DIGITAL DESIGN + FABRICATION SM1, 2017 M3 JOURNAL - PROJECT 3S Ho Lam LEUNG (794491) Yilan ZHAO (798593) Su GU (815638)
Matthew Greenwood + Group 8D
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Project 3S
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Introduction
Right Elevation
Isometric View
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Details of Mask
After several modifications and integrations of our design in the previous M2 journal, the model was consolidated into three major components - the body part, the ear part and the mask part. Each part is designed in such form to address the issues found in the analysis correspondingly. Moreover, we did some precedent research and extract some techniques of illusions into our waffle system design. These sensory effects were tested in last prototype making section, and prove that some of them are somehow achievable in our latter fabrication. At this stage, we put most of the effort and concentration Prototype and Testing on improving the notching problem between different components.
Design development How user wear it: the ties on both shoulder allow user wear it stably. The right is use to support the ear part as well.
Apply illusion pattern on the body part as well. The inspiration image shows the sense of flowing, curvy surface. We aim to achieve this effect on the whole body design. Thinking about differeent density of waffle grids, we prefer change both verticle and horizontal sections in different density. The verticle sections transitionally to be denser following the clockwise. Moreover, transitionally being densing emphasize the illusion Development of ear part: as well. Inspirated by the image, the ear part is traditional waffle grids in organic forms. The ear part follows the human ear shape to emphassize the ear function (sense of hearing).
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Design development + fabrication of Prototype V.2
Front View
Isometric View
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Laser Cutting
This developed prototype focus on material and illusion testing. Instead of using thick cardboard like last M2 prototype, semi-transparent polypropylene sheets are practice in this one. Material testing results: 1. Thin lightweight polypropylene sheets can hold the structure in this scale, however, it is not as stable as cardboard. The notching between polypropylene sheets are also swinging. 2. Semi-transparent polypropylene sheets can create better illusion than the previous cardboard one. It especially produces a transcending effect at the edge.
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Reading Response Wk 6 Architecture in the Digital Age - Design + Manufacturing/ Branko Kolarevic, Spon Press, London c2003
Briefly outline the various digital fabrication processes. Explain how you use digital fabrication in your design? As we are doing the section and profile system for our project, the technique of two-dimensional fabrication is the most relevant digital fabrication processes to be implied into our model among all other fabrication methods illustrated in the reading. Somehow laser-cutting is a default way of fabrication to make those interlocking members in our design, whilst additive and subtractive fabrication orientate to some solid-based design, which is manifest not our case. We have also considered applying formative fabrication for reshaping the strips into some desired curvy form. However, we decided to forgo this idea at this moment, because our chosen material, polypropylene sheet, has already certain degree of elasticity allowing us to bend it manually into what we want. Moreover, formative fabrication deforms the shapes of members permanently, which may cause some unfavourable outcomes on the material integrity, as well as the whole model structural strength. Before using the laser-cutting, we first build our digital model in Rhinoceros. After the solid form of model is done, we convert it into our section and profile system by using the function of contouring and trimming. Then, we make some notches to those intersections of members for later assembly. Next is to orient all the components onto a same level plane and transform them into 2D line works with respective labeling. Lastly is to fit all of them into the laser cutter template and send it to the Fab Lab ready for fabrication.
Restaurant Georges (2000), Centre Pompidou, Paris, France, architects Jakob + MacFarlane.
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Reading applied to design How does the fabrication process and strategy effect your second skin project?
As laser-cutting somehow is our default option of fabrication, time spent on considering other fabrication process were eliminated at the very first beginning of designing stage. Thus, we just concentrate on only one fabrication process, the laser-cutting, with deep understanding throughout the whole second skin project. Both surface strategies and production strategies are very useful and influential approaches for building our section and profile model in Rhinoceros. Our prototype models were built aimed to achieve not only our findings from the personal space analysis, but also a natural and organic envelope of our design. Thus, the surface strategies majorly act as the functional and practical purposes of our model. On the other hand, the production strategies influence the structural performance of the design. The text highlights some important steps and techniques on how to transform our design to ready for the laser-cutting fabrication process.
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Reading Response Wk 7 Digital Fabrications: architectural + material techniques/Lisa Iwamoto. New York: Princeton Architectural Press c2009
Briefly outline the various digital fabrication processes. Explain how you use digital fabrication in your design? With the revolution of digital design fabrication in recent decades, designers are not limited to project regular geometric works under consideration of achieving the construction in reality. More complicated model can be realized quickly from computerized data to accurate physical model without significantly affect fabrication realization. This provides us a lot of possibilities to achieve our imagination. Instead of presenting a great amount of 2D drawings to interpret the 3D model, nowadays advanced computer software like Rhino, which is practice throughout our whole design process, helps build 3D model in a more accurate and direct way before it actually being built. Therefore, more refining and testing can be made straight during design. Furthermore, Detailed and complicated parts of our design can also be achieved accurately for a finer and smoother appearance. For instance, the notching of our model cannot be interlocked precisely without accurate digital drawing.
Alvaro Siza and Eduardo Souto de Moura, Serpentine Pavilion Gallery, London, 2005
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Jakob + MacFarlane, Loewy Bookshop, Paris, 2001
Reading applied to design Referencing from the lectures and readings, what is the implication of digital fabrication on your design ? According to the readings, surface and structure can be realized simultaneously in the section and profiling system. This can be illustrated by the Massie’s project, Urban Beach (2002). Laser-cut steel fins and PVC tubing are applied to construction. Not like conventional techniques which assemblage 3D building by flat sheets, Mattie emerged rib system into construction. The interlocking steel fins and PVC tubes not only create a relatively enclosure surface for accommodation but form a strong structure. Its parallel stacking provides a visual intensification of material: “diaphanous flowing plastic hair”. Similarly, in our design, laser- cut MDF and clear polypropylene sheets are also assemblage into section and profile system. This design is well self-supported while creating dreamy foggy effect. Repetitive pp sheets which can be regarded as the sub-structure are intersected in to MDF panels. It strengthens the major structure while creating strong moving illusions.
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Prototype development
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Testing: Whether PP sheets are strong enough to support itself to form the structure within a certain density. Results: It is not self-supported. Therefore, it can’t be used as structure components. It will also easily melt when unappropriated laser cutting. Serious burnt can be caused in this material. Semi-transparent PP sheets can provide fascinating illusion effect which is what we want to achieve.
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Prototype optimisation
MATERIAL & EFFECTS
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The strips at this moment are not soft enough to create organic form. And the elasticity influence MDF structure (mentioned in the material part). We try make strips softer and curvey.
The sketch shows the result we want to achieve on the illusion, which the pattern is very organic and elegent.
In the color testing, the black one did not make the illusion outstanding.
During the fabrication, we designed 4 different kinds of strips pattern to help us figure out which one can make obvious illusion. After testing, we understood if we follow the curves of the strips and interlock them in a systematic way, the illusion will be very obvious.
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The best illusion is the clear polypropylene. Especially it is playing in the light, which stroger the effects of illusion and shadows. After softing and warpinng the polypropylene, the strips are easier to interlock into the notches and making the shape more organic and flowing.
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Prototype optimisation
MATERIAL & FABRICATION
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Hard to find and identify each element, and we had to regroup them together.
During the fabrication, labeling clearly every pieces is very important. In process of prototype 3.2, we did not label very well. Therefore, we took long time to figure out which is which piece, which notches should be interlocked together. After this prototype, we lable every piece and notches to make sure we can fabricate accurately.
In fabrication of the 2nd skin model, we clearly label every piece in reqular sequence, and clearly identify each notch. Even on the template of laser cut, we layout every pieces in regular order.
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When started interlocking strips, we firstly start from the third horizontal section (middle section of body structure). Because, it is the biggsr and widest piece, which can decrease hazard to minimum of cracking. Lastly, traming the strips. Using scissor to cut the exredundant strips, to reduse the weight and make illusion nice and clean.
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Prototype optimisation
MATERIAL USAGE
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We realised that PP cant be the structure of the whole design. So we decided to use MDF as our structure and PP strips are the substructure. On MDF there are a large amount of notches arranged by the horizotal sections (MDF). The PP strips will interlocked in these looped notches.
After we interlocked most of the PP, the toppest and second MDF sections was broken by the tension of the polypropylene. Becouse we aim to design curvey patterns on the illusion. The elasticity of PP strips is too strong.
Hot water: Another problem is the notches on Try to make polypropylene softer and the horizontal MDF section and the control the curves of these strips to notches for polypropylene strips are so close that make MDF much easiewr to reduse the elasticity of it. crack. Therefore, in the final design, we changed the width of the horizontal sections to larger and the size of notches between the shoulder ties’ and the strips’.
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2nd Skin final design
Project 3S
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Top View Isometric View
Back View
Front View
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Isometric View Left View Isometric View of the Whole MDF structure
Right View
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Isometric View of the Whole PP Sheet structure Subject to be changed by the illusion effect
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Fabrication Sequence
1. Start building the model in Rhino into 2. Convert the design into section 3. Use the command ‘Intersect’ to 4. Re-orientate all components onto a our desired outlook, which corresponds and profile system with the function mark the joints of different components XY plane and Make2D to the analysis result done before. of ‘Split’, ‘Trim’, ‘Boolean Difference’, , and make notches correspondingly etc. using ‘BooleanDifference’
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5. Orangize them into a Laser Cutting 6. Send the file to FabLab and ready 7. Pick out the required parts and 8. Assemble the body structure part of template and make some labels for for laser-cutting. make the notches are clear enough the model, which is the MDF framework identification in assemblge process. for assemblege first, with referring to the labels on the components.
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9. At the same time, the ear part were 10. Connect the body and ear MDF 11. Take out the pp strips one by one 12. Form the spiral structure of the also under assemblege structure together and re-arrange them into an order ear with the polypropene shrips based on their curvature. interlocking its three structural loops.
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13. Insert the polypropene shrips into 14. Insert the rest of them to achive the 15. Finish! those gaps arrayed along the edge of illusion effect. the third-level MDF.
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Assembly Drawing
EAR
MASK 32
BODY
EAR
BODY
MASK 33
2nd Skin
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