Digital Design & Fabrication
This four day intensive workshop introduced architecture students to digital design and fabrication technologies. In a first phase a component was developed exploring the possibilities of the given material (corrugated cardboard). in a second phase the inherent properties of building system (stability, variance, permeability..) where applied to design a temporary structure at a chosen site within the school. In a last phase components where mass-produced and 3 structures were built. Physical and parametric digital models where used to iterate design ideas and incorporate logistics, material properties and construction as a generator for design.
GROUP 1 designed a dome in the centre of the courtyard. The curvature of the structure is achieved by stacking and stapling of gradual opening components. The component are made from a rectangular piece of cardboard and has a hexagonal base on one site and a squeezed triangle on the other. On the inside of the dome this results in a regular hexagonal grid, on the outside an alteration between triangles and dodecagons. Large triangular sections of the dome where pre-assembled and brought together on site. One of those sections was left out so people could enter the dome.
GROUP 2 constructed a passage way in the corridor around the courtyard. The component was constructed from two triangles, and connected through slots. In the test and half scale models no staples or glue was needed to construct and connect the components.
GROUP 3 designed a bar/wall construction making use of the beam construction of the attic. The structure uses two types of components, constructed from a rectangular piece of cardboard. The front is derived from a two-dimensional tiling, consisting out triangles, squares and hexagons. By varying the lengths of the squares on both sides of the components the wall gradually forms a curved roof. The spatial components where glued together, providing a solid construction, that was still standing two months later. Mapping a video projection on the roof during the final review and party emphasised the structure and its wave-like motion.
role: tutor, organiser
collaborators: Tiemen Schotsaert fabriek), Kristof Crolla (Zaha Hadid|Hong Kong University) & Jeroen van Ameijde (AA DRL).
A short clip here and some more images.
Apr 2009 | category: Workshop | tags: cardboard, component, digital fabrication, structure