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Group: Liliana Viveros Diaz- Maria Margariti

The aim of this assignment was to design a bench that would constitute part of a collaborative furniture project and construct a model of 1:2 scale using the waffle structure and a Laser Cut machine. The bench should be designed by transforming a given model in Rhino within a bounding box of 500mm x 500mm x 350mm but keeping the end sections untouched in order to connect with the different benches.

Designing the bench model

As a first step in the design of the bench we exploded the initial model in order to separate the top surface and transform it. In order to do that we rebuilt the surface by putting 10 point counts to both U and V and keeping in mind that this surface is not only going to be the sitting surface of the bench, and therefore it should be comfortable, but also that it should fulfill our aesthetic criteria we activated the control points of the surface and started to move them at will.

We begun by hollowing the arched initial surface so that to create two pits that will consist the main sitting areas (more accurately, one sitting area for two persons), but keeping the back of the bench so that it is more comfortable. Then we moved vertically the control points of the back of the left side of the bench until the borders of the bounding box and we repeated the process horizontally by extruding the right part of the bench until the bounding box and at the same time hollowing the left, so that in one hand it would amplify the waving form and on the other hand it will enlarge the right sitting area and turn it towards the other. Afterwards, with the command Surface, Extrude curve, Along curve, we closed the shape, and by typing Boolean2objects we union the different surfaces. The final result acquired a biomorphic form that serves as a hug, as a nest for the users.

The waffle structure

After completing the form of the bench we started the procedure of the waffle structure system. We used the contour command in both X and Y axis in order to produce sections on the form every 50mm. Then, with the extrude curve command we extruded 50mm the curves of the y axis and due to the fact that the curves on the x axis form loops we used the command offset to offset them also 50mm and we created the surface by typing PlanarSrf.

Afterwards, we selected the ribs from both directions and using Curve Curve from object, Intersection, we intersected them. On each of the intersection curves we created pipes of 2.8mm thickness, we moved them vertically from the end point to the midpoint and then we copied them from the top end to the bottom and putted them in a different layer. Therefore we were able to intersect the different pipes from the according axis of ribs and delete the small part of the intersection by using the split command on each rib and the curve that was created by the intersection. With that procedure we completed the design of the ribs of the waffle structure.

In order to prepare the parts for the Laser cut machine (we used the Epilog Laser cut machine of the Fab Lab Bcn at IaaC) we unrolled each rib, we duplicated their borders and we fitted them in rectangulars of 450mm x 900mm that represent the plywood material of 3mm that we were going to use for the laser cutter.

After cutting each piece we assembled them with the help of the numbers that we engraved on them and we constructed the model of the bench.

The final model

Team: Yashaswini Apte & Carlo Caltabiano

CONCEPT:

For the bench we decided on a sculptural look. Considering it was to be fabricated out of plywood we wanted to counter the rigidity of the waffle structure with fluidity of the surfaces. It is designed as a two seats accessed from opposite sides. The interplay of surfaces and heights creates the back rest and seating for each side at the same time maintaining the homogenity of the bench.

PROCEDURE FOR CREATING WAFFLE STRUCTURE OF BENCH:

Step 1: We started with the bench template. Applying cage edit the bench was modified along the control points to the desired shape keeping the two side surfaces intact to allow for connection with other benches. The height and widths were modified within the control box.

Step 2: Once the bench shape was finalised and we ran a check for the following the external parameters of the bounding box, we proceeded with creating the waffle structure to obtain surfaces for the laser cutting. Firstly the various layers were created in the rhino file.

Step 3: First we off-setted the outer surface to the required thickness to have two separate surfaces. Instead of countouring we introduced planes in the X-Y direction. For this a plane was introduced along one end of the bench for planes along the  X-direction and arrayed along the length of the bench. Similar thing was done along the Y direction. We now had intersecting planes in both directions.

Step 4: The outer part of the planes were trimmed along the outer surface of the bench to get the outer ring. The inner part of the plane was trimmed along the inner surface of the bench. The trimmed panel was thus achieved in the X direction and similarly obtained for the sections in the Y direction.

Step 5: Changing the layer the planes were intersected to get the lines of intersection between the surfaces in the X & Y direction.

Step 6: Two solid pipes were drawn for X and Y direction, put in separate layers and copied at every intersection – one for the intersection along the X direction and the other for the intersection along the Y direction. The diameter of the pipe was kept as 2.8mm.

Step 7:  Using ‘Intersect’ the pipes were intersected with the planes. This was done separately for the planes in the X and Y direction keeping only the required layers switched on.

Step 8: The surfaces were then unrolled using ‘Unrollsurface’ separately in the X and Y direction.

Step 9: the ribes were gruped an arranged on the plywood sheet size of 1.2×2.5m using ‘Rhino nest’. The curves were simplified using  Curves Edit tools- ‘ simplify lines and cuerves’ and saved as a .dxf file for printing.

Group: Luz Michelle Lavayen and Erina Filipovska.

Assignment: Digital Fabrication / laser cutting

For this assignment we created a bench based on designing a waffle structure and getting into the process of fabricate our model with a laser cutter machine. The bench is actually a part of group a furniture, in order to do that we had some restrictions, the size should not exceed of the given bounding box (500 x 500 x 350 mm) and we should keep the 2 outer sides in that way all the benches could be put it together. We design a bench that could be comfortable, like a resting sofa.

The first step was to design the bench in rhino. We selected the existing geometry surface and Contour in order to get the final 2 contour lines, then we Loft the 2 polylines and rebuild the surface with 20 control points we got a closed surface and were able to turn the control points on. We modify the surface till we like the design and the proportions of the bench. Offset surface, and made another surface inside the first one to get the thickness of the ribs. Using the command Contour we made contours along the x axis and y axis with these polylines we got the ribs for the bench. We made the intersections with pipes and subtract them and got all the ribs with the connections.

The second step was to print the file with all the pieces of the bench. We used for material 2 sheets of plywood of 3mm thick with dimensions of 2.50 x 1.22 m. And then printed on the laser cutter machine.

The third step is the assembling part. First we start with the vertical pieces and intersected with the horizontal in the top and the horizontal in the bottom and in the end the 2 outer vertical pieces.

Final chair.

Katerina Inepologlou / Diego López Ibarra

TASK

The mission was to design and 3d print a Lego Brick starting from a base model. The design should respect the four corners of the base, and keep the possitive and negative pair of lego’s cylinders. The dimensios of the base model were 65 mm x 65 mm x 130 mm. The design should also take advance of the 3d-printer materialization possibilities, and it should be inspired in an previous investigation we had about some examples of designed objects or buildings that have a structure as a skin.

DESING PHASE

A similar pattern was found in two of the “structure as form” case-studies. The Eden Project (by Nicholas Grimshaw) and the China’s Olympic Swimming Pool (by Herzog & De Meuron) present a structural grid that is sharp-edged and organic at the same time, shaping the buildings itselves. This generative logic motivated the design of the Lego Brick. 

MODELING PHASE

Some points were set randomly on a Rhino file in order to create a Vornoid Diagram that could remind the skin of those buildings. The Vornoid Diagram was made and it´s points were copied and slightly moved randomly, to create another Vornoid Diagram, not too much different from the original one. These Vornoid Diagrams were set as the larger faces of the Lego Brick and were offset generating inner separated irregular figures. After finishing it, the similar figures from both Diagrams were conected using the command “loft”  and, because those figures have the same amount of sides but with a slightly difference of rotation and lenght, the walls generated inside of the brick have double curvature. This 3 mm thickness planes would support and shape the Lego Brick’s body, as well as generating a dynamic and complex extruded grid able of taking advance of the 3D Printer’s materialization posibilities. A couple of pipes were added at the top of the brick and two cylindric hollows (using boolean cylinders) were sustracted in order to finnish the Lego’s essence.  

3D PRINTING PHASE

We saw on the printer screen where exactly the brick was buried into the “dust” so we started removing the exterior dust carefully with a brush, until the actual solid brick appeared. Then, we moved to the air-machine and tried to remove the rest of the “hidden” dust. When the brick was actually clean we spread a liquid spray on it (made of water and salt) to make it more stable and resistant. Almost two hours later our brick was ready to be combined and joined with the rest of our classmates.

FINAL RESULT

DESIGNERS’ CRITIC

The curvature of the inner walls of the brick are not so notorious because the two vornoids diagrams were not too much different. At firts sight it seems like a single diagram extruded. Another relevant point was that because of the ignorance that we had about the 3D printing possibilities, the diagrams were relatively big to what we had in mind.  We wanted to make it more dense but we were afraid of creating a fragile brick. Now we know we can 3d-print thinner and more saturaded compositions.

Assignment 1: 3D printing

By Carolina Aguirre and Carolina Miro

In order to take advantage of the unique possibilities of the printer, the brick assignment, although based on a simple object, challenged us to think in 3D. An organic design was chosen to contrast the rather planar geometrical constraints. The aim was to create a fluid structure that was both structurally sound as well as able to be connected with the other bricks.

The design of the brick consists of two central pillars which carry both the top and the bottom anchorage points, and a series of interwoven pipes of changing diameter.

First these pipes were produced by drawing a spline reaching over the full diagonal of the block. Then, a pipe with varying diameter was created around it. Next, this pipe design was mirrored and overlaid creating a net which ran through the internal space of the brick and reaching into its corners. Once all the pipes had been made, the two core elements needed to be made and the whole lot connected.

The core elements were designed symmetrically, including the top and bottom anchorage points. These anchorage points were used as starting points, first a spline was created after which it was revolved around the elements axis. Finally, the anchorage spaces were hollowed out by trimming the intersecting object.

Once the design was completed, the rhino file was exported and printed.

Team members: Antonio Tamez y and Daniela Quesada Rivas

Process

We decided to begin with an agreed triangulation design fro the composition of the mass, and then individually experimented with different trial bricks:

The first dealt with the extrusion of curves to form poly-surfaces as the body and structure of the lego brick. However this resulted in a bulkier configuration than originally envisioned, and we encountered problems boolean-joining the volumes.

Team members: Antonio Tamez & Daniela Quesada

This second assignment had the aim of fabricating a bench using laser cutting technology.  The end product was to become part of a larger additive collection of furniture. We were given a simple 3D model designed in Rhino and our task was to shape it into our desired shape. Some constrains had to be observed, such as the fixed dimensions of the furniture.

Visualizing the bench.

We first generated a cage around the original Rhino model, adding control points in the three dimensions, 5,7,5. These control points allowed us to morph the model into our desired shape, although it wasn’t as easy as we though it would be. Visualizing the shape was one thing, but actually getting it done properly imposed several challenges, specially because we had certain design restrictions.

First problems

We discovered that some of our ribs were not thick enough to make it pass the laser cutting process. These ribs were so thin they would have been burned during cutting, or worse, cause an accident in the machine. Not only that, but we also saw, after closer scrutinity, that despite our first attempt, the chair would probably not be able hold structurally, let alone carry the weight of a person. We decided to start from scratch and try a thicker, less wobbling approach for our design.

Second design

Just as before, we began working with the original Rhino shape, using the same cage with control points on the axis, 5,7,5. This time, however, we went for a cleaner, smoother design.

Once we obtained the shape we wanted and made the intersections, the next step was to unroll the pieces into the construction plane and arrange them like a puzzle in the frame that would serve as a template for them to be printed.

Laser cutting.

Assemlby