Xeyiing NgStudent No : 596296 Semester 2/2012 Group 14 Module 2

The petals show the progression in waves from hot water to cold water. While abstracting the model, the petals were reduced in number to reduce the complexity. The circle in every petal is then converted into a sphere with waves go-ing around its’ equatorial axis hence ‘solidifying’ the petal. A digitalized model is better presented as a solid geometry. The polygons indicating the temperature change were removed as its’ feature would be more distinct if panelled on to the model.

Module 1 final design.

Simplified design for further development in Module 2.

Model Simplification

As presented in the reading, a perfect model is one that contains as little information as nec-essary to describe the properties of an object unambiguously. To achieve ‘perfection’, the model undergoes abstraction and reduction yet maintaining its’ quality at the same time. In the reading, the idea was applied to minimise data storage and to maximise the efficiency of the process in terms of computation, instead, the same idea was used to modify the design of the model. It came to light that all the details in the previous model would not be effectively projected in Rhino, hence losing the initial purpose of the design in representing the concept. Using abstraction, reducing the infinite complexity to a level where it can be described easily, and reduction, finding the optimal way to present the concept, the design was simplified to ‘perfection’.

Precedent : Lost in Parameter Space, Scheurer.F & Stehling H.

1. Slicing the plasticine model

2. Tracing the slices

The optimum way to slice the model so that its’ original outline is retained is to slice the petals individually. The model was sliced with a 1cm interval and placed on graph papers. Photographs of the sliced model on graph papers were taken and inserted into Rhino.

Model Digitalisation

The slices of the model were traced in Rhino using polylines. Initially, the trac-ing was done closely referring to the photograph, however after the first sur-face was lofted, the outcome was not desirable. It was then realised that the physical shape was to ideally mimicking a circle, due to the squashing during slicing and the imperfection of human-hands, the slices were distorted. There-fore, the tracing was then done using the photographs only as the radius’s reference.

Sliced model.

Photograph 1- Traced slices of model in Rhino. Photograph 2- Traced slices of model in Rhino.

3. LoftingThe curves were stacked above each other with equal distance in be-tween and then lofted to form petals shaped like two cones joined to-gether at the base. To close the top of the surface, a point was added on each end of the petals and then lofted together with the curves.

4. Editing and Refining`The petals are placed together at the common point, each titled at a specific angle. The petals are however not physically joined together as the support would not be strong enough. Ideally, the petals vary anticlockwise from a large radius and short petal to a small radius and long petal. Some of the curves were adjusted in order to achieve corre-sponding heights.

Curves traced from the sliced model.

The lofted surface of the petals.

The digitalized Module 2 model.

Design ConceptThe design of the model focuses on the changes in waves as they progress from hot re-gions to cold regions. In the designs, the highlighted key features of the concept are,

1. The change in temperature2. The spiral movement of wave particles on the surface of water3. The change in amplitude of the waves as they progress4. The molecular structure of water in different phases

The change in amplitude of the progressive waves is presented by the varying sizes of the petals hence the panelling of the model will focus on the other three features.

Idea 1

As mentioned in the lecture, there are a few ways to develop a concept and one of them being to create a family of design based on the same logic instead of one single design. As the concept for the model has already been decided, a family of designs was built around it. Although similar, each design is unique and shows certain features more predominantly.

Precedent : Virtual Environments, Sem 2 2012, Lecture 6

In Idea 1, the designs focus on the changes in the molecular structure of water. As mentioned in Module 1, the change in molecular structure represented by different polygons reflects the change in temperature. Moving from hot to cold regions, the polygons change from triangles to hexagons.

Idea 2 Idea 2 concentrates on the use of lights to highlight the features of the concept. In this case, the varying light intensity is used to demonstrate the change in temperature. Using spiral movements up the petals, the design shows the move-ment of the water particles on the surface of waves.

Panel 2D GridThe first, third and fifth petals were pan-elled with the basic shapes provided in panelling tools. To show transition in the second and fourth petals, new patterns were created to incorporate two different polygons on a surface. The cone shape of the petals however complicates the process. While creat-ing new patterns, the decreasing sur-face area towards the tip has to be taken into account and failure to do so would result in holes in the surface where the panels just don’t fit. During experimentation, it was realised that the best solution is to use simple re-peating units to form the pattern and to adjust the grid points accordingly.

Idea 1The first petal panelled with triangles.

The fifth petal pan-elled with hexagons.

The second petal panelled with diamonds and triangles. The fourth petal panelled with diamonds and hexagons.

Panel 3D Grid3D panels were experimented with the struc-tural change concept. The 3D panels how-ever do not fit the other polygons except tri-angles forming pyramids. The pyramids stand out and would enhance the lighting effect but it did not justify with the initial concept and hence was not further developed.

The third petal panelled with diamonds.

3D panels of pyramids.

Two types of spi-ral lightings were tested, one with a strip cut out and another with folded indents. The stripped prototype allows more light to pass through, giving a brighter source and produces a shadow effect, whereas the folded prototype clearly highlights the spiral movement. The hollow strip prototype was less stable as compared to the folded proto-type.

Lights

Among the many ways of developing a concept as mentioned in the lecture, the use of lights should enhance the concept. The shadows formed and the intensity of light are great ways to vary the design.

Precedent : Virtual Environments, Sem 2 2012, Lecture 6

Idea 2

The stripped light prototype. The folded light prototype.

To create the spiral movements on the surface, fin edges were used while basic triangles representing the basic structure of water were used to panel the surface. Although it clearly shows the movement, the finned edges seemed disconnected from the whole model. The varying light in-tensity is shown by varying the sizes of the holes made on the panelled surface.

Fin Edges

Finned edges along curve attached to surfaces with different panels.

Final Design

In this lecture, the lecturer gave a very important formula at the end of the lecture which is 1 + 1 = 1, where all 1s’ differ from each other. The main point is that when a combination be-tween two different matters takes places, a whole new idea is resulted. Building this family of design has allowed the process of composition to occur. The similarity of each idea allows the design to blend together naturally, while the uniqueness of the designs creates a fresh idea.

Precedent : On Compostition : Form/Matter, Virtual Environments, Sem 2 2012, Lecture 5 .

As discussed in the tutorials, algorithms and computational programs in general require a well-defined parameter space which in turn results in the limitations of the design outcomes. The fact that every single move of the program is predictable limits the flexibility of the design. In Idea 3, the consistency of the computational program prevented the development of the design according to its’ sketch. Understanding the limitations that it is almost impossible to rec-reate materials in the physical world perfectly in the virtual space, the design was simplified.

The final design is a combination of ideas; it brings together the panelling concept of Idea 1 and the lighting effects of Idea 2.

Precedent : Lost in Parameter Space, Scheurer.F & Stehling H.

The ideal design of the petal.

Architect : Norman FosterLocation : London, UK

Precedent : 30 St Mary Axe

The 30 St Mary Axe building is also known as the Gherkin is a tower of 180m tall with 41 floors and stands on the site of the former Baltic Exchange. The building is similar to the final design in three ways.1. It is made out of triangular patterns The building is one without extra reinforcements. The triangles allows the building to achieve a certain amount of stiffness. This precedent uses the triangles which moves up in a spiral, installs confidence that in constructing the model, using the appropriate materials, the model will have the required strength to maintain its’ shape. 2. The building uses a diamond grid instead of a square grid In panelling the surface, a diamond grid allows a smooth spiral to take form. Us-ing the diamond grid, the spiral movement was successfully incorporated into the design without the ‘disconnection’ as show in Idea 2.3. The building has a similar overall shape.With similar patterns and similar shape, the building providing a guide in unrolling the panels in the model, as shown in the figure below.

The 30 St Mary Axe Building in London. The unrolling of the panels of the building.

The model is panelled by a new pattern consisting only of repeating square triangles units. A 2D panelled surface was adopted for the final design to enhance the indent in the model. The panels’ grids were converted to the diamond grid. Together with the repeating triangles, allows a uniform pattern to be formed which then provides a guide for the spiral groove to move up the petal. Applying the method described, the density of the spiral grooves can be easily varied using different number of grid points.

Panelled Surface

Indented GroovesA spiral groove which sits below the panelling surface maintains the structural strength of the model, highlights the spiral shape and allows more light to penetrate from beneath. The indent was created using ‘fin edges’ options under the panelling tools, following the lines of the trian-gles. Both ends of the finned edges are then connected by additional surfaces below the 2D surface. The surface panels are then ungrouped and the panels sitting above the groove are deleted. The intensity of lights varies across the petals by the density of the spiral around the petal.

The digitalised design of the fifth petal.

The digitalised design of the first petal.

The top view of the first petal.

Orthographic Views

The front view of the final design.

The isometric view of the final design.

The right view of the final design.

The topview of the final design.

Prototyping The model was unrolled and printed on paper, cut out and glued together. The prototype was not much of a success as several problems with the design were discovered. Only the outline of the model was successfully built but the details were not established. Besides the design, the paper used in making the proto-type was too thin, the model did not have much structural strength, but will be resolved when thicker and harder materials are used.

The design was unrolled and printed with tabs.

The panels were glued to-gether by the tabs to form the model.

The panels were cut out, labelled and folded in by the tabs.

The prototyping process was generally an unsuccessful one and has uncovered flaws in the current design.

2. LightingsThe holes of the surfaces are too large, the penetrating lights are too scattered and not con-centrated at the grooves. The holes on the surface should be reduced and holes should be added to the lower finned edge. This would allow lights to concentrate at the grooves.

1. GroovesThe finned edges of the grooves are constructed by four-sided polygons and when tracing the lines on the surface of the petals, the polygons were pushed and squashed such that the four corners no longer lie on the same plane. During the physical construction of the model, the polygons do not fit into the designated spot. The four-sided polygons used in the finned edges should be converted into triangles as all corners of a triangle remains on the same plane under all conditions. The added surfaces which join both of the finned edges should to be converted into triangles for the same reason stated. This allows consistency in the shapes of the surfaces.

Lighting effects of the prototype.

The upper fin edges (marked in numbers)do not fit in its’ designated positions, causing weird openings and bends.

ReflectionModule 2 takes away the hands-on modelling, bringing it to the virtual modelling before its’ being assembled. Most of the time, this process takes the fun out of designing as adjustments has to be constantly made, and at times due to the limitations of the program, we’ll have to just compromise, leaving the design outcome far from the sketched one. However, this process has increased the accuracy and consist-ency of the design that no human hands can achieve, allowing the model to be viewed thoroughly before production, recreated again and again with precision. As much as the process ‘throws’ out most of the initial ideas, it sometimes allow better designs to form. From my point of view, the current design of the lantern is far more better than the design in module 1 as the module 2 design brings out the concept with simplicity.

Throughout the weeks in Module 2, the focus placed on familiarising and grasping the key concept of Rhino has allow further investigation of the form of the model. The current design of the model clearly does not support its’ self-weight as all the petals are only connected at one point. To produce a self-supporting model, a cage will have to be de-veloped in the coming weeks to hold the petals in place.

Shadow effects of the protoype.

Reference Listhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/30_St_Mary_Axe

http://www.architecture.com/WhatsOn/Exhibitions/AtTheVictoriaAndAlbertMuseum/Room128a/2005/RIBAStirlingPrize/2004.aspx

http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/details?mid=781ce1834d20d5957535eedf3ecccc95

Scheurer.F, Stehling, H (2011), Lost in Parameter Space? IAD : Architectural Design, Wiley, 81(4), July, pp. 70-79

Fleischmann M., Knippers J., Menges A., Schleicher S. (2012), Material Behavior : Embedding Physical Properties in Computational Desgin Processes, D: Archi-tectural Desing, Wiley, 82(2), March, pp. 44-51

Lecture 5 ,6 (2012), Virtual Environments, Sem 2 2012