DIGITAL DESIGN + FABRICATION SM1, 2016 M3 JOURNAL - CULTURAL SPACE
Jade Layton 833912 Yuxuan Xiu 728866 Harry Blasco-Burke 832709 Winnie Chiu 698653 1
Introduction
In our M2 presentation, our main focus was looking at the shape that will form the basis of our overall second skin. We also looked into joint types and movement, weighing up advantages and disadvantages for each option we tested. The module we selected was chosen due to its rigid triangular form, flexibility, structure, aesthetics qualities and its ability to be manipulated when placed under tension. We thought this shape would be interesting in creating a effect when worn. Moving forward into M3, we are experimenting with size, movement and how the structure will work as a cohesive whole.
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Concept: Each culture has different values and traditions that shape an individual and their personal space. We want to create a second skin that can be adaptive to both the environment and to the individual.
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Concept : Personal Space FACIAL EXPRESSIONS
Allow people to express their emotions and feelings they have to environment. E.g anger, fear, digust, surprise, happiness or sadness. Emotions are universal but non verbal communication varies from culture to culture. For example eye contact can be a sign of confidence and politeness but in other countries it is frowned upon and disrespectful.
CHEST & BACK
The proximity of how close we allow people to get to our upper body is dependant on the culture we are brought up in. There are high contact and low contact cultures. Where high contact cultures are more accepting of physical contact when communicating. Low contact cultures on the other have are more sensitive and aware of their personal space.
HANDS AND ARMS
Hand gestures and touching between strangers are different depending on the culture. In some countries greetings with hand shakes, hugs and kisses are polite form of greeting. Whereas, In other countries that same method of greeting is inappropriate For example in the Middle East, Latin America and South Europe there is more physical contact during normal conversations. Men would touch each others hands or shoulders freely and it is a common and acceptable gesture. In others countries such as Japan the culture opposed physical contact between strangers.
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Concept : Personal space diagram SPAIN & CHINA
AMERICA & AUSTRALIA
PERSONAL SPACE SOCIAL SPACE
In countries such as Spain they have a culture heavily based around being in close proximity to friends and family when communicating and greeting one other. This contrasts to Australia where people are much more reserved in terms of their proximity to each other (whether well known to them or a stranger) when communicating. In the case of a Spanish person wearing this second skin, they will have the ability to
show the amount of affection they are used to such as hugging when greeting someone they know. It also will protect them in one of the few scenarios whereby they feel a need for protection of their personal space eg. on the train. As the module sits on the outer part of the arm it protects the personal space of someone in an area where they cannot visually see the person which is the most important factor for people of their culture.
On the other hand, an Australian will still be able to greet someone in a typical manner that they feel comfortable with (hand shake) but the structure will protect their personal space by pulling the string which allows for the modules to tighten and warn the stranger that this person does not want their personal space intruded.
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Design development + fabrication of Prototype V.2
FRONT VIEW
TOP VIEW
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SIDE VIEW
Reading Response Wk 6 Briefly outline the various digital fabrication processes. Explain how you use digital fabrication in your design?
How does the fabrication process and strategy effect your second skin project?
Three-Dimensional Scanning: From Physical to Digital
In our design, we used digital fabrication to accurately
This is a medium of translation not a medium of conception. The process of translation from
mass produce the modules for our second skin. To achieve
physical to the digital realm is the inverse of computer aided manufacturing. From a physical
this, we used the laser cutting two-dimensional fabrication
model a digital representation of its geometry can be created using various three-dimensional
technique. This gave us modules that were easy to fold
scanning techniques in a process known as “reverse engineering.�
and were all accurately and precisely measured templates resulting in a cleaner finish than if we were to individually
Two-Dimensional Fabrication
measure and fold each module.
This is the most commonly used fabrication technique also known as CNC cutting. Cutting technologies include plasma arc, laser beam and water jet
Subtractive Fabrication Involves the removal of a specified volume of material from solids using electro, chemically or mechanically reductive processes.
Additive Fabrication This is the converse technique of milling, it involves incremental forming in a layer by layer fashion Used mostly for mass production of models with complex curvilinear geometrics rather than building design and production due to the limited size of objects that can be produced.
Formative Fabrication In this technique, heat or steam are applied to a material to form it into the desired shape through reshaping or deformation.
Assembly The assemblage of components can be achieved using digital technology on site. Digital three-dimensional models can be used to precisely determine the location of each component, move it to its desired location and fix it into place.
Architecture in the Digital Age - Design + Manufacturing/ Branko Kolarevic, Spon Press, London c2003
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Reading Response Wk 7 Describe one aspect of the recent shift in the use of digital technology from design to fabrication?
The move towards digital technology has allowed for a more efficient and effective process in design and fabrication. To move from design to construction, it is necessary to translate graphical data from two dimensional drawings and 3D models into digital data that a CNC machine can understand. Digital fabrication has opened a sea of possibilities, they have opened a realm for architects to perceptually heighten and make visible the nature of this accretion through constructed repetition and difference. Orthographic projections are one of the most valuable representational tools architects have at their disposal. Computer modelling has greatly simplified the ability to derive section drawings. This is important at a time when architects are increasingly daring in their complex geometric designs.
Lasercut file
Referencing from the lectures and readings, what is the implication of digital fabrication on your design ? The ability to view a range of orthographic projections through 3D modelling has been an imporant element to our own presentation of our designs. This is due to the fact that we had a relatively complex overall form in our model that was much easier to represent in a range of drawings with the use of digital technology. This therefore assisted in our ability to fabricate the model and display how our model operates.
Digital Fabrications: architectural + material techniques/Lisa Iwamoto. New York: Princeton Architectural Press c2009
Sections of modules
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Prototype development
Prototype optimisation
JOINT TYPES
JOINT TYPES
Corner
Joining the modules at the midpoint allowed for movement in both directions, however if the point was not exactly centered, the design would not hold its form. Another issue with this joint type was the strength of the connection as although it allowed for movement in both directions, it was not strong enough to endure the strong pull needed to open and close the modules. In order to accommodate for this, we used the same pattern that the midpoint joint made, but joined it along the whole edge. This prevented movement in both directions, however created a strong movement in one direction. The images below highlight how each module is joined and the pattern that is created.
These are the three joint types that we attempted and evaluated in M2. Through much testing and careful consideration we decided the midpoint joint would work best. However in order to allow for a stronger connection we adjusted the point of connection.
Edge
Midpoint
Top view
Bottom view
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Prototype development
Prototype optimisation
MODULE MATERIAL
MODULE MATERIAL Although we liked the idea of using polypropylene, we decided to use black optix card with a 200gms thickness because this material worked best with our module. It was thick enough not to tear/rip when in tension and under pressure and thin enough to close into the flat state that we had hoped for.
Origami paper
Polypropylene - 0.6
Polypropylene - 0.2
We found that the origami paper was far too thin and ripped when placed under pressure. The 0.6 polypropylene was too thick and therefore did not allow for the module to close at all to the degree that we needed. Also, due to the transparent nature of the material, there was visibly noticeable burn marks from the laser cutter, however without laser-cutting, we were not able to even fold the material without it popping back to it’s original flat form. We then tried using a thinner polypropylene (0.2) but had the same issue.
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Black optix card - 200gsm
Prototype development
Prototype optimisation
SIZE
SIZE
Although this was the case, we did not want to have all our modules the same size so we came up with a modified module that has the same base size and same overall shape, however is taller, creating variation. In order to blur the line between small and large, we made the modules on the upper section increasingly taller to create a smooth transition while also allowing for the movement system to work. We chose to have the larger modules towards the top of the arm because it is closer to the face and upper body which are areas of vulnerability. We also did this because the smaller modules allow for more movement therefore being able to close much more easily, this is important as you would not want spikes around your whole arm in certain situations eg. greeting/hugging someone.
Initially we wanted to have alternating larger and smaller modules intertwined with each other and working together, but found that in order to make this work, the structure would have to be static (straying away from our ideas of movement). We found that the most logical way to do this was to double the size of the original shape in order for the larger and smaller pieces to fit together, however this did not work as the whole structure was restricted from moving.
+ 4.5 CM
+ 3 CM
+ 1.5 CM
Standard size
Modules progressively increasing in height
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Original module
Original module template
In order to change the height without simply increasing the overall scale, we had to create a new template whereby the base dimensions remained the same (yellow lines). The height of this new module can now be determined by the green line. When the green line is extended, the module’s height is increased. However due to the yellow lines remaining the same length and the green line increasing, the overall shape is forced to change from a square to a new shape (4 diamonds). The taller the module, the thinner the diamonds. Taller module template
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Prototype development
CLOSING
Vertical pull (opened)
Vertical pull (closed)
Horizontal pull (opened)
Horizontal pull (closed)
4 module closing system (opened)
Prototype optimisation
CLOSING
Using the technique seen on the 4 module string closing system, we amplified the amount of modules and strings to create a system that allows the structure to move as one. There are a number of strings on each end of the structure (one bunch at each end) that when pulled at the same time, cause the structure to close. This is great because only 2 things are needed are needed to be pulled apposed to multiple strings.
Closing string system (bottom view, opened)
Closing string system (bottom view, closed)
Closing string system (top view, opened)
Closing string system (top view, closed)
4 module closing system (closed)
In M2 we looked at opening and closing at a small scale (with 1 to 2 modules) and came up with the idea of pulling on a string vertically and horizontally, however using these techniques while working with multiple modules meant that many strings would have to be pulled resulting in every module or row of the structure to work individually rather than the desired coherent whole that we were after. We started by looking for a way to make 4 modules work together then used this technique at a larger scale.
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Prototype development OPENING
Velcro attached
Velcro detached
Rubber band loose
Rubber band tension
Getting the structure to open from its closed state was another one of the most challenging issues that we faced. Initially we tried using velcro to hold the open form but realised there was no way to get the structure to close without manually attaching each module by hand. We then started looking for a material that would allow the structure to snap back to its open state once we let go, but we could not find a material that was elasticated enough to stretch around the whole arm and snap back to less than 1cm. The material we were looking for needed to stretch from 1cm to approximately 10cm. We tested many materials including lycra, different types of rubber band and elastics but none of them were even remotely close enough to the firm stretch we needed.
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Prototype optimisation OPENING
We were thrilled when we came up with the idea of having one continuous thread that connected every edge module as when pulled tight, the modules come together like we needed. The only problem was that when we let go, the structure would not close without us manually loosening the thread due to the friction and tight hole so in order to account for this, instead of threading through the module itself, we threaded it through jump rings (large hole + small string allowed for easy/smooth movement).
Thread pulling modules open (through the modules)
Thread pulling modules open (through jump rings)
Prototype development
FIXING MODEL TO THE BODY
Elastic / string
Wire
Finger attachments (top view)
Finger attachments (bottom view)
Prototype optimisation FIXING MODEL TO THE BODY Initially having the structure move on the body we noticed that friction of the paper to skin restricted the modules from fully opening and closing. Thus, to address this issue we decided to attach the modules on polypropylene to provide a smoother surface for them to move on. The arm piece is fixed the sheet along its center axis. The aim was to create an attachment that doesn’t affect the movement which still providing a rigid attachment to the body. Another benefit to this design is it’s able to be adjustable to any arm length.
We needed to find a way to attach the structure to the arm without distracting from the design itself and interfering with the movement mechanisms. When we experimented with elasticated string we found due to its thickness, being threaded through the jump rings restricted the overall structure from opening and closing. We then tried using wire but threaded it through the actual modules and found that it was doing a similar thing. When experimenting with thinner string, it was concluded that the string could not bare the weight of the structure, therefore breaking or falling off. The finger attachments were a good idea at first, but once we started adding more modules to the structure, these were not enough to support the growing weight.
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Prototype development and Optimisation : Fabrication
Module size +1.5
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Module size +3
Standard module
Module size +4.5
Larger modules
Fabrication Sequence
1. Rhino template to laser cut
2. Folded individual modules
7. Added jump rings along edge and threaded opening string system
3. Fixed lower arm modules together
6. Added jump rings down centre and threaded the closing string system
4. Fixed upper arm modules together (with increasingly taller modules)
5. Stitched all edge modules together
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Assembly Drawing
1. Individual modules 2. Taped along the edge 3. Jump rings attached to center 4. Strings attached on the edges that cross over at the center point and run down the central axis.
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1. Individual modules 2. Taped along the edge 3. Jump rings attached to center 4. Strings attached on the edges that cross over at the center point and run down the central axis.
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1. Individual modules 2. Taped along the edge 3. Jump rings attached to center 4. Strings attached on the edges that cross over at the center point and run down the central axis.
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1. Individual modules 2. Taped along the edge 3. Jump rings attached to center 4. Strings attached on the edges that cross over at the center point and run down the central axis.
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2nd Skin
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OPEN
CLOSED
OPEN
CLOSED
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OPEN
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CLOSED
OPEN
CLOSED
TOP VIEW
TOP VIEW
FRONT VIEW
FRONT VIEW
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OPEN
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CLOSED
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OPEN
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CLOSED
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Appendix Complex section created using digital technology: source-https://www.pinterest.com/andreanse/arch-perspective-sections/?lp=true
https://todayslearningjourney.wordpress.com/2014/05/07/touching-and-personal-space/ HTTP://MONEY.CNN.COM/INTERACTIVE/ECONOMY/PERSONAL-SPACE/ HTTPS://TAUBMANCOLLEGE.UMICH.EDU/RESEARCH/RESEARCH-THROUGH-MAKING/2012/RESONANT-CHAMBER HTTPS://AU.PINTEREST.COM/PIN/516577019745020524/
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