Latest announcement
Monday morning (21st april 2008) Alberto T. Estevez (Director of Genetic Architectures Masters program at Universitat International de Catalunya, Barcelona) came around to say CONGRAATULATIONS!!! to Genetic Architecture Masters team.
Introduction
The Tensegrity Tower Project, a one week intensive workshop, is the final segment of a larger, intensive four week seminar, Digital Biomimetics, conducted by Dennis Dollens in Alberto T. Estevez's Biodigital Master program at ESARQ, Universitat Internacional de Catalunya, Barcelona. The choice of a tensegrity, modular form, expressing morphological properties may not, at first be apparent in that tensegrity's inherent and traditional engineered geometries and requirements for tension and compression seem far from natural systems. Yet, beyond pure metaphor, the tower's cellular nature, the subtle branching elements following phyllotaxic and other biological mathematics related to nature, as well as the classes unusual consideration and exploration of inner geometries and potential transformational relationships to skins, membranes, and monocoques begins to open what seems like a closed system toward the intended use of the project as a research matrix. In class we have informally discussed questions pairing tensegrity compression and tension with biological cellular growth and biomimetics, as well as how far, within a system seemingly requiring tight symmetry could irregularities -genetic-like variation -be incorporated; we have conducted some informal discussion revolving around the incorporation of sensor systems for environmental effects and monitoring; and we have looked to Ernst Haeckel's 19th century drawings of radiolarians for struts, connecting surfaces, parametric-like surfaces, and perforations, as well as forms nested within forms. The project was conducted under extreme time restraints with the original mast forms being decided by the students amongst themselves from a one-hour charrette. Work was then sectioned into groups, a test structure built with a hand saw as a proof-of-concept, and then finally developed in Rhino for milling on the school's 3-axis machine made possible with the guidance and teaching of Affonso Orciuoli. The entire material organization, manufacturing and construction took place in three very, very long days and nights. Time did not allow physical, inner-cellular detailing; for that we must look to the design documentation of materials as well as to photographic, prototypes, and drawing research panels. As constructed we see the tower as a physical expression of group ideas and collaboration physically realized in a 10 meter tower — an experimental stacking of balanced mechanical forms that have variation both in shape from bottom to top, as well as in the tower's asymmetrical twist.
Dennis Dollens
To continue reading, please click on one of the links below:
-- Monday 14th april 2008
-- Tuesday 15th april 2008
-- Wednesday 16th april 2008
-- The PROCESS of designing
-- Thursday 17th april 2008
-- Friday 18th april 2008 (UPDATED WITH FINAL RESULT)
Friday, April 18, 2008
Friday, 18th april 2008
This was the final day of Tencellity Tower assembly. At 10AM there were just another 14 cells to go to reach the top. And at 10PM everything was finished. Team work and common understanding lead to the planned result.
Anas and Gabriel adding node poins for later attachment of the "skin"
Assembly at the cell number 12
Look downwards
Pure detail
Cell detail in the middle of the tower
Less than half way to go at 3PM
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GO BACK -- Thursday 17th april 2008
BACK TO THE BEGINNING -- Introduction
Three hours later, at 6PM we reached the cell number 15, height - 7,8 meters
Last five cells on the roof of our university building
Waiting for the last cells to be assembled
Meanwhile... Blazenka showing the scale of Anas, for representing the total height of the Tencellity Tower - 10 meters
Some minutes before finishing the tower - 9PM, fridays night (108 hours since we started on monday morning)
Group photo next to the finished tower
Look downwards to the finished tower
Look downwards to the finished tower
Look upwards to the finished tower from the middle
Tower going through the middle part of the stair constructions
Close-up detail with the Moon in the night sky
Finished tower in all its beauty at the UIC Barcelona campus
Last five cells on the roof of our university building
Waiting for the last cells to be assembled
Meanwhile... Blazenka showing the scale of Anas, for representing the total height of the Tencellity Tower - 10 meters
Some minutes before finishing the tower - 9PM, fridays night (108 hours since we started on monday morning)
Group photo next to the finished tower
Look downwards to the finished tower
Look downwards to the finished tower
Look upwards to the finished tower from the middle
Tower going through the middle part of the stair constructions
Close-up detail with the Moon in the night sky
Finished tower in all its beauty at the UIC Barcelona campus
Final words
On behalf of the Biodigital Masters team we would like to thank Dennis Dollens for his infinite will and participation, helpful hands, advices, thoughts and tremendous energy in leading the project "Tencellity Tower". We all are glad and happy You could come to teach us biomimetics and share your great personal experience here in Barcelona, in the spring semester 2008!
Welcome back to see us during this year and we will be glad to see you around LA as well...
Digitally signed in Barcelona by:
Arne, Antonio, Diego, Pau, Juan, Andrea, Alessio, Joana, Vivi, Theo, Isak, Anke, Anna, Blazenka, Marija, Gabriel, Daniel, Julian, Elif, Lamila, Aref, Anas
This is the last page. To continue reading, please click on one of the links below:
GO BACK -- Thursday 17th april 2008
BACK TO THE BEGINNING -- Introduction
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Thursday, 17th april 2008
This is the last day before end of this week. Parts milling was finished by 7PM which is about 80 hours since we started with the Tencellity Tower project. Elements were also varnished for better colour shade and waterproof features. At 8.30PM the assembly was still under maximum, involving almost all possible hands we have.
This morning started with heavy rainsfalls outside - weather forecast is not being friendlier either: rain will be present with stronger winds by friday
Waiting of the remaining last pieces to be milled; in background - Gabriel varnishing the elements
To continue reading, please click on one of the links below:
GO BACK -- The PROCESS of designing
GO NEXT -- Friday 18th april 2008
This morning started with heavy rainsfalls outside - weather forecast is not being friendlier either: rain will be present with stronger winds by friday
Theo surfing the milling machine: at some point extra weight of Theo was needed to keep the stock of plywood in its place
Waiting of the remaining last pieces to be milled; in background - Gabriel varnishing the elements
Dennis at the base of the Tencellity Tower, in the beginning of assembly in the site
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GO BACK -- The PROCESS of designing
GO NEXT -- Friday 18th april 2008
The PROCESS of designing
Here are just a few screenshots, visualizations and 3d modeling pictures of the "Tencellity Tower" to see how the project has developed.
Proposal of Antonio, some cells shown with the "skin"
Proposal of Antonio, Rhino wireframe, model and renders of the possible cell with "skin"
Proposal of Elif
Proposal of Vivi
To continue reading, please click on one of the links below:
GO BACK -- Wednesday 16th april 2008
GO NEXT -- Thursday 17th april 2008
Proposal of Antonio, some cells shown with the "skin"
Proposal of Antonio, Rhino wireframe, model and renders of the possible cell with "skin"
Proposal of Elif
Proposal of Vivi
Arefs work
Proposal of Anke and Isak, LEFT: this was chosen to be developed further for the final design; RIGHT: this is the new developed model, later on elaborated till details
Final design implemented design that is made out of four different cell builds that morph from one to another in a total of 20 cells. Each cell comprise three "C" shaped elements that connect in the middle. The morphing includes transition from straight lined element to almost a boomerang shaped element, varying in size and height.
Final projects close-up detail of the elements connection joining point, 3d ghosted-shaded view
Proposal of Anke and Isak, LEFT: this was chosen to be developed further for the final design; RIGHT: this is the new developed model, later on elaborated till details
Final design implemented design that is made out of four different cell builds that morph from one to another in a total of 20 cells. Each cell comprise three "C" shaped elements that connect in the middle. The morphing includes transition from straight lined element to almost a boomerang shaped element, varying in size and height.
Final projects close-up detail of the elements connection joining point, 3d ghosted-shaded view
Next three images are the "skin" groups final designs.
To continue reading, please click on one of the links below:
GO BACK -- Wednesday 16th april 2008
GO NEXT -- Thursday 17th april 2008
Labels:
connection,
details,
render,
Rhino,
visualization,
wireframe
Wednesday, 16th april 2008
Wednesday morning started with wiring works, getting the 1:1 test model its tension. Then it was taken to the site and after a brief review the design process of the final 20 cells could be started. As time passed, by night the first final pieces were already being milled on a CNC machine.
Busy construction site
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GO BACK -- Tuesday 15th april 2008
GO NEXT -- The PROCESS of designing
Undergoing cable wiring assembly
Now we gave it the first test on internal stability, tilting it slightly - structure holds itself like a 3d truss
Time to go outside, see the place and initiate final design discussions
Busy construction site
A top view without "skin" showing only the structure
After a successful test model 1:1 being done, our team of Biodigital Masters gathered for a small celebration of... Lamilas birthday!
Later on when it was already getting dark, the model was brought outside to the site again to test the visual features of the skin
Meanwhile the first final towers pieces were started to be cut out on a CNC machine
The three parts that touch the ground have "signature" engravings: TENCELLITY TOWER, BIODIGITAL MASTER ´08, ESARQ_UIC
To continue reading, please click on one of the links below:
GO BACK -- Tuesday 15th april 2008
GO NEXT -- The PROCESS of designing
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