DIGITAL DESIGN + FABRICATION SM1, 2016 M3 JOURNAL - SKIN AND BONE Althea De Las Alas 760667 Teal Breez Marshall 758512 Shengran Zheng 710821
TUTOR: Lyle Talbot
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Introduction Our group finished Module 2 with a clear understanding of a skin and bone system and had challenged its conventions using precedent designs and manipulating the idea of volumes and how they are created. Our design was simple, yet in its simplicity it allowed for a delicate beauty to be revealed. The thin twisting bone system merely existed to support a complex ‘weave’ of strings that would create a voluminous space that offered protection, privacy, support and security.
Feedback and our ever growing understanding our model and how we progress is illustrated in subsequent pages. 2
Design development From the feedback given in module 2 and our present understanding of our model we explored ideas of;
-The potential of flat packing our model -A greater density of string
-All planer bone system -All right angle connection points
-Being able to lean against a wall 3
Design development + fabrication of Prototype V.2 In preparation of a full fabrication of our design a connection system had to be devised and tested. The logical notch system was chosen for its simplicity. Mastery of the layers in RHINO was crucial when creating the notches as a view port quickly becomes crowed and confusing.
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EXPLODED:
ELEVATION:
PLAN:
ISOMETRIC:
ELEVATION:
ISOMETRIC:
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Reading Response Wk 6 Architecture in the Digital Age - Design + Manufacturing/ Branko Kolarevic, Spon Press, London c2003
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Briefly outline the various digital fabrication processes. Explain how you use digital fabrication in your design? The process of translation from the physical to the digital realm is the inverse of computer aided manufacturing. From a physical model a digital representation of its geometry can be created using various three-dimensional scanning techniques. Patterns of scanned points are used to generate profile NURBS (Non-Uniform Rational B-Splines) curves, which are then used to generate often NURBS surfaces. The fact that geometries are describes as NURBS curves and surfaces means that that their construction is attainable by means of CNC fabrication processes. CNC cutting , or two dimensional fabrication, is the most commonly used fabrication technique. Plasma-arc, laser-beam and water-jet technologies involve two-axis motion of the sheet relative to the cutting head. Subtractive fabrication involves the removal of a specified volume of material from solids, and additive fabrication involves incremental forming by adding material layer by layer. In formative fabrication mechanical forces, restricting forms, heat or steam are applied to a material so as to form it into their desired shape through reshaping or deformation. The production strategies used for two-dimensional fabrication include contouring, triangulation, use of ruled developable surfaces, and unfolding. In contouring, a sequence of planar sections, often parallel to each other and places at regular intervals, can be used directly to articulate structural components. Cross-sections produced by contouring can be further manipulated to create a complete abstraction of a building’s structural framework. We have used the technique of contouring in our design to form the bones or our skin and bone system.
Reading applied to design How does the fabrication process and strategy effect your second skin project? We focused on two-dimensional fabrication, specifically laser-cutting. Laser cutters use a high intensity focused beam of infrared light in combination with a jet of hight pressurised gas to melt or burn or burn the material that is being is cut. There are, however, large differences between these thicknesses that could be cut; laser cutters can only cut materials that can absorb light energy and can cut material up to 16mm. We chose to adopt cross-sections of bone that are planar at right angles.
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Reading Response Wk 7 Digital Fabrications: architectural + material techniques/Lisa Iwamoto. New York: Princeton Architectural Press c2009
Describe one aspect of the recent shift in the use of digital technology from design to fabrication? Like traditional drawing, digital production is a generative medium that comes with its own host of restraints and possibilities. Digital practices have the potential to marrow the gap between representation and building, affording a hypothetically seamless connection between design and making. Emerging and newly defined practices regularly pioneer techniques and experiment with fabrication processes on a small scale. The means by which these projects are realised are within the reach of many practitioners and students. Architects seek to leverage digital design and manufacturing for perceptual, spatial, and formal effect. Today, it is inconceivable to imagine designing buildings without the use of computers. Computerised process streamlines production effectively blending upstream and downstream processes, eliminating intermediate steps between design and final production. CAD programs have made two-dimensional drawing efficient, easy to edit, and simple to do. As such, the process of making drawings steadily shifted from being analog to digital.
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Reading applied to design Referencing from the lectures and readings, what is the implication of digital fabrication on your design ? As architects increasingly design with complex geometric, using sectioning as a method of taking numerous cross sections through a form has proven time and again an effective and compelling technique. As in conventional construction processes, information is translated from one format to another to communicate with the builder - only in this case the builder is a machine. Rather that construct the surface itself, sectioning uses a series of profiles, the edges of which follow lines of surface geometry. The modelling software’s sectioning or contouring commands can almost instantaneously cut parallel sections through objects at designed intervals. This effectively streamlines the prices of making serialised, parallel sections , and can be used to produce both surface and structure. We have applied the sectioning technique to produce the structure of our design. The bones of our design encompass the person wearing the sleeping pod.
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Prototype development
In this stage, we have modified the previous frame into a new one.
Deconstruction of the elements
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Fitstly, in this new version, the backpack element is remained.as a funcion which allows people to carry with and allows user to sleep wherever they want. Secondly, we want to provide more personal space in the new version by creating a volumnic structure. Thirdly, the curve coming out at the right and back are the supporting structures to provide supporting point that user can lean on the structure supported by the wall. At last, for aesthic purpose, the structure is designed to be asymmetrical. The structure on the top is three extending curve that create a elegant and unique outlook.
FRONT
RIGHT
The rhino model has shown the front, right and perspective view of the design. As the frame structure of the skin-and-bone system, the new vesion of the bone structure is designed to be volumetric and suppotive. Also the new design remained the curve and dynamic elements from the oled version. The skin is still made of strings to creative supportive surface for people to lean on both on the right and the back.
PERSPECTIVE 11
Prototype optimisation From the initial concept (the new revised model) many geometries had to be altered so that it could actually be fabricated. Making sure the bones connected properly was the greatest challenge and involved extensive redrawing of the model. All the points of the bones also had to smoothed and the longitudinal bone were altered to make them more structurally sound.
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ORIGINAL DESIGN:
REVISED DESIGN:
Creation of connection points and fabrication template: Bolt connections were cut using Boolean difference, cutting both elements at once to ensure accuracy. Notches were all cut at once using Boolean difference to ensure a flush tight connection. The bones were too large to be cut as a singular piece and so were segmented to fit onto the 900mmx600mm boards.
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Prototype optimisation
At this stage, we built a draft model of the frame as our prototype to test the connection and test the string wave physically. The structure can be built completely, however, some of the connection are not accurate, which makes the structure incline to the right. Also the size is small which need to be changed.
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One etched hole
Two etched holes Three etched holes
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Prototype optimisation After the completion of the model a detailed diagram was constructed to illustrate and take note of all required alterations.
We tested drilling the holes using a hand drill to save on laser cutting time. While one side is relatively neat.
A large amount of glue was used to stabilise the model. Every effort will be made in the final model to not use any glue. 16
The back side is very frayed and untidy. When comparing them to a laser cut whole it was decided that all holes will be cut by the laser.
The connection points were changed so that materiality was consistent throughout and connections would be flush, seamless and thus inconspicuous. These were created using Boolean difference and their dimensions were dictated by the materials thickness. Further work was done to make the waffle grind as smooth and strong as possible. The weaving hole configuration was changed to add complexity and variation affordances in the weave’s pattern.
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2nd Skin final design
The final design is a complete version of the skin-andbone sytem which includes the rigid structure as bone and strings system as skin to protect user while sleeping and support user’s neck and head. The strings connect the bones and create curve and intersected surfaces and volumes which worked as a skin system.
PLAN
We choose perspex as the material for bones in fabrication. The clear and transparent feature of perspex can provide a dramatic appearance for thewhole design. The black strings system will be highlighted and stand out from the transparent structure. Also we choose black elastic strings for string system. The elastic strings will be tightened to be supportive.
ELEVATION
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PERSPECTIVE
The process of modeling string system
The string sytem is complex and crucial of the whole design. It is followed a certain pattern and form to provide support for user’s head and neck and protection in the front. For modeling of string system , we use some basic curve function in Gasshopper.
Firstly we ceated curves on the structure and divided the curve into points with same distance between each other Secondly, we add lines function to create straight lines between each points In order to text the wave and string pattern, we add number slider bar on the points to test the shape fromed by different amounts of strings. And gerenate the best shape and most comfortable surface to lean on.
Grasshopper Script 19
Fabrication Sequence The fabrication and construction process of the final design: Frame work The frame was cut in pieces with laser cutters in fabrication lab. Starting with assembly of the frame, we begin to connect the join of the big pieces. In order to make the connection invisble, the connection between each big pieces was two small rectangular elements made of perspex. The two joints needed to be filed into the holes and then concealed the joints and frame with hot glue.
In the process of filling the holes will joints, some problem had shown up unexpectedly. Some of the hole are smaller than joints due to some fault during fabrication of the pieces, so the joints can’t be filed in. We started to sand the holes by hand.
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Half finished model. Frame work compelete
The fabrication and construction process of the final design: skin system After compeleting the frame, we started to finished the complex string system. We use needles and strings to sew into the holes. Following the rhino model, the intersect of two surface should be dealt with carefully. Each line should be overlaped accuratly. Also the strings we used is made of elastic material. We should tighten the string while we connect them in orther to provide support for user’s head and neck.
Half complete of the string system
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Assembly Drawing
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x 14
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2nd Skin The final model was made of perspex and black elastic strings, which create artistic effect. The crystal frame give audience a sense of light weight and clear look. The strings create the dynamic volume and wave patterns. The photo on the right shows how users can lean on the structure against the wall.
The photos on the bottom show how the strings support user’s neck and head. The strings in the front will create a protection. Covering by the strings, users will not be seen directly by people around, which provide a secrete space for sleeping.
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The final model Perspex and Elastic strings
The photos on the right shows the details of the project, the twisting surface made of elastic strings and the holes on the frame wich allow the strings go through. There are also some points that can be improved like the connection of the frame pieces are not very stable, the material itself is quite fragile and the strings are relatively thin and not strong enough. Those are the things that needs to be improved.
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