Module 1 - Ideation

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

Hans LiuStudent No: 586951 Semester 1 /2012 Group 7

Birth of a RockFrom class Anthozoa of phylum Cnidaria, corals are marine animals which form the building blocks to some of the world’s most amazing under-water structures; coral reefs. However, vast as these are, coral exists only as a colony of a multitude of genetically identical spineless animals called polyps, often only a few millimetres in diameter, and a coral “head” is produced by said polyps secreting calcium carbonate near their base.

The majority of corals are hermaphroditic, breeding sexually via a process known as spawning. During this process, once every year, often during a full moon, polyps will release eggs and sperm into the water to spread the next generation of coral.

It is this process of synchronous spawning that forms one of the most spectacular marine phenomena, and the natural process in which I have chosen to extrapolate.

Overall fluid form of process. A very complicated representation here, which I didn’t further de-velop.

First iteration of a single spore being ejected from the polyp. A single spore was much easier to work with.

A complication of the single spore form, with a decidedly more complex fluid stem.

Polyp root system

Flow dynamics of an ejected egg

Egg head


Timelapse Sketches


Within this process, there are three motives that are of particular inter-est to me: the idea of a point of light being a representation of a particle, the angular edges of the calcium carbonate exoskeleton and the motion of a particle of fluid.

Light From Darkness

The Ragged Edge

Blob Motion

While the form of a single spore flying out of the body polyp would make quite a fine lantern for devel-opment and transfer into a com-puter, it is simply too literal.


Sketch Proposal #1 - Light From Darkness

This experiment deals with the idea of a very tangible particle having a representation in a vis-ible but intangible medium: light. 1 - Find photo of a sea full of

coral spores. Notice the juxta-position of white particles in a literal sea of darkness.2 - Pierce the paper multiple times in areas where spores are present.3 - Scan the result, increase contrast then invert.

The Particle as Light


Sketch Proposal #1 - Light From DarknessThe Sketches

With these sketches, it was immediately apparent that the representation of light, either as a particle or any other entity, is extremely difficult, as light usual manifests itself as the visibility of an object, and is never visible as an object of its own. However, its representation can seen by the addition of particulate matter into the medium that the light is travelling in, e.g. dust or talcum powder.


Sketch Proposal #1 - Light From DarknessPlasticine Modelling

The sketches were furthered with a physical clay model with a directional light source. This takes the idea of an image of spores in the ocean to a very tangible level. 1 - Create a shallow

dome of plasticine of medium thickness - light leaking should be kept to a minimum.2 - Using a needle, puncture the dome with reference to the scanned image.3 - Mould dome over light source, in this case, a Galaxy Tab.4 - Darken room and take photos.5 - You may want an external moveable light source to en-hance the contours of the dome.


Sketch Proposal #1 - Light From DarknessPrecedents

Light Sculptures by Makoto Tojiki

With the basic scientific knowledge that what we see of an ob-ject is merely the light reflected off its surface, Makoto Tojiki’s “No Shadow” series recreates animal and human forms with strands of lights. Tojiki questions the existence of an object if one “extract(s) just the light that is reflected from ‘something,’ are we still in the presence of that ‘something?’”

2012 Light Festival, Ghent, Belgium by Luminaire de Cagna

This catherdral is made entirely out of a wooden frame and col-oured LED lights and is a magnificent manifestation of using light as a building block for something tangible.


Sketch Proposal #2 - The Ragged EdgeAngles of a Skeleton

1 - Cut up a photo of coral using, as much as possible, straight cuts.2 - Continue cutting in a plastic pocket.3 - Shake plastic pocket.4 - Scan result.5 - Shake again.6 - Scan result.

This concept deals with the physical form of the coral. As coral grows, its individual polyps will secrete calcium carbonate from its base, resulting in the gradual increase in size of the overall coral head.

I have tried here to replicate to some extent, the anglular nature of exoskel-etal secretion through the use of cut up paper, creating forms randomly from singular angular segments.


Sketch Proposal #2 - The Ragged EdgeThe Sketches

To the left is a sketch representation of an acropora coral with a breakout of a seg-ment that has broken off.

However, for use in modelling, it is how angular segments adhere to a plasticine surface that is of most importance, hence the sketch below right.


Sketch Proposal #2 - The Ragged EdgePlasticine Modelling

These models are a culmination of the original paper cuttings as well a piece of plasticine. The deliberate round shape allows easier random adherance of the paper to the surface as the ball is being rolled. Similar motifs can be found in the sketches.


Sketch Proposal #2 - The Ragged EdgePrecedents

Denver Art Museum

Architect Daniel Libeskind is no stranger to angular buildings and the museum at Denver is no exception. Built as a extension to an existing museum, the jutting triangular segments take on different feels at dif-fering times of day.

Royal Ontario Museum

The Michael Lee-Chin Crystal facility, part of the Renaissance ROM expansion of the museum is also designed my Daniel Libeskind. Tak-ing cues from Deconstructivism, the basis for the design was all man-ners of crystalline-form structures.


Sketch Proposal #3 - Blob MotionA Particle of Fluid

Blob Motion deals with the 2D and 3D representation of a particle, in this case a drop, of fluid in motion. A multi-tier approach to a form was used, each step being very spe-cific, but creating results that will never be replicated.

1 - Underlay a fresh sheet of paper underneath a photo of coral.2 - Deeply scribble with an inky marker over the image of coral. Let the marks flow intuitively from the photo.3 - Look at the back of the photo, and using pencil, again, intuitively scribble.4 - On the underlaying sheet, you will get a number of small marks. Place drops of ink over these areas.5 - Shake the piece of paper vertically.6 - Allow to dry.


Sketch Proposal #3 - Blob MotionThe Sketches

Above left are some extracted segments from the droplet page. You can clearly see the placement of the initial drop, as well as the direction of droplet travel.

Below right are some sketches regarding drops. The lower of the two aims to more ac-curately emulate the drop mark, while the right sketch is a highly stylised motive in which full drops are placed adjacent to one another.


Sketch Proposal #3 - Blob MotionPlasticine Modelling


Sketch Proposal #3 - Blob MotionPrecedents

Similar Form, Different Process

In what is known as “Blobitecture” buildings take on an organic form based loosely around the shape of an amoeba.

Top: Aqua

Based on the actual movement of water, Jeanne Gang of Studio Gang Architects, the limestone outcroppings produce an undulating textural quality that, when juxtaposed with the reflec-tive glass surface, gives the skyscrap-er its organic and fluid feel.

Bottom: The Sage Gateshead

Made from stainless steel and curved glass, Foster and Partners have creat-ed this sheel that encompasses three buildings but does not make contact with them.


Developed DesignThe Warped Hole Balls


ReflectionThe First Four Weeks

Throughout the first segment on our quest for natural process abstraction, I really needed to question what it is I was actually doing. This wasn’t in terms of “I’m making a latern to get good marks” but more “aestheti-cally, I’m creating a different set of eyes”.

Natural forms are all around us, yet we tend not to look at things too closely i.e. taking things at face value. With this Module, however, there is a forced need to look deeper into nature, to extract elements from it.

What was brought up during precedent research for “Light From Darkness” was the idea of the lack of exist-ence with a lack of light. “Seeing is believing” we are used to saying, thus with this statement, does nothing exist at night?

The lantern, which will end up being a luminous and physical representation of something unseen in na-ture, yet seen by ME - the design decisions that I have made have influenced the existence of a form.

The lantern is lit too...

So it must exist.

Module 1 - Ideation

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