Inspired by the vast and infinite Channel Country, in Australia’s Outback, there is a strong reminiscence to the inevitable erosion from a constant yet patient force.
To create the tile, we began with a process of experimenting with the possibilities and limitations of the parameters of the hexagon – mainly the shape, size and quantities of the water excavation curves.
L-System
Voronoi Web
Bent Whirlpool
Lofting Curves
From this early point of experimentation, we moved into simplifying the process and the design. The result was to take a direct inspiration from natural. A beautiful, naturally occurring phenomenon known as the channel country.
Seemingly chaotic in many senses, the channel country follows a very simple order – the water flows along the path of least resistance, slowly creating rivers and networks in its wake. Ever changing, yet ever lasting.
The process to take this idea into a reality came when exploring tools in rhino. We understood that we could use the variants of gradients in an image to create depth on a 2-dimensional field.
From the drawings, it was a long and educational experience to understand how to transfer the imagined images into drawings, and then into a 3-dimensional field in Rhino.
The final output of the tiles into a built form was an interesting experience to say the least. Working with compressed foam-board had limitations of its own. Our mould suffered a crack after the first pour. Prior to that, machining had resulted in the CRC Milling Machine cutting a line through the side of the mould, leaving a hole to be filled by Stucco.
Although the cold weather significantly slowed down the progress of curing the concrete, we were able to overcome this by efficient time management to produce 6 full tiles as per the brief.