experimentadesign lisboa 2009

digital primitive #2: iterative design
digital primitive - caterina tiazzoldi + eduardo benamor duarte

digital primitive extended is an installation that presents the work of a group of architects, designers and manufacturers in new york, representing a conceptual and productive reality in the city.

they are digital because they are the first generation of new york designers and architects graduated in a context characterized by digital modeling techniques and computer numerical control (CNC) manufacturing. they are primitive because they have to provide an answer to the limitations posed by a city like new york.

lúcio has been invited to present current research as part of the digital primitive installation in the cais do sodré underground metro station.

FACETED | FIBROUS | STRUCTURES is a research endeavor focusing on producing complex double-curved structural geometries using standard planar materials assembled together in linear strips. When a material is folded its bending strength is increased parallel to the fold. Using ancient paper folding techniques (origami) as inspiration, the concept of folding flat metal sheets allows one to triangulate geometries and generate long volumetric folded strips that can then be assembled together to create structural ribs.

The apertures and depth of the faceted system can be sized according to solar gain requirements as well as structural performance criteria and/or weight reduction necessity. Using standard CAD/CAM technologies, the folded strips can be easily manufactured from planar sheets using CNC, laser, or water-jet cutters.

Design of the FACETED | FIBROUS | STRUCTURES was developed in Rhino using Rhino Scripting. The structure is generated using a base surface onto which 3 layers of points are plotted. The top layer represents the exterior, the middle layer the center, and the bottom layer the interior. Surfaces are then created from the points using an elongated hexagonal pattern.

XO.S | PAVILION

The XO.S | PAVILION is a formal exercise emulating biomorphic exoskeletal systems, intended to be used as a temporary place of gathering. It funnels pedestrians from one end to the other, compressing at the center and then widening at both ends dividing space into two zones. The pavilion is fabricated from stainless steel folded strips, laser-cut from flat sheets and welded together. The exterior is painted with a high-gloss black car paint finish while the interior and inner faces are painted white.

faceted fibrous structures

here the faceted linear strips have been given depth (voxelized) to function as a fully capable self-supporting, exoskeletal, structural system. the faceted strips, or fibres, can be easily manufactured from planar sheets and assembled together to produce these structural fibres.

"Fibre is a class of materials that are continuous filaments or are in discrete elongated pieces, similar to lengths of thread. They are very important in the biology of both plants and animals, for holding tissues together. " --Wikipedia

faceted structures

focusing on producing complex double-curved geometries using standard construction materials, the concept of folding flat metal sheets, similar to "origami", allows one to triangulate geometries and generate long folded strips of material that can then be fastened together.

here is a quick study for a folded metal structural system. at the moment the system is very similar to the folded metal ceiling in that it has no "thickness" and would rely on a primary and secondary structural system. the next step is to develop a 3-dimensional 'voxel' unit with volume to become a self-supporting structural component.

the openings in the system are randomly sized to create a non-repetitive pattern. the next area of study will be fenestration & solar responsivity, and sizing of the individual components based on structural performance.

"A voxel (a portmanteau of the words volumetric and pixel) is a volume element, representing a value on a regular grid in three dimensional space. As with pixels in a bitmap, voxels themselves do not typically have their position (their coordinates) explicitly encoded along with their values. Instead, the position of a voxel is inferred based upon its position relative to other voxels (i.e., its position in the data structure that makes up a single volumetric image). In contrast to pixels and voxels, points and polygons are often explicitly represented by the coordinates of their vertices. A direct consequence of this difference is that polygons are able to efficiently represent simple 3D structures with lots of empty or homogeneously-filled space, while voxels are good at representing regularly-sampled spaces that are non-homogeneously filled." --Wikipedia

faceted metal ceiling

here are a few renderings of the folded ceiling system applied in the lobby. about 300m2 total surface area which would require about 100 modules similar to the mock-up from the previous post.

folded metal ceiling

below are some photos of a 1:1 mockup of a faceted metal ceiling system. this 1.6m x 1.6m panel is fabricated entirely out of 1/16" thick stainless steel and weighs around 90 kilos. the module is comprised of 8 continuous folded strips, laser cut from flat sheets, welded together, with a metallic golden lacquer finish. the primary structural ribs are laser cut following the angles of the folded facets providing a seem for welding the strips together, with 16 sub-frames for lateral stability.