martes, 3 de marzo de 2009

1st structural approach

While trying to think of how the structure must be, several examples of deployable structures passed infront of my eyes. From simple deployments to snap-through structures, which use buckling as mechanical factor for configuration.

First of all, the structure should have such a geometry that, at the same time it enables the contraction and deployment, is compatible with the environmental control elements (cladding or any other element that will serve for sunlight and rain control).

As a fisrt approach, a geometry was chosen that can, at first sight, achieve the configurations. This image shows a series of deployable arches that, when placed together, form a roof. A similar geometry can be taken into considereation for reproducing the desired configurations.

Another aspect of the structure should be the tesselation that would be chosen in order to cover the space. There are some kinds of tesselations that are more appropiate to use for planar, or at least, single curved structures. If the structure is double curved or has a free form, some other tesselations, or even diferent shape modules, should be necessary to achieve the final form.

In terms of ease for study the behavior of such a desired structure, first I will work with regular modular shapes. Therefore I am currently searching the posibilities of an hexagonal module and the way it fills a curved shape. Maybe after some geometric analysis, I find more appropiate to slightly change the module of completely replace it with other geometrical shape.
The main concerns at this point are two: 1. how to create a structure taht can also be compatible with the cladding: and 2. How would the two wings of the structure adapt to each other in order to work as one structural entity.


3 comentarios:

  1. Hi Perla, I've found something about kaleidocycles on the internet, which you might find interesting!! (deployable structures)

    http://www.ac-noumea.nc/maths/amc/polyhedr/kaleido1_.htm

    I've found this link via http://britton.disted.camosun.bc.ca/jbpolyhedra.htm where you can find some more links about this and other related subjects..

    good luck! Maria

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  2. Hi Perla,

    You are correctly coming across different issues.
    1) On one hand, working with deployable structures is geometrically constraining – due to the geometrical rules that need to be respected in order to achieve the deployability of the structure.
    2) On the other hand, cladding system is a big issue. It is already a difficult task when designed in order to simply follow the deployment of the structure. In your case it becomes even more complex since it integrates the possibility of an independent movement aimed to daylight control.
    I think you decomposed the problem quite well, by isolating the single issues. This is already a good point.

    Now, coming on how to solve them - and especially how to solve them within the course time schedule:

    1) Talking about the overall shape, I would suggest you two possible alternative ways for setting your work. You might want to work with regular shapes in order to reduce the complexity of your geometry. In this case, examples of arches, domes and so on are the ones you already found – beside them, of course, you are right, many more. Also out of scissor-like element structures’ domain. Using these regular shapes might be however not appealing/interesting as design for a public square roof. The square you are working on is also a quite irregular shape. Still, you could decompose this irregularity in regular portions and develop a concept for the roof (just a brief, very quick sketch) based on an interesting articulated composition of simple regular parts. And then for your research, you could pick up just one small part and developing only that one as example.

    Or, in alternative. You could very quickly (once more also in case just a concept) sketch a roof curved as you whish according to your design idea. You could therefore zoom in a part of that surface – just a small portion. For example a portion made out of 4 modules. And you can make clear that (in order to reduce the problem) your research focuses on these 4 modules as portion of a larger system. Once you developed these 4 modules, you can describe what/how you could potentially extend this approach to the overall shape – pointing out what you learned by this ‘limited’ 4 modules design and what the expected problems are in order to extend this design to a larger system.

    2) In both the above cases, about the cladding system:

    A premise/parenthesis: maybe even more interesting than adding a cladding system on top of a structure, would be studying a reconfigurable structure that integrates both big scale and small scale movements. There are a few studies going in this direction – see also reconfigurable polyhedra. However, I believe it would be too complex for a short term design project. And I think that (except if you have already in mind systems to integrate large and small movements) studying how to combine two systems (the structural one supporting big movements, and the cladding one for small scale movements) is already a very interesting task. Just keep in mind the idea of possible integration of them – that might also come up while designing them.

    Coming not to your design: to structure and cladding system, I would once more start by a very small portion. Please, post sketches and/or digital models about one deployable module in three configurations with its cladding system on these three configurations too. You will see how cladding system need to be moved in order to follow the structure without interfering in its movement. After that, add to this first module a second one. And see if and how the cladding systems of the two modules interfere in each other’s moments. Then do the same for a combination of 4 modules. Once you have a cladding system following the deployment, then start adding extra movements for the light control.


    The general meaning of this advice, is decomposing problems and searching for design solutions starting from simple situations and adding complexity step by step: first, one module’s deployment with cladding system, then deployment of a combination of modules with cladding system, then deployment of a combination of modules with cladding system + daylight control.

    Looking forward for your first sketches about you design.
    Michela

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