Module 3

Hans Liu - Module 3 - FabricationStudent No: 586951 Semester 1 /2012 Group 7

Hans LiuStudent No: 586951 Semester 1 /2012 Group 7

Revisiting the Natural Process: Coral Spawning

The Initial Image

The most important aspect of this image is the juxtaposition of the black sea and white spores.

The Initial Sketch

A literal representation of a single spore be-ing ejected from a polyp.

The Initial Form

Based more heavily on the sketch, and a rather literal translation of the natural process.


Initial Digital Prototype: Previous Iterations

The 24 panelling forms.


Initial Digital Prototype: The Basic Form

The TriBasic 2D panel, was chosen for the best feeler of prototyping.


Initial Digital Prototype: Unrolling Technique


Initial Digital Prototype: Form and Unroll


Initial Digital Prototype: Grasshopper Tabulation

The tablulation process was auto-mated in Grasshopper, a genera-tive plugin for Rhino. A simple invert of the direction of tab was needed.


Initial Digital Prototype: Laser Cutter Layout

The above files and its subsequent nest give the impression of filling the mat-eral, but as with the result, it clearly hasn’t.


Initial Prototype Construction: ProblemsThe laser cutting of the scale model resulted in extremely small panels. This made the construction of the model very fiddly, but a larger concern was found.

Due to the choice of material, 300gsm black card, the thickness meant that small, intricate segments, such as smaller tabs, where near impossible to fold accurately.

This folding inaccuracy at this scale meant that a small error in the attachment of tabs, would yield huge prob-lems as construction progressed, resulting in the self-desintegration of some joins.


Initial Prototype Construction: The Build






Technical Documentation: Master Construction Plan


Digital Prototype Elaboration: Panelling Restrictions

The left would not be a feasable option to construct because of the sheer complex-ity of the panels needed to build it, requir-ing large numbers of small panels.

This version could not hold its own weight from a structural standpoint, as paper, heavily prone to buckling, thus not being able to withstand the bend in the form.

This iteration would be impossible to pro-totype as the connection between each adjacent strip consists of a single point and not a line.


Digital Prototype Elaboration: Final Panelling Selection


Material Light Interaction

Testing for the light transmissability of material.

Using the same test as white card, one can immediately see the difference in the permeability of 300gsm black card and 80gsm white paper.

Tests done with same light source and exposure settings.


Precedents: Black Light

Joshua Tree House - Robert Stone

This precedent’s purpose is to prove that light can reflect via an enclosed dark space.

Given the idea that the lights that I will be using in my lantern must exit the openings with enough intensity to be rendered by the hu-man eye as “white”, I needed the knowledge that black card will no hinder this need too much over white card.


Precedents: Triangular Windows

Hedorf Kollegium Frederiksberg - KHR arkitekter

The right angled triangle shape of these windows for this Dan-ish residence form a real-life example of transfer of interior and exterior light through a panel with a similar shape to my final form.

Arthouse Cafe - Joey Ho

More triangular window inspiration, only this example applies these windows WITHIN a faceted and triangulated surface.


Reflection

These couple of weeks have thrown up by far the most time consuming and most problematic Module to date. However, what has been thrown in my face during this time, is that the translation of a form from the digital do-main to the physical world, just like the inverse process, takes a lot of planning and iterative corrections.

However, unlike the transition from the real world to the digital, the corrections applied to the physical representa-tion are much less flexible, and inherent material errors, machine errors and of course human errors, will yield changes to your design vision that one has to either ac-cept, or work around.

Personally, even with the lack of success with my proto-type, and all the frustrations that came with it, I found the physical modelling to be quite enjoyable. The transition from a flat piece of paper to a three dimentional form has the same effect as successfully putting together a flat-pack Ikea Kitchen- the sense of achievement is addictive.

...But I’m not done yet...

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Module 3