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Research Cluster 6, 2014 - 2015 Graduate Architectural Design

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The Bartlett School of Architecture

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RESEARCH CLUSTER 6, 2014-2015

DANIEL WIDRIG, SOOMEEN HAHM, STEFAN BASSING

// I-Ting Tsai, Somdatta Majumdar, Xixi Zheng, Yiru Yun.

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CONTENTS

CHAPTER I : Introduction > > > -

Project Discription

> Fast Production - Laser Cutting & Sewing Machine - Layering Fabric

Design Language Studies

> -

References Material Research Initial Studies

Slits Tubes Seams Combine Language

Pattern Studies

Pattern Variations Boundary Variations

CHAPTER II : Prototypes Designing -

CHAPTER IV : Scale Up

Spider Chair Octopus Chair Skull Stool Alien Chair Lamp Horn Stool Evil Creature Jackstraw Chair Annabelle Angel Chair Gardern

Material Testing

Foam Concrete Canvas Resin

CHAPTER V : Design Development > > -

Component Development

Interlocking Column Bashing Catwalk

Digital Design Studies

Generative form finding

CHAPTER VI : Design Development -

Final Chair Church Intervention

CHAPTER III : Connection For Aggregation -

Giger Calimari Temple Hulk The Column

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Chapter 1： Project Introduction

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PROJECT DESCRIPTION Fa. BRICK ARCHITECTURE

I-Ting Tsai, Somdatta Majumdar, Xixi Zheng, Yiru Yun.

Inspired by the dramatic advances within the field of textile and fashion design, the project investigates in the correlation between the development of a new material craft and the architectural practice of design and fabrication. The zeitgeist of architecture we are living in today, needs easy and quick methods of designing and developing the space. Couture Architecture Project wants to introduce a new genre of architecture which has the potentiality of changing the way fabric in architecture is perceived. Couture Architecture project begins by considering the potential of implementing soft fluid spaces in architecture by rethinking the wider implications of textile in space creation.

Fabric is viewed as a material which is flat and two dimensional and thus till recent times, it is being used in architecture as a surface sheet as roofing material. However the material is not fully exploited with the variety of different techniques and interesting processes it has to offer. The research overviews the journey of this versatile material which has been long and the potential of it still unexplored in many dimensions. The research will lead to developing one aspect out of the many, which is to develop form and structure from a two dimensional sheet to a three dimensional object just by stitching.

The research aims at highlighting the technique of designing fabric to become the new brick, the new concrete in invention of architecture. With the process

of fabric construction, we would build softer spaces, faster and lighter and more efficiently.Fascination with the versatility of fabric has been there throughout the history of mankind. Being used for basic utility of cloth to shelter, to that idea being developed by the years to perform different uses by changing its characteristics. Fluidity and the smooth transition of curves is difficult to interpret with a rigid material.

Fabric flows to transform into soft ethereal spaces in architecture easily if it is made to behave in a certain manner. Using this as an advantage, the proposal is to investigate the complexities the material can overcome in architectural scenario. Architecture today is very demanding of time and fabric construction could be the next alternative answer to the fast and easy construction needs. The idea of the project is to make structural skin. Structural skin which combine the surface and structural design- the skin and bone- have been recently developed by architecture designers. This idea of the faรงade and structure being merged leads to new possibilities in design. Couture architecture project investigates in establishing a fabrication process for fabric designing in architecture. Linking the topics of fabric in fashion, architecture and the new materiality characteristics add up in the design and development process of fabrication and digital exploration to create a new typology of fabric architecture.

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References | Manipulation

Img.1

Img.2

[ Stitching. 2D to 3D. ] The potential of fabric being used to create complex patterns and using different techniques forming interesting patterns with the fabric can be quite interesting. How stitching and pleating can be used to define the fabric form.

Image 1. Folding Fabric by Anne Kuiro Image 2. Detail of a dress by Yohji Yamamoto Image 3. Dress by Sian Dorman

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Img.3

Img.1

Img.2

Img.3

[ Casting. ]

Img.4 The initial approach was to become familiar with the material and use its qualities to research its potential. Fabric is flexible, and can be stitched after layering. It not only has the potential to be a skin in architecture but also structural after casting.

Image 1. Motion Forms by Richard Sweeney Image 2. Synthetic Grain by Projectione LLC Image 3. Biopiracy by Iris Van Herpen Image 4. Concrete Cloth chair by Jakub Kuba 7

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[ Material Research. ] Characteristics of fabric change from one to the other. We chose 7 different types of fabric with different characteristics. The qualities of each can be seen in the pictures.While deciding the type of fabric that has potential to be be used in different types of designs with fabric, we had to analyse the patterns it forms while using different fabric deformation techniques.

The test of permeability was done to to understand how it withstands to different natural conditions like humidity. Also how much the hardening material would get absorbed by the fabric and how heavy the fabric gets after absorbtion.

> M at e r i a l S t u d i e s > F a b r i c P at t e r n s > D i g i ta l S i m u l at i o n

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Material Study | Properties

V

Fabric

Sample A

Sample B

Sample C

Spacer

Felt

Spacer

Sample A

Sample B

Sample C

Spacer

Felt

Spacer

Thickness Softness Shaping Elasticity Permeability

V

Thickness

Thick 10

Sample D

Sample E

Sample F

Sample G

Felt

Felt

Stalking

Chiffon

Sample D

Sample E

Sample F

Sample G

Felt

Felt

Stalking

Chiffon

Thin 11

Material Study | Properties

V

V

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Softness

Sample A

Sample B

Sample C

Spacer

Felt

Spacer

Shaping

Sample A

Sample B

Sample C

Spacer

Felt

Spacer

Sample D

Sample E

Sample F

Sample G

Felt

Felt

Stalking

Chiffon

Sample D

Sample E

Sample F

Sample G

Felt

Felt

Stalking

Chiffon

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Material Study | Properties

V

V

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Permeability

Sample A

Sample B

Sample C

Spacer

Felt

Spacer

Elasticity

Sample A

Sample B

Sample C

Spacer

Felt

Spacer

Sample D

Sample E

Sample F

Sample G

Felt

Felt

Stalking

Chiffon

Sample D

Sample E

Sample F

Sample G

Felt

Felt

Stalking

Chiffon

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[ Initial Studies. ] Understanding the material behavior is a must to proceed with the project. `To Do this firstly we need to understand the essential tools needed for our fabrication process. Taking the most easily available everyday tools experiments were conducted to understand the material behavior changes in the fabric after the stitching. different experiments were done with different fabrics and textures to see the changes in the form after the stitching patterns. Not only were there different fabrics experimented with, but also stitching pattern.

> Set Up Tools > Fabric Potential

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Set Up Tools | Manipulation

[ Wire guiding the form for the stitched elastic fabric. ]

With the simple setup and easily available everyday objects, the basic craft of stitching is evolved to create the complex forms. Fabric, scissors , needle and thread are needed to create the seams and tubular language to make the fabric three dimensional. Developing techniques from dress-making and implimenting the same technique to create three dimensional space is the challenge of this research.

[ Design Potential. ] Different fabrics with different techniques give us an idea how they behave to stitching patterns. Here the investigation is made to see the pottential of fabric as a perspective architectural material which not only creates a surface to create tent like structures, but to become a wholistic design material which creates the space by becoming an integral part of the structural part also.

Manipulation of fabric when it had a flexible support inside it. The fabric could be bent, twisted and could also stand up. This made the possibility of changing the shape of each strand and creating intertwining form. Stitching was done to combine the strands at various points. After using plaster to harden the whole form, the commplete form acts like a homogeneous prototype. This was one of the initial trials of hardening fabric and seeing the potential it.

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fabric

scissors

needle

thread

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Fabric Potential | Elasticity

[ Wire guiding the form for the stitched elastic fabric. ] As one of the initial exeriments, the tensile elastic fabric was used as a tensile material between wires and stretched to create forms with voids and looped. The wires are interlooped to each other and then the fabric is enveloped on top of it as as shown in the diagrams. When both the fabrics are stitched to one another, after being intertwined the void is created because of the tension of the fabric and wire together.This is similar to the now a days tensile structures we see in architecture. Since the fabrics behavior was manipulated by the wires action, the fabric lost its original characteristics.

Flexible wire looped

Inserting elastic fabric tube

Both wire intertwined

Elastic fabric tube inserted

Steady points to

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Both ends of elastic tube stretched

Stitching points on both ends of fabric determined

Stitching points on wire determined

Stitching all points

Gaps between fabric due to tension of fabric

Stitching both ends at center of wire loops

Stitched fabric can be manipulated by moving wire

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Fabric Potential | Shaping

[ Wire mesh surface. ] Here a layer of wire mesh is sandwiched between two layers of fabrics. As seen in the diagram, the stitching line is shown to create this peice. The fabric is manipulated by the wire mesh and gets the strength the withstand gravity to stand by itself. The wire is the supporting element in this prototype and the fabric again looses its characteristics and fluidity in this process. To give the fabric the main importance in the project several such experiments were conducted to disciver the fabrics potential.

Felt fabric

Wire mesh

Felt fabric

Diagram explains how wire mesh is sandwiched between two layers of fabric

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[ Mesh Shell. ] Wire strings were inserted inside the fabric at intervals and stitched inside the seams. This gave better stability to the prototype and the wire bended and twisted in the way shown in the diagram due to the parallel layout of the wires in the fabric. When two of the same prototype were attached to each other, they created the flowy forms which were more stable. But still the wire was the guiding force for the fabrics behavior. For the final design proposal of the project, this concept of introducing wires inside the seams is considered to give further stability to large scale development.

Part A

Fabric with wire lines

Part B

twisting motion of fabric

Part A+B

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Fabric Potential | Component Aggregation

[ Folding and stitching fabric to create component. ]

Layer 1:

Layer 2-3:

Layer 4:

Layering 2&3

Layering 1&4

Layering all

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[ Folding and stitching fabric to create component. ] This prototype shows the component to component development.

Each component was created by folding and stitching fabric peices as shown in the diagrams. Folding and stitching creates three dimensional forms which have a volume on their own. When arranged together according to the size heirarchy and twisted, they form a three dimensional spacial object. This idea is used in developed in the final component aggregation.

^

^

Component aggregation with wire twist

^

Component aggregation withheirarchy of sizes

^

^

Component of fabric

Component aggregation with wire looped

Component aggregation with wire deformation

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Fabric Potential | Folding And Stitching

[ Gathering the folds to strengthen the edges. ] Taking similar cut peices of fabric and stitching them together gave a volumetric form, but again this would become a surface language and not a wholistic way the fabric becomes the integrated structural part of the structure.

Stitching pattern- Plan

Stitching pattern- Elevation

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Stitching pattern stretched- Plan

Stitching pattern compressed- Plan

Stitching pattern stretched- Elevation

Stitching pattern compressed- Plan

[ Column Standing. ] Creating tubular patterns after cutting the fabric gave it structural strength to stand against the gravity.

This idea is further developed to create complex fabric forms with structural potential

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Fabric Potential | Strand Bending

[ Controling the form with external object. ]

Stitching Patterns

Stitching pattern creases- Plan

Stitching points

Stitching points

Pleating the fabric gave the fabric some charachter and compexity. But since the fabric was stitched only at the points shown in the diagram, the fabric had no strength and had to be attached to the frame to get a form The fabric was only a surface entity and had no depth or spacial quaity. It would act like a surface membrane in architecture scenario, but we wanted to push the fabrics potential to not only act as a supported material but also the supporting material.

Stitching pattern creases- Plan

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Stitching points

[ Addition of wire inside thick fabric to control structure. ]

Part 1.

Part 2.

Part 3.

Fa b r i c s t i t c h e d a t common point to add strength.

Fabric stitched at common point to add strength.

Fabric connecting the center of object to add support

Part 4.

Part 5.

Part6.

[ Controling the form with external object. ]

Tr a n s f o r m e d a f t e r manipulation

Tr a n s f o r m e d a f t e r manipulation

Stitching points of object

Manipulation of fabric when it had a flexible support inside it. The fabric could be bent, twisted and could also stand up. This made the possibility of changing the shape of each strand and creating intertwining form. Stitching was dont to combine the strands at various points.

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[ Design Studies _ Exploring Design Language. ] After understanding the general fabric behavior to stitching, a technique was discovered where we could make the fabric self supporting and make the fabric stand on it own against the gravity.

This technique was quite different and interesting. Thus many experiments were done creating different chairs, columns and tables where different languages are explored within the basic parameters.

All the different languages give completely different reslts giving a large library of languages and component aggregation ideas which will be folled in the final design.

> Language Overview > Exploring Design Languages

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Overview | Languages

Sl i t

Web

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Tube

S eam

Cut

Ribbon

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Design Language 1ďźš

Slits

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Linear Cutout | Slit, Cut, and Ribbon

[

Thickness of the cuts.

]

[

Slit language

]

Instead of cutting holes in the two dimensional pattern, we experimented with creating slits in the holes. This would look like a cut surface in two dimensional sheet, but once the fabric is folded and looped to create the objects, the slits transform into fluid curvatures enhancing the fabrics material behavior.

^

Stitching pattern 1

^

Stitching pattern 2

Instead of cutting holes in the two dimensional pattern, we experimented with creating slits in the holes. This would look like a cut surface in two dimensional sheet, but once the fabric is folded and looped to create the objects, the slits transform into fluid curvatures enhancing the fabrics material behavior.

This would look like a cut surface in two dimensional sheet, but once the fabric is folded and looped to create the objects, the slits transform into fluid curvatures enhancing the fabrics material behavior.

^ [

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Different Angles of the Cuts

Stitch deformation 1

^

Stitch deformation 2

]

^

Stitching pattern 3

^

Stitching pattern 4

^

Stitch deformation 3

^

Stitch deformation 4

^

Linear cuts pattern

^

Linear cuts with geometric patterns

Stitching Simulation | Digital Stitching Experiment

[

Research to control the form while designing.

]

Experiments with deformation with minimum stitches.

Different boundary conditions and single punctures

Two dimensional patterns to check the instances of modification when simulated with the stiching process

V

Two dimensional pattern to check the modification when simulated with stitching process

V

Stitch lines that decide the change in the form of fabric and resemble fabric behavior.

[ Slits in fabric create different patterns when stitched. ]

V

2d pattern with the slits in different positions of the fabric

V

Stitching lines that manipulate the form deformation

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Design Language 2：

Tubes

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D'

'

B'

B

Fabric Potential | Structured Complexity

^ Stitch line 1

^ Stitch line 2

^ Stitch line 3

D

CC

A'

^ Making cut patterns on the fabric

points A-A' and ^ Stitching points ^ Stitching B-B' to form tube

C-C' and D-D' to form loop

^ Stitching one line from end to end

^ Stitching the adjacent corners to form a tube

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[ Two dimentional to three dimentional. ]

2 C

G

G F'

H

1

H E

FE

C'

The initial model of converting two dimentional fabric to three dimensional structure is shown in a few steps. Once stitched along the three stitching line, The fabric becomes strong as it forms legs and nodes. These allow the fabric to stand up against gravity. Once looped it gets the support from the other connecting legs and seems more balanced.

1'

D

D' 2'

'

The tube stucture of the fabric is then looped and intertwined as shown in the diagrams to create a complex structure. This was the first model where the fabric didn't act like a surface but could also act like a structural peice by self supporting itself.

^ Loop with stitched points C-C' and D-D'

^ Section through 1-1' and 22'

^ Stitching

After various tests of the previous mentioned fabric sewing and pattern techniques, it was noticed that one of the experiments had a good potential to be developed into an interesting proposal.

Some basic steps of determining the cut pattern, cutting holes in the fabric, stitching the space between the holes as tubes, the fabric started behaving sturdier and seemed to have some rigidity.

Once this still two dimensional sheet would be looped and inter twined and stitched, the fabric’s behavior changed from a floppy two dimensional object to a three dimensional mesh which had a volume and was sturdy enough to stand on its own against gravity.

Using simple steps of fabrication we could achieve a complex three-dimensional prototype from a two dimensional sheet of fabric. The other experiment’s outcomes defined the investigation on how different two dimensional patterns of seams would lead to different bends in the surface of the fabric, eventually creating interesting volumetric prototypes.

^ Looping and stitching to create the form

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Cut Pattern Analysis | Reaction To Stitching

[ The alignment of cut pattern in relation with the number. ] The arrangement and number of cuts has different effects after stitched. The same shape when made in diagonal allignment with respect to the square cloth gives a different result when the same pattern is alligned along the sides of the cloth. We can decipher the possibilities the same cut patterns can create when changed in number or angle.

Strength Arms Thickness Direction Effect

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Stitch connection 1- Before stitching

Stitch connection 2- Before stitching

Stitch connection 3- Before stitching

Stitch connection 4- Before stitching

Stitch connection 1- After stitching

Stitch connection 2- After stitching

Stitch connection 3- After stitching

Stitch connection 4- After stitching

Thin arms Not strong enough After folding

THI THI NO O N A FT FT A

Stitch connection 1- Before stitching

Stitch connection 1- After stitching

Stitch connection 1- Elevation

THI THI STR STR A FT FT A

Thick arms Strong After folding

Stitch connection 2- Before stitching

Stitch connection 2- After stitching

Stitch connection 2- Elevation

Thick arms Rolling Strong enough After folding

THI THI ROL ROL STR STR A FT FT A

Stitch connection 3- Before stitching

Stitch connection 3- After stitching

Stitch connection 3- Stitching strength

Stitch connection 3- Elevation

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Fabric Potential | Analysis

Image 1.

Image 2.

[ Stitching to change fabrics characteristic of reacting to gravity. ]

Image1. A soft and flexible fabric plane.

Image 2. Add strength onto one point of the fabric surface.

Image 3. The point will mould the fabirc by giving it a supple power.

Image 4. If we add a line of point onto the surface of the cloth and use thread wrap it over.

Image 5. The fabic have a stripe-shape with not enough strength.

Image 3.

Image 6. Add the line of point inside of the fabic.

Image 7. Use thread to connect each point.

Image 8. Stiching technic.

Image 9. A fabric stick is produced with enough strength.

Image 4.

Image 5.

Image 6.

Image 7.

Image 8.

Image 9.

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[ Research to guide the number of legs around the cut pattern while designing. ]

Observing the legs formed due to stitching is one of the important points. As this determines the flexibility and stability of the legs to stand and form the 3D object. The more number of legs, the more the node has the strength to move away from gravity.

Understand the deformations with different cut patterns and how they react to differerent stitching patterns was important to understand which pattern needs to be drawn in two dimention sheet. Analysing the fabric and stitching pattern to understand the deformation is very important. The diagrams on the left page show how the strength of the fabric is increases by stitching in a certain wat. The stability of the fabric is increased and the bending behavior of the fabric becomes more rigid.After analysing the differences, we can understand the the bending of the fabric and the direction it naturally folds towards. This gives us better knowledge of using these forms in particular defined areas of the 2D sheet to get a particular end product in 3D.

Circle

Cut pattern 1

Stitch around 1

Stitch lines 1

Bending action 1

Cut pattern deformation 1

Cut pattern 2

Stitch around 2

Stitch lines 2

Bending action 2

Cut pattern deformation 2

Cut pattern 3

Stitch around 3

Stitch lines

Bending action 3

Cut pattern deformation 3

Cut pattern

Stitch around

Stitch lines

Bending action 4

Square

Rectangle

Triangle Cut pattern deformation 4

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Arm Analysis And Nodes | Strength Research

Strength Stability Flexibility

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Tube connection 1- Before stitch

Tube connection 2- Before stitch

Tube connection 3- Before stitch

Tube connection 4- Before stitch

Tube connection 1- After stitch

Tube connection2- After stitch

Tube connection 3- After stitch

Tube connection 4- After stitch

Tube connection 5- Before stitch

Tube connection 6- Before stitch

Tube connection 7- Before stitch

Tube connection 5- After stitch

Tube connection 6- After stitch

Tube connection 7- After stitch

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Stitching Simulation | Digital Stitching Experiment

[ Single circular puncture. ]

^ Cut pattern 1

Pattern 1Straight stitch

^ Cut pattern 2

Pattern 2Straight stitch

Pattern 3Straight stitch

Pattern 4Straight stitch

Pattern 1Pattern 2Straight deformation Straight deformation

Pattern 3Straight deformation

Pattern 4Straight deformation

^ Cut pattern 3

Pattern 1Diagonal stitch

Pattern 3Diagonal stitch

Pattern 4Diagonal stitch

^ Cut pattern 4

Pattern 1Pattern 2Pattern 3Pattern 4Diagonal deformation Diagonal deformation Diagonal deformation Diagonal deformation

Pattern 2Diagonal stitch

[ Doublecircular puncture. ]

^ Cut pattern 5

Pattern 5Straight stitch

Pattern 6Straight stitch

Pattern 7Straight stitch

^ Cut pattern 6

Pattern 5Straight deformation

Pattern 6Straight deformation

Pattern 7Pattern 8Straight deformation Straight deformation

Pattern 5Diagonal stitch

Pattern 6Diagonal stitch

Pattern 8Straight stitch

Pattern 9Straight stitch

Pattern 9Straight deformation

^ Cut pattern 7

^ Cut pattern 8

^ Cut pattern 9

Pattern 7Diagonal stitch

Pattern 8Diagonal stitch

Pattern 5Pattern 6Pattern 7Pattern 8Diagonal deformation Diagonal deformation Diagonal deformation Diagonal deformation

Pattern 9Diagonal stitch

Pattern 9Diagonal deformation

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Fabrication | Tube Languages

[ Prototype 2 : Tubes & Holes ] The pictures indicated how the two dimension sheet of fabric is transformed into the three dimensional object in some simple procedures.

Once we deside the pattern on the sheet, we make the cutouts. Stitching the spces between the holes, creates the tubes which support the fabric structure. After looping and intertwining while folding, the structure can self support itself.

^ Two dimensional pattern

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^ Thrre dimensional prototype

Stage 1

Stage 2

Stage 3

Stage 4

Stage 5

Stage 6

Stage 7

Stage 8

Stage 9

Stage 10

Stage 11

Stage 12

Stage 13

Stage 14

Stage 15

Stage 16

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Design Language 3：

Seams

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Stitching | Surfaces

Seams pattern

Seam line 1

Seam line deformation 1

Seam line 2

Seam line deformation 2

Seam line 3

Seam line 4

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Bends formed by the stitched seams

Seam line deformation 3

Seam line deformation 4

[ Seams and fabric bending. ]

Creating seam lines made the fabric bend and have curvatures of another type. The same logic is applied where the fabric gets the strength the stand p against the gravity due to the structural strength created by the seam. The seams after stitching make the fabric strong. Double curvatures are created between the seams which form interesting stable forms.

Front view

Double curvatures formed due to the bending after stitching

Side view

Side view

Number of seams forming the arms defines the strength stand up against gravity

Arms strengthened by stitching the seams

Stitching Simulation | Stitching Experiment

[ Seams defined on fabric. ]

Two dimensional pattern to check the modification when simulated with stitching process

Stitching lines that decide the change in the form of fabric and resemble the fabric behavior

The test of permeability was done to to understand how it withstands to different natural conditions like humidity. Also how much the hardening material would get absorbed by the fabric and how heavy the fabric gets after absorbtion.

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Fabrication | Seams Languages

[ Prototype 1: Surface & Seams. ]

The video explains the fabrication process of converting a simple surface to the complex 3D object by the stitching procedure. Once the patter is drawn on the 2D sheet and the seams are stitched, the fabric starts to bend in a particular way. folding and stitching the 2D sheet created the 3D object as shown in the pictures.

^ Two dimensional pattern

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^ Thrre dimensional prototype

Stage 1

Stage 2

Stage 3

Stage 4

Stage 5

Stage 6

Stage 7

Stage 8

Stage 9

Stage 10

Stage 11

Stage 12

Stage 13

Stage 14

Stage 15

Stage 16

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Combine Language：

Seams & Tubes

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Tubes & Seams | 2D To 3D Transition

[ Transitions. ]

Combining the tube and seams language gave us better pottential to understand the gradual transition between one object. Here the prototype shows how surface in two dimension gradually becomes a 2.5D with the seams and then transforms to three dimension with the tubular language. Creating this prototype gave the design limitations of using all the different languages as well and the 2D to 3D transition in one object.

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^

Transition between tubes and surface language

^

2D and 3D transition

^

Digital Simulation

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[ Pattern Studies. ] Each cut in two dimension transforms into a completely different three dimension form. To understand the relation between every cut and every transformation is important to develop the designs.

When we have a clear idea of the three dimensional object in mind, we need to draw the two dimensional pattern so that it can fold and be looped into the three dimensional form. Many physical and digital experiments were done to decipher the patterns systematically.

> P at t e r n V a r i at i o n s > B o u n d a r y V a r i at i o n s

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Pattern Variation | The Variation of The Holes

[ Research to guide the number of legs around the cut pattern while designing. ]

Observing the legs formed due to stitching is one of the important points. As this determines the flexibility and stability of the legs to stand and form the 3D object.

The more number of legs, the more the node has the strength to move away from gravity.These diagrams shw the cut patterns in the two dimensional sheet. When the cuts are arranged in a straight line ans stitctched between the cuts to form legs, the legs are more stable and thinner.

We see that the cut holes become larger in size and the deformations are creating different patterns when compared to the cut patterns being diagonal in respect to the boundary. In this case the stitches between the holes are thicker and the deformations are of a different nature.

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Different shapes give is different refults after stitching. To further research the effects of the patterns effect when bent and folded we conducted this study. This will allow us to predetermine the end result of 3D object while drawing the patterns on flat fabric surface.

The size of cut patterns and the distance between the cuts determins the deformation. The nodes along with the legs create specific results. Joining the four ends of the cloth helps is understand how it further reacts to bending.

Stitch pattern 1

Stitch pattern deformation 1

Stitch pattern 5

Stitch pattern deformation 5

Stitch pattern 2

Stitch pattern deformation 2

Stitch pattern 6

Stitch pattern deformation 6

Stitch pattern 3

Stitch pattern deformation 3

Stitch pattern 7

Stitch pattern deformation 7

Stitch pattern 4

Stitch pattern deformation 4

Stitch pattern 8

Stitch pattern deformation 8

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Pattern Possibilty | Stitching And Folding

[

Research to control the form while designing.

]

Different shapes give is different refults after stitching. To further research the effects of the patterns effect when bent and folded we conducted this study. This will allow us to predetermine the end result of 3D object while drawing the patterns on flat fabric surface.

The size of cut patterns and the distance between the cuts determins the deformation. The nodes along with the legs create specific results. Joining the four ends of the cloth helps is understand how it further reacts to bending.

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Plan

Pattern 1

Pattern 2

Pattern 3

Pattern 4

Stiched Plan

Stiched at four ends.

Plan

Stiched at four ends.

Elevation

Stiched at four ends.

Bottom View

Boundary Variations | Stitching Experiment

[ Arms defining the stability and strength to stand up. ]

Pattern drawing

^

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Cut out pattern

Stitch tubes

Haxagonal boundary having 6 arms and 6 punctures

Tube lines

^

Folding

Strength

Stitching lines to strengthen the arms to make it stand up

Bending

Steady model

^

Plan with 6 arms and 6 punctures.

^

Elevation with 6 arms and 6 punctures.

^

Plan with 6 arms and 6 punctures.

^

Elevation with 6 arms and 6 punctures.

Boundary & Cutout | Stitching Experiment

[ Arms defining the stability and strength to stand up. ]

Pattern drawing

^

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Stitch tubes

Cut out pattern

Strength

Steady model

Triangular boundary having 3 arms and 3 punctures

Pattern drawing

^

Folding

Folding

Octagonal boundary having 3 arms and 3 punctures

Stitch tubes

Cut out pattern

Strength

Bending

Steady model

^

Plan with 3 arms and 3 punctures.

^

Elevation with 3 arms and 3 punctures.

^

Plan with 8 arms and 8 punctures.

^

Elevation with 8 arms and 8 punctures.

Chapter 2ďźš Prototypes Designing

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[ Design Application. ]

> Spider Chair > Octopus Chair > Skull Stool > Alien Chair > Hulk

the

Column

> L a mp > Horn Stool > E v i l C r e at u r e > Chair Annabelle > Angel Chair > Giger

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S pider C hair

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Physical Model Development | Spider Chair

Calculate length of chair

Area that need to be hard/rigid

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Step 1

Step 2

Wire ends pulled end to end of cloth

Looping f wire around each hole that

Wires at edges compulsory to make

to avoid jaggered edge.

needs o be rigid

base for form

[ 2D to 3D ]

Since the material was not self supporting its weight and previous material hardening tests would not allow it to stand on its own, the decision of reinforcing the fabric with wire was made. The transformation of surface to tubes was one pf the development made from the initial model. This also shows the flowing quality of the fabric.

Step 3

Bending to form 3rd dimension of form

Step 4

Stitching points after looping

Step 5

Stitching pattern to form legs

Step 6

Bending to form 3rd dimension of form.

81

Physical Model Development | Spider Chair

[ Physical Model. ]

The chair derived from the initial fabric mesh impliments the logic of the cut patterns studies during the initial studies. The legs and nodes are decided according to the area of the chair so that it can be looped and therefor create the chair.

[ Front view. ]

[ Side view. ]

[ Elevation. ]

[ Digital Simulation. ]

83

Digital Model Development | Spider Chair

The digital model is to replresent the tube language of the above chair. The tubular language becomes the structural volume which can become a space. The tubes act as a structural lattice grif for the fabric structure. This process of constructing this digital model was similar to the physical folding process.

> 84

[ Digitall Model. ]

85

O ctopus C hair

86

Physical Model Development | Octopus Chair

[ Physical Model. ]

The chair derived from the initial fabric mesh impliments the logic of the cut patterns studies during the initial studies. The legs and anodes are decided according to the area of the chair so that it can be looped and therefor create the chair. Avoiding the wire to mend the form of the fabric, we tried a different approach of having smaller cut outs and more distance between each hole. Since the legs become stronger, it helps he fabric act stronger.

Repititive looping at the base gives a better withstanding power to gravity.

A transition of fabric surfaves to the tubes was a development from the previous model.The use of thicked legs and bigger nodes made it possible to make the fabric stand up against gravity. This emphasised on the fluid form of fabric.

^ Areas not stitched. Transition between leg and folded cloth

88

^ Two dimensional pattern

^ Stitch at edges compulsory to make base for form

^ Stitching the tubes

^ Tubes to surface transformation

^ Stitch Pattern to form legs

^ Stitching points after looping

89

Language Development | Octopus

[ Using a processing script to replicate the tubular system of the octopus chair. ]

generation of the tubes can be seen in the sequence where the tubes are formed by the multiplication of the tubes along the curve. The repetition of one component along the crve created the fabric like behavior of the tubes which gives it the fluid behavior. Once we get the basic form we can generate and aggregate to gave a more comple form as per the three dimensional object we require to obtain. The chair developed is by aggregating the basic component gathered from the generative tool.

[ Detail ]

90

[ Side view of chair ]

Language Development | Octopus

[ Using a processing script to replicate the tubular system of the octopus chair. ]

Stage 1

Stage 2

Stage 3

Stage 4

Stage 5

Stage 6

Stage 7

Stage 8

Stage 9

Stage 10

[ 3D view of chair. ] 92

[ Front view of chair. ]

S kull S tool

94

Physical Model | Skull Stool

[ Slit details highlighted on surface and tubes. ]

To develop a three legged stool, the two dimensional pattern had to have a clean declaration of the seating area and the three legs. The small cutouts were made to experiment with another design element of having semi open details in the tubes instead of monolithic tubular structures.

^

96

Two dimensional sheet showing the laser cut pattern

^

Side elevation of the stool

97

Digitalisation | Skull Stool

^ 98

Physical model

^

Digital model - Bottom View

A lien C hair

100

Physical Model | Alien Chair

[ Slits instead of punctures. ]

The existance of more surface area made it difficult to intertwine the legs thus restricting the bendng and folding actions while transforming it into the three dimensional object.

To experimenting the deformations with semi open punctures, slits were created instead of cutting out the pattern. This lead to interesting wave like formations which highlighted the fluidity of the fabric.

^

102

Stitching pattern in two dimensional sheet

^

Bending of the fabric due to the stitching

^

Two dimensional sheet showing the laser cut pattern

^

Two dimensional sheet showing the strengthened arms after stitching

Physical Model | Alien Chair

^ 104

Front view of the chair

^

Back view of the chair

L amp

Techniques | Lamp

[ Seams defining fabric bends and structure. ]

This model be compares to the ribbed structures and made the development of structural stability stronger.

When drawing the two dimensional pattern of the lamp, the structural form was considered to design the two dimensional pattern. Once the seams are stitched, the fabric in two dimensional layout itself starts to bend acconding to the stitches. Once folded and stitched it created the lamp in three dimension.

108

^

Two dimensional pattern

^

Determining the bends

^

Twisting the fabric to deform

^

Stitching lines deforming the fabric

^

Two dimensional pattern of the seams

^Seams bend the fabric to form the lamp

^

Seams forming the bends after stitching

^Double curvature on the surfaces highlighted

Physical Modelling| Lamp

^

110

Testing structural surves and fold

^

This model be compares to the ribbed structures and made the development of structural stability stronger.

H orn S tool

112

Physical Modelling| Horn Stool

seam pattern

[ Seams becoming structural ribs ]

Seams form beautiful bends on the fabric defining the curves, The seams also strengthen the arms and due to mode surface and lesser cutouts the structure is more stable. This model be compares to the ribbed structures and made the development of structural stability stronger.

Seams form beautiful bends on the fabric defining the curves, The seams also strengthen the arms and due to mode surface and lesser cutouts the structure is more stable.

Bending due to stitching

Folding the stitched fabric

Two dimensional pattern which will determin the structure of the stoolSeams

Bending the fabric to create the stool 114

^

Stage 1

Stage 2

Stage 3

Stage 4

Stage 5

Stage 6

Top vew of the stool after bending and stitching

^

Side view of the stool after bending and stitching

Engine Simulation | Stool

[ Part stool simulation ]

Simulation of the same bending and deformation of the physical model.This is the part study of the horn stool simulation. To understand the bending and to have a better control of handling the cloth simulation engine, a part of the stool was created and run under the engine to bend the fabric. This leads to bending the seat part which eventually gives us the folding of the stool.

^

Part of stool plan

Division Top View

Stage 1

Stage 2

Stage 3

Stage 1

Stage 2

Stage 3

Elevation

[ 2D to 3D cloth simulation ]

With the simulation of the fabric in the cloth engine, The whole two dimensional pattern of the shorn stool was created and run under this engine. The folding of the two dimensional pattern was run in the same procedure as the creation of the physical model of the horn stool. By Doing this we got similar results s the physical prototype but the final outcome was not clean.

^

Two dimensional pattern of stool

Stage 1

Stage 2

Stage 3

Stage 1

Stage 2

Stage 3

117

Engine Simulation | Stool

[ Cloth Simulation engine ]

The simulation of stitching the cloth in the cloth simulation engine is done in the follwing steps. The bending of the fabric happens due to the gravity in the simulation engine thus the fluidity of the fabric is mentained. Manual control over the selection of the cloth helps the overall reaction of the simulation.

[ Stool part simulation ]

Stage 1

Stage 2

Stage 3

Stage 4

Stage 5

Stage 6

Stage 7

Stage 8

Stage 9

Stage 10

Stage 11

Stage 12

[ Stool pattern simulation ]

Stage 1

Stage 2

Stage 3

Stage 4

Stage 5

Stage 6

Stage 7

Stage 8

Stage 9

Stage 10

Stage 11

Stage 12

119

Physical Modelling | Horn Stool

[ Simulation of the same bending and deformation of the physical model. ]

The physical model shows simplicity in the way fabric behaves and deforms to creat the stool. The folding of the fabric according to the seams pattern is seen in the prototype. This behavior is being tried to be replicated in the digital model to create similar fabric behavior.

To acheive the similar fabric behavior the digital simlation follows the same procedure of folding and deforming. but as the cloth cimulation engine is computationally expensive the next method of mirror cut is also experimented.

^

Side view of the stool after bending and stitching

^ Simulating Process

^

Roll / Wrap

121

Fabric Forming | Crease Modeling

Physical model seam analysis

Low poly model

→

Low poly model pre-smooth

→

Low poly model crease

→

123

Fabric Forming | Crease Modeling

[ Crease Modeling Technique. ]

Low poly digital method was experimented with to create cleaner and less computationally expensive models. The geometry can be analyzed as a very simple low resolution ploygon that can be re-constructed in digital. We reversed the process and designed the desired geometries in low poly to find two dimensional seam pattern afterwards.This is the digital process. We can apply a series of mathematical deformations on a base geometry with designe crease seams as such shown in the images. We can also track back the previous operations and change the results intutively.

→

Low poly stool 3D

Two dimensional sheet of low poly sheet

Physical Seam

Default Polygon

Smooth Preview

Crease Edges

Smooth

[ Crease Modeling Technique. ]

→

Stage 2

→

Stage 3

Stage 4

→

→

Stage 1

→

Stage 5

Deform _1

Mirror _1

Deform _1 ( modify )

Mirror _1 ( modify )

Mirror _2

Mirror _2 ( modify )

Deform _2

Mirror _3

125

Fabric Forming | Crease Modeling

126

Stage 1

Stage 2

Stage 3

Stage 7

Stage 8

Stage 9

Stage 13

Stage 14

Stage 15

Stage 4

Stage 5

Stage 6

Stage 10

Stage 11

Stage 12

Stage 16

Stage 17

Stage 18

127

E vil C reature

Physical Model | Evil Creature

130

^

Stitch pattern

^

Stitch pattern

^

Stitch pattern

^

Stitch pattern

[ Combining the tubular language and seams language. ]

First attemt at combining the tubular language and seams language. Tubes give is the freedon the intertwine and interlock while seams give the stability to the form. Both the languages were best suited to make a better standing design which may be used as a component in later investigation. This model tries to have the seamed surface in the center and the tubes at the edges acts at the lattice grid.The tubes become the structural legs while the seams create a more structued surface strengthening the fabric.

^ Stitch pattern

131

Physical Model | Evil Creature

^

Top view

^

Front view

J ackstraw

134

Physical Model | Jackstraw

[ Surface to tubes ]

The tube part is designed to hold vertical weight load while the surface part is responsible for connection and horizontal force. This piece of model is selfsupporting itself not by rolling but by interlocking.When the two dimensional sheet was cut, it was kept in mind the tubes whould become the structural members that would hold the object. Thus the top part of the object could be the surface language so as to represent that the same idea can be taken forward even for the larger scale design. Thus this experiment gave us an overview of how tent structures could work with using only fabric in the design as support elements as well as shading element.

^ 136

Stitch pattern

^

Stitch pattern

137

C hair A nnabelle

138

Physical Model | Chair Annabelle

[ Seams defining fabric bends and structure. ]

Second attemt at combining the tubular language and seams language with a larger scale. The seating area is defined by the seams as it needs to be soft and the tubes are surrounding it which becomes the structural legs. The topic of leaving the soft areas unhardened and only the structural parts of the model need to be hardened.

140

^

Seam pattern becoming the structural rib

^

Cutting holes where the tube language needs to be implimented

^

Stitch pattern

141

Physical Model | Chair Annabelle

[ Seams to tubes to surface. ]

The combination of the surface design to three dimensional pattern was further developed by understanding the basic geometry of the three dimensional chair. The Idea of having simple surface for the seat and back rest was designed and the legs are made of the structural tube and seam language. This distinct pattern design gave a clearer idea of the combination logic. Since fabric has an avantage of being the surface and tube language both and trasforms into one another easily, this idea is experimented deeply.

142

^

Seams line and cutouts for tubes made in 2D fabric

^

Folding action of the stitched fabric

^

Front View

143

Physical Model | Chair Annabelle

[ Seams as structural ribs ]

Fabric has the ottential to become a surface element and also the structural tubular element in the designs. Thus exploring that potential, we looked into how we can dvelop the surface elements gradually transforming into the tubes in two dimension itself. Thus when folded and looped, the stucture of the chair had the distinct elements merge to form one entity.

The punctures in the legs of the chair give it a light look but are structurally strong.

144

^

Side elevation

^

Top View

145

Language Digitalisation | Seams & Tubes

[ Digital component aggregation. ]

Creating the digital model was done by stitching the seams after cutting the holes.

The bending of the model happens due to the gravity, Two dimensional sheet of fabric is made to run through the cloth engine and that helps the fabric to have the fluidity.

The parts are obtained and combining them will give us this result.

V

V

146

Component A Two dimensional pattern

Stitching two points

V

Defining the tubes

V

Component B

V

Stitching two points

Two dimensional pattern

V

Component C

V

Defining the tubes

Two dimensional pattern

^ After Simulating

Language Digitalisation | Chair

The digital experiments were to see the potential of combining fifferent components to create single entity. Each part was created by the cloth engine to recreate the fabric behavior. Once that was done it was deformed to become the particular part of the chair. The digital model gave us an idea to explore into component aggregation by creating different parts and then joing them together. The chair seat of the chair is made of the surface language while the legs and back rest are made more of the tubular structural language. This chair helps us gave a structural idea for the final chair design.

^ 148

Stitching two points

^

Stitching two points

Head

Back

Arm

Leg

Seat

^

3D of the chair showing the different components

A ngel C hair

Physical Model | Angel Chair

[ Seams and tubes structure ] Three components were connected to form this chair. The load taking parts were made such that there are less cutouts for more stability. gradual connections were made by cutting holes and intertwining the tubes through them. The fabric was delicately manipulated to form the homogeneous interplay of components.

^

152

2D Diagrams

^

^

2D Pattern

^

3D Pattern

Different components

Physical Model | Angel Chair

^

Combine Components

^

Join the back and the seat together

155

G arden

Physical Model | Garden

[ Complexity heirarchy ]

The surface and tube prototype are made to transition in a gradual process. The complexity of the model is also gradual keeping the structural part more complex and the surface part fairly simple. The heirarchy is diffentiated according to the structural importance. The fluidity of the fabric is frezzed due to the stitching and then hardened.

^

complex to simple

^

Tubes to surface

^

Tubes to surface transition

159

Chapter 3ďźš Prototypes Designing

160

[ Connection For Aggregtion. ]

> Giger > Alien Chair > E v i l C r e at u r e > Chair Annabelle > Angel Chair

161

G iger

Physical Model | Giger

[ Components stitched after each is made into a three dimensional object. ]

To make larger objects its unavoidable to make an object out of one big sheet.

This experiment shows how we can not stitch the connecting parts and later once the three dimensional onject needs to be connected to the other, those parts can be attached and stitched as the curvature is the same.

Second attemt at combining the tubular language and seams language with a larger scale.

The seating area is defined by the seams as it needs to be soft and the tubes are surrounding it which becomes the structural legs. The topic of leaving the soft areas unhardened and only the structural parts of the model need to be hardened.

^

Components stitched after each is made into a three dimensional object

^

Three conponents that get stitched in the three dimensional onject

^

Two dimensional patern stitched leaving the area that will be connected in the three dimensional model

165

Physical Model | Giger

^

Front view

^

Back view

167

C alimari

168

Physical Model | Calimari

[ Components stitched after each is made into a three dimensional object. ]

To make larger objects its unavoidable to make an object out of one big sheet. This experiment shows how we can not stitch the connecting parts and later once the three dimensional onject needs to be connected to the other, those parts can be attached and stitched as the curvature is the same.

Part A

Part B

Part C

Part D

^

Component A made of different parts

^

Front view

Part E

^

3 Components connect to become the plan of the stool 171

Physical Model | Calimari

To make larger objects its unavoidable to make anobject out of one big sheet. This experiment shows how we can not stitch the connecting parts and later once the three dimensional onject needs to be connected to the other, those parts can be attached and stitched as the curvature is the same.

172

173

T emple

174

Physical Model | Object Temple

[ Seams defining fabric bends and structure. ]

Second attemt at combining the tubular language and seams language with a larger scale.

The seating area is defined by the seams as it needs to be soft and the tubes are surrounding it which becomes the structural legs. The topic of leaving the soft areas unhardened and only the structural parts of the model need to be hardened.

This is our Second attemt at combining the tubular language and seams language with a larger scale.The seating area is defined by the seams as it needs to be soft and the tubes are surrounding it which becomes the structural legs. The topic of leaving the soft areas unhardened and only the structural parts of the model need to be hardened. This is our Second attemt at combining the tubular language and seams language with a larger scale.The seating area is defined by the seams as it needs to be soft and the tubes are surrounding it which becomes the structural legs. The topic of leaving the soft areas unhardened and only the structural parts of the model need to be hardened.

^

Pattern drawing

^

Seams pattern

^

Stitching seams for structural support

Second attemt at combining the tubular language and seams language with a larger scale.The seating area is defined by the seams as it needs to be soft and the tubes are surrounding it which becomes the structural legs.

The topic of leaving the soft areas unhardened and only the structural parts of the model need to be hardened. This is our Second attemt at combining the tubular language and seams language with a larger scale.The seating area is defined by the seams as it needs to be soft and the tubes are surrounding it which becomes the structural legs. The topic of leaving the soft areas unhardened and only the structural parts of the model need to be hardened.

176

177

Physical Model | Object Temple

178

Component A

Component A

^

Physical Model 179

Physical Model | Object Temple

[ Fabric hardeing process ]

Second attemt at combining the tubular language and seams language with a larger scale.

The seating area is defined by the seams as it needs to be soft and the tubes are surrounding it which becomes the structural legs. The topic of leaving the soft areas unhardened and only the structural parts of the model need to be hardened.

180

Vaccume packing the fabric decreases the volume of the fabric much lesser. This is easier for transporting the fabric to the place of hardeing.

Once we reach the site of constructing the structure, we lay the two dimensional sheet and then attach it to the frame to apply the fabric hardener.The frame is needed for the initial support but after hardening the fabric stool can be removed from the frame.

181

F luidity

Physical Model | Hulk The Column

[ Ribbon patterns with more surfaces and lesser tubes. ]

The tubes were made to be the core structure of the column, while a lot of surface was left to form the outer part of the column. The deformations of the surfaces highlighted the fluidity and double curvatures acheived by the fabric. The linearity of the column made it difficult for the column to stand by itself so it was hung from top till hardened.

^

184

Two dimensional sheet showing the laser cut pattern.

^

Two dimensional sheet showing the laser cut pattern.

^

Two dimensional sheet showing the laser cut pattern.

^

Two dimensional sheet showing the laser cut pattern.

^

Two dimensional sheet showing the strengthened arms after stitching

Physical Model | Hulk The Column

[ Interlocking and grid heirarchy. ]

To make larger objects its unavoidable to make an object out of one big sheet. This experiment shows how we can not stitch the connecting parts and later once the three dimensional onject needs to be connected to the other, those parts can be attached and stitched as the curvature is the same.

Top View

^

Interlocking and intertwining of the tubes to show connections between components

^

Inserting another component within the main component involving grid heirarchy

Bottom

187

Physical Model | Hulk The Column

189

3D Explicit Modelling | Column

[ Different 3D structures generated after simulation. ]

Using the cloth engine gave the opportunity to understand the different patterns that are possible from one single stitch pattern. By stitching different points of the cut pattern, the end resultof the column design is quite different from each other. This process quickly tells us the pattern changes and ithe result of stitching different places.

Pattern 1 190

Pattern 2

Pattern 3

Pattern 4

Pattern 5

Pattern 6

Pattern 7

Pattern 8 191

3D Explicit Modelling | Column Stage 1

[ Cloth engine simulation ]

Creating a cut pattern on the cloth and playing it in the cloth engine generator allows us to understand the pottential of fabric deformation digitally. This is much quicker than the physical fabrication process and thus much more efficient. The process is simple by applying the sttch pattern on the two dimensional sheet.

Stage 5

Stage 8

Stage 12

192

Stage 2

Stage 3

Stage 4

Stage 6

Stage 7

Stage 8

Stage 9

Stage 10

Stage 11

Stage 13

Stage 14

Stage 15

3D Explicit Modelling | Column

[ Digital modelling of the tubular language and seams language. ]

Explicit modelling was done to create the tubular language of the physical models. This gave a better understanding of the design and to produce the similar language in aggregation. Column designs were experimented with with can create the voids in design and the structural part can be accessed.

^

194

Explicit modeling

^

Column composition

195

Interlocking | Component To Component Connections

PartA

PartB

^

Looping Connection

^

Interlooping and intertwining

PartA

PartB

PartA

PartB

^

PartA

Keeping same curve and stitching when parts are 3D

PartB

^

Stitched Together 197

Connection Details | Cut and insert

[ Plug in ]

Connecting the tube to the surface was a big challenge. Inspired by the straw plugging, this detail was worked out where a hole is punctured into the surface and the tube is inserted inside it. This way even a a addition to the three dimensional form can be done after the object is in the three dimensional form. This aggregation method will help in addition of components even after the object is completed.

Surface Laguage

Tube Laguage

Interlocking Part

Tube Laguage

Surface Laguage

198

[ Attactch and stitch ]

If there are two components and they need to be stitched tohether to aggregate. Thus this one method sewing the two dimensional sheet of fabric. The sheet needs to be cut in the particular line before folding the three dimensional form so that a clean attachment line can be acheived while sewing them together.

Chapter 5： Scale Up

200

[ Fast Production. ]

> Laser Cutting & Sewing Machine > L ay e r i n g F a b r i c > M at e r i a l T e s t i n g - F o a m > M at e r i a l T e s t i n g - C o n c r e t e C a n va s > M at e r i a l T e s t i n g - R e s i n

201

Material Scale | Compare the thickness

Experiment No.1

[ Layering and stitch. ]

To scale up the design we need to scale up the fabric too. Thus to make it thicker the fabric was layered and then stitched together. The tubes and surfaces both become more stable once its layered as they have a thicker base. But the edges were not clean ans showed the thickness too obviously

^ Fabric No.1

Layering up of fabric to make it thicker.

Experiment No.2

Original Thickness 0.5 centimetre

Layering Up 4 Layers

Stitch the same fabrics in the middle of 2 layers After Stitching

^ 202

Layering up of fabric to make it thicker with smaller layouts to make the stitching perfect.

Experiment No.3

[ Foam volume between fabric layers. ]

To create edges with the cutouts the fabric was stitched to form more stable fabric and to scale to the building structure. Adding expandable foam between two layers of fabric gave it bigger volume. It was more sturdy but more difficult to deform and create the foams.

^ Fabric No.2

Layering up of fabric to make it thicker.

Experiment No.4

Original Thickness 0.2 centimetre

Layering Up 4 Layers

After Stitching Stitch soft form in the middle of 2 layers

^

Making the fabric thicker with soft foam

203

F rankenstein T able

204

Physical Model | Frankenstein Table

[ Material- Foam ]

Instead of adding layers to the fabric which was more difficult, iwe tried a diffrent material which was thicker and sturdier. To create the object which was more sturdy a different stitch was also experimented with. The result was a bit rugged and the delicate fabric behavior was lost. Thus it was decided not to use this material for our proposal

206

^

Two dimensional pattern determined to form the table

^

Bending after the pattern is stitched

^

^

Alternative to stitching- Seams formed after removing the clips

picture name

^

picture name 207

Physical Model | Frankenstein Table

[ Material- Frankenstein Table. ]

Folding the foam sheet was a bit difficult as it was less flexible, but since it shared the same quality as the fabric of not having a strenth when its in its two dimensional form, we tried to use the material.

Once it is folded and stitched it gets its strenth to withstand against the gravity like the fabric prototypes. the interlooping of the foam sheet was done in the same way and it was sturdy.

208

Instead of adding layers to the fabric which was more difficult, iwe tried a diffrent material which was thicker and sturdier. To create the object which was more sturdy a different stitch was also experimented with. The result was a bit rugged and the delicate fabric behavior was lost. Thus it was decided not to use this material for our proposal

209

C oncrete C anvas

210

Physical Model | Concrete Canvas

[ Material- Concrete canvas stool ]

Canvas To make larger objects its unavoidable to make an object out of one big sheet. This experiment shows how we can not stitch the connecting parts and later once the three dimensional onject needs to be connected to the other, those parts can be attached and stitched as the curvature is the same.

^

212

Two dimensional sheet of the concrete canvas stool

^

^

Stage 1

Stage 4

^

^

Stage 2

Stage 5

^

^

Stage 3

Stage 6

213

Physical Model | Concrete Canvas

214

215

Physical Test | Resin

[ Material - Resin. Stool ]

After testing different materials for scaling up, a conclusion was made where the resin was a good material to harden the fabric. In this way the delicasy of the fabric could be kept intact along with hardening the fabric to become stone like hard. Many tests were done to also understand which type of resin makes the stool the hardest. The fabric with resin shows that the fabric can become stronger than fiber glass. Thus without having a mould for casting curve designs, we can harden the fabric and also give it strength.

216

Sample A

Sample B

Sample C

Epoxy

Resin

Wood Hardner

Sample A

Sample B

Sample C

Epoxy

Resin

Wood Hardner

Exoxy strength

Resin strength

Wood hardener strength

Exoxy stability

Resin stability

Wood hardener stability

Exoxy compression

Resin compression

Wood hardener compression

Resin deformation

Wood hardener deformation

Exoxy deformation

217

Chapter 4ďźš Design Development

218

[ Component Development. ]

> Intertwining > Column > Bashing > C at wa l k

219

Component | Crease Modeling

Component A

Stage 1

Stage 2

Stage 3

Component B

Stage 1

Stage 2

Stage 3

Stage 2

Stage 3

Component C

Stage 1

Component D

Stage 1

Stage 2

Stage 3

Stage 2

Stage 3

Stage 2

Stage 3

Component E

Stage 1

Component F

Stage 1

221

Component | Surface

[ Fluid surfaces ]

To add specific component with different strategies a big library of components was created having different types of languages. This would give us the idea of aggregation of these components with the bashing system to create bigger aggregations and pavilion design. The surfaces resemble the fabrics fluidity thus behaving like the surface physical prototypes.

222

Component A

Component B

Component C

Component D

Component E

Component F

Component G

Component H

Component I

Component J

Component K

Component L

Component M

Component N

Component O

Component P

Component | Tube

[ Lattice tubes ]

The tube components create a more lattics structure giving us the option of using these components as the spaceframe behaviour of supporting the structure. The tubes become structural thus these components will be added in the final aggregation of the pavilion. Some of the strands become structurl to strengthen the pavilion.

Component A

Component B

Component C

Component D

Component E

Component F

Component G

Component H

Component I

Component J

Component K

Component L

Component M

Component N

Component O

Component P

225

Transitional Component | Solid ⇆ Hollow

[ Combination of all languages ]

The components were a combination of the tube and seam language thus when the components have been designed, the density and complexity of each component were designed so that they can be connected from the surface parts. Using the cloth engine and different stitched, different fabric behaviour were recored and used.

Component A

Component B

Component C

Component D

Component E

Component F

Component G

Component H

Component I

Component J

Component K

Component L

Component M

Component N

Component O

Component P

Language Development | Column

[ LEFT: Physical Model. & RIGHT : Digital Model. ]

The folding of the fabric is noticed in these columns with the seam pattern.

The physical prototypes of the column are created by the bending and folding of the seams. To represent the same behavior the digital model of the columns were created usingthe generative tool . The language came quite similar to the physical language but the model was computationally very expensive.

^ 228

Physical Model

^

Physical Model

Surface Component

Linear Component

Connection Component

Surface Component

^

Digital Model

^

Digital Model

Language Development | Column - Physical Prototypes

Column A

Column B

Column C

Column D

Column E

Column F

Column G

Column H

Column I

Column J

231

Language Development | Column - Digital Prototypes

Column K

Column l

Column M

Column N

Column O

Column P

Column Q

Column R

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Scaling Up | Component Bash

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F inal C olumn

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Physical Model | Final Column

[ Component aggregation. ]

After trying the mirror cut method of designing and experimenting with its logic we created different column design that looked like our fabric begavior. Creating components or parts and making one entity in the gradual method was acheived.

Thus after many trials of column design it was decided to build this chosen digital column. Since one sheet of fabric cannot build the whole column byitself, the logic of making each part from 2D o 3D was mentained.

Seams language

Connection

Tube language

Structural tube made out of seams

Base

of column made with seams

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Physical Model | Final Column

[ Seam to Seam connections. ]

Each part of the column was designed from the two dimensional pattern after analysing the digital model. This had to be very precicely done to recreate the fabric moments and make sure the different languages amalgated continuously. Once the two dimensional sheets were folded and stitched to creat the parts, the three dimensional parts were stitched together to come together to creat the column. As seen in the images, the component sizes are kept small according to the flat sheet size of fabric available.

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Pattern 1

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Pattern 1 2D Pattern

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Pattern 1 3D Pattern

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Pattern 2 2D Pattern

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Pattern 2 3D Pattern

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Pattern 3 2D Pattern

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Pattern 3 3D Pattern

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Pattern 2 2D Pattern

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Pattern 2 3D Pattern

Pattern 2

Pattern 3

Pattern 4

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Physical Model | Final Column

[ Column part combination. ] Part A

The tubes were attached in the middle section of the column for structural stability. Each part of the column was designed from the two dimensional pattern after analysing the digital model. This had to be very precicely done to recreate the fabric moments and make sure the different languages amalgated continuously. Once the two dimensional sheets were folded and stitched to creat the parts, the three dimensional parts were stitched together to come together to creat the column. As seen in the images, the component sizes are kept small according to the flat sheet size of fabric available. The whole column as seen in the image highlights the aggregation logic of the fabric structures.

Part B

Part C

Part D 242

Part E

Part F

Part G

Part H 243

Chapter 5ďźš Digital Design Studies

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[ Low Poly Crease & Mathematical Deformation. ]

> Intertwining > Column > Bashing > C at wa l k

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Generative | Form Finding

[ Generative fabric behaviour. ]

Investigation was made into generative fabric behavior and the fluidity of the fabric was controlled in the digital models to create a design of an object with different heirarchy in complexity.. The digital design is created my composing different components and merging them with the seam lines or crease lines. The objects gave us the idea of trying the physical model complexity with stark contrast.

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Object 1

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Object 2

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Object 3

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Generative | Form Finding

[ Digital aggregation. ]

Taking the objects created in the previous pages, these objects were created to highlight the complex designs by aggregating the parts in the same was we did for the physical model of the column. Thus the fabric parts were added by the seams to create continuous flowing forms. This gave the idea of bashing different digital components to create one entity.

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Object 1

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Object 2

Object | Form Finding

[ Tubes to surface. ]

Using the generative tools of fabric generation, this model was created to hughlight the smooth transformation of the tubes to surface behaviour.

The object resembles the fluidity of the fabric and the cobmination of the languages has been acheived in this experiment of the object design. The creases on the surface show the seams language along with the tubular language.

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Large Scale | Pavilion

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Chapter 6： Final Proposal

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[ Final Designs. ]

> Chair Prototype > Church Intervention

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F inal C hair

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Fast Fabrication | Laser Cutting & Sewing Machine

[ Laser cutting felt ]

We were trying different materials to harden the fabric to that the fabric can hold its own weight and stand by itself, without a support.

Plaster does make the cloth hard but it gets very heavy due to the density. Brushing concrete on top of the fabric makes it like a shell on top of fabric and hollow and light in the core. Applying resin to fabric makes it strong and stand up against gravity.

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[ Machine stitches. ]

We were trying different materials to harden the fabric to that the fabric can hold its own weight and stand by itself, without a support.

Plaster does make the cloth hard but it gets very heavy due to the density. Brushing concrete on top of the fabric makes it like a shell on top of fabric and hollow and light in the core. Applying resin to fabric makes it strong and stand up against gravity.

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Chair Fabrication | Final Chair

[ 2D to 3D chair ]

The two dimensional sheet of the whole chair is created by stitching different fabrics together. Once the whole chair's two dimenstional sheet is designed keeping in mind the structural parts etc, the images show how in a few quick steps the two dimensional sheet of fabric is transformed into the three dimensional chair model. The frame is needed to hang the fabric in its flexible foldable state. Once we hargened the chair with the hardening material the frame is removed and the last few images show how the chair is removed from the chair when hardened.

Assembly stage 1

Assembly stage 5

Assembly stage 9

Disassembly stage 1

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Assembly stage 2

Assembly stage 3

Assembly stage 4

Assembly stage 6

Assembly stage 7

Assembly stage 8

Assembly stage 10

Assembly stage 11

Assembly stage 12

Disassembly stage 2

Disassembly stage 3

Disassembly stage 4

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Chair Fabrication | Final Chair

[ Two dimensional form of the chair ]

Component A The chair was designed in the two dimensional pattern and was cut out. After stitching, the chair parts were stitched together as a puzzle in two dimension to form one large fabric structure. This was made in a few parts as seen in the image. With a few folds and loops the chair transforms into the three dimensional chair structure.

Component B

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Component B

Connection Part

Component B

Chair Fabrication | Final Chair

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Adaptive Reuse

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Church

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[ Adaptive Reuse of Church. ]

Taking a ruined church as the site, and using the fabric design is the motive behinf the design proposal. The ruined church is a dead space which can be rejuvinated to become a lively space by letting the fabric fill the missing parts of the church. The fabric design as seen in the previous eleborated design research is capable of creating fabric structures which are free standing and dont need support to create structural elements.

The fabric will be pre stitched before coming to the ruin church. Here with the help of the wall the fabric can be hung and hardened. Once the fabric is hardened the church seems complete in a few easy steps. The decorative designs in all tradition churches is very manually expensive and also take a long time to complete the construction of such intricate designs under all weather conditions. With the fabric pre stitched, it is possible to acheive similar results of complex fluid designs in less time and more efficiently.

The site is Holyrood Abbey in Edinburgh. The church is placed right in the middle of the city but is in a ruined condition. Since the fashion college is right next to the site, a proposal of creating a temporary fashion event is designed. The site is analized and to creat awareness of such a beautiful structure and also rejuninate it, an architectural proposal of the fabric construction is designed.

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Adaptive Reuse of Church | Digital Approach

[ Site Discription. ] Holyrood Abbey, Edinburgh’s only east processional doorway into the cloister survives from the first church, which was lavishly rebuilt between 1195 and 1230. Of the rebuilt church all that survives is the nave- the western part of the church. The surviving nave is a precious fragment of medivial architecture. Its architecture style straddles the transformation between Romanesque to the later Gothic style. The oldest part is the north wall, built before 1200 and characterised by a tall lancet window with intersecting archade below. Understanding the structure of the existing ruined church ans studying about the old church gave us an understanding of the church design and its construction design. Overviewing that, we designed the church keeping the existing design

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Adaptive Reuse of Church | Digital Approach

[ Adaptive Reuse of Church. ]

The ruin of the church has the ceiling and altar wall missing and thus fabric construction is done to have a temporary fabric design so that it can fill the missing parts of the existing ruined church to make it look like a complete one entity. The ceiling design has the arcs and vaults made with seams stitched in fabric and also the transition for ceiling to a complex composition of the components created through the research project. The altar wall fabric design is done considering the existing window in the ruined church. ince the temporary construction of the fabric structures is fast and easy, the fabric ceiling and altar which would be pre stitched before reaching the site, can the assembled quickly.

Altar missing from the existing church Ceiling of the church to be reconstructed

Nave as the rampway

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Isometric View of the Existing Church

Fabric reconstructed ceiling to have a temporary canopy to host the event

Fabric reconstructed altar and wall which is missing in the ruined church.

Nave as the rampway

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Isometric View of the Design Proposal of Fabric Structure

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Adaptive Reuse of Church | Digital Approach

[ Adaptive Reuse of Church. ]

The ruin of the church has the ceiling and altar wall missing and thus fabric construction is done to have a temporary fabric design so that it can fill the missing parts of the existing ruined church to make it look like a complete one entity. The ceiling design has the arcs and vaults made with seams stitched in fabric and also the transition for ceiling to a complex composition of the components created through the research project. The altar wall fabric design is done considering the existing window in the ruined church. ince the temporary construction of the fabric structures is fast and easy, the fabric ceiling and altar which would be pre stitched before reaching the site, can the assembled quickly.

The ceiling of the church is designed to have a gradual transformation from the simple part which resembles the existing church vaults to the component design of the fabric to create complex forms of the intricate church design. The surface language of the fabric is designed to create the roof part of the church which transforms into the tube language which acts as the structural language.

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Existing elevation of the church with the missing ceiling

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The fabric ceiling taking the column support

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The fabric ceiling taking the column support 275

Adaptive Reuse of Church | Digital Approach

[ Adaptive Reuse of Church. ]

Understnding the existing ruin church and its existing columns the ceiling of fabric structure was recreated. The fabric folds due to the seam stitched where the column and the ceiling merge to create fan like vaults. These were derieved from the existing church design. The surface language gradually transforms into the tubular and seam language to create the church intricate structures. The fabric structure initially takes support from the columns before getting hardened and once hardened the structure can stand by itself becoming the shelter of the church alsong with becoming the structural support for the existing ruin.

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Adaptive Reuse of Church | Digital Approach

[ Adaptive Reuse of Church. ]

The ruin of the church has the ceiling and altar wall missing and thus fabric construction is done to have a temporary fabric design so that it can fill the missing parts of the existing ruined church to make it look like a complete one entity. The ceiling design has the arcs and vaults made with seams stitched in fabric and also the transition for ceiling to a complex composition of the components created through the research project. The altar wall fabric design is done considering the existing window in the ruined church. ince the temporary construction of the fabric structures is fast and easy, the fabric ceiling and altar which would be pre stitched before reaching the site, can the assembled quickly.

The ceiling of the church is designed to have a gradual transformation from the simple part which resembles the existing church vaults to the component design of the fabric to create complex forms of the intricate church design. The surface language of the fabric is designed to create the roof part of the church which transforms into the tube language which acts as the structural language.

Understnding the existing ruin church and its existing columns the ceiling of fabric structure was recreated. The fabric folds due to the seam stitched where the column and the ceiling merge to create fan like vaults. These were derieved from the existing church design. The surface language gradually transforms into the tubular and seam language to create the church intricate structures. The fabric structure initially takes support from the columns before getting hardened and once hardened the structure can stand by itself becoming the shelter of the church alsong with becoming the structural support for the existing ruin.

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University Co The Bartlett Scho

ResearchCluste Graduate Archit

I-Ting Somdatta M Xixi Z Yiru

Tuto Daniel Widrig, Soomee

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ollege London ool of Architecture

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g Tsai, Majumdar, Zheng, Yun.

: Hahm, Stefan Bassing

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