Surface and pattern were integral to the understanding of this project. In Module 3, students were assigned to create a composite from the fab- ric sample of a painting and a sample of terrain surface from Tasmania. From this assignment, I had hoped to achieve creating a composition which would replicate the flow and tension in the fabric. I was encour- aged to experiment with different techniques in Rhino and examine the relationship between the surface of the terrain sample and the repetition of shapes in the panels. This correlation was important in order to under- stand how to create a pattern that could follow the flow of the fabric without becoming too monotonous to look at.
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Module 3 Overview
The Transformation of Surface
I consider the result of my efforts to be mostly successful, seeing as my terrain allowed me to eventually source out similarities that could be used to mimic the heights and valleys of my fabric. This can also be seen by how the final artefact came together - which was a manipulation of the hybrid.The exaggeration and design of a 3D model was the most interest- ing aspect to work with during the artefact design, as it pushed out of the bounds of pattern and further into surface.
The Iterative Process
For my sample studies, I knew that I wanted to go beyond my comfort zone and the default settings of the workshop to try to create more dramatic and interesting compositions.
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That being said, I also did not want to go over- board in fear of making undevelopable panels.
With each iteration, I wanted to try something different, and so I experimented with magnitudes the most - in order to really emphasise the different heights of my fabric sample.
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I believe a second aspect most vital to the detail of my fabric was the clear and straight flow of movement.
Therefore, in my panel studies, I knew that I wanted to use long, tall panels in order to better direct the flow of my final artefact, but also contrasting it with a shorter, more detailed panel in order to prevent overlapping and create more interest in the lower valleys of my terrain.
The Emergence of the Composite
The original painting for my fabric sample was known as “Mystical Naivety” by Filippo Lippi - a painting from the Byzantine style which showcases a praying Virgin Mary in the presence of her newborn son Jesus. The fabric used in my composite comes from her sleeve, but has been greatly changed due to its flipped nature. In order to bet- ter my fabric sample, I correlated the higher peaks of the fabric with the lowest valleys on the terrain. This conse- quently altered the original movement and direction of the fabric sample, giving it more of a “waterfall” look, co- alescing at the bottom rather than at the top.
Research & Reflection
Three elementary types of developable surfaces:
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Cylinders: Characterised by rulings (a set of parallel lines) which follow a profile curve at a perpendicular angle.
Cones: Similar to cylinders, also posess a profile curve, but with lines coalescing into a single vertex. All lines will do so at a common and constant distance.
Tangent Surfaces of Space Curves: Are formed by any number of vertices, but requires three consecutive vertices to form a face of the model. The also require two consecutive vertices to determine an edge. The resulting surface of this type is then formed by tangent planes, each tangent to the surface along an entire ruling, rather than a single point.
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All of these surfaces can be “characterized by the property that they can be mapped isometrically into the plane”, thus making them developable.
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Why the understanding of developable surfaces is critical in architectural geometry:
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Frank O. Gehry’s Walt Disney Concert Hall is a prime example in why developable surfaces are critical in architec- tural geometry. Without the ability to contain calculatable and constructable straight lines, architectural surfaces in the concert hall may not be easily constructed with its unique and curved surfaces.
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What digital fabrication is and how it changes the understanding of two dimensional representation:
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Digital tools and technologies are often used ot produce physical parts and models, which may fold or tesselate in their structure. This is known as digital fabrication, and its creation has allowed the process of creating such designs to become easier and more flexible. Previously only used in a two-dimensional context of CAD, digital fabrication has allowed a third dimension to be added to the design process, expanding the limits of design even in two-dimensional representation.
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Two reasons why folding is used extensively in the formal expression of building design:
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Folding allows two dimensional surfaces to become three dimensional objects, also saving space and improving economical investments. It provides variety and versitility, and is at its core, it is fundamental to the method of fab- rication.