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Digital Design - PortfolioSemester 1, 2019

Matthew Blode911870

Alison Fairley + Studio 20

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Content:

03 Precedent Study

05 Generating Design Through Digital Processes

16 Queen Victoria Garden Pavilion

Digital Design was the most challenging yet fulfilling subject that I have done this semester. I am not an architecture student, however, I found the expectation of quality and high standards pushed me to accomplish designs that I’m proud of and I never thought possible. The content of the modules placed me in the deep end, forcing me to grasp parametric and generative design using Rhino and Grasshopper. My designs were motivated by the Dieter Rams quote that “Good design is as little as possible”. Therefore, I strived for focus on core concepts and ideas that ex-tended throughout the entire task. I did not design my own pavilion in the first module, how-ever, it allowed me to create new solutions to a design that had already been solved. I had to recreate the Edinborough pop-up pavilion in Module 1 which is split into distinct panels. Therefore, I created the design of the pavilion unfolding like an origami structure which taught me to think out of the box. For module 2 and 3, I learned digital fabrication methods including 3D printing, laser cutting and intricate model making which brought my designs into the real world. I should keep trying to improve my time management when it comes to complex tasks. Finally, I should attempt to simplify and iterate through concepts faster in order to not get stuck with a project that is not feasible.

Education:2017 - current Bachelor of Design

Work Experience:2018 S. Group - Web developer and designer

Awards / Exhibition:2019 Dean’s Honours List

Skills:Rhino GrasshopperUnrealPhotoshopIllustrator IndesignFabrication

Matthew Blodeemail: mblode@student.unimelb.edu.au

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Diagramming Design Precedent

For my precedent study, I chose to design the Edinborough pop-up pavilion. The key concept of the pavilion was the fact that it was a combination of a repeating set up panels that we folded in together. This project forced me to use Rhino in a challenging and new way by recreating an existing structure. The pavilion in more complex than meets the eye as the hinges, angles, panel thickness, and cladding all act as challenges to perfectly shape the structure together.

Isometric of your precedent study

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Threshold Diagram Circulation Diagram

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Generating Ideas Through Process

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Design Matrix

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The panelling of my 2 surfaces utilises 3 different panel designs that are woven together using an attractor point. The panel has a transitional space between the flat planes and the dual triangular peaks with an intermediate combination. The waffle structure of my model is consists of 9x9 fins where the high density provides strong support and allows for a standing structure. The 2 surfaces flex away from each which created a challenge for the construction of the final form.

Surface and Waffle

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Create a 150 x 150 mm box that is deconstructed into the vertex points.

Use the deconstructed box to map 2 planes that are constrained within. This is defined by dividing the edges into 11 points and creating sliders to customise the shape.

Finally use the generated surfaces to divide the surface into a 5x5 array of squares. Then use the subdivisions and apply custom panels.

Computation Workflow

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Task 01 Full Page Photo

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The process of creating the laser cut files for my panelled surfaces and waffle structure was relatively simple, however, it was my first experience using a laser cutter and I had to reprint twice for each. The unrolling and tabbing process was surprisingly pleasant as the geometries were fortunately basic. For the waffle structure, I forgot to delete the corner lines and I had made the fins too wide.

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The isometric section views of my solid and void geometry depict the 2 juxtaposing forms of the wave and hexagon pattern. Inspired by the Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland, this section is highly reflective of that astounding naturally occurring landmark. The hexagon is generated in a repeat pattern yet the sizes shrink and grow in a natural flow which compliment the rolling wave frequency.

SOLID AND VOID

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Design Matrix

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Specify the size of the hexagon and how many times it repeats on the X and Y axis.

Use the image sampler of a black and white water flowing image and use it to define the hexagon radius.

Extrude the hexagon pattern vertically and cap the holes. Use this form to boolean from a wave pattern.

Computational Process

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M2 Task 23D Printing

3D printing in Makerbot took approximately 4 hours and I had to con-sider the thinnes of the structures and how the support is generated for the model.

The image sampled pattern adds com-plexity to the hexagonal openings.

The photography is backlit to allow light to flow through as if it is a lamp.

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Queen Victoria Garden Pavilion

The hexagonal pavilion structure is a combination of landscape architecture and a concrete inner roof that defines the 5x5x5 metre boundary of the pavilion. Whereby the structure transitions between concrete into a soil and grass outer form, continuing into the surrounding plane. The hexagonal steps that lead into the core of the pavilion underground are inspired by the Giant’s Causeway in Northern Island with matching rocky surface and hexagonal columns. This structure weaves into the natural landscape where the tripoint mound and undulating form is juxtaposed with a 6 point hexagonal polygon with sharp and angular forms.

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Isometric

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Design Iteration

The first iteration reflects the basic structure of the tri-point mounds but lacks height and holes.

The second stage includes great variability in height along. It also contains hexagonal holes in each tile depnding on height. Lastly, it has an opening for the underground.

The final stage of the design includes an underground concrete structure, stairs leading into the chamber, and LED piping around the hexagonal holes.

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An array of hexagons are scaled depending on the distance from the tri-point pattern.

The distance from the 3 points also defines how tall the mounds should be.

Finally, the two scripts are morphed together to create a hexagonal mesh of mounds with hexagonal openings.

Computational Process

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Fabrication process

The final model was fabricated using 3D printing methods and laser cutting methods. The hexagonal component is printed in 2 parts with ABS plastic. I laser cut 3mm white perspex that was used as the base of the model.

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360 Image Output

Digital DesignSemester 1, 2019