Module One: IdeationReflective Journal

Edward Kermode639119Semester 1, 2013Virtual EnvironmentsENVS1008

Chosen Pattern: PineconeThe pinecone was an interesting natural pattern for me due to its organic spiral moven, as well as the having geometric movement along the hard-edged scales. There is repetition in the layers of the pinecone’s scales. The symmetrical balanceof the image appealed to me and this shown through the radial rhythm. The spiral pattern and implicit triangular form was the main focus for me to develop my analytical drawings on.

1. Draw an series of L’s surrounding a focal point2.. Place another L above the previous, 1/4 position on the line and rotate equally3. Enclose the linear objects with a thin line

Recipe

Movement Symmetry Balance

Lecture #1 Response and Assigned Read-Analytical Drawing Kandisky’s 3 stage guide to Analytical Drawing encourages students to investigate the structural relationships among ob-jects. This is done through the abstract simplification and transformation of graphic characteristics of the object. This abstract form, or otherwise known as the essential form, acts as a representation of the constructive elements in an object. These drawings were emphasised through repetition, length, and the weight of the lines. The Cubist style in Kandisky’s drawings are evident as he suggests “how natural forms must be forcibly subordinated to constructive ends... “the independent realm of nature using basic elements”. The drawings train the student to discover both visible and hidden relationships that show correlation to the underlying natural principles; hidden connections could be created through dotted lines whereas visible were made through solid ones.Summary of Stages 1. Identify the dominant features in the object and simplify into a series of lines. 2.. Create form through enclosing space with the lines 3. Emphasise particular forms and depth, in relationship to the object drawn, through variating line width and line movement.The dominant features the appeared for me in the pattern were the scales and my simplication of it was represent through each scale as an L-shape. The enclosure of these base components followed my Step 2 intepretation; these triangles imply the geometric rhythm of layers of scales in my pattern. The forms in step three were simplistically emphasised through the spiralling movement in my drawing.

Tooling The reading discusses algorithms that represent natural patterns and phenomenas. It presents a series of steps, called ‘reci-pes’, to prove these algorithms. There is a strong sense of geometry through the relationship between shapes and space and aims to to demonstrate how problematic algorithmic architecture is in establishing these recipes. The seven recipes shown in Toolinf include spiraling, packing, weaving, blending, cracking, flocking, and tiling.

Lecture #2 - Reading question responseDescribed the formation process behind your found pattern/Are the any specific mo-ments of the transformation from your found pattern? The spiralling scales in my pattern are self-organised in the way that the pine-cones grow. External influences, such as wind and rain, demonstrate symmetry-breaking of this theoritical ‘unform’ system and perhaps separate these linear-aligned scales into a spiralling movement. The reading suggests that there is no ‘universal’ theory of pattern formation yet to be discovered in nature but they are regonisable visually when we see them. My emerged form presents an ‘autocatalytic process’, which is shown in the rep-etition of the pinecone’s scales spiralling into smaller sized scales.

1.8 For my choice of precedent study, I chose the Sydney Opera House due to its similarites with the scales of my natural pattern as well as my emerging form. The triangular, organic shapes demonstrated in the building’s design are presented in my model as well. The architect, Jorn Utzon, layered and scaled these shells over each other. I similarly tried to create this layering sense of depth through the spiralling in my form. The diffusion employed in my my transformed pattern created shows correlation with the opera house’s shells. The rendering of Jean Nouvel’s Louvre in Abu Dhabi employs techniques of filter-ing light, producing a scatter of different sized ‘light shadows’. I can imagine the vari-ation of scale and layering of the diffused forms would produce interesting overlays of shadows and lighting effects. The bottom right image shows the John Curtin Medical Building; I found this when looking for relevant architectural aspects to my emerged model in an advertisement Architectural Review magazine. Like the Sydney Opera House, each “scale” is extruded and visuallly layered over one another.

1.5Base Form: Using the spiralling motion of my Movement analyti-cal drawing, I represented the scales in a triangular form. I curved the hypotenuse of the scales to reinforce this spiral-ling notion. To emphasise a sense of depth within my form I reduce the scale for each extruded down the spiral by a centimetre in width.

Free Form: I cut up strips of paper similarly to that of my base form. However, this time I drew each fold roughly 40 degrees to each other to explore a diffusion effect. I created seven pieces of these triangular prisms and glued them halfway down each other, tilting them very minimally so they would-create made a spiral sort of staircase.

Other shots and Template process

Side-shot of base model; experimentation with diminishing scale of scales to create a sense of depth and movement

Template process of constructing the scales

EMERGED

FORM

1.10

I roughly sketched four different ways I could create my model to be held. Although the 2nd and 4th ideas were my personal favourites, they seem problematic in the hand would get in the way if the light was situated in the centre. If two lights are allowed then it may be a possibility to place them on either sides of the user’s hand. My two emerged models both have a scale of approxi-mately 1:5 scale in relationship to my ‘ideal’ overall lantern The certain effects I would like to achieve with my overall form are ones such as diffusion, extrusion, layering and filter. By extruding and lofting the shapes in my emerged form, I may be able to achieve a diffusion lighting effect. This one particularly appeals to me because of it’s gradiential light and the ‘tunnel-like’ quality produced. Layering is also an at-tracting feature that I would like to include in my lantern. Dif-ferent tones and overlays of shadows were evident in photo-staging my models, such as the one where I faced the open faces of the scales into a direct light source.

Brainstorming ideas to hold overall lantern

Seminar partner’s intepretation of my recipe explained to him.

Light source shone vertically down emerged form - evidence of a filter and layering effect. The three different tones of shadows appealed to me.

2nd emerged model for 1:5 scale; produced larger scales than previous model

Comparison between two emerged models.

1.11 The Notre Dame Du Hait built in 1954 in Ron-champ, caught my attention in the lecture because it uses diffusion forms to create a warm, ‘sacred’ glow’ This is effective in the atmosphere of a church’s interi-ors as it emphasises a sense of spirituality to the viewr’s perception. This light is good in the way it can create chiaruscuoro tones (intense contrasts between light and dark). This is evident with the raw glare through the windows and the shadows of the pews. If a light is shone vertically through the spiral of my emerged form, I think it will be possible to achieve this effect. The scat-tered

Rhino Tutorial results

Drawing curves - freeform and handle Railway Sweep1 Railway Sweep2