Yun Gu Journal M2 Vitural Environments

Virtual Environment Module two: Design Student Journal

Yun Gu 633789 28th Mar - 17th Apr 2013

Week 4 TED talks - Thomas Heatherwick - (16min) Q: Discussed how Heatherwick uses design to create spatial effects? Use one project to illustrate your discussion.

Heatherwick thinks the buildings around him are souless and cold, but in smaller scale like an earring is a materiality and soulfulness that influence him. To create the most useful spatial effect, he compose the elements that are inefficient and create one composition. Heatherwick always design a building more than the building itself, he considers the most efficient way for the building to be built. In the Seed Cathedral project, Heatherwick got inspiration from the Jurassic Park and a toy that he had the idea to make a building that could move in the wind.

The idea of letting the "hair" grow out of a simple box makes the form unique. Although the space inside the building is not capacious, the whole building is diminutive so there are much ground spaces open to public. Light source in day time is through the "hairs" as they are not opaque, at night there are 66,000 little lights in the "hairs"; this way the space looks bigger than it is because it connects to the outside. It feels like an open space even when inside the building. Heatherwick's design draws inspiration from life, usually in small scales, uses space to the most efficient way with creative form.

Reading: Scheurer, F. and Stehling, H. (2011): Lost in Parameter Space? IAD: Architectural Design, Wiley, 81 (4), July, pp. 70-79 Q: What are the key differences between 'abstraction' and 'reduction'? Can you relate these ideas to process analysis you undertook in Module 1 (and the reading by Poling)?

An abstracted model only contain necessary information to describe the properties of an object while reduction is to find the optimal way to transport the information. From my module one journal, both the paper and the clay model could be examples of abstraction that it generates ideas to make a form out of the chosen natural pattern.

Reduction in my design process could be the Rhino practise that it finalise my ideas, more descriptive and realistic than my recipe and hand made models. Also, reducting by using computer software offers more options of transforming and it's very flexible to enable more tryouts of transformation to get the best production.

Lighting

If I continue develop this emanating form of lantern, the picture on right would be the lighting effect I aim to achieve. But this form extremely challenges the paper model making.

This light effect idea was from Paul's To and Fro Table that the shadow on ground is far more important than the actural object. The idea of broken bulb is still my most favourite and I am going to try if this effect works with paper later in process.

The image below is inspiring me of blocking out the majority of areas on the lantern's surface. A lantern is supposed to light up but this idea may challenge the traditional form of lantern. By blocking out the surface I want to achieve an effect that again the shadow is more important than the object itself.

From Module 1 To Module 2

In module one, I explored the 3D transformation of a cracked tree natural pattern and got some ideas to make the lantern. In module two I will focus on the surface more than the base form itself so to lower the complexity, I made a rendered simpler circular form (on right) and used paneling tools to tryout the effects.

2D Paneling

circle in a square

finedges Second model: dense triangles

3D paneling

Up to this stage, the design seems have ran out of my natural pattern, so I started thinking how to link it back.

Then I got the idea to use part of the model that cut through it horizontally, to make a ring form.

2D Paneling - dense squares

Pentagonals and Pyramids

Prototypes I unrolled the pentagonal panels. cut four pieces and joined them together. The edges for bonding is obviously darker than the other area which reminds me of the lighting effect I mentioned before: blocking out lights. The ideal light effect will be opposite to this prototype and I think I might use two layers of white paper or add another layer of black paper on the blocking area.

I used the flash light on cell phones as the lighting source, which may not showing the exact light effect, but from the tests: pyramids are not as effective as the pentagonals as it blocks lights in one pyramid if the lighting source is not strong enough. And I also find out that this prototype can be made by origami, so there is no need to unroll and go through the complex stages.