Digital Design M02 Journal

Digital Design - Module 02 Semester 1, 2019 Jarel Kay Young Cheah 998651 Yiteng Chong + Studio 16

Critical Reading: Kolerevic B. 2003. Architecture in the Digital Age

Kolerevic described three fundamental types of fabrication techniques in the reading. Outline the three techniques and discuss the potential of Computer Numeric Controlled fabrication with parametric modelling. (150 words max)

The 3 fundamental fabrication types includes additive & subtractive fabrication, and formative fabrication.

Additive fabrication uses incrementally adds material by layers and does this by ‘slicing’ a model 2 dimensionally. The most common technique is 3d printing.

Subtractive fabrication involves the removal of materials on objects to form the final desired form. One example of this is the milling machine whose cutting drills moves along the x, y and z direction to remove a specified volume from a model. Both these techniques involve working in 2D for Finally, formative fabrication uses specific kinds of stresses (such as compression, tension and shear) to produce desired shapes. Some examples include CNC fabrication moulding glass or plastic sheetings. This offers plenty of potential in the parametric modelling realm as unique and complex forms can be made cheaply.

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SURFACE AND WAFFLE STRUCTURE Surface Creation

Edges and corners retrieved from “deconstruct brep”.

Box-generated

Edge selector component, generated from brep.

Point selector component, generated by dividing edges.

1st surface generated from points selector and edge selector component.

2 surfaces generated. Box is not needed anymore.

Similar code used to generate second surface.

Firstly, a 150 x 150 square was generated with on grasshopper, and then extruded with a height of 150 to form a cube. After putting it in a brep container, the command “deconstruct brep” was used to get the edges and corners of the cube. The points and edges were then selected via an edge selector number slider to form the 2 surfaces.

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Panelling Creation

Point attractors to determine size of pictureframes.

Number slider to select different surface domains.

Selected surface domains automatically splits surface into 2 to allow for 2 types of panels.

Attractor points to determine height and direction of the panels.

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Panels generated

SURFACE AND WAFFLE STRUCTURE Waffle Creation

Fins created for X contours

Number slider for amount of contour lines on on each direction.

Culling fins that are not necessary

Contour lines generated for X and Z directions

Waffle structure generated

Fins created for Z contours, and then joined together on both sides, creating a primary structure.

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Isometric View

Wider openings at the rear assists the idea of transition to sharpness. This also opens up the structure and welcomes the user towards the internal space.

Panels towards the top corner gradually gets sharper and more defined, emphasizing the curvature of the surface. These are defined by attractor points.

Perforations creates a window that connects the exterior to the interior. This also creates playful lighting qualities. These openings are generated with Weaverbird Pictureframe.

Slim opening at the top controls amount of light entering.

2D panelling at the bottom corner to place emphasis on the transition from flat panels to strong, angular panels at the top.

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SURFACE AND WAFFLE STRUCTURE Laser Cutting

Once the panels have been Morphed 3D, particular caution was paid to the back faces. Making sure the panels were flipped correctly to prevent making a mistake later on when assembling them. A decision was made to not include numbered labels on the edges of each panels as they were pretty straightforward to join together- tabs with the same length were meant to go together.

For the waffle structure, labels were generated on grasshopper to determine the positions of the individual fins more easily when assembling them.

Because laser-cutting something only require lines of an object, I duplicated the edges on rhino and separated them based on etching and cutting. Duplicate lines were removed with the ‘seldup’ command on rhino.

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Lofts

1.1

1.2

{150,135, 150}

Key

{150, 0,150}

{0,0,0}

{150,150, 120}

Attractor / Control Points (X,Y,Z) Attractor / Control Curves Grid Points

{150,0,75}

{135,150, 150}

Throughout the surface generation, I attempted to explore the ways in hwich the two surfaces seemingly interacts with each other.

Surfaces 1.1 and 1.2 embodies the idea of the surfaces dancing with each other.

{75,0,150} {15, 150,150} {150,60,0} {0, 0, 75}

{0, 135,0}

{120,0,0}

{150,120,0} {150, 150, 0}

{15,0,0} {0, 45, 0}

{0,0 ,0}

Paneling Grid & Attractor Point/curve

{Index Selection}

{Index Selection}

2.1

2.2

Panels of various openings were used via weaverbird, and explorations focuses on how the perforations opens up shadow and lighting qualities.

{169,76,147}

{137,112,85}

Paneling

{Attractor Point Location}

{Attractor Point Location}

3.1

3.2

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The grids and offset grids were overemphasized on at specific points using point attractors to communicate the idea of movement.

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SURFACE AND WAFFLE STRUCTURE 1.3

Matrix and Possibilities

Key

1.4

{0,0,0}

{0,150,120} {135,150,150}

Attractor / Control Curves

{75,0,1500}

{0,150,150}

{150,0,150}

Grid Points

{150,135,150} {135,150,150}

{0,0,15}

{0,0,120} {0,45,0}

Attractor / Control Points (X,Y,Z)

n 1.3, I also attempted to create a structure akin to a more traditional roof, with the underside and roof incorporating panels.

{120,0,0}

A combination of Curve attractors and point attractors were used to generate the effect of movement.

{150,75,0} {0,0,0} {0,60,0} {150,150,0} {Index Selection}

{Index Selection}

2.3

2.4

All 4 panels were used to form a more cohesive pattern for finalisation

{237,38,200}

{-7,185,85}

{173,183,0}

{Attractor Point Location}

{Index Selection}

3.3

3.4

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Movement study

Movement study 10

SURFACE AND WAFFLE STRUCTURE Photography of Model

The concept behind the model is based around the idea of the flow of waves. An emphasis is placed on the over-exaggeration of transition from the bottom point to the top point (as seen in photos from movement study).

Shadows generated by perforations onto the panels are also explored, and the panel design is created to evoke a sense of wonder when shadows are generated. The shadow study depicts an overall wing like form fro, the 2 surfaces, and concentrated light rays from the intricate perforations.

Shadow Study 11

Visual Scripting of Parametric Model

Grid Manipulator Box Generator

Firstly, similar to assignment task 1, a box was generated. Next, surface domain number was used on a face of the box, multiplied by 3 time to divide the box into different sections. “Cellulate 3D� allows for the generation of 3D cells and then the centre of each of the cells were obtained with the volume command.

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SOLID AND VOID Boolean/ Void Creation

Grid Manipulator

Rhino model of boolean form

Boolean geometry generator, surface offset to generate brep using “offset furface� command from pufferfish.

Lunchbox plugin was used to trial out different shapes for boolean geometry. In this particular script, Helicoid was used as I wanted to explore the movement of the spiral.

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SOLID AND VOID Boolean/ Void Creation

Grid Manipulator

start of loop

End of loop Anemone plugin used to generate loops.

Rhino model of boolean form

The grasshopper plugin “anemone� was used to generate my own boolean geometry. I strated creating a curves at the start of the loop, and then continuously stack them in different positions until some sort of spiral was formed. The boolean geometry turnt out to be a complicated one to do a boolean difference as it took a long time to generate it.

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SOLID AND VOID Isometric view

I wanted to communicate the idea of a gateway and movement/ motion together in 1 concept. I used a tetrahedron solid as boolean geometry and created something that looked like a cave with stalactites hanging off the ceiling. The end result it creates is a play around different levels of protuding and subtracted tetrahedron and flexible areas where the user can appropriate.

Roof structure resembles stalactites and pregressively increases/reduces in height.

Gateway creates a strong threshold between exterior and interior

Potential seating areas or playspace.

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Grid Manipulation

{-123.60,-150.21,162.65 }

Key

1.2

{0,0,0}

Attractor / Control Points (X,Y,Z)

Task B Matrix

Grid Points Hidden Lines {167,-84,66}

{302,157,48}

Boolean Difference Geometry

2.1

2.2

Section Cut

3.1

3.2

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These iterations are based around the idea of the gateway and exploring the idea of entering somewhere with a strong sense of threshold.

SOLID AND VOID Matrix and Possibilities

Grid Manipulation

1.3

Key

1.4 {-6,-84,99}

{0,0,0}

Attractor / Control Points (X,Y,Z) Grid Points Hidden Lines

{167,-84,66}

{96,229,48} {302,157,48}

Boolean Difference Geometry

2.3

2.4

Section Cut

3.3

3.4

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Task B Matrix The second set of iterations were based on exploring movement and a sense of discovery. The idea of spirals were chosen as geometry for the boolean, due to the sense of movement associated with it. Both these iterations were chosen to be developed.

Boolean difference 1

In this particular model, I used the self generated spiral to form several openings that plays with the idea of circumambulation and movement. The concept of exploration is evident, as each side is unique and is meant to draw curiosity.

Sunlight

Example movement

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Rhino model

SOLID AND VOID

Photography of Model

Boolean difference 2

Boolean difference 3

Rhino model Rhino model

Openings

View framing

Boolean difference 3

Boolean difference 2 19

Appendix

Process

Task A: Iterations of panels and surfaces generated and laid out sequentially for comparison.

Unrolling panels: Panels chosen unrolled and nested, with lines adjusted based on what to etch and what to cut.

Fragment generation: Using previous booleaned section cubes, fragments of smaller cubes were iterated.

Task B: Iterations of Boolean Difference generated and laid out sequentially for comparison.

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Appendix

Process

Assembling Waffle: Waffle laser cut ready and cut our to be assembled.

Labels were given for easy differentiation.

Waffle structure assembled.

3D Printing: Meshed fragments nested with settings set to be submitted for 3d print.

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Appendix

Process

Assembling Panels: Individual panels were cut out to be folded and assembled. Qtips were used to apply glue for precision.

Joining Panels: Assembled panels joined together to form a grid of panels of 5 x 5.

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Appendix Process

Final models for task A and task B.

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