a hackspace/makerspace, a well-equipped workshop that is open to anyone to join, that is sustained using a subscription-based model.

Here, anyone is free to use the equipment to pursue their own projects, establishing a shared space for the incubation and creation of ideas.

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Claremont Makerspace New Hampshire USA

Watertown Hackerspace Connecticut USA

TechShop Austin Texas USA

The Manufactory Cincinnati USA

Prishtina Hackerspace Kosovo

Hackney Hackspace London UK

MyShop Makerspace Ontario Canada

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Claremont Makerspace New Hampshire USA

Watertown Hackerspace Connecticut USA

TechShop Austin Texas USA

The Manufactory Cincinnati USA

Prishtina Hackerspace Kosovo

Hackney Hackspace London UK

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2.3 Proposed Programme and References Here we can see the program distribution of the different hackspaces in our case study.

It is notable that London’s existing hackspace is among the smaller-sized ones in relation to hackspaces globally. Perhaps the project can propose a new extention for London’s hackspace at the chosen site.

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udy. ation ’s

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30m

30m

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2.4 Testing Architectural-Scale Applications of the Material System The following pages detail various experiments in attempting to apply the material system designed in chapter 1 at an architectural scale. Of interest is how it is used, whether as columns, as walls, as facade, how it is further manipulated to achieve particular spatial qualities; as well as its relationship in terms of scale to floor heights and to the human figure. For practicality, these tests have been limited to an area of 30 x 30m, rather than the entire site.

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Architectural Proposal

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3.1 Potential Spatial Strategies Of the various experiments, I found these the most interesting, in particular, the way the branches wrap around and enclose volumes and spaces, functioning both as support and as spatial device. In the left model, by elevating the main part of the space above the ground, a secondary sheltered area underneath the balloon is created. When these are aggregated, a sheltered space that is loosely defined and totally contiunous with the surroundings is created.

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d and main e are d.

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