Discoveries Through Translation Part II

 

Dancing Ladies

This is the beginning of the design for the final work that will be completed by the end of June. Terra cotta has been chosen as the building material because of its strong historical background in architecture and architectural ornament. Three options are being explored: a panel system, a structural block with interior webbing, and a terra cotta shell that would be filled with concrete to make it structural. The design is being influenced by sculptural work by Bernini, where soft material effects are carved into a hard surface. 

Molds were made out of MDF using the CNC router and concrete was cast to begin the formal discussion. The next step will be to begin experimenting with terra cotta and the best way to cast it. This process will inform the decision of what the final piece will be; either a panel system or a structural, self supporting system.

Discoveries Through Translation

This work is about drawing and its conversion into a three dimensional object using the 3 axis CNC router. Abstractions and unexpected outcomes are discovered through the process as our points, lines and surfaces in the computer are transferred into an object. It is not the desire to have an exact reproduction of the drawing into the actual form, but to allow the tools and methods of routing the surface and the various materials to bring out new and unexpected characteristics.

Beyond the grid

I've been working on developing designs which are not based on a grid, and here are two walls which I am working on. Wall A uses a framework with a series of curves to generate the form. Wall B is created based off of a drawing which provides the inspiration for the growth of the wall.

Ogee Video

 Ogee video on YouTube

Ogee

This is the final installation for the semester's work in the digital fabrication course. The semester's research was about using thin gauge plastic and creasing it in order to create a unit that could be manipulated and aggregated to create an entire structure. This particular project used curved creases to generate the "beams". Each beam was constructed with 5 sides, the fifth being folded over the first to allow the beam to be riveted close.

 

A constraint that was set up early in the project was to create the curved beams out of a single piece of plastic and to generate all of the curves off of a straight median line. This provided a high material efficiency, up to 86%.

A script was used to generate the inflection points of the two dimensional drawings based off of a three dimensional input surface.

 

Project was completed in collaboration with John Hilmes, Matthew Strong, and Bennett Scorcia.

Proposal for an Installation

This is the initial proposal for an installation to combine all of the ideas about ornamentation in terms of texture. The reading pavilion is designed to provide a personal space for reading. Two main factors are taken into consideration for the design of the pavilion: providing privacy, and diffusing light to provide pleasant lighting conditions for reading. Ornamentation is extensively used in a way which functions to solve the design problems associated with the program. Ornamentation is discussed in terms of the textures provided by the use of screens in the pavilion. A double layer of screens with varying openings provides privacy in certain areas, while still allowing views out of the pavilion. Also, on the southern side of the pavilion, the layers of the screen move away from one another increasing the area for the diffusion of the light. The layers of screens move towards one another on the northern side, creating a smaller space between openings. This allows more of the diffuse northern light to enter the pavilion. 

It is expected that the continuation of the design will combine surface texture with openings in the screen, which will be read as one and the same. The pavilion will not be viewed as ornamented, but seen for the function of the apertures as well as how the texture brings a sense of scale to the pavilion. The texture carved into the material will enhance the shadows that the structure creates by casting shadows on itself as well.

During discussions about the work, it was suggested that the enclosure be a complete enclosure, forcing the discussion about how the structure transitions from the floor, to wall, to ceiling, to bending around a corner. Similar projects have been worked on, but often neglect these issues and result in an open ended barrel vault form. Also, it was suggested that the program should be removed. The installation should be an experiment on the affects that can be created rather than serving a specific function. Finally, the method by which the structure is designed needs to be changed. It is clear that the structure was designed based on the u and v coordinates of the input surface, and it would be more interesting to have something more organic or a structure which is generated from a single point.