Jacob Komarzynski 586329

Group 4 Semester 1/2013

M1

Module 1

The fractured canvas of dried mud and the fractal randomness of the leaf skeleton, seemed to beckon for me to decipher the inherent

order of their structure. The image to the left is part of my chosen

pattern.

The three drawings at top right are the analytical drawings that I did

that explore the notion of movement, balance and

symmetry. The creation of the fragmentation of the mud occurs relatively fast, within timeframe of several hours, and occurs with first large, gouging cracks, and then smaller and smaller cracks. The

breakages run through the canvas of the mud, which is where the

circular, energetic lines come from, they play down the harshness of

the image from which it is derived. The lines all portray the major, and

secondary stress lines.

The far right pattern explores symmetry. Whilst it is difficult to gauge the full scope of symmetry though the frame of view from which I derived it from, the larger cracks, which are shown as the full, longer lines, do show symmetry with the secondary cracks either side, which I explored through this analytical drawing. The geometric pattern mirrors that of the first analytical drawing, however, this particular instance has been further abstracted.

Referencing Tooling (Aranda & Lasch, 2006), it was clear to me that the recipe for the pattern of cracked mud could be based on three different movements: packing, for which I found an intrinsic shape, a four-sided trapezoid; cracking, which obviously related directly to the pattern; and tiling, which also directly references the pattern, I found a combination of these methods led to a good iteration. At right is my version of a area of cracked mud drawn according to the rule.

Recipe1. Take a set of randomly-placed points.2. Create a bisector between one point and all the others.3. Create the cell bounded by the intersections of said bisectors.4. Repeat for all points.5. For all larger cells , find the centroid.6. Connect the centroid to the shape by drawing two or more lines to the middle of a side of the shape.7. Repeat until relatively uniform sizes of cells is achieved.

N.B. Aim to split each cell into a series of three or four sided shapes, they appear to be in the vast majority.

Emerging Forms

I started the model making process by simply extruding the basic shapes from the

pattern that I had created from my recipe. After realising that the fracturing in the

pattern itself created new shapes, I played with the concept of different layers of

shapes, some higher than others, to become more than a simple exercise in

extrusion, creating the top right model. This was my first model, created in about

half an hour in the workshop.

Several days after creating the initial model, I was struck by the idea of the vertical

stacking of the base shapes of the mud cracking, and how this would appear from

different viewpoints. The right shows a front view of one of these experiments, and

how even thought the shapes are very similar, the different lengths and angles

create a very organic shape, even when produced with very geometric shapes.

The top view, in the middle left shows the very complex web-like effect that is

produced, and this gave me some pointers towards how light effects could be

produced. However, this simple stacking seemed too static, so I looked to a more

organic usage of the shapes.

I tried laying the shapes side by side, as they all seemed to have a relatively long

edge, in basic size order. I then changed their positions on the y axis at random,

leading to the forms bottom left. This shape led me to think about a movable form,

made up of segments, which would lead to it being able to be moved into many

forms, making not a static piece, but a form which can be shifted in many different

directions. This ended up becoming my emerging form model. As a basic

framework, I was very pleased with the idea of an organically-shaped light vessel,

and decided on that as the basic idea.

http://htmlimg1.scribdassets.com/64goswot34vjgco/images/3-e43bbff437.jpg

http://images.beijing2008.cn/20080128/Img214241583.jpg

Design PrecedentsThe picture at left shows “an experimental practice-based re-search project that considered design process, implementation andconstruction of a pavilion built to be part of the Performative Spacesection of the International Biennale of Contemporary Art”

The design was meant to have a parasite-host relationship within the building it was in, and was designed using digital simulative and procedural techniques. This pattern in particular utilised Voronoi patterns for structural elements, and the design process involved lots of digital design , and mass customisation, for the production of units for construction.

This design is particularly relevant to my chosen pattern because of the usage of Voronoi cells to generate shapes for the construction of the pavilion, and the process that the designers (Giorgos Artopoulos, and Stanislav Roudavski) took in reaching a rule, or process, for the design is remarkably similar to mine. They took their deign cues from a variety of sources, which included plant-cell microscopy and urban-texture photography, as well as more obscure sources. These patterns, also natural, are similar in structure to mine, and the process in which the design was reached is similar to my process.

A more well known example of process-based design, as well as complex generative patterning is the 'WaterCube', the swimming stadium for the 2008 Beijing OlympicGames. The designers used studies on the structure of foams, and the subsequent rule of foam structure, to design the National Swimming Centre in Beijing. They used complex algorithms that used 14- and 12- sided shapes that fit together and are supposedly the most economical way to use space. Whilst they based their design off the 'recipe' for the foam studied, they altered it so it would not only work as a structural material, but as an aesthetic material structure. The design process they used was also similar to that of mine, they started looking into the structure of foam, found a rule that creates a version of the design that can be replicated, and worked with that rule to create a structure. The actual shapes of the design are similar to that of mine, and whilst the design doesn’t directly use Voronoi cells, the Wheaire-Phelan foam algorithm is similar in form.

Form Models

Model 1This emerging form model is shown upside down, it is carried by being draped over the arm. This is a very organic form which was formed by looking at the basic shape, flattening it, and scaling and bending it. If it were to be made, there would most likely two layers of patterned surface, so that the effect of the light would be abstracted and unique. The form also references the bending, or cupping of the top layer of mud when cracked, as this is a common occurrence, and it gives a very organic curvature to the form, that once lit, would be akin to a shell of light.

Model 2This second model was just an attempt at a geometric abstraction, whence the shapes of cracked muds were pieced together like a puzzle to make a lattice-like effect. This was meant to display the geometric nature and sometimes harsh angles present in mud cracking. This would interact with the arm through lying on top, or perhaps it would be enclosed so that the arm would be fully capsulated within. The effects I would like to achieve through this form is a very angular form that emanates sharp planes of light from slits on its surface, projected it around the room

Model 3This model is a very organic, sequential form, that references my original emerging form models by citing the stacking of the mud shapes on top of one another, but in this case, from a large scale unto a very minuscule one. This references the growing of the cracks, and the production of smaller shapes within larger ones, which keeps occurring until equilibrium is reached within the system. By chance, this form actually began to crack once the air-drying clay set, which gave an interesting effect to the surface. The perceived growth of the object also references the starting point of a mud-crack, from one point of weakness, to a growing entity, and with the form having an open end, this suggests continued growth along the same lines. There are many ways of carrying this form, whether it be at the bottom, sitting in the users' hand, or the hand being within the lantern.

Developed Design - 1:5 SCALE

The model shown to the left and below is

the developed design form. It takes cues

from some of the previous model forms,

and is meant to take a more organic

approach to the design of mud-cracks. As

a form model, it displays the curved overall

form that I was looking for, albeit without

the flat planes that will be evident in the

more developed design. The form

references the spreading of cracks, and

the creation of smaller and smaller

fragments.

Lighting Examples The example at right is of the use of lighting or light in changing perceptions of an object, and is a lamp made from wood and fabric called the Miss Maple Pendant Light, that when unlit, appears to be a solid, curvaceous form, but once lit from within, is shown to be constructed of many wooden triangles , with slit lighting illuminating the room. I really like the way the design of the surface both fragments, the surface, but into a single repeating shape. The relatively simple shapes on a small scale also give a sense of complexity, and I enjoy the idea of a complex object constructed from simple components.

I also want to display a slit lighting effect like shown below, with chaotic patterns cast around the room by the slits, creating a scattered light effect, referencing the fracturing of the mud. I would like to combine this with the effects shown at right, so that the slits themselves create not only the lighting effect, but help define the form itself.

http://arslocii.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/x-marks-the-spot.jpg http://www.smithmag.net/community/img/docs/181724.jpg http://www.elisastrozyk.de/seite/woodtex/lamps.html

Lighting Effect sketches

At right, see form without lighting.

At left, see form illuminated by slits on the folds, imagine as if the lines are the slits of light you see, if you were looking at the lantern in an other wise dark room

The idea that I was interested in was the effect of the scattered light from the slits, on the walls and surfaces surrounding the lit lantern.

At right, see multiple slits applied in a fashion reminiscent of blind slits, but in

varying angles to other planes on the form, this would create a disorienting pattern upon the walls and surfaces around the lantern.

At left, see a similar approach

whence the slits have been all aligned along the same direction,

this would produce discrete shapes of lines on the surfaces surrounding the lantern.

This would be less disorientating, but would produce similarly stunning effects.

Again, imagine as if the lanterns are in a dark room, and the lines drawn are the slits of light visible.

M2

Module 2

I started by taking orthographic pictures of my model. Being a closed volume model, I decided that the easiest way of contouring would be by the first method, by tracing profile curves. Being at 1:10 scale model, I placed a measurement next to it to make it easier to get the correct scale in the digital modelling component.

By following the web seminar , I found it easy to model the form on Rhino by tracing profile curves, and ended up with the forms to the left. This gave me a good base off which I could try different panellisations

3D Panelling

After mapping the grid to the model, I began to explore the many ways of panelling the form.One of the 3D panellings I tried was 3D Box, which, whilst difficult to see in this picture, brings a second interior layer to the model, which could have Interesting spatial effects.I also tried many more, including the pyramid, shown at left.

After changing the grid densities to an appropriate degree, I then tried flat panelling, which gave me some interesting ideas regarding slit lighting, and the possible directions that I could take.The OffsetBorder command in Panelling tools led to some experimentation with the size and distribution of the holes produced, and how direct lighting could be created in parallel with slit lighting.

Final Model 1

I experimented with high density triangular 2D modelling with offset point, I did enjoy the small pinhole-like effects this produced, and the pattern is very intricate. However, this would be very hard to construct, so I took the effects that this produced as an example of the beauty that intricacies could produce.

I also played around with point attractions in the OffsetBorder Command, which gave nice spatial effects, one of the results that was produces is shown at left.This was an interesting experiment is considering how offset borders could be explored in the lighting effects, and in producing a scattered light effect.

This model references the sense of growth that I tried to create in the emerging form models. Through the use of the ptOffsetBorders command, I tried to show both the sense of growth in the model, but also the increasing fractured nature of the original pattern. The dissipation of light in this model would also lead to some interesting light effects. I chose to utilise the PointAttraction function of the ptOffsetBorder Command so I could portray the shift in equilibrium in the system that leads to mud cracking, and create more interesting light effects

Final Model 2

Experimentation with the individual panellings of rectangular forms to produce slit lighting led to some interesting iterations of the effects of panelling. I tried examples of 3D panelling, using PointAttraction grid offset, and then panelling it onto the surface; and others with the strips running lengthwise, which, whilst producing interesting effects, might not be the most effective use of this lighting effect.

Referencing my planned lighting from Module 1, for this model, I custom-made a shape akin to an elongated rectangle. I tried various effects with these shapes, such as larger and smaller shapes and overlaps. I then performed ptOffsetBorder to the panels, to produce the slit light effect. This really breaks up the form, particularly in darkness, where it will be just a series of slits.This form also references my emerging form models, where I created a skeletal-like structure from the paper components.

Final Model 3

Finding that the complexity of the points generated by the mapping onto the digital model of the form led to undesirable effects in terms of over-complex shapes and distorted angles, I decided to use a free-flowing surface I had generated. I then elongated it, and mapped a new range of points with higher v- and u-grid integers, for a higher density of points.

Taking cues from the flat panellisation of the square panels, I created a shape that looked like a square with a smaller square taken out of one side, to produce both direct and slit lighting. It was an interesting way of producing multiple lighting effects, however, it was not what I wanted to produce.

This model was an attempt at 3D modelling the slit lighting, by simply triangulating the panels and then mapping it onto the form with offset points that flare out. This produced an interesting form that also references the growth shown in the emerging form model, and the shift of equilibrium from stable, to fragmented and chaotic.

Lighting Effects

Model 1

Model 2

Model 3

Module 2 Reading Response

According to the reading Lost In Parameter Space”,

abstraction is an attempt to use as little information as

possible to describe the properties of an object. Reduction,

on the other hand, is about reducing redundancies and

eliminating superficial data that may be present in an

abstraction. I can relate these two concepts to the work I

undertook in Module 2, converting the physical form we

produced in Module 1 and attempting to model this digitally,

and then panelling the form. I utilised these ideas throughout

as I tried to simplify and sharpen the design without over-

complicating it. The concepts of ‘abstraction’ and

‘reduction’ are also similar to Kandinsky's principles presented

by Poling in “Analytical Drawing” from Module 1.

In his TED presentation “Building the Seed Cathedral”, Thomas

Heatherwick describes the design process of designs his firm

has worked on, and how he wishes to make design more

intelligent. Through using texture, shape and other spatial

techniques, he is able to create effects that impact on the

spatial perception of the spaces. An example of this is the

Seed Cathedral, where he utilises the optic cables as both an

exterior, producing the remarkable external effect; and as an

interior effect, where one can glimpse the clouds from within.

Through this, he makes the interior an experience that, whilst

connected to the exterior, is also removed from the outside

world.

M3

Module 3

Redesign of form

Before commencing further with the panelling of

my lantern, I came to the conclusion that the

form itself was somewhat limiting the panelling

possibilities. I considered how the lantern would

interact with the arm, and how the form could

be changed to get greater functionality and

aesthetic appeal. I went back to my emerging

form models and looked at the ideas I had

there. I looked at one model, shown at top, and

how that could interact with the arm.

I decided that it could be the case that the form

drapes over the forearm, and I came up with

the form at right, by stretching and bending the

existing form. I then tapered the ends when it

was pointed out how the lantern seemed to

come to an abrupt end at the widest part.

The redesign was also an attempt to create a

form that could perform how I wanted in terms

of the lighting effects. The previous form was too

rigid and 2-dimensional to really create the

scattering of light that I was looking for, so the

new form was designed with that in mind.

Full scale prototype

I then panelled the form in the 3rd panelling choice from the previous

module. This form was then split into panels, and unrolled, to be made

into a prototype.

I originally printed off 7 panels of the full scale model, which would

create about a third of the full scale of the lantern. However, as I was

putting the prototype together, it became apparent that I had not

thought about the connections between layers, which was limited to

a millimetre wide point connecting to a flat plane. These connections

turned out to be ill-designed to keep the structure stable, and that I

would have to create a new way to put the panels together.

However, I was happy with the stiffness of the card, and I believe that

with a redesign, it could be able to hold together and in shape.

Lighting Testing

I was pleased with the effects the prototype produced when I shone

a light source of varying distances on it. The existence of several light

sources would mean that there would be several shapes cast from a

single space in the form, producing the scattered light effects I have

been seeking.

Design Optimisation

I redesigned the pattern to have a flat panel on one side, to produce an optimised pattern, be seen on the right this would allow secure connections from one layer to another as well as allowing greater rigidity in the structure. The flat panels link up to create ridges that run along the whole form. These were designed so as to pay homage to the primary cracks that run throughout the pattern, interspersed with smaller shapes and cracks The form with the panelled pattern is shown below.

After considering the need to have a place to mount the LED bulbs inside the structure, I designed it so that in the innermost part of the lantern, where it is in contact with the arm, there are flat panels, as seen below right. This would allow an area for the wiring and the circuit to run, without being able to be seen, and allow greater interconnectedness with the arm.

Unfolded cutting template

The shapes, when unfolded, did not prove the most easy to nest in an

efficient way. As such, for some of the larger pieces, I only managed to

get two pieces on a single sheet. I decided against breaking the largest

pieces into smaller parts because I felt this would detract from the

structural and aesthetic integrity of the lantern.

Final fabrication

Whilst there were several options that I could have

taken in the construction of the lantern, I narrowed

it down to just two, super-block construction, as

detailed in a lecture, or bottom-up construction. I

decided to go with super-block construction

Step 1:

Extract all pieces from the paper and add tabs.

Step 2:

Fold all pieces of card, one way for the scored

lines, the other for the dashed cuts, and then

glue end tabs together.

Step 3:

Attach rings in pairs, or threes.

Step 4:

Attach the pairs to each other to create lots of

four rings of card.

Step 5:

Creation of three super blocks, each consisting of

8-9 rings, and crowning piece, attached at the

end of construction.

Step 6:

Attach super blocks together.

Lighting and arm interaction

Linking the three modules

My final model, shown in the preceding slides, is the result of nine weeks of work, both in physical form and digital, and has undergone many changes. To

link back the formation of the lantern, one can go to the work I produced in Modules 1, 2 and 3, and see the progression of ideas that led to the final form.

The initial emerging form models, the ones made of paper, were based of the recipe that I derived for my natural pattern. The emerging form, which was

akin to a stacked column of offset and variously scaled sections, attempted to display the interplay of shapes, large and small, within the pattern, which I

identified in my analytical drawings and through exploration of other paper models.

I then attempted to model a form in clay, which led to a more concrete form, but lost the sharp edges of the paper model. Again, the model represented

the aggregation of smaller polygons within the larger polygons formed by the mud cracks.

Once modelled into digital form, I tried to think of various ways that the form could be lit, and I settled on the idea of slit lighting, as a way to represent in

an abstracted way, the fractured nature of the mud cracks, with the scattered rays of light produced in an almost random way across a surface or room

in which the lantern was contained.

Through experimentation and research, I came to the lighting effect that I ended up with, which contains the elements that attracted me to the idea of

slit lighting, but in a more abstract way. I attempted to create a lighting effect that caused a multitude of shapes to be projected onto a wall, through the

use of several light sources, and to reference the chaos in the pattern. I thought that this could be a different way of thinking about lighting, not from one

source, but from many, causing a scattered pattern of light to emanate across a surface.

Through prototyping and redesigning my form, I optimised my form for the lighting effect I wanted to achieve, as well as making it easier to construct, and

interact better with the arm, the context in which it was to be contained.

Reflection

Module 4 has been quite enjoyable for me, because after all the work that has been done, it is extremely rewarding to see a finished product in front of me, that I spend much time creating. It was also the module in which I began to properly understand the ideas that have been presented to us in the lectures, reading, and the things I have found out from my own research. After being taught about it in the lecture, I decided that super-block construction, akin to that used in the aerospace industry, would perhaps be a good method to construct the lantern. After constructing the three main sections however, I found that it was difficult to put them together, due to the scale and shape of my model. If I were to build it again, I might consider building it layer by layer.

In terms of creation of the form and panelling, I found the reading “Pattern Formation in Nature” by Philip Ball, very important in helping me form ideas and concepts in terms of not only the overall form of the model, but also the panelling as well, especially the idea of the existence of moments of transformation. The concepts of attraction and repulsion within a system, as well as aggregation, really helped me in thinking about the patterns inherent in my chosen pattern. Another important influence on the creation of my lantern was “Lost in Parameter Space”, which really helped me understand the nature of digital processing of design, and certainly was integral in the ideas it presented regarding reduction and refactoring, which was important in my understand ing of the software and what it can achieve.

The Lecture in Week 7 by the sculptor Benjamin Gilbert really made me understand the need for testing and prototyping, not only to find any faults or areas for improvement in the design, but also as a tool to help visualise and make better the design, through the malleability of, and ones interaction with, a physical object, which you cannot have in the digital realm. The presentation of Paul Loh's garden pavilion in London in many of the lectures did help me in understanding how to break down the form into build-able parts, both in unrolling, and in the construction of the lantern itself.Whilst I did not utilise many precedent study in my process, at least not formally, I did research lighting effects, and form studies, in order to gain understanding of the possible directions I could take. However, the pattern that I chose, mud-cracks, whilst I have not found many designs derived from it, I have found similar natural processes, such as foam studies, and Voronoi cells, that have been used in design. However, I did not follow the same path as many other designs, which created panels out of the Voronoi cells, which to me seems like a repetition of other designers work. Instead I attempted to create a form that works in the other dimension, that imagines the shapes stacked on top of one another, in differing scales, to represent the ideas in the pattern that there are larger area that fracture, with smaller secondary cracks within them, forming larger, and smaller shapes within the larger pattern. I think perhaps some might see this as an over-abstraction of the original pattern, but I believe that this was the best I could do with the pattern I chose, especially due to the fact that I wanted to move away from the oft-repeated pattern in architecture and design, of the Voronoi cells nested in a 2D structure.

Reflection

Over the least 10 weeks, my knowledge of digital technology and its applications has exceeded what I could have even thought I could learn in such a brief time. Whilst I had basic understanding of the uses of modelling software, and the existence of 3D printing, but from this subject, I feel that I have a strong understanding of the processes and uses of the different digital technologies that have evolved. In the first module of the subject, I struggled to see how what we were doing at that point could be taking from analogue into a digital form, but as we progressed into the second module, it came clear to me that the design stage of anything cannot be fully digital, if it is to be successful. The lecture with the sculptor Benjamin Gilbert was really integral in my understanding of a design process that involves a interaction of analogue and digital forms, acting off one another in order to find the best design. This was backed up from my learning about how Frank Gehry, the architect who basically introduced digital modelling into architecture, used to create his designs in scale models, and then map them into the digital form, so the design could be optimised. So, whilst the analogue form and hands-on design is still important in design, the emergence of digital technologies allows us to push boundaries in which we never thought possible before hand, whether it be through the modelling of NURBS surfaces, or the ability to link skin and structure like never before. These ideas of digital technology in design were really new and exciting to me.

In terms of making using digital technology, the readings that we had in the weeks prior were extremely informative in describing the emerging technologies that can be utilised to create the designs that one has created or processed in digital design software. Prior to beginning this subject, I thought that the best way forward were to utilise human ways of creating components and construction. But after learning about the merits of digital manufacturing, it seems to be that the future of manufacturing may well be in the household. The machines and materials are becoming increasingly efficient and cheap, so much so, that as Rifkin states in The Third Industrial Revolution, small cottage industry can once again have a real place in the marketplace, offering high-quality and unique products at a competitive price point. From what I have learnt from the last 10 weeks, it seems that digital manufacturing is an area with such potential, that I believe in the next 10 years, they will become commonplace in most sectors of the economy, and in time, in the home. From what I have learnt from the readings and lectures, and through my personal interaction with the technology itself, my view about digital manufacturing has changed immensely, from viewing it as an almost futuristic novelty, to something that I have accessed, used, and understood. The different forms on CNC fabrication are such that they can be used to mill, cut or construct components of a product, or even a building, from almost any material.

More so than that, the digital technology allows us to design increasingly efficient, in both spatial and consumption senses, structures so that they take into account the changing needs of humans and their environments. However, the most exciting thing about the emergence of digital technologies in design and making is the idea of mass customisation, a concept I learnt about from the reading Architecture in the Digital Age, by Brandon Kolarevic. This is the idea that soon, we will be able to design and built structures that whilst conforming to basic boundaries, can be personalised and customised with little difficulty and in many facets, and then manufactured with little or no change in cost. This can be applied to homes, schools, offices, almost any possible application could benefit from this idea of mass customisation.From my personal interaction with the software over the past few weeks I can certainly see how easy it can be, once taught, to create custom shapes and customisations.

However, despite all these exciting ideas and revelations that have been made possible with the emergence of digital technology, I can’t help but feel cautious about totally relying on digital methods in the design field in particular. For as many possibilities as digital design present, they are only programs, and programs have limitations. If one is designing in line with these limitations and not moving beyond these, then there are only an infinite number of possibilities. Therefore, it is important, as mentioned in a lecture, that one can program the program, that is, to be able to expand and alter the software in order to achieve the effects that one wants. This is an emerging field in the open-source community, and a very important aspect of the digital technology evolution, and one that I believe is integral to know. Further than this, the touch-and-feel aspect of analogue processing, whether it be the building of models, or experiencing materials and their nuances, are a unique experience that is integral to the design process. As such, I believe that there needs to a feedback system from analogue to digital, and back again, so that the design and creativity that exists in architecture, and all design fields, can stay a humanistic pursuit.