PAUL C. STOCKHOFF
PROJECTS PORTRAYED
01 BUILT
ROBOTIC METAL FORMING
MEDICAL CASE PROTOTYPES
DANIEL STOWE PLAY AREA
OUTDOOR FURNITURE LINE
DESIGN BUILD: AURARIA BIKE SHELTERS
DESIGN BUILD: COTTONWOOD GULCH CABINS
HYBRID SKINS
FIXTURING TABLES
SHOP SLIDING DOORS
02 COMPUTATIONAL
DIAGRID GENERATOR
WAFFLE GENERATOR INTERFACE
AUGMENTED REALITY INTERFACE
SPECIAL TOPICS TEACHING
BUILT
RESEARCH AND PROFESSIONAL BUILT WORK
ROBOTIC METAL FORMING
DES-COMP GRADUATE THESIS
Thesis Committee
Chris Beorkrem
David Thaddeus
Srinivas Akella
Software
Rhinoceros
Grasshopper
Kuka PRC
Machines
Kuka KR-60HA
CNC Plasma Cutter
For my graduate thesis, which is required to satisfy both degrees, I am investigating how to embed material and geometrical constraints into a digital tool to help designers design buildable structures. The thesis focuses in on forming 20 gauge sheet panels with a robotic arm with a ball bearing like stylus attached at its end which pushes in .3mm per pass. The material is only held at the top and bottom, which allows for the material to stretch more and be formed to a greater degree.
By understanding how the panel forms and how it differs from the intended geometry a digital tool can be created that makes adjustments to both tool path and sheet metal blank to account for those variables. By adjusting both the tool path and sheet metal blank accurate and predictable panels can be created.
With this information then it will be possible to create panels that then can be joined together into a larger installation. The seams between panels should have little to no gap, this is important to display the mastering of the metal forming process.
1/2” Cold Rolled Steel Rod
1/2” ER32 Collet
M8 Allen Head Bolt
3/8” Plate Adapter
Tool Plate “B”
3/8” Ball Bearing 11/32” Magnet
80 Degree Work Angle
MEDICAL CASE PROTOTYPES
MILLED THERMAL FORMING MOLDS
Produced For SAVSU
3 Axis CNC Router
Thermal regulation of vaccines and tissue samples during shipment is critical to ensure that they arrive in good condition. To help ensure that viable content is delivered special cold pack and payload containers were designed to handle such fragile and sensitive cargo. This work was done by CNC milling molds accurate to .001th of an inch. These molds were later formed by a thermal forming machine.
By utilizing the accuracy of the router and customizing the molds, molded parts were able to snap and hold together without adhesive. During the course of this work approximately 50 molds were constructed and tested. This allowed for an in depth investigation of how to design, stage, prep, and program parts.
DANIEL STOWE PLAY AREA
ROBOT STACKED PLAYHOUSE
Collaborators
Chris Beorkrem
Marlee McCall
Andrew Beres
Ashley Damiano
Software
Rhinoceros
Grasshopper
Kuka PRC
Machines
Kuka KR-60HA
The playhouse at Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens was created by using a industrial robotic arm to precisely stack thousands of 2x4s into chunks of 100 pieces. After each brick was laid it would then be fixed in place by a nail gun operated by a student. Once all the chunks were completed at the school, they were trucked out to the site and knocked together in a configuration similar to a set of interlaced fingers.
The design of the playhouse was created entirely in Grasshopper minus a set of base curves, which were fed into the script. The script allowed for control over the distance between bricks, size of bricks, angle of brick, and how tall each wall should be. Within that script was also a section that wrote all the routines for the robotic arm to run. For that to work the robot work cell was modeled including a conveyor belt which fed bricks to the robot.
OUTDOOR FURNITURE LINE
WOOD AND STEEL
Collaborators
MFGR Designs
Software
Rhinoceros
Machines
CNC Laser Cutter
The outdoor furniture line created for MFGR Designs was designed to allow for batch production of the pieces. The line includes Adirondack styled chairs, side tables, ottomans, and a two person lounger. As the line of furniture matured over time designs were tweaked for ease of fabrication, material optimzation, and speed of releasing the production documentation to the shop.
The line is designed to be able to havethe steel pieces customized with different powder coat colors, and three different wood species used which included white oak, ipe, and western red cedar. The rocking chair version to the right went through numerous iterations to get the balance and the rock just right.
DESIGN BUILD
AURARIA BIKE SHELTERS
Collaborators
Colorado Building Workshop
Software
Rhino
RhinoCAM
Machines
CNC Plasma
CNC Router
Working with Colorado Building Workshop at the University of Colorado Denver two bike shelters were constructed on the Auraria campus in downtown Denver. My part of the project focused on fabricating all of the steel louvers, paint, CNC plasma cutting signage, and the design, build, and installation of three offset pivot doors. I worked with two other instructors and approximately 25 students to construct these two structures. The structures are constructed from a combination of steel, limestone, and cross laminated timber.
The structures house both bike and skateboard storage that is key card access controlled. Security and theft-prevention were two areas of focus. Numerous prototypes and mock-ups where created to explore ideas, and to teach students different fabrication methods. During the construction of both of these structures the CNC plasma cutter and CNC router were used heavily to cut parts and fixtures. It was not uncommon to go from sketch to finished parts in just hours so that timelines could be kept.
DESIGN BUILD
COTTONWOOD GULCH CABINS
Collaborators
Colorado Building Workshop
Software
Rhino
Machines
CNC Router
Assisting Colorado Building Workshop with the construction of six cabins and an outdoor kitchen located in New Mexico I was tasked with working with anything metal or CNC milled. This included helping in the fabrication of steel flitch plates for the structural system, TIG welding aluminum window surrounds, and CNC milling all of the concrete form work.
Besides engaging with fabrication I worked with students on how to prototype ideas which included 3D printing window extrusions for mock-ups. Additionally, I worked with students to help insure a safe operation while in the fabrication lab. Lastly, I worked on helping load out the entire project so that it could be trucked from Colorado to New Mexico.
HYBRID SKINS
PORCELAIN AND COMPOSITE
Collaborators
Jefferson Ellinger
Thomas Schmidt
Software
Rhinoceros Grasshopper
Kuka PRC
Machines
Kuka KR60
Hybrid Skins was a collaboration between both people and material with the goal of using fiberglass as a method to support and rejoin broken porcelain. It was determined that custom molds were needed to achieve this goal, and at that time I was asked to join the team. I produced two sets of five metal molds, with a robotic arm. The molds had plaster poured into them and then those molds were used to slip cast the porcelain. The porcelain was cast to 3/16” thick and then fired. During firing, due to the thin nature of the pieces, they would often crack and deform.
Once fired the pieces were placed into smaller molds to support them while fiberglass was applied to the back. Also during this time additional cracking was preformed to help insure a consistent tile was created. Once complete, the tiles had cleats and LED lights attached to their backs and hung. The project was on exhibit at Projective Eye Gallery during the Summer of 2016. A smaller collection is now on permanent display at the UNC Charlotte School of Architecture building.
FIXTURING TABLES
CUSTOM SHOP INFRASTRUCTURE
Collaborators
Where Wood Meets Steel
Software
Rhino Grasshopper
The fixturing table was a much needed upgrade that was designed and custom built for the metal side of a furniture shop. Clamps and stops can be added and removed with in seconds to allow for quick set up of different projects. The two tables and joiner blocks utilize off the shelf clamps and othering fixturing devices.
The tables themselves are sized to accommodate any of the common size table frames that shop built. Additionally, the tables can be separated if two smaller projects are being worked on. Lastly, the joiner blocks between the two square holes are designed for a mag drill to be used on the table with out drilling into the table.
SHOP SLIDING DOORS
STEEL AND MDF
Three steel barn doors were constructed to enclose the space that housed a CNC router table. Tube steel frames were hung from a custom overhead track system. CNC plasma cut steel plates sandwich either layered plexiglass and painted MDF or foam which were attached to the frames.
The doors contained both noise and dust to the CNC router table space in a unique yet functional way.
COMPUTATIONAL
DESIGNER AND TEACHER OF COMPUTATIONAL WORK
DIAGRID GENERATOR
SINGLE LINE INPUT
Collaborators
Trevor Hess
Steven Danilowicz
Noushin Radnia
Alireza Karduni
Christian Sjoberg
Software
Rhinoceros
Grasshopper
LunchBox
Python
The diagrid generator takes in a single line from Rhinoceros and is then able to create an entire building section from it. A diagrid is a complex type of structural system for buildings.
The generator is created in Grasshopper with standard components along with custom components written in Python. The generator uses a series of sliders to control all the different parameters of diagrid structure.
This generator allows for a single, simple input to be the driver of a complex system which can be altered in many ways with easy to use sliders. This also allows for mass customization on an entire structural system which can be depended on aesthetics, structural need, and floor-to-ceiling height requirements.
Diagrid Generator
Width of I Beam
Input Curve Output
Height of I Beam
Length of I Beam
Flange Thickness
Spine Thickness
Bottom Dim. Decking
Height of Decking
Top Dim. Decking
Number of Valleys
Height of Edge Beam
Width of Edge Beam
Radius of Diagrid
Floor Height
Number of Floors
Glass Offset
Mullion Width
Mullion Depth
Depth of Screen
Random For Screen
Glass Thickness
WAFFLE MAKER
RAPID PROTOTYPE MAKER
Waffle Maker was created during a rapid interface prototyping class. The interface is a prototype of a piece of software that supports rapid prototyping of physical surfaces by waffling the surface into two dimensional pieces which then can be either CNC milled or laser cut.
The interface uses Rhinoceros and Grasshopper to run and Human UI, a plug-in for Grasshopper to create a more user friendly interface. Human UI allows for a designer to clean up Grasshopper’s interface and package it into a more clear and presentation ready interface.
The interface loads a 3DM file where a surface is selected and then sliders are used to control the amount and size of the waffle generated. From there the interface lays out the pieces onto cut sheets where colors can be selected for later CAM use. Lastly, a 3DM file can be exported with the cut sheets.
Collaborators
David Wilson
Software
Rhinoceros
Grasshopper
Human Human UI
LunchBox
AUGMENTED REALITY
HOLOLENS DEVELOPMENT AND INTERFACE DESIGN
Collaborators
Eric Sauda
Alireza Karduni, Christian Sjoberg
Software
Rhinoceros
Illustrator
Powerpoint
Unity
Visual Studio, C#
Revit
This project took place in a joint studio between Master of Architecture students and DESCOMP (dual degree) students, the implications of augmented reality in architecture were explored. The semester started with learning the work flow on how to program and use a Hololens augmented reality device. From there architecture students proposed augmented reality interactions that would be useful in their designed museums. At that time DES-COMP students worked to program a Hololens with those interactions to simulate the experience.
As the semester progressed it was realized that a tool was needed for the architecture students to be able to show both their museum design and augmented reality schemes. Using the tools learned to program the Hololens a program was written using Unity to import Revit and Rhino models and program simulated augmented reality interactions.
This program allowed a user to walk through in real time and interact with the building as if they had a Hololens on. Videos of the designed interface and programmed interactions can be found in the link at the bottom of the page.
SPECIAL TOPICS TEACHING
RHINO AND GRASSHOPPER
While teaching both Rhino and Grasshopper courses I focus on the workflow and the path a student might take to get their project to that next step. That might mean pushing to a plotter, CNC router, 3D printer, or laser cutter. There is an emphasis on tackling real life problems and how students might integrate the software into how they design. While it is important for students to know features of the software I focus on the larger workflows and driving home the principles so that students may tackle any problem in the software.
In the Grasshopper course there is a focus on how to setup problems and how to start solving them. Students work in teams almost every class on different problem-solving exercises so they get comfortable with solving what looks to be a complex problem. They are guided on developing a different lens on how to view problem solving with the tools within Grasshopper. I make sure to tie back on how Grasshopper can be a force multiplier and it can be leveraged to make dredge work become fun and exciting. I show students how to build robust scripts once so they can be used many times over.
Lastly, teaching both pieces of software it has caused me to develop a very clear understanding on how to navigate the software, troubleshoot problems, and how to guide a student to a final product. Along the way I have learned and seen numerous ways to approach different design problems. With that exposure I am able showcase how powerful Rhino and Grasshopper is to students and their ability to connect numerous other tools like 3D scanners and digital fabrication equipment.
Student Project: House Boat
Student Project: Eames Chair
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION,
PAUL C. STOCKHOFF
