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MAA 2014-2015
MAA 02
MAI
Valldaura Labs
Open Thesis Fabrication
Research Trips
SELF ORGANIZING BRANCHING_experiment 02
For this experiment the materials used were, wax, plaster and soapy water+wax. The mappings were a 2×2 and a 3x3cm grid and the length was 40cm.
Being able to use materials that can freeze the moment makes it easier to analise the results but on the other hand it loses the on going possibility of self organizing over and over again.
Because of technical difficulties it was impossible to dip the sample more than once, and that made the results very unstable. I’m now working on a new apparatus that will allow even longer samples to be dipped many times giving them more stability.
SELF ORGANIZING BRANCHING_experiment 01
The first experiment uses soapy water and wool threads to simulate self organizing branching. Different mapping and different lengths were used to test the conditions in which the branching happens.
Master Project Theme IV: Contextualizing Digital fabrication
Each student can further their fab-bots in a certain way, now there are variations in the robots, some students are developing their projects through computation and potential outcomes, while others are researching on the fabrication techniques and how to add systems to have it fabricating different prototypes. There are also others with Vernacular research interests where their robots will be sited in. Students discussed these ideas with team Olaf Gipser and Faculty Marta Malé-Alemany, on how to develop their projects.
Master Project Theme I: Eco-Machinic Apparatus

The eco-Machinic Apparatus is developing, each student presented their starting ideas to Marco Poletto and Claudia Pasquero from the ecoLogic Studio. They discussed natural systems, how students could interpret and develop their work through out the next month. Material properties, natural systems , light and sound systems of various types were explored. There will be more research done through out the week.
IAAC Lecture Series_June 4th < Toni Kotnik
“Structure as Diagram: From Typology to Topology in Structural Design”
Toni Kotnik
Principal of Kotnik.architects

Toni Kotnik
Toni Kotnik studied architecture and mathematics at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich, the University of Tübingen, and the University of Utah and received his doctoral degree from the University of Zurich. He was research fellow at Center for the Representation of Multi-Dimensional Information (CROMDI), principal researcher at OCEAN design research network, postdoctoral researcher at the ETH Zurich and assistant professor at the University of Applied Sciences in Lucerne. Currently, he is studio master at the Emergent Technology and Design program at the Architectural Association in London, senior researcher at the chair of structural design at the ETH Zurich and principal of Kotnik.architects, a Zurich-based architectural office. His practice and research work has been published internationally and is focused on the interplay of digital architectural design, mathematics, and structural force flow.
Phototropes
Phototropes are a type of B.E.A.M. robotics that are both solar powered and light seeking. Phototropes reactions to light and shadows will be traced during the day in Barcelona public spaces as system of mapping human presence. Their movement will be tracked throughout the day on a substrate using a marking device, such as paint brush. This visualization will reveal something with is seemingly unnoticed – shadows.

