Material Literacy: Digital Fabrication in Architecture by William Davis

PERSPECTIVE VIEWS

ASSEMBLY

Stage One, Temporal Propulsion Unit: Primarily composed of time-reversed electrons suspended in a near-zero energy state forming a focussed temporal distortion in front of the unit, allowing it to fall through space. (Geometry informed by Moeraki Boulders Roof Shade)

Stage Two: Skeletal Frame: Multiple functions including suspending the Fusion Reactor and aligning and revolving the Cerebral Unit

ELEVATIONS & SECTION

Stage Three, Fusion Reactor: This power’s the sentinel’s numerous and power intensive processes. It is constructed from largely heavy exotic metals which act as stellarator to confine the plasma in a stable and controllabe state. (Geometry informed by Basket Fungi Screen)

Stage Four, External Skin: Hundreds of interlocking 3D-printed Titanium-alloy Aluminium tiles encoded with mission data. Designed to sequentially detach from the main unit creating a ‘breadcrumb’ trail of where the sentinel had travelled. Additonally, the tiles are quantum entangled to allow immediate data ‘transferral’ along the chain, thus facilitating the Oort Cloud CPU.

Stage Five, Internal Skin / Cerebral Unit: Postulated future material simulating an array of blackhole processors, with processing speeds of 1025 qubit flips per second. Needless to say, this thing is intelligent.

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OORT CLOUD SENTINEL The Oort Cloud Sentinel (OCS) is one of tens of millions of other like satelites sent beyond the heliopause of our sun. Its purpose is three-fold: firstly, it is a long-term project to signpost humanity’s existence beyond the solar-system to other alien life. In this sense, it is not disimilar from the Voyager Program of the late 20th century, with the hope and intention that it will one day be discovered and understood by non-human lifeforms.

Secondly, it serves to expand the base angle for which current and future astronomers are able to track planetary transits on other star systems, and thus expand the search for other habital planets and extraterrestrial life (current methods can only discern planets that transit their star in alignment with Earth).

Thirdly, it will form the foundation for larger solar system-scale computational device. In the future, humanity’s computing requirements will become

so resource-intensive that it will outpace their own physical requirements for subsistence. This, along with the technological mastery of quantum computing on a planetary scale, will lead to a drive towards solar-system scale computation.

Rather than seeking to create a Dyson-sphere for habitation, humans will prioritise the computational data-density of the material found within the Oort Cloud surrounding their solar system. This will be made possible by the vast array of quantum entangled beacons propagated by the OCS, which will capitalise on the data density of these countless extra-stellar objects. With such computational power at their disposal, humanity’s need to exist in discrete, centralised biological bodies will eventually cease, and they will then become part of a solar-system level consciousness.

QUANTUM-ENTANGLED BEACONS (EXTERNAL WALL)

CEREBRAL UNIT (INTERNAL WALL)

FUSION REACTOR (SCREEN)

TEMPORAL PROPULSION UNIT (ROOF)

SELECTS Protohouse - Overall Form Development External Wall - Space Time Distortions Internal Wall - Observed Order in Disorder Screen - Basket Fungi Roof - Moeraki Boulders PHOTO GALLERY Internal Wall Screen

MATERIALS CATALOGUE Internal Wall Pancake Rocks Cardboard Packaging

External Wall Schist Tor Formations Hardwood Texture

Roof Monstera Deliciosa Butterfly Wing Platelettes

Screen Aloe Vera Blackhole Vortex

VIDEO PRESENTATION https://youtu.be/aJ9Bo-iz6Qs

SELECTS Protohouse - Overall Form Development External Wall - Space Time Distortions Internal Wall - Observed Order in Disorder Screen - Basket Fungi Roof - Moeraki Boulders

THE PROTOHOUSE: Overall Form Development Gathering the materials into one space

From cube to cylinder Putting it all together: House Becomes Vehicle

Stepping inside

Two Renders

SELECTED EXTERNAL WALL: Space-Time Distortions

Development of the distorted base base

Expermenting with distributing voids and solids on the distorted base surface

Looking at ways of arranging the individual tiles in a cylindrical form: simply placing the tiles tangental to the curve of grid-like cylinder scaffold, and stacking the tiles on their faces to form the cylinder Ripples in the space-time fabric as a result of co-orbiting bodies Applying the same twisting distortion to a set of voronoi cells

Removing every n+1 tile spiralling out from the centre or a chosen point

Removing every n+1 tile moving bottom to top, left to right

Removing every n+1 tile from the perimeter inwards

Exploring ways of sequentially allocating points in a gridv

Image Credit: https://www.popsci.com/2017-nobel-prize-physics-gravitational-waves/ (MODIFIED BY AUTHOR)

Taking four tiles and using them to form an open faced cube. The curved inner faces appear to encase and form a (part) spherical void. These building blocks with in turn be used to stack around the perimeter of the cylinder (opposite)

This interpretation of space-time distortions looks at them on a more isolated level, and allows them to distort in a radial manner (rather than a conical manner like the previous wall) forming spiralling geometries.

In isolating the distortions to a square tile shape, the normally rectilinear geometry reacts to the twisting function by stretching the planar material from somewhere along each of the four edges, causing the emergence of four revolving bodies or forms. This distortion was applyed to an array of Voronoi cells, wherein the twist has a dramatic effect upon the cells towards the outside, whereas in contrast the cells towards the center are largely untouched.

After deciding the protohouse would take on the form of a cylinder I had a rethink the way these tiles would arrange themselves I think owing to the complexity and intricacy of the surface of each tile they would look stunning if they were made of glass or some other transparent material that could refract light.

Final renders of the external skin in isolation

SELECTED INTERNAL WALL: Observed Order and Disorder 3D Printing Exploration of this model is presented in the following section

Limit of gravitational influence

Image Credit: https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UKcSdGhzDRA/Wgqh3NkBdRI/AAAAAAAAANo/zcy5v5aL-k4_1qgBfBbvtaO4tS08Zpr7ACLcBGAs/s1600/042617_EC_

Two independent and opposite phenomena connect to form a wormhole, a portal between two different locations

Order within disorder

Disorder within order

Distortions in rectilinear plane

Shown here with highly elongated curves approaching an asymptote.

Image Credit: https://www.artsy.net/artwork/antti-laitinen-broken-landscape-vii

quantum-equivalence_main_FREE.jpg (MODIFIED BY AUTHOR)

Rolling the twin-skinned up into a cylindrical shape didn’t seem to show off the form of the wirey vortexs.

Closed

Void/Non-space

Slanted

Open Ended both ends

Single open-ended

Because I wanted this internal skin or membrane to serve as the cerebral unit of the space vehicle, I had to imply some sort of relationship between it and the power unit (see Basket Fungi Screen), with synapse-like tendrils extending forth from the outer skin.

I envisage the final material being some sort of self-organised nano-material that shifts and morphs according to it’s computational functions

This internal wall is the first of three variations on the theme of black holes within this materials catalogue, followed by an external wall and screen variant.

Additionally it finds some influence in the work of visual artist Antti Laitinen.

This structure primarily focusses on the gravitational distortions caused by massive objects in the space-time field. The more massive an object is the greater the distortion it creates upon the regularity of the plane around it. The distortion can theoretically increase to the point that a rift occurs in the space-time field creating a wormhole to a reciprocal rift in another part of the universe. My end design jumped upon this concept and created a wall that from a confluence of randomly placed rods emerge depressions and holes.

In the context of the protohouse/space vehicle, this internal skin had to conform to the cylindrical shape of the external skin. In order to achieve this I chose to change the twin-skinned internal wall from previous iterations and make it a single-skinned membrane instead.

Final renders of the internal skin / cerebral unit

SELECTED ROOF: Moeraki Boulders

The basic building block now assumes the form of a series of the initial tile arranged in sequence.

Bare sphere

Irregularities in the surface of the structure make one wonder what’s inside, as if it’s cracking open

Widening and extrusion of cell walls

Sea algae growth on the surface.

Opens up the idea of creating a structure or form that encourages the growth of lifeforms

Random size, placement and overlapping

Image credit: https://thefamilywithoutborders.com/crazy-nature-

Voronoi cell introduced to surface

Uniform size, random placement with no overlapping

Uniform size and rectilinear placement

Uniform size and rectilinear placement, overlapping

Image credit: https://mysterioustrip.com/moeraki-boulders-new-zealand-tour/

moeraki-boulders-2014-04-15/

Some initial variations feeling out the form

The final form of the space vehicle’s propelling/sheilding device.

These naturally forming boulders have always been a source of wonder and intrigue to many a beach-goer in Moeraki, New Zealand.

Rather than conceiving of a roof for the space vehicle, I’d rather look at the roof as a shielding device used to propel the craft forward through space, some theoretically time and space travelling technology, than a roof per se. For example, the vehicle somehow forms a large gravitational singularity in front of itself which it is constantly falling into, and thus being dragged forward at a rapid rate.

SELECTED SCREEN: Basket Fungi (Tutae Kehua) The initial design allowed the 3D Voronoi to extend without bounds (ie, there were no discreet members, simply one wall structure). In the revised version of the screen structure (opposite) the geometry is scaled back to a more discreet and repeatable form, much more like the basket fungi itself

Non-discreet Infinite Non-repeating

Maintaining most of the straight edge geometry of the mushroom

Image Credit: Inez Fitzpatrick, unpublished, 2021

Smoothing out of the original geometry of the mushroom architecture, forming something resembling a Voronoi ge-

The Basket Fungus is found in New Zealand and Australia and is a fascinating example of nature creating geometries similar to manmade geodesics.

Initially I planned on modelling something similar and self-contained as is the mushroom, and then creating a screen through the multiplication and interlocking of these individual mushroom fruits. The resulting structure would be a flexible curtain of many hundreds of these objects. I did struggle to model this so I decided instead to unfold the individual fruit, and extend it to the scale of a wall, creating a 3D Voronoi volume, with smooth and organic connections between the nodal points.

ometry

Discreet Finite Repeatable

PHOTOGALLERY Internal Wall Screen

MATERIALS CATALOGUE Internal Wall Pancake Rocks Cardboard Packaging

External Wall Schist Tor Formations Hardwood Texture

Roof Monstera Deliciosa Butterfly Wing Platelettes

Screen Aloe Vera Blackhole Vortex

INTERNAL WALL 1: Pancake Rocks - Punakaiki CONCEPTUALISATION

Erosion of sandstone revealing firmer sandstone stratifications

Full depth erosion creates a window or door-like opening Aternating layers of limestone and silt-rich mud layers

Image credit: https://www.wallpaperflare.com/rock-pancake-layer-pancake-rocks-coast-sea-new-zealand-wallpaper-ggluh

Image credit: https://epod.usra.edu/blog/2012/01/pancake-rocks-new-zealand.

(MODIFIED BY AUTHOR)

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These drawings started out imagining a rift across the stratifications, but then on the left I visualised these strata as vertical planes rather than the horizontal. Scaled up these might create a walking path through repetition, such as the Senbon Torii of Fushimi Inari Shrine in Japan, or Christo and Jeanne Claud’s The Gates installation/

These are a famous tourist attraction on the west coast of the South Island, New Zealand. These are a form of sedimentary rock having undergone extensive erosion and compression. The proposed method for their creation was a process call stylo-bedding, a multi-stage process wherein alternating layers of limestone (calcified remains of sea animals) and silt-rich mud layers are compacted underground under immense pressure. Gradually they were moved to the coast surface through seismic activity and the softer silt layers were eroded by the water and left the firmer limestone behind. The result is a stratified pancake-like appearance.

I was most intrugued by the upright rifts and shears that contrasted the dominant lateral texture. Over time I assume these cracks erode away leaving the more pillar-like structures seen in the photos. With a little imagination one can envisage these cracks are the outlines to hidden doorways to an interior space within the rock. For the portion of this external wall I developed I chose to make sure that it included an example of this.

Reduction to contour forms with progression from relatively naturalistic lines towards increasingly angular and straight

The initial coneptualisation of this pancake rock wall was that the strata would emerge from a solid mass, ie. the planes would be carved into an existing mass (subtractive fabrication), leaving a rough surface on the outer plane. This concept developed into the final design as seen on the opposite page, which removed the solid mass element from which the planes emerged. vwherein the planes are end-supported, creating various levels of transparency

INTERNAL WALL 2: Cardboard Packaging Tesselations

Varying degrees of stretch applied to planar surface increase 3-dimensionality

Zones of ‘full stretch’ provide increased transparency

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Image credits: https://www.r-and-company.com/works/big-beaver-armchair-in-corrugated-cardboard-designed-by-frankgehry-1987-produced-by-vitra-since-1994/#gallery-2 https://www.artsy.net/artwork/frank-gehry-grandpa-beaver-armchair (MODIFIED BY AUTHOR)

Image Credit: https://ablepackaging.com.au/shop/honeycomb-paper-kraft-roll10m-void-fill/ (MODIFIED BY AUTHOR)

The initial versions of this wall mirrored very closely the design of cardboard packaging, with polgonal extrusions stood end up to form a series of ledges and overhangs. While I liked this design it lack a bit of spark and excitement. So I then chose to approach the geometry from more of a honeycomb perspective, creating a blend of hexagonal geometry with concave surface variations. With this new design it was able to create a wall that allowed for the flexibility in surface, and I created a door-way of sorts where the base of the wall peels away from the ground creating a archway-like opening.

Hexagonal form with straight edges and faces

Concave forms in the surface of a plane

Edges of concave forms expanded to form hexagonal grid where they converge. Transparency of the original hexagonal form is retained with punched holes of various sizes.

EXTERNAL WALL 2: Timber Cross-Sections, Contours

The natural surface, unregulated and organic

I was inspired by a piece of recovered timber from a buddhist temple demolition a few years back. I love old hardwoods, especially when they begin to show the ravages of time as was the case here. It looks like at some stage the timber has been invaded by some termites. I think the contrast between the human cut face and the subsequent damage really beautiful. Its similar in a way to the contrast of the cut face of sandstone versus the chiselled face.

I found it quite difficult to emulate this sensation, the transition between man-made and a quantifed, with the ravages of nature. Ultimately I reduced the natural form and surface to a contour, from which CNC cut sheets would form a wall that implied curvature and terrain in a reductive form.

The interpreted surface, stratified and curvilinear

EXTERNAL WALL 3: Schist Tor Formations

1. Establishing the basic geometry and feel of the Old Man Range Obelisk. A wide base with a tapering head, jagged edges and shear faces.

Slight twist on z-axis

Obelisk-like verticality

Jagged edges

2. Reducing complex surfaces to simple monolithic planes Shear faces

3. Further reduction and simplification of the form and surface, a simple tapered prism.

Image Credit: https://wtmc.org.nz/trip-report/otago-mountainbiking/ (MODIFIED BY AUTHOR)

4. Introducing increased geometry, the prisms base no becoming a pentagon, which I feel has more ‘incidental’ and natural feeling to the angles (72°) than a square’s 90°

5. Introducing geometricised texture, angular rifts carved into the surface. Narrowing the base creates a more pillar-like structure. In the final version of the external wall used a combination of this and a more dramatically distorted wide-base version

The Central Otago highlands of New Zealand are home to many beautiful natural features, including most prominently the metamorphic schist rock formations. Early Europeam settlers used this rock to build the external walls of their homesteads owing to the foliated (laminated) nature of the rock.

This lateral texturation is in many ways similar to the layering seen in the Pancake rocks, though in reality it is a completely different geological process, coming about as a result of intense shearing forces upon the crystaline structure of the rock during formation.

I wanted to retain this sense of intense pressure and abrasion in the overall geometry and surface geometry of this wall design. I started with the shape of the famous Obelisk on the Old Man Range, and reduced it down to it’s essential geometry, a truncated pyramid, and then reintroduced further geometric elements to create an aggressively stanced pillar. I then proceeded to arrange this in a row along with inverted versions of itself, introduced an angular abrasion to the face, and bloated base versions.

ROOF 2: Monstera Deliciosa

Image Credit: https://www.thesill.com/blogs/plants-101/why-swiss-cheese-plant-has-holes

Previous scale

Current scale

Again, less a roof and more a sun-shade.

Initially I envisaged rectilinear tessilated timber joinery structure in an outdoors setting, with creepers growing over it, with a single leaf structure blown up in scale to the size of the roof itself. However I went on to change this by rethinking the leaf as a single tile component.

I really like the idea of reducing natural forms to regular and repeated unnatural forms, essentially digitizing analogue forms and creating the impression of the original form in a visual language. I think the final design was succesful in doing this.

ROOF 3: Butterfly Wing Platelettes

Simplified Cross Section

v

https://www.nisenet.org/catalog/scientific-image-overlapping-scales-blue-morpho-butterfly-wing

My first attraction to the butterfly wing structure turned out to be a dead end (at least as far as this project is concerned), but I’ll mention it anyway: the ability of butterflies to recreate color without any actual colored pigment. They do so by means of nano-structures on the surface of their wings, nanostructures which exist on the same scale as the wavelength of visible light. Incoming light bounces of the barbed scaffolds in such a way as to cancel out the incoming wave after it. In this way, all the constituent colors of white light are cancelled out leaving only the desired wavelength (or color) to reflect. This is how they are able to recreate the color blue, which is not found elsewhere in nature.

I chose in the end to not use this aspect of the butterfly’s wing design but instead focussed on the platelette structures also found on the wing which feature their own interesting texture and structure.

Initial platelette form, curvilinear representation of the real thing Developed version, removal of non-straight faces and edges.

Formed from folded metal or some other plastic material.

SCREEN 1: Aloe Vera

Parallel and freehanging

Variable density

Variable length

This particular species of Aloe Vera plant features barbs down the length of it’s fronds (?), giving it a strangely alien like appearance, a little reminiscent of some squid or octopus. Although the barbs appear rigid and defensive, they are in fact soft and fragile.

I decided to retain this surface geometry as faithfully as I could in my screen design as I like that element of it, simply elongating its form and making it more rectilinear.

I envisage the final product made from glass, hanging in front of a large clerestory window, like a planar chandalier.

I pondered the arrangement of the individual glass fronds, considering evenly and unevenly distributed, unequal lengths to create varying degrees of density, along with my chosen method, to vary the apparent width and density by twisting the frond down it’s length.

Sequentially Rotated

SCREEN 2: Wormhole Vortex

Image Credit: https://supernova.eso.org/exhibition/1209/

Image Credit: https://www.archdaily.com/237635/gas-station-atelier-sad

In this third variation of the blackhole theme I am contemplating it in profile (at least in it’s hypothesized shape and form) rather than engaging the entry/ exit-point of it as before in the wall tile.

Architectural precidents include the concrete forms of a Slovakian petrol station and Frank Lloyd Wright’s famous Johnson Wax Administration Building (not pictured).

I envisage the final design being formed from long bands of some reflective and self-supporting material that has been coiled into a spiral. There would be multiple spiral coils on each vortex module that would collide and converge with each other. The vortexs would cluster together to form a screen that reflects its surroundings in the mirror surface, creating some suggestion of a science-fiction notion of the distortion that would take place of some body that would fall into a blackhole.

VIDEO PRESENTATION https://youtu.be/aJ9Bo-iz6Qs