Virtural EnvironmentSemester 1, 2013Student Journal Module 3: Frabrication

Yun Gu633789

Module One: Ideation

Analytical Drawings: Movement; Symmetry; Balance

Emerging form

Clay model

RHINO

MODULE TWO

Small Prototypes: Pyramid

Final Decision-combine two forms: one follows the natural pattern, one

has 3D panelling.

Module Three: Fabrication

Reading 1: Architecture in the Digital Age – Design and Manufacturing /Branko Kolarevic. Spon Press. London. c2003Q: Briefly outline the various digital fabrication processes. List constrains and opportunities provided for you through the use of CNC cut cutter or laser cutter.

Digital technologies are used as a medium of conception and sometimes a medium of translation, which inputs the geometry of the physical model and produces as its output the digitally-encoded information to drive fabrication machines. From digital to physical model, the designer will need to finish the digital model using various modeling software and unroll the model to 2D then create the information to manipulate the fabricators. By using digital technologies, it provides me more opportunities to make a complex model delicately. It also saves a lot of time measuring and calculating the dimensions; the machine does not leave any extra mark on the paper which offers the best quality of a paper model. Also, the cutter machine gives me the opportunity to easily try on different prototypes and produce complex geometries in my design. Manipulating the machine is not hard and it does fold lines as well as cutting lines which avoid many troubles in making models. The use of fabrica-tors makes it possible to tryout different ways of transformation to make pro-totypes and get the best solution out of paper model.

Reading 2: Digital fabrications: architectural and material techniques/Lisa Iwamoto. New York: Princeton Architec-tural Press, c2009.

Q: Describe one aspect of the recent shift in the use of digital technology from design to fabrication? How does the fabrication process effects your lantern construction?

The digital technology reduces the steps between computer modeling and fabrication; it prevents the complicated steps of measuring, drawing, cutting and folding. Without the ruler and guide lines, the model could be more delicate as well as convenient for small scale fabrication. In my fabrication process, the card cutter has been extremely useful. Because my model has complex curved faces that is extremely difficult to construct in hand making; the digital unrolling and cutting helps to build smooth form using sheet paper. Also, the machine is capable to control cutting forces that produces fold lines which are the “most literally material op-eration”, I used stagger fold line and dash line to produce flexural surfaces. The digital fabrication provides a lot of constraints in constructing the complex form of my lantern.

IDEAS

I considered different ways to hold the lantern, how to achieve connection with hands. If I only make the blasting form hands won’t be able to contact the object, that’s the main reason I added the ring with 3D panel. The lantern will be hold through grasping the ring. More tests on construction, stability and aesthetic will be ran during making the prototypes.

Final: seperated to more than 50 layers, marked with different colours, and unrolled

To fold stagger lines on both sides, I set one fold line, one dashed line, one fold line...Consider the complex irregular form of my model, I didnt’t add tabs, the centre point will be the strongest focus point.

First Prototype

It was glued well without tabs so I will remain the same way for my final. But the scale is too small so I enlarged the unrolled pieces to double the size.

The ring looks alright, I leave it in piece for the conve-nience to put led inside. The bulb will be placed with two pyramids apart and since there are 14 pieces, two of the bulbs will only have one space apart.

To connect with the exploded form, the angle seems not matching the cusp and it’s hard to stable. I slidely glued the ring together and it seems not strong enough to hold the heavy upper part. So I decided to put the ring between two blasting form horizontally with lights hiding in it.

zoom in

Assembly Drawing

By using my poor physics knowledge, I successfully con-nected series lighting of five. But one bulb suddenly doesn’t work anymore. So I have to glue the lights one by one just before tutorial to prevent the battery run out.

The connection only has one point which is extremely unstable, it needs to be carefully held. If to make a actural lantern, tougher mate-rial needs to be used. I think the form is quite challenging as a lantern.

Connection with hands