iar 560 assignment 6

Digital Manufacturing and Virtual Reality

 3D Printing:

 Advancements in computer-aided programs have made the design process much faster, and easier for the designer. 3D modeling can be done in the computer, saved as a PDF file, and sent to the machine of choice, a laser cutter, and cut for you in a minimal amount of time. Having a machine do all the cutting for you, leaves no room for human error, and allows the designer to put together multiple models in a short amount of time. This easy method of model building helps the designer to visually see and compare different models, in order to make a more informative, design decision.

 Rapid prototyping is the rapid creation of a part that may not have the accuracy or durability necessary in final applications. RP machines can create and object of virtually any geometric shape. Rapid prototyping machines use additive, layering technologies rather than subtractive processed that remove sections of material, such as milling (3D Printing 1). The main technologies for automated fabrication are stereolithography, stacking and laser cutting, robotically guided extrusion, laser sintering, and droplet deposition on powder. Stereolithography involves the use of lasers to solidify layers of clear or colored resin. The result is a solid, layered model made of epoxy. These models come out lightweight and translucent, and quite strong (3D Printing 2).

 There are some known problems with RP machines that create a barrier for artists and designers. The RP machines require 3D model information that includes surface thickness, which most commercial programs for Macs and PCs define only abstract surfaces, with no thickness information (3D Printing 3). On the positive side, automated fabricators can produce parts on demand, making environments such as space stations and lunar habitats easier to envision.

 When the Whole is Greater than the Sum of its Parts:

 Computer numerical control (CNC) milling machines have been around for decades, and have since been the go-to gadget for everyone, from product designers to architects who want their intricate designs fabricated fast (WWGSP 1). The use of computer-aided programs has made acoustical studies easier for the architect or designer. Using programs like Ecotect, a building design and environmental analysis tool by Autodesk, allows the designer to, “calibrate the different ceiling porosities and locate zones that needed adjusting to enhance acoustics. The quantitative data extracted from Ecotect informed a sophisticated parametric model. Those parameters were plugged into a series of scripts with Excel spreadsheets, and finally into a digital model and fabrication drawings” (WWGSP 2). Through Ecotect, the designers can study lighting levels of the ceiling treatment as well in order to get the desired lighting effect they were going for (WWGSP 3).

 Morphosis Prints Models

 “In many architecture firms, the introduction of computer-aided design has resulted in less reliance on hand-crafted scale models. However in some firms, CAD has enabled a happy marriage of new techniques with the old-fashioned craft (MPM 1). The 3D printer comes with its own software that sections the STL file horizontally into layers. “The 3D printer spreads one thin layer of powder over the print bed, then passes over the powder just as an inkjet printer head passes over paper. Where the digital model indicates a solid, the printer, using a modified inkjet printer cartridge, injects the binder cyanoacrylate.

After one pass, the print bed lowers by one thickness of powder, and the printer spreads another layer of powder and jets another pass of binder. The cycle continues until the top layer of the model has been printed. This process takes about five hours for a 6- by 6- by 6-inch (15- by 15- by 15-centimeter-) model. The actual time depends on the solid volume of the physical model. When the printing is completed, a 6-inch- (15-centimeter-) tall model is immersed 6 inches (15-centimeters) deep in powder. Raising the print bed, you remove the "part" and vacuum-clean out the excess powder, which can be sifted and reused” (MPM 2). One benefit of developing designs in CAD for in-house model fabrication has been that the Morphosis designers have necessarily improved the accuracy of their CAD modeling. And because they spend less time building physical models, they can spend more time on design thinking.

Sources:

1.      On 3D printing: Excerpt from "3D Input and Output" from The Computer in The Visual Arts by Anne Spalter, Addison Wesley Longman Inc. 1999, pp 317-321.

 2.      “When the Whole Is Greater Than the Sum of Its Parts” By Josephine Minutillo

http://continuingeducation.construction.com/article.php?L=5&C=588&P=1

 3.          “Morphosis Prints Models” by Martin Doscher

http://www.architectureweek.com/2004/0915/tools_2-1.html

 

Simulation: Building Chair

I had a lot of trouble with this assignment. I couldn't figure out how to push and pull each individual grid. This was a frustrating process to go through, but I think I almost have the form of the chair down. All I have left to do is figure out how to curve the form so that it looks realistic ergonomically. The legs should be easy enough when I learn how to create a curved silhouette. 

modeling:

Arne Jacobsen: Series 7 Chair

Process of Building Chair in Sketch up: 

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Simulation: assignment 5

Simulation

Today, architects are increasingly relying on building simulation programs to aid in the design of a new structure. In terms of design and energy performance, the use of simulation programs, allows the designer to determine how natural phenomena such as, the wind, sun, and moon, affect the efficiency of the buildings structure. Simple studies such as, “the building orientation and shading studies were carried out by the architects using Ecotect, a software recently acquired by Autodesk. The three-dimensional architectural model was then transported into eQUEST, a sophisticated building-energy-use analysis tool initially developed as part of DOE-2, which allowed the engineers to optimize the mechanical and electrical systems, as well as the building envelope” (model behavior 1). The simulation program allows the designer to take a section of the exterior wall, in order to examine the façade orientation and overhang size to study heat gain. (Who would have thought this would ever be?). The architects who designed this building used a cone-shaped column, if you will, to provide structural support for the roof, as well as bring in daylight deep inside of the complex. These cones are also used to cool the interiors, by drawing warm air up and out of the building through their tips. The use of, “Computational fluid dynamics (CFD), which utilizes numerical methods to simulate the interaction of fluids and gases within complex systems, was employed extensively on this project to ensure that the flow of air through these cones produces the greatest cooling effect” (modern behavior 2).

Computer simulation programs are also being used to determine the amount of daylight that enters a space, and how it appears at different times of the day, or year. When designing an exhibition it’s important to keep in mind that, “a sense of subtle changes in outside conditions is desirable. But rapid swings in lighting levels are not” (sun shine 1). To determine the primary direction of illumination within the gallery space, an illumination vector analysis was conducted. As a result of the study, “designers refined the sunshade, adding a “kicker” at its bottom edge. This 3-foot-tall vertical element bounces light back to the south-facing wall, creating more uniform daylighting conditions” (sun shine 3). The art museum will consist of “a 30-foot-tall structure suspended from the roof trusses and floating about 10 feet from the gallery floor will surround the new skylight with frosted-glass fins (sun shine 3). This hanging element, together with fabric baffles enclosing the roof trusses and the large-works gallery floor, reflect, refract, and diffuse daylight passing through the new skylight and direct it to flanking side galleries. This strategy provides two levels of control. It prevents direct light from hitting artwork and controls diffuse and scattered light (sun shine 5).

Through computer simulation, critics were able to analyze Frank Lloyd Wright’s, Darwin D. Martin House based on direct observation and 2D architectural drawings. However, their conclusions lack insight made visible by 3D computer visualizations. These computer techniques reveal a unique relationship between the space of the Martin House and its fireplace. Only through computer analysis did it become clear that this relationship exists and what specific architectural conditions make it so. Within the computer environment, a model of the various volumes of the house was constructed in order to analyze the spatial conditions in Wright’s design. What was concluded is that, “the various volumes as defined by the structure interpenetrate. Because the areas of overlap can be perceived as belonging to multiple spatial orders, a complexity develops that enriches and activates the space of the house” (Comp. Visualization 1). Viewing the spatial model in elevation illustrates the vertical spaces where they exist between levels of the house. "Turning off" and removing from view any CAD layers that represent purely functional vertical volumes in this elevation—specifically the chimneys' ventilation spaces and all staircases—only one vertical spatial element remains that acts in unifying the levels of the house. This is the space encircled by the staircase of the main entry hall. The upward movement of the staircase surrounds and reinforces the verticality of this form, and where the stairway arrives at the second floor, an ornamental partition and landing trace the space. Vertical spatial volumes such as this one within Wright's residential work are rarely noted (Comp. Visualization 2). Conveying its critical findings through visualization, this study indicates just how the computer can provide a new way of "seeing" and evaluating architectural design. The ability of the computer to visualize an architectural concept such as space and its ability to selectively edit for content what we see provides us with a profound new manner in which to evaluate architecture. The computer is a valuable tool where its techniques can assist in creating a greater understanding of architecture and design (Comp. Visualization 2).

Sources:

Model Behavior: Anticipating Great Design

http://continuingeducation.construction.com/article.php?L=5&C=471

Let the (Indirect) Sun Shine In

http://continuingeducation.construction.com/article.php?L=5&C=406

Computer Visualization as a Tool for Critical Analysis by Mark Maddalina

http://www.architectureweek.com/2000/0705/tools_4-1.html