Resourceful Fallibility

RESOURCEFUL FALLIBILITY THE FINAL PORTFOLIO THE STUDY OF WOOD FABRICATION IN BENDING AND MILLING PROCESS AND ARCHITECTURAL APPLICATION STUDENT: WANGSHU ZHOU & JIERU DING RESEARCH CLUSTER 2 DESIGN TUTOR: Isa誰e Bloch & Moa Carlsson

RC2 Augmented Dexterity In the twenty-first century, our role as designers is to renegotiate the relationship between the technology of digital fabrication (that struggles with predictability and a lack of materiality) and the notions of craftsmanship (which are to time consuming and exclusive). As both methods possess opposed distinct signs of process, inherent limitations and crucial advantages, it is the core of the conflict to strike a balance between the necessity of process with the noise of possibility. Through a multiple object/ material/fabrication approach we will demonstrate that a combination of all these elements result in better output in terms of typology, performance, material and cost efficiency, mass customisation possibilities and a multiple part/ material behaviour.

Rearch cluster 2 is based on the material study concentrating on the dissonance between the design performance and the process of making which is named as the ‘misfit’ existing in producing, assembling, fabricating, structuring and sometimes the material behavior and properties itself.

We will combine computational design tools with a good understanding of material experimentation, by swapping back and forth in between physical studies and the digital environments. This studio will be focusing on a more artistic/intuitive yet digital approach in combination with the integration of physical experiments brought back into the digital realm. The final project itself will consequently apply these studies onto a series of larger scale designs.

tutors: Isa誰e Bloch and Moa Carlsson

Jieru Ding dingjieruru@gmail.com online portfolio: http://www.pinterest. com/jieruding/

Zhou Wangshu (Vincent) vincentzhou0817@gmial.com

CONTENT: TERM ONE/ 1. the definiton of misfits 2. CNC milling misfit 3. momoents of tables 4. Water-fall and misfit experiment 5. wood bending misfit 6. the principle of bending system 7. table design with bending system 8. material study and physical test 9. further table design with test feedback TERM TWO/ 1. the concept of combining two misfits 2. analysis of architectural site 3. first architecture proposal in term two 4. study of bending behavior 5. study of milling process 6. physical modal for architectural design TERM THREE/ 1. rethinking the constructiong system 2. research of modular system 3. milling units 4. study of milling trace and wood flour 5. the application of misfit 6. three components 7. new architectural proposal

TASK OF TERM ONE In the first term, our design task is to understand and research about the 'misfit' which we choosed and bring it back to furniture design domain.zzIn the described context, we will be designing and fabricating a range of different objects/genotypes that are utilitarian, as well as performative as a proof of the underlying research. These will then be tested once more on a larger architectural scale. Digital fabrication and crafts/low-tech manufacturing will not only be used as a way of finalising or producing a predetermined end result, but as an active ingredient within the design process itself.

THE DEFINITION OF MISFIT Universally, because of the limitation and faultiness of the manufacturing technology from traditional crafting to mass production and even digital fabrication, there are always some dissonance between the design performance and the process of making which is named as the ‘misfit’ existing in producing, assembling, fabricating, structuring and sometimes the material behavior and properties itself. Such ‘misfits’ include the redundant elements for the design performance which are unavoidable for making, the wasting of massive raw materials, the uncontrollability of manufacturing process and any other abiogenetic or predictable drawbacks in the material and production industry. Therefore in our cluster, we focus on studying these ‘misfits’, bringing them into design process and turning the defects to the merits.

Water-fall Project (Term 1) My project Water-fall for the first term was mainly exploring the instability and unpredictable of the timber during the CNC machine fabrication process, and kept these components, which normally be treated as flaw or failure (misfits), as the functional characteristic according to the design conditions. The project relied on the research of the wood types, machines and fabrication techniques to predict and control the certain effect as the component in design.

In the Water-fall, the research of the timber misfit were focus on the traces (ditches) and wastes be left by the drill of CNC machine after it passed through. The research of the specific drill types and traces left by them on different types of timber demonstrate the variety of the misfits during the production process, which won’t be notice if the designer doesn’t participate the whole process of making.

The designer as well as maker allowed designers have more control of the outcome, as study and develop the project from the observation of fabrication process.

Traces

Wastes

Reference By Aron Demetz

Wood Misfit

Sarah Wigglesworth and Jeremy Till, Increasing disorder in a dinnin Recording different moments of the tables

CNC Misfit traces and residue biproducts are new layer of design on the digital model during the fabrication process due to the setting of Mastercam (PC-based computer-aided design / computer-aided manufacturing software), drill bites and raw material.

The misfit rely on the geometric, which has the benefit of both fabrication timesaving (one third time of produce smooth surface) and high resolution.

Axel Kilian described two ways of using CNC machine “Extract the capabilities of the machine and embed them into a generative program that explores the possible forms and cuts within the limitations” and “Design an object and adapt it to the machine’s capabilities”.

Strategy of exploring the high-tech fabrication limitation and cooperation with other technique to represent the design is what we developed along with the design process. Contemporary software and computer-aided manufacturing create a fable-like object that ultimately narrates the story of a unique hand-manufactured and antique piece of design.

It is the narrative of fairy tales: something old and something ordinary, something that we think we know, metamorphose into an entirely new thing that dazzles us in its juxtaposition - just like Cinderella.

The unique trace produce by CNC machine is due to the setting called stepover. The cutting tool must step over and make several adjacent cuts to complete machining a feature (Fig.9). As a result, a small cusp of material, called a scallop, will remain between these cuts on any surrounding walls or on the machined surface if a ball end mill is used.

The size of the step-over distance and the tool diameter will determine the scallop height between each step. Decreasing the step-over distance will minimize the scallop height, but will require more steps, and therefore more time, to machine the feature.

Functions for traces and wates The vertical garden is the platform for both of the ditches and wastes features to be developed as functionality: ditches for leading in and out the amount of water that plants required, and the hairy wastes attached on the materials for adding friction force to provide the growth environment for specific plants.

Wastes for specific growing enviroment

The water requirements for plants vary widely depending on: plants types

space and soil

materials for pots and environment

1.Plants with large or very thin leaves and those with fine surface roots usually require more frequent watering.

2.Size of the plant - obviously a large tree will require more water than a small seasonal plant.

3.Flowering plants and rapidly growing plants dry out quickly.

1.A large plant in a small pot will need water more often.

2.Different soil mixes require different watering schedules.

3.Type of soil - clay soils retain a lot of water, where as sand does not.

1.Indoor or outdoor location.

2.Plants in a warm, dry, sunny location need more frequent watering. Aspect - is the plant exposed to sun and wind or protected by other plants or structures.

3.Season - plants grow at different rates at different times of the year.

Plants

Holding Box Soil

The physical model of first design of Water-fall has been sliced into four pieces to fabricate from CNC machine: three pieces for plant hold pot and one piece for façade block.

As describe in the study reference part, CNC machine has its limitation of drill reachable depth and only could work on one surface at once. Cut three-dimensional design object into slices in the software, then fabricate small pieces without joints and assemble layers by glue to represent the continuing curve surface. This technique has been defined as “Continuing layers� in previous chapter.

By using the drill machine to explore the trace of drill bites. Step drill bit, hole saw and twist drill bit could present interesting trace. Only twist drill bit could produce Residue Biproducts misfit, since other two have the working principle of damage surrounding material. I choose twist drill to explore further for this project.

Walnut

Oak

Cedar

Pine

Ash

Cherry

Twist drill bit and timber material behavior with it.

Step drill bit and timber material behavior with it.

Hole saw and timber material behavior with it.

Physical model made by CNC milling machine

The unique trace produce by CNC machine is due to the setting called step-over. The cutting tool must step over and make several adjacent cuts to complete machining a feature (Fig.9). As a result, a small cusp of material, called a scallop, will remain between these cuts on any surrounding walls or on the machined surface if a ball end mill is used.

The size of the step-over distance and the tool diameter will determine the scallop height between each step.

Decreasing the step-over distance will minimize the scallop height, but will require more steps, and therefore more time, to machine the feature.

The vertical garden is the platform for both of the ditches and wastes features to be developed as functionality: ditches for leading in and out the amount of water that plants required, and the hairy wastes attached on the materials for adding friction force to provide the growth environment for specific plants.

Plants types, space and soil, materials for pots and environment decided the plants’ water consumption, which also guided design of the plant holders and water leading directions of the ditches. The strategies of plant holders and ditches could restrict the scales of plants the other way round, and turn the plants into the controllable elements in the ‘Water-fall’.

The Water-fall is a vase, a sculpture, a facade and so on, that form effected by the environmental conditions and design purpose.

Second proposal the Vase The second and third design of the Water-fall project are more three dimensional than the façade one, and brought with topics of fabricate large scale and three dimensional curvy objects.

Testing and analyzing various strategies of timber, machine and technique’s cooperation to conclude a system of achieving specific material behaviors, is another topic need to be explore and experiment after term one.

The other two design of the Water-fall project are more three dimensional than the façade one, and brought with topics of fabricate large scale and three dimensional curvy objects.

Testing and analyzing various strategies of timber, machine and technique’s cooperation to conclude a system of achieving specific material behaviors, is another topic need to be explore and experiment after term one.

Pieces for CNC Fabrication

THE INTRODUCTION OF THE MISFIT IN THE PROJECT

WOOD BENDING BEHAVIOUR Unlike some homogenous materials such as steel and glass, wood make-up itself is grown as a heterogeneous, anisotropic and hierarchical structure with the fibrous and vascular tissue. These material properties and related behavior are especially well suited for construction techniques that employ the elastic bending of wood in order to form complex, lightweight structures frominitially simple, planar building elements

WOOD BENDING TECHNOLOGY

Bending lamination, steam bending and Kerf bending are three universal ways to bend wood. However, the first two methods need much more time, cost and equipment.

THE MISFIT IN WOOD KERFBENDING

Kerf bending is the process of cutting a number of slots into a piece of material that allow it to bend. Essentially, by kerfing the part, you are making it thinner, so it can be flexed to follow a curve. Kerfing allows for bending all sorts of thicknesses of stock, and is especially useful for bending plywood.

Zipshape bending is a new universal method that makes it possible to fabricate single curved panels from any plain material without molds. An element consists of two individually slotted panels that interlock only when bent to the predefined curvature.

COMPUTAIONAL WOOD BENDING DESIGN

in many project, to endow more meanings such as fabrication, materialization and proliferation to the mechanical ‘slots’ and ‘cuts’, early study were trying tp build up a manufacturing and tectonic system by using of computational design approach that is based on the integration of material properties and characteristics.

THE PRINCIPLES OF BENDING SYSTEM

STRUCTURING THE BENDING SYSTEM Systematic bending and assembling system require a structuring process whereby the specific part-to-whole principles integrate all elements into a complex composite3. In my case, there are several basic principles concentrating on the ‘misfits’— ‘slots’ and ‘cuts’ to shift the redundance to indispensable. Firstly, ‘digital-controlled kerf bending’ relating to different curvatures soften the straight wood sticks and reflect the specific bending behaviors. Secondly, inspired by the mortise and tenon joint system, ‘zip-shape bending’ uses the tension between each slots of two paralleled strips cut with kerfs to hold the curve. Thirdly, as the limit of the size of machine tools such as CNC and laser cutting, we can not obtain a composite in any scale in a self-contained system. So, such ‘slots’ make it become an ever-increasing system by assembling and modularizing. Also, slots can be used as the connection to extend possibility and variation of the geometry system. Finally, due to the variation of shape and size of ‘slots’ and patterns of ‘cuts’, they also can contribute to the flexibility and dissimilation in forming and decoration and texture.

KERF BENDING

To make the sticks or strips much flexible for free shape

ZIP-SHAPE BENDING

To keep the curvature of the threedimensional wood bending

SLOTS CONNECT

To fix elements of the system and stack different parallel sticks

SLOTS JOINT

To hold other geometry and verify the complexity of the system

INTERLOCK AND AGGREGATION

To make the sticks or strips much flexible for free shape

KERF BENDING To make the sticks or strips much flexible for free shape

ZIP-SHAPE BENDING To keep the curvature of the three-dimensional wood bending

SLOTS CONNECT To fix elements of the system and stack different parallel sticks

SLOTS JOINT To hold other geometry and verify the complexity of the system

INTERLOCK AND AGGREGATION To make the sticks or strips much flexible for free shape

DIGITAL AND PHYSICAL TEST

Design through making is the core of the study of material fabrication.

By means of testing different parameters ranging from thickness, density and shape of ‘slots’ or ‘cuts’ to material property itself, the feedback between physical modeling and digital modification enhances the calculable relation between the degrees of freedom and constraints of manufacturing and material affordances. Using these information feedback, I classify the principles into structure and none-structure and give the specific function to each of them.

During the test, I find there are some parameters are fairly important for the bending ability of the materials, which In the design part should be taken into account.

Kerf bending for wood strips

Paralleled zip-shape bending

Unparalleled zip-shape bending

Detached and joint

When dealing with products in 1 on1 scale, CNC is much more suitable. During these test, the results show the important of the selection of wood materials. The wood with tough fiber is much better for bending and the plywood may be the most practical material to be applied to.

NEXT STEP IN FABRICATION RESEARCH In the next step, I will still work on the improvement of my bending system with adding more possibility obeying same logics and principles and bring it to the integrative design in architectural scale. The followings are some parts which I will study more.

Firstly, as material property is basis of any performative material fabrication which means any genuine wood-specific computational design process needs to begin with an understanding of wood’s anatomy, as it accounts for most of its properties and characteristics, the research and test about the species of timber and its performance in different environment effects including humidity, temperature and moisture combining with the parameters of ‘slots’ and ‘cuts’ should be proceeded continuously.

Secondly, bending system with wooden strips or sticks or boards will be structuring to form a complex composite with rationality between specific kinds of structure form and bending or assembling behaviors. It is affirmative that single material behavior or systematic principle can not solve all the architectural issues, so in this composite, wooden materials in different condition and parameters are combined and integrated into the whole.

Thirdly, I will concentrate on using laser cutting to bend the wooden sheet materials to soften and then bend or twist them like surface or skin as it shares the same logic as kerf bending yet brings new geometry property— ‘surface’ to the existing system where linearity and tessellate are dominant. Also the relation between the characteristics of ‘cuts’ matrix and capability of bending will be studied.

Lastly, to assemble the ‘bones’— the bending linear materials and the ‘skin’— the bending wood sheet to form a interwoven system which have strong potentials to complete many architectural tasks including ceiling, roof, enclosing system, the special and sophisticated joints will be developed.

THE FIRST TABLE DESIGN WITH THE SYSTEM

To proof the feasibility and flexibility of the bending system in design domain, some table design become the touchstone as table has various function and geometry properties such as supporting, surfacing and decoration.

In the first term, I design tables in four different versions which reflect different possibilities and potentials of the system. First one as a basic version reflects the fact that different bending behaviors work separately to form an ultimate outcome.

THE FIRST TABLE DESIGN WITH THE SYSTEM

1 wood strips withcutting kerfs

2 holding the curvature

3 assembling horizontally

4 bending and shaping

5 final modal

THE FEEDBACK AND EVALUATION

Using this system, we can save lots of raw materials during the process of pruducing.

Wooden products is relatively durable but also will be damaged during the using period, such as scratch and stain. In my system, as each slice can be replaced, it is much easier to fix the damaged parts with low cost.

FURTHER TABLE DESIGNS

1

This tabel design means the system can adjust itself according to various design requirement by using the various wood bending behavior.

2

In this version, the existing system combines with new geometry system to redefine the design meanings.

3

CUT THE WOOD FOR 3-DIMENTIONAL BENDING

This version challenges the two-dimensional characteristic and shift the object to something forming the using space.

CLOUD TOP GAD RC2

THE TASK OF TERM TWO In the second term, design task becomes as team work which require each team combine various misfit which were rearched in the last term.

This assignment will focus on developing a strong architectural proposals in a multi object way. This translates in the fact that we will design an extension of an existing building (Hanging Temple) by adding own design elements and our misfits.

From Misfit about Wood Kerf and Cut Tecnique To Functional Facade and Structure

From Misfit about Wood Traces and Wastes to Vertical Garden Proposal

From Misďƒžt about Wood Traces and Wastes to Vertical Garden Proposal Traces

Wastes

COMBINATION OF MISFITS

Water will still be the main component to drive and form the geometry design, but with more aspects of influences combined with the site conditions: lead out the rain water drop down along with the mountain surface to protect the wooden structure from damage, collect clean water to provide convenience to inhabitation, increase material’s ability of keep moisture by the wood wastes to develop vertical farms

The Stories of Hanging Temple

THE INTRODUCTION OF THE SITE The Hanging Temple is a temple built into a cliff (75 m or 246 ft above the ground) near Mount Heng in Hunyuan County, Datong City, Shanxi province, China.

Along with the Yungang Grottoes, the Hanging Temple is one of the main tourist attractions and historical sites in the Datong area.

Built more than 1,500 years ago, this temple is notable not only for its location on a sheer precipice but also because it is the only existing temple with the combination of three Chinese traditional religions: Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism.

the living space of monks

the main function of existing building

MAIN IDEA OF THE NEW ADDITION In this proposal, we try to use digital fabrication technology to build up a water guilding structure with vertical garden. And this is not a single function design but a series of new addtion to varify the experience of existing building.It as a new circulation connect each senorio and expand the original chapter of tourism

The crossbeam system is the main structure of existing building and the vertical structure are mainly for visual safety. In our proposal, we try to redesign these architectural language and make them more mechanical.

Site Research

Photoes on site

Tecniques of the Supporting Structures

According to site research photo and relative news, roof of north wing was been covered with waterproof material from rain damage for the wooden structure.

The Softimage simulation told the same result: the mountain zone above north wing gathers more rainwater than the others.

Design proposal take this as main condition to form the extension building (envelope), by guiding water away to protect current construction and provide certain functions to the guided water. Water has been the main component to drive and form the geometry design.

The “rainwater zone” in this project is the key to engage misfit character, design proposal and environmental conditions together, as Lynn states, ‘form is therefore shaped by collaboration between the envelope and the active context in which it is situated.’

Site Location

Site model and Rain zone site photo

Vertical Garden first architecture proposal in term two

CHUNK OF VERTICAL GARDEN WITH THE PATHES

SECTION WITH THE CURVE OF MOUNTAIN

WATER GUIDING TRACE BOARD

TRACE CONNECTION WITH BENDING SYSTEM

POCKETS FOR VERTICAL GARDEN

CHUNK OF VERTICAL GARDEN WITH THE PATHES

THE ELEMENT OF CONSTRUCTING STRUCTURE

The scenario of manufacturing Cloud Top on Hanging Temple

Experimental Fabrication

The project relied on the research of the wood types, characters and fabrication techniques to predict and control the certain effect as the component in design.

Most Efficent Outcome of the Wastes

The irregular texture of the test piece was generated by running a Perlin noise algorithm and texturizing the extrinsic agent using a script.

Through the use of birch plywood, a secondary pattern emerged through the variation of grain. The pattern was not really predicted and it was truly a wonderful surprise to the designer that can only be achieved by the use of CNC machines.

Since the most of the wood specialness appeared in the fabrication process are decided by the machine itself (order of the toolpaths, size and type of the drill bit, power of the machine). Testing and analyzing various strategies of timber, machine and technique’s cooperation to conclude a system of achieving specific material behaviors, is the next step of getting closer with design the character of fabrication.

WATER GUIDING TRACE BOARD

TRACE CONNECTION WITH BENDING SYSTEM

POCKETS FOR VERTICAL GARDEN

TRACES GUIDE THE WATER TO A NEW DIRECTION FROM IT’S ORIGINAL GEOMETRIC

Physical Test of CNC machined traces Test of the ability of guiding water by difference scale of traces The research of the timber misfit were focus on the traces (ditches) and wastes be left by the drill of CNC machine after it passed through. (fig1.2) The vertical garden is the platform for both of the features to be developed as functionality: ditches for leading in and out the amount of water that plants required, and the hairy wastes attached on the materials for adding friction force to provide the growth environment for specific plants.

A

C

B

A

B

C

Texture of the different parts of the chunk and the test with their ability to staore water

Steps of water falling

two kinds bending systems as a whole piece and as joint sheet

bending surface

Bending misfit concentrate on using laser cutting to bend the wooden sheet materials to soften and then bend or twist them like surface or skin as it shares the same logic as kerf bending yet brings new geometry property— ‘surface’ to the existing system where linearity and tessellate are dominant. Also the relation between the characteristics of ‘cuts’ matrix and capability of bending will be studied.

pocket system for vertical farden

Digital fabrication has altered the way we think about design and raised the expectations of quality and precision in our work. But it does come at a price. As Frank Lloyd Wright (The Art and Craft of the Machine, 1901) illustrates, this conflict between analogue and machinic processes, is by no means a recent development. Art requires work, and according to Lloyd, the machine can assist in doing it. His view was that the machine gives people a broader palette of expression to work with it.

THE TASK OF TERM THREE In the third term, we continue on the wood matertial study in the milling process and systematize controllability by using designable geometry and related milling tools.

For the architecture proposal, we mainly focus on the modular system with milling appearance rather than bending system according to the realistic constructing situation and morphologic dexterity.

the material study and application

Rethinking the design approach

As the reviewing of the project always plays a significant role in the boost and pullulation of the later process of design by which we can look back and forward to the former study and approaches, In our project, we mainly summarize three points including using CNC technology in more 3-dimentional way rather than the cutting effect relating to laser-cutting, optimizing the mechanical situation and unstable structure and considering the practical process of constructing. All these introspections are based on the materialization and structuring fabrication incorporating with design requirements.

The restriction of geometric morphology

The unreliability of unstable structure

Because of the limitation of thickness of the materials which influence the bending ability, this procedure uses CNC milling more like laser-cutting without 3-dimentional shaping and relies on the bending behavior to generate certain forms such as noneuclidean geometry.

in this constructing-challenging site with relative low technical supporting condition, choosing the stable structure such as overlap join or methods basing on the principles of brick work is a more practical and effective way to construct on the site.

The dilemma of constructing on site the extreme geographic condition together with fragility of original wood works make it nearly impossible to bend several large wood sheet pieces on site with heavy engineering machinery.

the close-up view of Yusuhara Wooden Bridge Museum designed by Kengo Kuma

the Hakone Pavilion designed by Tezuka Architects

the mortise and tenon joint structure

traditional wood joints structure

Staring at the masterpiece of traditional wood works and amazed by the exquisite interconnection between each two elements, we can start understanding the fact that the great intelligence of the ancient architectural wood crafting is not existed in the elaboration and plethora of decorations of each piece but the invisible mortise and tenon joint structure and rational expression of constructing logic. For the traditional wood structure, the complexity of the assemblage and the intricacy of the internal structure of the joint are concealed under the harmony and apparent simplicity of appearance. Elaborate joint must take different facts into account including the stiffness of transferring forces such as bending, torsion and shear and time dependent process such as shrinkage or slippage caused by dynamic loading. This complex system can inspire and lead us to the intelligent self-organized joint system which applies its own principles with specific requirement according to the external factors including environment needs to the final form giving.

joint units in our case

photo for modular units

the measurement of joint and unit

shifting and transforming in Y-axis direction

Modular system afford the profound capability of geometric sensibility and exuberance by regulating certain hierarchy for the prototype and scale of basic geometry without the constraints of dissimilating each unit to approach the homophylic aggregation with high geometric resolution and diversity free foaming in Y-axis direction

diversity of geometric properties in Y-axis direction

porosity in Y-axis direction

shifting and transforming in Z-axis direction

free foaming in Z-axis direction

diversity of geometric properties in Z-axis direction

porosity in Z-axis direction

original geometry

toolpath diagram

milling outcome

wood fiber texture

the overlapping relation between each layers

photos of constructing

the assembling process of aggregated modular system overlapped with joints and pre-milled wood bricks

In our project, as considering about the priority of water-guiding effect which means the motion and trail of rain flow will influence the design form directly, the geometric hierarchy consist of aggregated wavy geometry, basic geometry for milling process which is similar to the parent level but with smaller scale to control the expected ‘misfits’ and the ‘misfit’ itself including traces and wooden flour and wastes. In the early physical test in term three, we mainly study the relationship among them and the constructing detail with performing possibilities.

study of milling traces The scale of the trace is decided by the setting of step-over and step-down. When the distance of step-over is as wide as drill bite’s diameter, the wideness of each trace could be maximally as same as the drill bites. The number of step-down setting is exactly the depth of the trace.

different drill bits with milling process

Waterline Toolpath

Scallop Toolpath

Parallel Toolpath

Radial Toolpath

Radial Toolpath

Scallop Toolpath

Parallel Toolpath

Waterline Toolpath

different milling traces generated by different drill bits

1mm toolpath step-over

2mm toolpath step-over

3mm toolpath step-over

2mm toolpath step-down

4mm toolpath step-down

6mm toolpath step-down

Short flat surface before the upslope Short Timber Residue

Middle flat surface before the upslope Middle Timber Residue

Long flat surface before the upslope Long Timber Residue

Scale of Residue

The size of wood flour can be varied in the process of milling due to several factors including the wood type, the size and shape of drills, the parameters setting in the Mastercam which is the software to edit command of milling process and the characters of milling geometry. Ordinarily, the wood milling process can generate unexpected fibrous wastes in unpredictable locations and the scale of wastes can be diversified without any control. Hence, we try to realize the influence factors and then manage the scale and size of wastes according to design intention.

Distribution of Residue Tool-path Influence The downslope won’t present any Timber Residue, but the result could be opposite by change the milling direction in 180 degree. This also explains the zigzag toolpath setting could cause the cutting line produce the opposite outcome as previous cutting line. The Residue distribution is interleaved line by line, and the one-way tool-path could produce Timber Residue area by area.

Through sending a curve shape as two upslope from opposite direction could produce Residue to cover the whole geometric. one way

In the typical tool-path topologies discussed in Page, only parallel tool-path allows the drill to follow the most off wood grain during the milling. Also from the physical test in Page, layers of tool-path cant help with producing Residue, since the latest layer of tool-path will remove the previous Residue by cut through the connection materials.

zig zag

Toolpath direction

Toolpath direction

Geometric Influence Toolpath direction

With in one-way tool-path setting, only the upslope surface of the geometric could produce Timber Residue. By upside down the curve shape, the areas of Residue’s Distribution is opposite. With in a series of continuing curve shapes, the Residue will only locate at one side as well. This is the most effective geometric to produce Residue, but it might read as Residue covers all the geometric in small scale.

the misfits with water-guiding effects The aggregated wavy geometry are mainly used for organize the water flow as the clusters of slopes transmit the water from the headwaters located in the upper parts of the overall geometry to the bottom areas with flora.

the water coming from certain point make the motion of falling water go alone with lieaner traces. while, the geometry affect this motion with zigzag

on the surfaces of lower parts, the water will be distributed and guided with branch-shaped troughes to transform the motion of water from lieaner traces to the whole surface

in the bottom of milling geometry, the vegetation growing from certain area are sensitive of water trails and high moisture area

in long term, the water coming along with the geometry and from the top parts foster the flora beneath it and the vegetation sprawl along with these milling geometries.

operating the misfits

The distribution and size of wood flour are varied according to the prototype of geometry. Comparing with the water guiding areas, in the vegetation areas, the wood wastes are much larger and longer and the distribution of them are much intensive to sustain relative high moisture and benefit plant sprawling. This means in the upper parts, the wood brick should be milled partly with predesign waterguiding geometry and leave some part intact and conversely, in the lower parts mill the most or whole surface of wood bricks to obtain more wood wastes.

paralleled milling traces 45 and 60 degree amgles 3mm end drill 3mm stepover 1mm stepdown

paralleled toolpath horizontally milling 6mm end drill 6mm stepover 3mm stepdown

the branch fractal system are employed for the aggregated geometry to regulate and distribute the ranges of slopes which can also be presented in milling geometry for each piece.

Functionally, the movement can be divided as guiding water and fostering flora. Maintaining the properties of branch system, for the overall geometry, in the upper parts mainly guiding water to lower areas, water channels are wider than the vegetation area in the lower domains with higher density of slopes. In the vegetation areas, the branches scatter or enclose around the surfaces and chambers with smaller sizes.

the simulation of water drops moving on the surface of milling geometry

the diagram of different toolpath applied in the milling process to get fonctional traces and wood flour

the original geometry with water-guiding trough

Three types of components as the design language Constructing and fabricating these components in the principle that one jointer fixes four bricks with milling geometry on their surfaces and navigates their relative location to contribute to the geometric form on the larger scale may also allow each brick and joint to be diversified in certain geometric aspects including the measurement of cross sections and length. In consequence, the modular system with milling surface can translated into certain design languages or architectural components with specific functions or meanings involving the waterguiding effects, the structural values and decorative potentials.

The first component is functionalized as the water-guiding units. In this component, only the wood bricks located in certain pre-designed water-guiding area are fabricated and the others preserve as the normal wood bricks to fulfill other architectural meanings including working as the transition between the existing structure and new additions, growing into the original interiors to enclose or divide space and supporting the overall design.

The water-guiding channels consist of milling geometry working as trough to regulate the movement of water flow which differentiate the bricks with milling geometry and regular wood brick by the principle that the units in the areas of waving surface will be fabricated with CNC milling.

The overall geometry maintains the continuous curve vertically as each row of bricks comes forward with certain distance comparing with the neighboring upper row.

The second prototype itself has the clear geometric for both main water guiding path and branches connected as plants holder. The whole surface is continuous and all need to be milled to represent the geometric, which take more time to fabricate than first prototype.

The second prototype shared same principle of block wall, but has a Stopper to fill in the hole. Each Stopper has a smaller size on one end as a male joint, and the length of each side to be cut away on that end is depend on the near by block.

The Stopper could help the surrounding blocks in their own position to represent the curvy geometric.

300 millimetres height 1to 2 scale 600 millimetres width

The second component is define as the aggregation of fully milled bricks with waterguiding though and clusters of wood flour which are interlocked and interwoven into continuous curve surface with wavy wrinkles to scatter the water flow and benefit the booming of vegetation.

The water-guiding branches connecting the main channels for water flow are made of ranges of milled bricks and in the end of each branch, the bowl-shaped space formed by removing some wood bricks and milling certain bricks around them with notches in different scale. These interspaces are used to collect the water flows and foster plaint growing up along with the trough and sprawling around the areas with wood flour.

oneone moment moment of component of component twotwo showing showing thethe wood wood flour flour located located in the in the endend of branch-shaped of branch-shaped trough trough

another another moment moment of component of component twotwo showing showing the the geometric geometric diversity diversity andand density density of wood of wood flour flour

This prototype will leave a hole among every four pieces of blocks. In the design purpose of mill branches of water guiding paths, the water paths have been designed to avoid holes or leading to specific holes where are the hotbed designed for plants.

In the design purpose of enclose space without guiding water proposal, the block wall will remain plain that only build the geometric outline. This provides the contrast in design format, as well as the budget saving strategy.

400 millimetres height 1to 3 scale

800 millimetres width

The last component is transformed by extruding the wood brick in z-axis to the linear elements.

Unlike the former two component performed as walls, the third component covered space like canopy which can obtain profound potentials like merging and interposing into the existing building.

In order to achieve more mild wavy geometry on the outside surface and keep high sensibility and dexterity for the inside surface, the measurement of the rectangle cross section are shrank and the length are varied to form different architectural elements involving the column, the ceiling and the furniture.

The modular elements shift vertically to shape the wavy geometry requiring the upper surface of linear elements within the bottom parts of these geometries to be milled to achieve smooth surface for guiding water.

the underside surface can be fabricated with ‘misfits’ namely the traces and wastes and assembled like jigsaw to acquire decorative meanings as they grow down to touch the original wood works.

large physical modal with three different component language and water-guiding effect

the diagram of deconstructing process

Physical Model with three types of components Horizontal typology has longer horizontal digital modal of physical milling the milling geometry assembled by Stopper to form the volume. On the top of chunk with three types of pre-milled wood bricks and joints the faรงade, these horizontal Stoppers could component languages to work enclose space as roof, which work as longer together to fulfill the water-guiding bridge to connect site wall and designed effect faรงade from top.

Vertical typology has the same logical with Horizontal typology in vertical way. The Stoppers in Horizontal typology become the supporting columns to hold surrounding blocks when they are vertical.

Take a prototype (Fig.25) to define the misfits distribute and function accurately. There are four zones in the geometric. Zone one and two have only apply trace misfit to help with the water guiding geometric, and zone three and four have both trace and Residue Biproducts misfit to split the water paths and grow plants.

Overall Tendency Combining the design purpose of guiding water away from roof and rock zone to the lower vertical garden zone, the overall tool-path setting is to produce the smooth texture in main water guiding paths.

Along with the paths going down, the trace misfit grows horizontally from the main path as branches to split the water flow.

The water flow move quick on the smooth texture from top, then the flow slow down to be split when it meet horizontal trace misfit from middle part of overall design.

The Biproducts Misfits are also start from the middle of the design, and the scale of these start from smallest to biggest till the bottom of the design, where the water paths end and have hotbed design for plants followed. The large scale of Biproducts Misfits in the bottom are allowed the wild plants grew on the site cliff to climb, with the purpose of guiding plants up into the design.

1 to 2 scale model 130 millimetres heigth 50 millimetres weith

Constructing and fabricating these components in the principle that one jointer fixes four bricks with milling geometry on their surfaces and navigates their relative location to contribute to the geometric form on the larger scale may also allow each brick and joint to be diversified in certain geometric aspects including the measurement of cross sections and length. In consequence, the modular system with milling surface can translated into certain design languages or architectural components with specific functions or meanings involving the water-guiding effects, the structural values and decorative potentials.

Evolution of Vertical Garden the new proposal in term 3 In this term, we concentrate on the milling ‘misfits’ involving the traces and fiber wastes with water-guiding effect combining with the modular system as the design drivers which impels us to rethink and renew our vertical garden proposal located in the main hall of the existing buildings.

New proposal is conceived with more extensive consideration including environmental effects, conservation of original buildings and morphologic potentials.

diagram for new circulation

vegetation sprawling

simulation of rain trails

the partical simulation for the raining situation on architectural site

simulation inin different specific areas simulation different specific areas

cutting location

Constructing the new roof structure The original roof connecting with the rock surface around it can be seen as certain surfaces suffering from the scouring and erosion of rain flow. As the existing roof is rebuild by using water-proof concrete to replace traditional tiles in a less designable and meticulous way with rough constructing details in several years ago, we decide to reconstruct it with our modular system with milling ‘misfits’.

cutting location

cutting location

Fabricating the hybrid external facade Converting the geometric properties and constructing logics from the roof part to the extending faรงade, the modular system with the first component follow the two towers locating separately in the north and south of the main hall down to the flora area. Incorporating with the original bricklaying and the existing elements including the structural elements, the architraves, the pillars and the decorations, the overall geometry gain a complex integrity with resourcefulness of morphologic flux transferring from the regular and orderly bricks to the anomalous and undulant wood units.

As the main function of the vertical faรงade is guiding and reorganizing water flow, the relative high moisture may damage the existing structure and itself. Therefore, comparing with the large integral pieces with continuous fiber resulting in the permeation of moisture, the modular units keep independence to prevent water diffusion and minimalize the quantity of wood bricks which need to be fabricated by suitable wood types with water-proof technology.

the modular faรงades are verified among the single curve layer, the double curve layers with voids and the solid volume due to the geometric properties around them and aggregated to grow into the original space to shape the enclosure.

Layering the vegetation chambers Adhering to the brick surface of temple’s foundation and intersecting in the cave space constructed in the new proposal, the chamber structure built by the second component is a space existing along the beginning of new circulation.

existing roof

upper floor

lower floor

new path

cutting location

cutting location

Augmented Dexterity Digital fabrication has altered the way we think about design and raised the expectations of quality and precision in our work. But it does come at a price. As Frank Lloyd Wright (The Art and Craft of the Machine, 1901) illustrates, this conflict between analogue and automated generative processes, is by no means a recent development.

Early critics like John Ruskin (The Nature of Gothic, 1853) argued for the supremacy of the human hand in opposition to the mechanised perfection possible through the use of machines.

He argued that an imperfect object was inherently more valuable because it demonstrates a flourish of human expression.

“Imperfection is in some sort essential to all that we know in life.

It is the sign of life in a mortal body, that is to say, of a state of progress and change”. In accordance, in the text, The Transparent Society (1992), Gianni Vattimo argues that “the function of art is not to reinforce eternal truths concerning the human condition, but to provide an experience of dislocation and ‘shock’”.

It is widely acknowledged that any application of digital fabrication gambles with predictability, i.e. an outcome dictated by an explicit process. While predictability is not compulsory with the use of digital process, it is all too often the norm rather than exception. When the role of digital fabrication is not critically evaluated, items often suffer from a prototypical perception due to a combination of readily identifiable processes and material compromises. The question that we need to ask ourselves is how to get rid of that singular reading of objects and how to augment custom character within digitally fabricated products. We believe that by seeking and using specific manufacturing and material misfits as a design opportunity, we will be able to generate that unique character within a digitally manufactured outcome. Not as to design misfits by itself but as a characteristic part of the design and manufacturing process.

Our role as designers in the twenty-first century is to renegotiate the relationship between the technology of digital fabrication (that struggles with predictability and a lack of materiality) and the notions of craftsmanship (which are to time consuming and exclusive). As both methods possess opposed distinct signs of process, inherent limitations and crucial advantages, it is the core of the conflict to strike a balance between the necessity of process with the noise of possibility. Through a multiple object/material/ fabrication approach we will demonstrate that a combination of all these elements result in better output in terms of typology, performance, material and cost efficiency, mass customisation possibilities and a multiple part/material behaviour.