BETTER BLOCKS IN CUYAHOGA FALLS | 1
PROG
S I T E A N A LY S I S
4
GRAMMING STUDY
12 30
SEATING ELEMENT
MATERIAL EFFECTS
50 64
CONCLUSION + BIBLIOGRAPHY
74
INDIVIDUAL INVESTIGATION
BETTER BLOCKS IN CUYAHOGA FALLS | 5
SITE HISTORY Cuyahoga Falls was founded in 1812 and laid out by Elkanah Richardson, serving as a major source of electrical power from the Cuyahoga river waterfalls. The city later moved further downstream to a more resourceful location as the previous foundations were flooded by a dam built by William Wetmore. The flood destroyed a flour mill, an oil mill and a saw mill. After the invention of the streetcar, the dirt on the street was covered and would eventually be dedicated for automobile use. Later in the 1960s, Front Street in Cuyahoga falls would be converted into a pedestrian pathway. Similar to many American downtown cities during the 1960s and 1970s, there were large ambitious plans to refocus development on retail stores. This resulted in the conversion of Front Street to become a pedestrian mall. The city hoped that the removal of traffic would allow people to engage downtown more frequently resulting in its reactivation. Unfortunately, at the same time, Chapel Hill Mall opened not too far from Front Street and became the center for activity competing fiercely with the newly established pedestrian mall. Front Street could not compete with the variety of stores offered by Chapel Hill Mall resulting in abandonment and foreclosure of various businesses. Chapel Hill Mall today has begun to fail and is soon closing due to the rise of other popular shopping destinations in the Falls such as Chestnut Crossing, Falls River Square, Portage Crossing and Steels Corners. These are part of the ongoing downtown transformation in Cuyahoga Falls and have proven to become increasingly popular. It has been determined through research that the restoration of Front Street as an “outdoor outlet mall” would restore Cuyahoga Fall’s Front Street to become a point of destination once again.
The images above show the Historic Front Street in Cuyahoga Falls before conversion into a pedestrian mall.
KEY EVENTS OF CUYAHOGA FALLS State Road Shopping Center 1812
1850
Front Street as a Commercial Spine.
Pedestrian Mall Obsolete
State Route 8 Built 1967
1972
1978
1980
Pedestrian Mall Opens on Front St
Chapel Hill Mall Opens
Portage Crossing Opens 2008
2014
South Front Street Development
2016 Chapel Hill Mall “Closing”
UPCOMING DEVELOPMENT Through research and community based design, Cuyahoga Falls is planning to move toward a more “open downtown model” as proposed by MKSK and EHM&T. This would reintroduce vehicles into Front Street. The development of this plan would include three stages of transformation and options to how the city will re-brand the cuyahoga experience.
STAGE I
STAGE 2
STAGE 3
Planning: Pedestrian mall plans to open to vehicular Traffic. During this phase meetings with community stakeholders, giving multiple contract, and historical designation will be precedent to the engineering and refinement phase.
Engineering and Refinement. Market analysis and community surveys are given to ensure success of local businesses that will reopen on Front Street. This will gain partnerships and secure remaining contracts before construction.
Construction. After finalizing stage I and II, the city would begin constructing the plan as proposed by MKSK and EHM&T. This construction would be head started with the involvement of Kent State University and Better Blocks for an end of summer marketing event.
Proposed City of Cuyahoga Falls my MKSK
BETTER BLOCKS IN CUYAHOGA FALLS | 7
VARIOUS SURVEYS
Front Stre
et
A Site Map of Cuyahoga Falls with Front Street Highlighted w/ topography
Front Street with Topo lines Location for intervention Residential Buildings Vacant Lots Designated Parking Rental Buildings Restaurant and Bars
Figure Ground of Cuyahoga Falls with Residential Areas Highlighted. Front Street Residential Area
LANDSCAPES AND SITE ELEMENTS
8’ 40”
1
15”
Entry Signage
5
7b
10
6b
1
4
Street lamp Type 1
3
3
12’
2
26”
Drinking Fountain
12’
3
Street lamp Type 2
10’
4
Traffic Light
BETTER BLOCKS IN CUYAHOGA FALLS | 9
6’
a 19”
a
46”
2’
7’
31”
b 6
b 7
Table and Chairs
Benches
26”
3 6a 6a 7b
9
3
42”
42”
8
Trash Can 1
9
Trash Can 2
3’
10
Traffic Barrier
STOREFRONTS AND PROGRAMS 2
3 7
1 6
5
4
WEST FRONT STREET
1 Fraternal Order of Eagles
Jack Rihards Studio
2 Riverfront Photography
ARDON
Flury’s Cafe
Hidden Pearl Signature Antiques
Vacant Stage Building
3 All Put Together
Ten Almond Gallery
BETTER BLOCKS IN CUYAHOGA FALLS | 11
EAST FRONT STREET
4 Evant
The Ruby Group
5 Time Zone Clocks and Antiques
6 Cashmere Cricket
Secret Past
Levisons Uniforms
Vacant
Entrance
Glazing
7 Silver Eagles Antiques
Bar 2209
Falls River Square
BETTER BLOCKS IN CUYAHOGA FALLS | 13
INTRODUCTION To activate Front Street, Cuyahoga Falls, OH, various programmatic elements will be introduced to create vitality and vibrancy on the street. These programmatic elements are common Main Street elements and have been precedent in other cities such as Columbus Main Street, MI and Main Street, Galena, Illinois. Better Block attempts to revitalize poorly used main street blocks by bringing in these programmatic elements to charm the street. Not alone, better blocks gathers a community of people from neighbors to property owners to convert main street blocks to become a neighborhood destination. The success of this project led to the development of the Better Blocks Foundation whose aim is to revitalize downtown areas through the United States and abroad. To expand their initiative, better block has an open source initiative that gives step-by-step instructions available on their website to empower others to do the same in their city.1 Several on-site elements have been suggested by Better Blocks to introduce vibrancy into city blocks. Among them, Plazas, cycle tracks, bike lanes, awnings, street trees, crosswalks, benches and bike parking. On the event on August 27, 2016, additional elements such as knit-bombs, balloons, CNC parklets and benches will be included to activate the city block. As part of the proposal, our studio team was tasked to create 10 Wiki Booths that have programmatic elements similar to that of a traditional downtown. Among them include bookstores, florists, kayak stores, cafĂŠ and bakeries and a gift shop. This study will analyze traditional bookstores to investigate programmatic requirements to be considered for the Bookstore WikiBooth.
1
http://betterblock.org/blog/category/recipes/
Columbus Main Street, Mississippi. Image from: http://newsms.fm/ wp-content/uploads/2016/05/ DowntownColumbusMissippi7.jpg
Main Street, Galena, Illinois. Image From: http://www.huffingtonpost. com/fodors/americas-best-mainstreet_b_4556756.html
A good bookstore contains elements that are both physical and cultural. To create a bookstore of high value and worth, it would need to have a culture that emanates from the environment and the people managing the bookstore. The staff gives personality to the bookstore spaces and is preferred that they are knowledgeable and highly involved within the reader-culture. The curation of the bookstore and book management is also vital to the health of the space. Last, the bookstore needs to have a cultural sensitivity to the area it is placed in. For the WikiBooth, many of these elements will not be within control. For this reason, the fine-tuning of environment through architectural and design elements will need to govern the personality of the store. These elements and planning concepts are examined in more detail below.
BOOKSTORE ELEMENTS There are some universal elements that are present in bookstores globally. Among them, books, display units, shelves, and a desk for transactions between customer and owner. However, many additional elements have been added by different bookstore operators such as tables and reading booths, children play areas, small cafeterias and bakeries which enhance the atmosphere for reading. Signage is also vital to a bookstore, allowing the organization of data and complex libraries of book information for user access. These elements are usually designed together to allow an integrated scheme for the design of the bookstore.
Slovenian Book Center In Trieste / SoNo Arhitekti, Book shelving element highlighted.
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COMPONENTS FOR CONSIDERATION
Vertical Wall Elements
Canopy Elements
Patio Elements
Ceiling Elements
Floor Elements
WALL / VERTICAL ELEMENTS BOOKSHELF STUDY A popular modular multi-purpose shelving unit designed by IKEA, Kallax, was studied. The specifications for the cabinet is listed below: 14”
(in) Width
71.625
Depth
15.325
Height
71.625
KALLAX Shelving Unit Full Dimensions. Materials used: Particleboard, Fiberboard, Printed and embossed acrylic paint, Foil, Paper, ABS plastic
14”
KALLAX Shelving Unit Module
Dimensions
BOOK SIZE STUDY The shelving units need to be designed according to the dimensions of common books. A sample of common sizes are listed below: W (mm)
H (mm)
W (in)
H (in)
KALLAX Shelving Space
A4
297
210
11.69
8.27
2
Crown Quarto
246
189
9.69
7.44
Royal
234
156
9.21
6.14
Demy
216
138
8.50
5.43
A5
210
148
8.27
5.83
B-Format
198
129
7.80
5.08
E X A M P L E S O F S H E LV E S
The shelves on the right demonstrate several shelves. The minimalist tone of the shelves on the left are in contrast to the highly dynamic shelves on the right.
1 Relationship of shelving space to typical book sizes. (1) B-Format Size, (2) A4 Size
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CEILING ELEMENTS Several Surface effects for ceiling conditions. According to the Nature of Order, alternative ceiling heights aid the experience of space
FLOOR ELEMENTS Graphical elements can be used to create floor patterns that become directional motifs for spaces
CANOPY/PATIO ELEMENTS Graphical elements can be used to create floor patterns that become directional motifs for spaces
S PAC E P L A N N I N G Three components need to be considered when planning the spaces of the WikiBooth. First, the WikiBooth has to be spatially efficient to accommodate all required programmatic elements. Second, the spaces need to be comfortable for user-access. Third, the spaces need to serve the operation of the bookstore. Last, the spaces need to be aesthetically appealing to provide a beautiful environment for the business to operate. Being a traditional bookstore, the
FIL BOOKSTORE Architects: Halükar Architecture Project Date: 2015 Area of Project: 861ft2
1’-2”
1 2
4 3’-0”
3 5’-0”
5
2’-2” 4’-2”
4’-6”
1 2 3 4 5
Bookshelves Sales Desk Sales Unit Bar Seating Element
Entrance to Entrance Circulation
BETTER BLOCKS IN CUYAHOGA FALLS | 19
building layout needs to accommodate book sales. The two stores below were chosen for holistic integration between spaces, aesthetics and usability with a small floor plate footprint.
HUGG STORE Architects: TANDEM Design Studio Project Date: 2015 Area of Project: 1076ft2
3 2 1 2 3 4 5
1
5 4
Sales Desk Back of Store Storage Ugg Display Vitamin Display
Vertical Space Planning. Shelves are arranged in an alternating pattern
Entrance to Entrance Circulation
GENERAL BOOKSTORE ERGONOMICS User-accessibility is paramount when designing the WikiBooth. In order to design for user access, general ergonomics should be considered. This is also in line with the 8-80 concept of Better Blocks which advocated usability for all age groups. Below are general guidelines for shelving units and counter areas for the bookstore. Ergonomics can be derived by anticipating user actions. Some actions that individuals may perform are such as reaching, looking (sight-lines), placement of product and leaning or positioning bodies in space. Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturers Association (BIFMA) has published several ergonomics guidelines that can be applied to the WikiBooth. These guidelines are illustrated in the tables and Diagrams below: Measurement
Key
Female
Male
Standing Overhead Reach
A
74.9” – 86.8”
81.2” – 93.7”
Standing Height
B
60.2” – 68.4”
64.8” – 73.5”
Standing Eye Height
C
56.9” – 65.0”
61.4” – 69.8”
Standing Forward Reach
D
30.8” – 36.1”
33.8” – 39.5”
Sitting Height
E
31.3” – 35.8”
33.6” – 38.3”
Sitting Eye Height
F
42.6” – 48.8”
46.3” – 52.6”
Sitting Knee Height
G
19.8” – 23.2”
21.4” – 25.0”
Seat Depth
H
16.9” – 20.4”
17.7” – 21.1”
Values listed referenced from AllSteel Ergonomics Guide. Actual Values from BIFMA 2002 Ergonomics Guide. Refer to Diagram 1(a), 1(b) and 1(c) for Letters. A B
C
E F
D G H
Diagram 1 (a)
Diagram 1 (b)
Diagram 1 (c)
BETTER BLOCKS IN CUYAHOGA FALLS | 21
MASSING STUDIES Bookshelf
Table
Seating
Bean Bag
Reception
STUDY I Typical Bookstore Arrangement. Description: Display of books at the back of the sales person with a seating element in front of the bookstore Pros: A lot of personal contact with the bookstore owner, clear display of books Cons: Shelf does not fit within the given parameters. Seating lacs privacy. Not all books accessible due to blockage by receptionist.
STUDY II Description: Increased lounge area by increasing availability of bean bags. Pros: A large amount of seating space, allows users to lounge and read books. Cons: Lack of privacy. No place for salesperson to work, Bookstore lacks security.
STUDY III Description: Display of books at the back of the sales person with a seating element in front of the bookstore Pros: A lot of personal contact with the bookstore owner, clear display of books Cons: Shelf does not fit within the given parameters. Seating lacs privacy. Not all books accessible due to blockage by receptionist.
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STUDY IV Description: Increased display of books by allowing two cabinets to be encased within chassis. Pros: Increased display space, and privacy during selection of purchase. Cons: Interior display cannot be seen from the front. No room for sales person. Small passageway between the two shelves.
STUDY V Description: Increased book display, using an alternating cabinet arrangement. Pros: Additional interior space for the use of a salesperson. Increased Book display. Powerful storefront that increases store identity. Cons: Lack of seating space within bookstore. Receptionist does not have direct contact with passersby.
Building storefronts are commonly found in main street typologies in America. They take the shape of a faรงade or entryway of a retail store located on the ground floor of commercial buildings and typically have more than one windows. Storefronts serve as the membrane between the pedestrian on the street and the businesses within the building. For this reason, storefronts have to communicate visually using means such as transparency, color, typology and ornament to attract customers to the business within.
BOOKSTORE STOREFRONTS Bookstores in main streets also have storefronts that serve to communicate its program and character on main streets. Common to building faรงades studied, the storefronts typically have high levels of transparency that show the contents of the store. Many older bookstores such as the Harvard Book Store and the Berkeley Bookstore, have more traditional typologies whereas newer bookstores studied such as Foyles, El Pendulo, and Amazon Books have modern exteriors. Nonetheless, all the bookstores studied have high levels of transparency allowing the books that were being sold to be on display. Below are visual analyses of four of the aforementioned bookstores:
El Pendulo Bookstore, Mexico City. Transparency of Storefront highlighted.
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HARVARD BOOKSTORE Location: Boylston Street, Cambridge, MA, USA. Date Founded: 1932 Original Founder: Mark S. Kramer
1
Harvard Book Store
2
4
3
5 6 7 Storefront Elevation
0
2.5
5
10 feet
Storefront Plan
1
Columns Large columns spanning 4 feet are located at the side of the bookstore creating apparent mass and weight to the storefront.
2
Recessed Entrance The entrance of the bookstore is recessed to give room for door swing
3
Display 64.4% Window to Wall Ratio. High amount of glazing is used on the front facade to allow pedestrians to see books inside the building.
4
Secondary Signage Traditional ornamentation protrudes into the street with the bookstore title.
5
Ornamentation The use of scroll-like ornament on the front of the building is similar to that of Santa Maria Del Pace in Florence, which is symbolic of “scriptural text.�
6
Signage The bookstore uses traditional Serif fonts above the main entrance. A green background was used with white lettering facing Plympton St, whereas its main entrance uses gold font with a blue backdrop
7
Lighting Lighting Illuminates the Sign at night
MODERN TIMES BOOKSTORE Location: 2919, 24th St, San Francisco, CA, USA. Date Founded: 1971 Note: Facade shown is of an older branch of Modern Times bookstore. Their new location has an updated and lively facade.
1
4
2
5
3
6 Storefront Elevation
0
2.5
5
10 feet
Storefront Plan
1
Columns The side columns are cladded with stone to give an apparent monumentality.
2
Ornamentation The slender balustrades in front of the clerestory window are the only form ornamentation on the faรงade.
3
Display Window to wall ratio of 54.1%. The high levels of transparency is also suitable for the warmer climate of CA. The display has a combination of books and pop-art signage.
4
Signage The signage is hidden behind the glass faรงade as a sticker spanning the entire faรงade. It does not give a lot of presence to the bookstore.
5
Transom Sash The transom Sash of the bookstore is clear allowing additional light to enter the building
6
Recessed Entrance The entrance to the bookstore is recessed instead of using awnings
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AMAZON BOOKS Location: University Village, Seattle, WA, USA. A Chain Store by Amazon.com
2
1
3
4
5
books
0
Storefront Elevation
2.5
5
Storefront Plan
1
Signage The company name is contrasted sharply to with the brick palette with back-lighting to accentuate words displayed.
2
Facade Modulation: Modular Faรงade using the appearance of heavy timber columns to regulate storefront.
3
Material Palette: Use of simple wood and brick palette give a minimalist flavor to the building opposed to rich material palette of more traditional storefronts.
4
Awning A transparent awning is used to protect pedestrians from rain whilst allowing light to reach the sidewalk and enter the clerestory.
5
Display & Character The books are displayed further within the building, in contrast to older designs, where books are displayed against the storefront glazing. The warm colors intend to evoke a natural feeling to the structure.
10 feet
STOREFRONT PROTOTYPING 3D printing local storefronts allow us to examine intricate details present and how they invoke texture and emotion. The Harvard Bookstore storefront was printed to further examine details as well as to familiarize with the 3D printing process. The files were drawn and created in Rhino and were exported into g-code using Cura. The results for the print and analysis are as below:
Harvard Bookstore Facade. The bookstore front is well profiled by stone which is heavily textured. The windows on the top of the facade follow the ratio of windows on the first floor.
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Left. A detail of an ornament on the top window. Below. A view of the facade from below
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INTRODUCTION CNC technology allows quick fabrication of furniture assembly components. Firms such as Opendesk or SketchChair are using CNC technology cut files to create various furniture. Opendesk has a goal of creating a circular economy through it’s unique mode of operation as an open source fabrication site. Their mission is, “putting the spotlight back on real people (the producers in our supply chain), and bringing social, environmental and economic sustainability to the fore to achieve a more open and balanced mode of production.” In this mode of operation, the cut files and assembly process for these furniture are carefully documented and published online for the use for anyone who has access to a CNC mill to fabricate the chair components. Their design includes full workspaces, cabinetry design, chairs, tables and other wooden accessories. SketchChair is a platform that allows users to create drawings of chair assembly components using a web-browser. The program allows users to modify the chair height, depth and length, in addition to providing a simulative tool to its ergonomic function. These components are then exported into a CAD file and can be fabricated to at a nearby CNC mill. In lieu, this seating element workshop investigates the basics of assembly and fabricating components to create a unified whole. To gain familiarity with the CNC process, the color, detail of connections, style and form of the seating elements from Opendesk models will be examined. Additional ergonomic analyses for seating elements were conducted consequently to allow a functional and comfortable chair to be designed. After the initial research phase, design elements of the chair were prototyped including the chair support system and seat. These were further iterated using different tools such as kerfing, scoring, embossing and other material effects.
Sketchchair design library. Image from: http://sketchchair.cc/designs
GreenPeace Office using Opendesk Furniture. From: https:// www.opendesk.cc/workspaces/ greenpeace
CASE STUDIES Opendesk invites various independent designers to share their furniture on their website. Elements highlighted in this case study include assembly methods, cut files, types of connections and additional materials used for the fabrication process of a chair. (28) Additional Pegs
Chair Back
THIRTY MINUTE CHAIR
Back Legs
AtFAB
Front Legs Complete Chair
Side Cut Files Efficiency: 60.5% Add. Comp. Req.? Yes
Chair Axon
Feet
BETTER BLOCKS IN CUYAHOGA FALLS | 33
Chair Back Seat
CLIP CHAIR Vertical Support
Side
Lateral Support
Jose Pacheco
Cut Files Efficiency: 17% Add. Comp. Req.? Yes
Chair Axon
Chair Back
Vertical Support
Seat
ROXANNE CHAIR
Chair Front
Pierrick Faure
Lateral Support Lateral Support
Chair Axon
Cut Files Efficiency: 50.0% Add. Comp. Req.? No
ERGONOMIC STUDIES To design a seating element that is suited to the user of the WikiBlock, ergonomics have to be considered. The use of CNC fabrication and parametric design would help this process by allowing customization of chair height and length quickly. The guidelines provided by BIFMA also set parameters that can be modified to create optimum seating for users. Unfortunately, when considering CNC technology, it is more difficult to adjust natural curvature that allows the buttock to rest with minimum stress. Therefore, in order to achieve better results, we would need to couple CNC material with a secondary seating material such as foam or cloth. Listed below are typical values to consider when designing a seating element: Letter
Female
Male
Sitting Height
A
31.3” – 35.8”
33.6” – 38.3”
Sitting Eye Height
B
42.6” – 48.8”
46.3” – 52.6”
Waist Depth
C
7.3” – 10.7”
7.8” – 11.4”
Thigh Clearance
D
21.0” – 24.5”
23.0” – 26.8”
Buttock-to-Knee
E
21.3” – 25.2”
22.4” – 26.3”
Knee Height
F
19.8” – 23.2”
21.4” – 25.0”
Seat Length/Depth
G
16.9” – 20.4”
17.7” – 21.1”
Popliteal Height
H
15.0” – 18.1”
16.7” – 19.9”
Seat Width
Not Shown
14.5” – 18.0”
13.9” – 17.2”
Values listed referenced from AllSteel Ergonomics Guide. Actual Values from BIFMA 2002 Ergonomics Guide. Refer to Diagram 1(a) and 1(b) for Letters.
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Measurement
Letter
Female
Male
Standing Overhead Reach
A
74.9” – 86.8”
81.2” – 93.7”
Standing Height
B
60.2” – 68.4”
64.8” – 73.5”
Standing Eye Height
C
56.9” – 65.0”
61.4” – 69.8”
Standing Forward Reach
D
30.8” – 36.1”
33.8” – 39.5”
Sitting Height
E
31.3” – 35.8”
33.6” – 38.3”
Sitting Eye Height
F
42.6” – 48.8”
46.3” – 52.6”
Sitting Knee Height
G
19.8” – 23.2”
21.4” – 25.0”
Seat Depth
H
16.9” – 20.4”
17.7” – 21.1”
Values listed referenced from AllSteel Ergonomics Guide. Actual Values from BIFMA 2002 Ergonomics Guide. Refer to Diagram 2 for Letters.
E
I
G
B H
C
A
A
D
B
F
C G
Diagram 1 (a)
Diagram 1 (b)
Diagram 1 (c)
E H
FD
DESIGN PROCESS : TYPE I Using the ergonomics research, and the chair case studies above, stools were iteratively created using rhino and grasshopper. Each step of the process was documented demonstrating the results of the research. 18”
B AS I C PA R A M E T E R S 18”
17”
Stool Profile
Axon of Stool
USING BASIC SUPPORTS
Iteration 1 - 51% Efficient
Iteration 2 - 94% Efficient
Iteration 3 - 55% Efficient
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A D D I T I O N A L S U P P O RT VA R I AT I O N Using Rhino and Grasshopper, Iteration 3 was parametrically manipulated to allow quick iteration of height, radius of fillet, width, and material depth.
F U RT H E R I T E R AT I O N S
Iteration 4
Iteration 5
DESIGN OPTIONS: TYPE I In order to create a unique design, material effects were added onto the seat surface. The following design patterns and their logics were considered:
S E AT S U R FAC E M AT E R I A L E F F E C T S
Line Map Process: Offset Connection squares using a range of numbers > Applying a range of fillet radii to the squares
Boundary Generation 1 Process: Used a cull pattern to generate boundary of various intersection: Jitter Seed: 1 Cull Pattern: T T F F
Boundary Generation 2 Process: Used a cull pattern to generate boundary of various intersection: Jitter Seed: 4 Cull Pattern: T T F F
Boundary Generation 3 Process: Used a cull pattern to generate boundary of various intersection: Jitter Seed: 4 Cull Pattern: F F F T T
Guided Boundary Generation Process: Baked all surfaces and selected repeating elements to create geometrical pattern
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DESIGN PROCESS: TYPE II To further accentuate the fillet motif that was present in the support material, a kerfing pattern was generated using grasshopper to allow the 1/8” plywood to bend.
K E R F I N G I T E R AT I O N 1 Kerfing Pattern: Kerf hole width: 3/8” Kerf gap: 1/2” This iteration failed to kerf due to the strong linear arrangement of the kerf gaps creating a structural skeleton that prohibited bending.
K E R F I N G I T E R AT I O N 2
Kerfing Pattern: Kerf hole width: 3/8” Kerf gap: 1/4”
Raster pattern using Grasshopper script and kerfing surface as attractor.
BETTER BLOCKS IN CUYAHOGA FALLS | 41
TYPE II + MATERIAL EFFECTS The modular seating unit developed can be unified by using material effects. Lines and patterns can be developed to create a series of units that can be combined to create a greater whole. The following surfaces were developed using material effects:
Kerfing Pattern: Kerf hole width: 3/8” Kerf gap: 1/4” Raster pattern using Grasshopper script and kerfing surface as attractor.
TYPE II PROTOTYPING
The combination of the surfaces create a motive that connects all four seating elements.
BETTER BLOCKS IN CUYAHOGA FALLS | 43
Several elements, such as ergonomics were found unsatisfactory in this iteration. Further, kerfing could be produced on the other side of wood to keep pattern smooth and unbroken.
DESIGN PROCESS: TYPE II (B) To further improve the ergonomics of the chair, the bottom of the chair was recessed to accommodate for leg swing. To increase the line-based patterning on the chair surface, the kerfing tests were done to examine the potential of kerfing the backside of the surface for bending. Lateral bracing was added to prevent the chair from racking. This bracing also held the two ends of the kerf surfaces together. Finally, in order to increase chair stability, the filleted corners were removed to leave an angled corner. The design process is illustrated below:
Obtaining Basic Parameters 18� 18�
Form of Seating Element
Above: Intended Effect
Unrolled Surface for Effect
Profile of Seating Element
New Seating Element Form
BETTER BLOCKS IN CUYAHOGA FALLS | 45
TYPE II (B) KERFING AND SURFACE
Lines on surface create a continuous pattern regardless chair orientation
Initial Kerfing Test for CNC routing. Variables: Laser power for depth of cut.
Final Kerfing Configuration at 3/8” Gap width, 3/8” Distance between gaps
T Y P E I I ( B ) A S S E M B LY
Bench Surface
4
3
Side Supports
2 1
Lateral Supports
1 2 3 4
Attach lateral supports into side supports Attach short side of kerfed surface into lateral support Attach top of kerf surfaced into keys on the side supports Attach opposite side of kerf surface into lateral support.
BETTER BLOCKS IN CUYAHOGA FALLS | 47
Iterating with laser cutting. The samples were prototyped and examined and re-cut to ensure the correct files would go for actual CNC fabrication
WIKIBLOCK RECIPE Two chair assembly components can fit on a piece of plywood. Special instructions need to be given for the assembly of the chair. Two sides of the plywood need to be cut in order for the material effect of the wood to appear continuous. The cut pieces are as below:
Front Face
Back Face
Cut through Cut at 5/8” Depth
Cut at 1/8” Depth Cut at 11/16” Depth
Cut at 1/4” Depth
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17”
Perspective
Render
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INTRODUCTION CNC technology can be used to create material effects on plywood by manipulating depth of the cut, application of color on surfaces, and the use of patterning through parametric modeling. Rhinoceros and grasshopper are programs that can be used to generate surface effects for CNC milling. Grasshopper manipulates geometries through the use of computer scripts. These scripts can then be manipulated by within the program using number sliders to change design parameters and the final output. By default, Grasshopper contains many different scripts that manipulate points, curves, surfaces, solids and meshes differently. These functions can be combined to create patterns quickly. In addition to the default scripts, many open-source scripts can be found online. These scripts perform advanced functions such as read data from excel sheets or hexagonal paneling. This workshop focuses on the use of Grasshopper to produce different material effects that can be applied to plywood via CNC technology. The workshop covers different combinations of scripts which produces different material effects. Among them, attractor geometry, image sampling, tweening and text manipulation using excel data. The final product for this workshop is a 24�x24� panel that explores materials and various effects that can be achieved using CNC routing. In addition, material effects can be added to the seating elements to create regularized patterns to increase aesthetic qualities. This section examines preceding works, and contains various design experiments with material effect.
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http://betterblock.org/blog/category/recipes/
CNC milling in Kent State. Image credit: Brian Peters
MRQT Boutique, ROK Architects. Image from: http://www.rok-office.com/ projects/suppa-store-1027/
CASE STUDIES 2 x 4 and Ply Architecture have produced various material effects through the use of CNC technology, paint and other surface treatments. A survey of various projects are conducted below
P LY STUDIO
Installation for Zola Bistro 2x4 studs cut into smaller pieces
Profiles for Curves
Ceiling for Big Ten Burrito PLY Studio uses CNC technology to create a surface effect by tweening multiple curves to be used as CNC paths
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2X4
The Dee and Charles Wyly Theater Aluminum extrusions with light tubes within Low Resolution image printed within shade elements
ROK Meilen Bus Stops Use of Image Attractors to create surface effect onto metal plates
GRASSHOPPER WORKSHOP Grasshopper was used to generate surface effects. Various scripts could be used to create various linework that could be given to a CNC milling machine for fabrication. Below are amongst the samples tested:
Image Attractor
Image Attractor 2
Sample Image: Tree
Sample Image: Tree
Tweening
Tweening 2
Create a series of lines in between two lines
Create a series of lines in between two lines
Attractor Geometry
Attractor Geometry 2
Create a series of lines in between two lines
Create a series of lines in between two lines
Using Excel Data
Using Excel Data 2
Create a series of lines in between two lines
Using excel data as parameters for circles
Using Text
Using Text 2
Using attractor geometry to rotate text forms
Using attractor geometry to scale text forms
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DESIGN PROCESS Elements of a bookstore need to be considered during the design of bookstore material effects. A bookcase is taken into account during this design. Can book elements be incorporated into the overall surface effect? Can the book-case become the key element for the incorporation of material effects within the pop-up store? The structure of the book-case should be examined to identify appropriate elements for incorporation.
Bookcase as a Structural Element
Short Bookcase Connectors
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Long Bookcase Connectors
Front Panel
1
2 1
Attach Long bookcase connectors into front panel.
2
Attach long bookcase connectors and front panel unto back panel
3
Attach short bookcase connectors into back panel to secure system
Back Panel
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CREATING SURFACE EFFECT By rotating the bookcase element across the 8’ x 8’ installation wall, we are able to create a surface effect pattern for the bookstore. Rotating Bookcase Elements
The 8x8 sheet was panelized by the bookcases which were rotated using grasshopper
Adding Text
A sample text was added to the graphic to test compatibility.
Graphic Extrusions
The bookcases were graphically extruded using lines and hatches to create effect
Homogenizing Text + Graphic
The graphics were coordinated with the extrusions to create various surface effects.
PROCESS IMAGES The graphics produced were prototyped at 1/3 of the actual scale to understand the effect of scoring or CNC onto the panels and how they correspond with varying materials. For this study, Acrylic and wood elements were used. The photos below are images of the fabrication process at 1/4� scale. Homogenizing Text + Graphic
Back Panel. For prototyping reasons, a hand rendered drawing was used instead of a laser-cut image.
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Left. Front panel with material effects laser engraved. Below. A combination of both panels with a 1� gap in between both panels
PROCESS IMAGES
Top. Acrylic Front Panel Above. Combination of Acrylic front panel and surface effect on back with a gap of 1� Right. Combination of Acrylic front panel and surface effect on back with no gap.
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FINAL SEGMENT FOR FABRICATION
Cut lines
Outcome Render
1/8” Route Lines
1/4” Route Lines
L I N K I N G B OT H PA N E L S In order to join both panels together to become a bookshelf, a series of connections were designed. These connections linked the outer shelf with the inner shelf through 1/4� acrylic laser-cut pieces. These connections are repeated throughout the shelving unit to create the over-all surface effect.
A S S E M B LY D I A G R A M
2 1 Back Panel
3
4
Front Panel Side connection
5
1
Attach long bottom connection to side connection.
2
Attach long bottom panels and side panels to front panel
3
Insert Short Connection into back panel
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Slide the front panel, side connections, and bottom connection into the back panel, It should fit into the holes on the back panel and be snug with the short connection.
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Secure entire system by inserting bottom hooks into holes in the side connectors, behind the back panel.
Short Bottom and long bottom connection
Bottom Hooks
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INTRODUCTION In our intervention with Better Blocks at downtown Cuyahoga Falls, OH, we are proposing a series of popup stores. These stores are designed with a set of given parameters that poses a set of architectural problems, if handled well, can result in innovation. In order to create an elegant, well thought of store, one can intervene with structural connections, material effects, wood details, finishes, furnishing, accessories, graphics, and other elements to spur excitement within users engaging the store. The use of graphic design to heighten character, personality and excitement within architectural spaces has a long precedent. Structures created during Greco-Roman times such as the Parthenon and Pantheon have rich graphic visuals that are manifest in the form of sculptures of gods. These super[sized]-graphics contain both narrative elements that describe their culture whilst tell a story of worldviews commonly held in that time. Architecture has continued to become a catalyst for large-scaled graphics. The Hagia Sofia when remodeled during the increasing Islamization of the Byzantine Empire contain extensive calligraphic elements from the Quran. These graphical elements were elevated to the point of worship due to its importance in communicating God’s Word to followers of Prophet Muhammad at that time. Similarly, the presence of murals, stained glass windows, sculptures present in churches throughout the Renaissance--such as Santa Maria del Fiore--are examples of using graphics that accentuated architecture for the use of communication and worship. In the beginning of the 20th century, Adolf Loos proposed his thesis, Ornament and Crime essentially calling for the demise of ornamentation in useful objects. Loos describes ornamentation within useful objects as something that can represent style and eventually go out of date. In effect, objects with ornamentation are a wasted effort or what he would say “crime.” While losing ornamentation, much of
Graphic work on the pediment of the pantheon: http://www.wga.hu/art/d/ david_a/2/25davida.jpg
The calligraphy supergraphic on the Hagia Sofia. Image From: https:// wondersofwanderlust.files.wordpress. com/2013/10/image10.jpg
The supergraphic on the facade of Santa Maria del Fiore. Image by Timothy Ong.
Loos’ work contained a form of graphic that were stylistic elements to his work, as seen by the dark stripes of brick present in the House of Josephine Baker. Many architects during the modern period from Le Corbusier to Mies van der Rohe gave effort to minimize graphical elements within their architecture. This gave rise to the increasing attention to detail, the presence of pure, white walls with a hanging images to represent a temporal “graphic” presence were prevalent in international styles of architecture during the modern movement. In opposition to this movement, the Arts and Crafts movement emerged defending the works of traditional craftsmanship in opposition to industrial art production. This tension between traditional graphics and functional space, often seemed irreconcilable and was aptly represented by the phrase form follows function. During that time, the dichotomy between the use of graphics within spaces and the function of the space seemed irreconcilable. Questions continued to arise that challenged the modernist premise. The rise of post-modernism asked questions of meaning, and attempted to define architectural use. Deconstructivist architecture, and their proponents such as Frank Gehry and Peter Eisenmann created sculptures and formalities that challenged the principle of form over function, creating only “form.” These pieces of work have been realized as architecture as demonstrated by Disney Concert Hall by Frank Gehry in LA. These works attempted to remove the dichotomy which existed between forms and its ability to be used as architectural spaces. While heavily criticized, these pieces of work have become icons, which have been popularized and widely accepted as architecture.
The Beehive/Stealth/Slash/Umbrella/Box, Eric Owen Moss is an example of deconstructivist postmodern architecture. Image by: Timothy Ong.
As the dichotomy of form following function slowly fades into its post-modern counterparts, form and function or form and form. Increasing attention has been given to graphical elements in architecture. The ability to reproduce pictures quickly through the arrival of personal gizmos such
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as digital cameras and home printers, quickly followed by the connectivity of the internet gave additional emphasis to imagery as becoming the value givers to architecture. The more widely circulated an image, the more accepted it is as a form of architecture. This kitsch, easily consumable architecture type are now the purveyors of culture, surface in quality, containing little depth. As imagery continues to dictate global trends and “good architecture,� graphical elements are now becoming increasingly important within spaces. Pioneers for graphical architecture such as Neil Denari who uses super-graphics to design houses have received widespread acclamation and are being sought after for new construction projects as demonstrated by the HL23 in the Highline or the Alan Voo House, Los Angeles. The importance of graphics to accentuate spatial quality has also attracted many graphic designers who have originally worked in print to participate within large-scale graphics within architecture. This individual investigation would examine this intersection between graphic design and architecture. Specifically, How does graphic design accentuate architectural environments, and how does fabrication complement graphic design? On the contrary, how can architecture become embedded into graphic material? The use of architectural elements within graphic design in various case studies will highlight a series of possibilities for the use of architectural fabrication within graphic design.
Example of postmodern architecture in Beverly Hills. These buildings are occasionally labeled kitsch for imitation of European style architecture for purpose of user consumption. Image by: Timothy Ong.
Alan Voo House by Neil Denari. Image by: Timothy Ong
LO SOIENTO Based in Barcelona, Lo Soiento fabricates font, and other architecturally pertinent elements to be featured as subjects within their graphic work. Working mainly with paper and various cutting tools, lo soiento crafts unique shapes and forms that represent their clients intentions. This is complemented through photography and is brought together to create an ideal final graphic. The use of a dark backdrop against the white paper is similar to an ambient occlusion effect that can be generated by computer renderers. Select projects are shown below: Below: 4D text by Lo Soiento Studios
Above: A question Mark for Museu del Disseny for the museum opening event. Website: http://www.losiento.net/
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MATTHIAS HEIDERICH More an architectural photographer than a graphic designer, Matthias has turned his buildings into striking minimalist graphics that create little distinction between graphics and architecture. He uses photographs and changes their palettes to become graphical, blending both grit with clean colors.
PHILIPPE COSSETTE Philippe Cossette uses architectural annotation to create geometrical shapes and patterns for the use of graphic design. For the design below, Philippe extracted topographical lines to merge both place and activity as a graphical pattern. The resulting poster is as below:
Website: http://philcossette.com/
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Z U PAG R A P H I K A In their work, Paris Brut, Zupagrafika uses hand crafted architectural objects to create a graphic of Paris architecture during the 1960s and 1970s. The idea of fabricating architectural objects to be photographed and then turned into graphics is strongly embedded in their practice.
LO SOIENTO
Website: http://www.zupagrafika.com/works_parisbrut.html
The fabrication of Architecture and Graphics intends to become an opportunity to bring in a different type of vitality to the better blocks event to demonstrate the how Front Street in Cuyahoga Falls can be celebrated. This would be in lieu with the upcoming efforts to re-introduce traffic systems into the street in hopes of bringing businesses back to downtown. For this activity a series of four posters of 42�x60� would be fabricated and one printed for display on the day of the event. These posters would use the elements of architectural fabrication aided by photography and graphics to create a brand for Cuyahoga Falls.
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Above: Can we create graphics that would spur activism in Cuyahoga Falls? This will be amongst investigative work done for Cuyahoga Falls for the Better Blocks event.
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CONCLUSION CNC and architectural technologies can be used to create atmospheres that can mobilize and activate spaces. These technologies allow translation of surface effects and patterns from computer programs onto physical material surfaces. The previous studies have investigated the use of this technology to create furniture and surface effect. Through this investigation, it is found that this technology can not only increase the speed of production, but can also generate forms and bring forth material qualities that is difficult using analog means. Moreover, the surface qualities generated are precise allowing easy mass production to take place. While CNC technologies reduce the amount of time required to create components. More time is required to carefully craft lines for input into the CNC machine. More energy is input into the design phase instead of the production phase. CNC fabrication has zero tolerance requiring designs to be created perfectly with no room for error. In order to test designs, prototyping is required. In our case, laser-cutting materials at smaller scales using plywood allowed our designs to be checked before sent to fabricators. The lasercutter was not only a prototyping tool but a tool for design generation. Laser power, speed and types of cuts and scores were tested to generate forms which were evaluated and redesigned. This iterative process substantiated the process allowing fine-tuning of connections and patterns before the final submission to fabricators. Appropriate next steps would be to evaluate the product of the CNC machine once the created designs are fabricated at full scale. In addition, we would begin fabricating various architectural models and graphics to initiate the individual investigation and Design Studio III as a whole.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY + NOTES 5
Seguin, M., & Seguin, S. (2000). Cuyahoga Falls Ohio. Arcadia Publishing.
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MKSK. (n.d.). Reimagining Front Street in Cuyahoga Falls. Retrieved June 6, 2016, from http://www.mkskstudios.com/news/2015/10/1/ reimagining-front-street-in-cuyahoga-falls.html
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Linework by: Danielle Jones, Kelsey Atchison, Tyler Lunevich
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http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/ products/50278482/
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Shelves examples images: https://www. pinterest.com/andrew_borloz/home-lifebookshelves/ http://www.iondecorating.com/ https://makearchitecture.wordpress.com/ people-2/jd-sassaman/asn-5-cnc-milledparametric-shelves/ http://www.gt2p.com/Wall-Cracked-Shelf Ceiling Elements Images: https://www. plyarch.com
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34-35
FIL Bookstore: http://www.archdaily. com/773813/fil-books-halukar-architecture
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HUGG store: http://www.archdaily. com/772588/hugg-store-tandem-design-studio
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Ergonomics: AllSteel Ergonomics Guide. Actual Values from BIFMA 2002 Ergonomics Guide. http://www.allsteeloffice.com/ synergydocuments/ergonomicsanddesignreference-guidewhitepaper.pdf
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El Pendulo Image: from google images.
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Sketchchair: http://sketchchair.cc/ Opendesk: https://www.opendesk.cc/
Ergonomics: AllSteel Ergonomics Guide. Actual Values from BIFMA 2002 Ergonomics Guide. http://www.allsteeloffice.com/ synergydocuments/ergonomicsanddesignreference-guidewhitepaper.pdf
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ROK Architects: http://www.rok-office.com/ projects/suppa-store-1027/
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Ply Studio: http://www.plyarch.com
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2x4: http://www.2x4.org ROK: http://www.rok-office.com/
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Hagia Sofia Image: https://wondersofwanderlust. files.wordpress.com/2013/10/image10.jpg
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Loos, Adolf. Ornament and Crime. (1931). Corbusier, L. (1931). Towards a New Architecture. Dover Publications. Retrieved from https://books. google.com/books?id=7fSTvQIr7ngC
Canopy/Patio Elements: http://blogs. newschool.edu/news/2016/04/earth-week/#. V2MMwbsrJQI
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Clip Chair: https://www.opendesk.cc/regaliz/ clip-chair Roxanne Chair: https://www.opendesk.cc/ nouvelle-fabrique/roxanne-chair
Floor Elements: http://www.digital-print-media. com/cool-floor-graphics/
https://www.pinterest.com/isabelamarc/urbanspace-furniture-placemaking/
Thirty Minute Chair: http://atfab. co/?portfolio=5-30-minute-chair Kieran, S., & Timberlake, J. (2004). Refabricating ARCHITECTURE: How Manufacturing Methodologies are Poised to Transform Building Construction. McGraw-Hill Education.
Information from: http://betterblock.org/ Roke, R. (2016). Nanotecture: Tiny Built Things. Phaidon Press. Retrieved from https://books. google.com/books?id=0ForjgEACAAJ
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Krauss, R. (1979). Sculpture in the Expanded Field. October, 8, 31-44. doi:1. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/778224 doi:1
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Greenberg, C. (1939). Avant-garde and kitsch. Partisan Review, 6(5), 34–49. http://doi. org/10.2307/1574766 Neil Denari: http://denari.co/
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Lo Soiento: http://www.losiento.net/ Matthias Heiderich: http://www.matthiasheiderich.de/ Philippe Cossette: http://philcossette.com/ Zupagrafika: http://www.zupagrafika.com/ works_parisbrut.html