Mesh Stretch/ Forming Experiment

We tested our method of forming on a different material system. This time using a thin, formable aluminum mesh.

The mesh was stretched on Lycra fabric and reinforced with strips of a stronger hexagonal mesh. The mesh combination was plastered with concrete using a trowel and smoothned with a layer of grout brushed into the surface.  

The forming process was successful, we achieved a satisfactory displacement measurement of about 400 mm on a small 1000x1000 mm piece. 

Results: AnaHYBIOS 2.0 & 2.1 _First Draft

"When light falls on the retina of the human eye, it hits 126 million sensory cells which transform it into electrical signals. Even the smallest unit of light, a photon, can stimulate one of these sensory cells" Butdoesitfloat

... Better photos coming soon.

Research Development: New FormFinding Methods_ Experiment 2.1

The objective of the second attempt was to manipulate the geometry from the interior to the exterior. The focus was to hide and reveal while stretching, to make the spaces of the interior more inhabitable. Disks were utilized to create light-wells to draw light into the interior spaces. The fabric was painted with thin layers and was sprayed with compressed air at the top to distribute the mix into the strings. The result was a pixelated gradient of transparency along the light-wells creating interesting lighting conditions.

 

Research Development: New FormFinding Methods_ Experiment 2.0

For the second formfinding method, we utilized a frame-based system where the sides of the frame are marked with holes on a grid. Two overlapping layers of fabric were used, the fabric was stretched by pulling string through the holes.  Different methods of stretching were utilized, such as overlapping the nodes, stretching one layer into the other and tying the edges. The fabric was then painted with thin layers of plaster, glue and water consecutively. The strings were cut when the shell has hardened and the HYBIOS was sanded and cropped around the edges .

 

Results: AnaHYBIOS 1.3 & 1.4

After refining the material formation process, the analogue modeling method yielded interesting geomoetries. These geometries were observed and measured, especially for their spatial and structural qualities. 

FREI OTTO'S IL 25: PNEU AND BONE

Otto utilized formfinding methods and was a master at translating nature's principles to laws of physics and then to architectural design. His IL series is a great documentation of his methods. This is a summary taken from reading 'Pneu and Bone'.

“Pneu (greek : Pneuma = air) as an all-embracing term for a structural system which can be clearly distinguished from many other systems and which has particular characteristics” Frei Otto.




Pneu :
One of the most efficient technical structural systems is the pneu. A pneu is a structural system consisting of a ductile envelope which is capable of supporting tensile stress, is internally pressurised and surrounded by a medium. The pneu allows forces to transferred over considerable distances with a minimum use of materials , and extremely wide span structures to be erected.
Pneu is the structural system of the living nature.
Pneu as a structure used to transfer forces and also as an agent for form generation.

Whenever parts of such objects solidify and become hard like the carapaces of a single cell organisms(eg: radiolaria) like the wood of plants and the shells and bones of animals (shells of insects, internal skeletons of vertebrates). These components are rigid and take compressive loads.(they are no longer pneus) but retain the shape of the pneus from, the structural pneu system is always preserved in principle. It represents the active and living part, whilst the hardened parts maybe regarded as non living or at least less alive substance which can also have load bearing functions. They evolve as pneus , harden in that shape and become other structures such as structural members, skeletons, or shells or in brief: they become non- pneus in the form of structural members, beams and shells. Maybe its through selection from an infinite number of mutations and environmental factors.

Most objects in living nature can be regarded as 3d fibre nets with varying mesh sizes. In most cases however the mesh size in the outer fibres is smaller thus creating high tensile areas of closely spaced fibres which act like fine nets or membranes.

FormFinding

A great research paper by Philippe Block. Formfinding has been used in architectural models to create spatial forms that are optimized for structure while in the design phase. The Phd Thesis proposes a digital formfinding tool as an alternative to traditional formfinding methods adopted by Frei Otto and Gaudi. The paper gave us a lot of insight on how to start with our design experiments.