Phung Hao Thanh (Geoffery)Student ID: 638956Virtual Environment : Module 2

Module 1 Review

Figure 1: A Close up of the backlit of a Castor Bean Leaf [1] `

The concept of Castor Bean Leaf has been choosen as the concept to build the lantern.

The focus was the natural patterns on the leaf.

The shape of the lantern was influ-enced by the bridge project by Mi-chael van Telgen. By having such shape, it provide efficiency in light shinning as well as allowing me to hold the lantern the tra-ditional way. Dispite having such shape, the objective of the lantern would still be expressing the natural pattern of the Cas-tor Bean Leaf.

Figure 2 : A screenshot of the model by Michael van Telgen. [2]

DigitisingSince the lantern shape is quite symmetrical, I decided to use the tracing profile curve method for convenient.

First I took picture of the top, side and front view of the clay model.(Figure 3a, 3b, 3c) Then I traced the profile curves (Figure 4). Af-ter having all the basic shapes lining up, I loft the surface.

Figure 4

3a

3b

3c

Figure 3a, 3b, 3c

2D Panelling ExperimentIn this section, I will demontrate the presets that were generated using 2D Panelling. The shape generated by the 2D Panelling tool were fairly interesting, especially the Triangle Model, as the shape of both heads turned out to look ly a star shape(Figure 6).

Figure 5 Figure 6

Basic shape coming into 3DFrom module 1, I discovered that the patterns on the castor Bean leaf consist two basic shapes, trapezeum, and triangle. Using these two shapes, I managed to loft them together and create such pattern for further development of the lantern later on using 3D panelling tool. (Fig-ure 7a, 7b, 7c)

7a

7b

7c

3D Panelling

This is done using one of the preset given by Panelling Tools. The shape generated might generated a nice effect, however, it doesn’t reseem-bles the anything from the castor bean leaf.

Pyramid

Panelling

Partition PanellingThis is the second preset that actually give me some kind of outline on my basic lantern shape. This would be easiest to model physically amongs the three mod-els, however, it is wagain doesn’t seems to ressemble the castor bean leaf.

3D C

ustom Panelling

This model is based on the basic 3D shape that was developed from the patterns of the castor bean leaf, unlike the pyramid panelling model, this model provided space for the light to shine out. Compar-ing to the Partition model, this model generates a more complcated shape and it has the Castor Bean Leaf aspect in it which suits the aim for making the lantern

Prototype

4 parts of the Custom Model is then unrolled to create an actual physical model.

1

3 4

21

3

4

2

The physical prototype

Figure 8, 9 shoes the four pieces made in real life, figure 8 was captured using flash light, while figure 9 is just simply a capture of the pieces under light.

8 9

Problems...

The problem comming up during this process was that the unrolling process has to be exploded, since the non-explod-ing unrollings were overlapping. This essentially made the folding proces very hard, as seen in the picture, some of the folding weren’t that alligned. Another problem with this pattern is that when genrated out they have some curves, however, the scoring helped alot in folding those curves.

Discussed how Heatherwick uses design to create spatial effects? Use one project to illus-trate your discussion.

For the case of the power station, Heatherwick’s team actually has to learned the engi-neering aspects of the power plant such that he understands how the system works. The result was that not only he realised that there were so much space being used inefficiently and fix them, he also acknowledge the fact that the residents that is having this power plant in the area is also affected by the power station itself. He ended up designed the power station in a different way (like a mountain) and actually provided grass fields as well as space for the public to view the processes of the power plant. This result in an efficient use of spatial being a power station as well as a park, so people could look out around to the areas around the station.

What are the key differences between ‘abstraction’ and ‘reduction’? Can you relate these ideas to process analysis you undertook in Module 1 (and the reading by Poling)?

Reduction is about finding the optimal way to rewrite (recreate) the shape without alter-ing the content. In this reading, abstraction is actually all model being created in CAD (computer-aided design), the models are “abstraction of reality”. This idea came from the fact that the model being build in the CAD eliminates the complexity of the real world to a level that it can be represent.

Reference:[1] [2] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5vwXXlthSc