Areas Ripe for Parametric Design Exploration
Structural Components
As part of a lighting commission in The Hague, engineering firm Arup combined parametric design with 3D printed steel to great a new fastener joist. Recently they have started casting these with 3D printed sand molds, significantly reducing the production costs. The node on the right is 1/2 the size and is 75% lighter, significantly reducing the overall weight of the installation which used hundreds of these.
3D Printed Structures and Forms
(Arup was also involved in this and brought on as a structural engineer after their initial design was unsuccessful.)
The idea was to demonstrate the combination of multi-axis 3d metal printing merged with a parametric design that could continually be modified to fit the site, even during printing. Their original design used a topological design optimization to try and reduce the form to the simplest form possible. However due to regulatory and structural challenges they had to scrap this design. The overall printing process took 6 months, which might make it hard to bring this process to market with the current technology, but the resulting form is pretty damn cool.
Identify 2-3 creatives (designers, architects, etc) that are making interesting forms, objects, installations, or artifacts.
Refik Anadol
Anadol creates mesmerizing ‘data sculptures’ that. What I find most fascinating about his work is that their form is largely derived from the underlying data set, and attempt to make the unseen seen. However, many times, without explanatory text, the resulting forms lose their connection to the data set and become ‘pretty’.
From a process standpoint, he tends to begin by discovering interesting data sets, which he then parses using machine learning to unearth deeper connections and meaning in the data. The data is then transformed using shaders, creating the final visual output. The exact workflow varies greatly based on the data set and installation.
Robert Hencke & Christopher Bauder – Deep Web
“Deep Web is an installation using 12 high precision lasers and a matrix of 175 moving balloons to create a dramatic three-dimensional sculpture of lines and dots floating in space above the audience. The choreography is synced to a musical score played back in 8 channel surround sound.” via Robert Henke
For me, the interesting part of this project occurs in each of the spheres. Rather than rely on embedded LEDs in each ball, the balls actually diffuse the incoming color from the laser projectors and allow for color mixing, when multiple projectors hit each sphere.
While this work definitely sits in the ‘spectacle’ category, seeing the level of focus that the audience has while watching, makes me believe that in-person it transcends the Instagram catnip paradigm and creates something that requires greater attention and creates an intimate shared experience.
