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thinktank and the life aquatech: water generative design

Designing a structure based on the behaviors of water

This project was created by the students of the Architectural Association School of Architecture in London. They derived the shape from studying fluid liquid movements – the way it moves, how it shapes it self in containers, how it reacts on surfaces. The flow and direction of the structure are particularly noted for the final creation also takes into account of the water cycle.

I like how the project takes a very natural elements and uses that to base the structure. Not only is the shape unique and interesting, the structure also takes account the of human interaction and comfort. When it rains, the sculpture is also designed to collect, distribute, and store water, thus also providing a environmental friendly piece. I usually expect very stiff or geometric forms when it comes to a computational piece; however, I enjoy how this piece integrates the environment as inspiration and saves rain water while inside, people can appreciate markets, plazas, and other enjoyments.

The artists definitely used a unique algorithm to measure something as fluid as water in order to study the movements and directions.

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http://pdf.mmci.uni-saarland.de/projects/DirectionalScreens/

This is the new directional screen created by a group of six individuals, whose goal was to maximize a movie screen’s image quality across all perspectives of the audience members. Currently, much of the light and energy from screens are also displayed onto the walls, ceilings, and floors. To solve this problem by creating greater energy efficiency, this team of people created a new screen using CNC mills to design individual square panels compiled with tiny mirroring facet surfaces to project light solely onto the audience. This new design further accentuates the resolution and color reproductions of the project being exhibited, making it up to 15 times brighter than a simple matted screen. I was amazed at how practical and universal this new design could be in the future world of cinema. Before, I held the preconceived notion that computational fabrication was purely a visual art. Little did I know that it could also very well be applied in everyday life.

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Creator: Can Pekdemir

Title of Work: Procedural Sculptures

Year of Creation: 2015

Link to Project Work: http://www.can-pekdemir.com/Procedural-Sculptures

Link to Artist Bio: http://www.can-pekdemir.com/About

Side view of Pekdemir’s procedural sculpture, which shows depths in the ridges formed.

Front view of Pekdemir’s procedural sculpture, showing its mimicry to a human bust.

Can Pekdemir is an Instanbul-based digital sculpture/video artist experimenting with the generation of bodily forms. Conventionally, his work is based in the digital and augmented reality realms where he focuses on applications of textures and morphs. The work above — part of a series titled Procedural Sculptures — are developed via procedural algorithms that mimic the pattern- and shape-making of natural-occurring forms. In his developmental process, Pekdemir focuses on modifications of the human form in ways often uncomfortable (such as headless quadrupeds) and structurally questionable — this convention is applicable to his procedural sculptures, which only resemble a familiar outline.

As a designer, I see his work as a means of modifying human perception on figures symbolically, scientifically, representationally, and expressively — all fundamental factors of communications design. As an artist, Pekdemir adjusts the rules to develop new ways of seeing, which fascinates me — the algorithmic approach gives new way to developing forms for human utility.

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Reading Professor Levin’s article, I found the most interesting parametrically generated art to be the data based projects. It is interesting that the parameters that dictate how the art looks aesthetically are largely out of the artists control. Laurie Frick is a famous data artist, known for her large drawings that map where she walked every day over a long period of time.

Floating Data (2014-2015) is one entry in this body of work, a 2-story high installation of 60 25x15ft laser cut aluminum panels. She collected data by wearing a GPS tracker, making hand drawn maps, counting steps, noting which places where busy and which were empty, etc. All of the data is aggregated into this colossal transparent map. While the data itself is mundane and represents routines that we all are familiar with, her fascination with these routines and obsessive documentation of them turn them into something beautiful.

http://www.lauriefrick.com/floating-data/80stjhcg96nxsmldyknon97zteq4kr

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(Eric van Straaten, Groomer , 2012)

Pictures from: http://marbellamarbella.es/2016-02-06/world-fine-art-professionals-and-their-key-pieces-70-eric-van-straaten/ and http://imgur.com/gallery/45CapMf

Link (#5 on the list): https://3dprint.com/34900/10-cool-3d-printed-artworks/

Eric’s art takes the advantage of 3D printers to create surreal models of human figures. His work ranges from enlarged body parts to miniature figures of human, with most of them being young girls. Through his series of work, Eric tries to express aging and especially his transition from being young to old. Eric calls the above 3D printed sculpture as a self-portrait. He wanted to express the worst stage of a man’s life that he going through at this moment.

Looking at this project, I really admire the quality of the 3D printed result. It is already amazing to look at the details through the screen, and I wonder what it would be like to look at it in real life. Although he hasn’t specified which 3D printer system he uses, he has expressed his love for digital art for being able to make mistakes, undo, and fix.

Looking Outwards 3:Computational Fabircation

This is Furniture project that collaborated with 3D printing technique. It is done by Studio Minale-Maeda. This project comes to me as inspirational project and differentiate from lots of 3D printed projects that I have seen. Most of 3D printed projects I have seen are consisted of abstract shapes, or stands out by itself. This was interesting concept because it is interacting with the other physical material as part of structural support with addition to its aesthetic. Generating this type of structure requires the understanding of the initial structure of the table, or any type of furniture, then removing some parts of structure and replace the existing with newly developed 3D printed parts.

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A project that I found particularly inspiring was “Sketch Furniture” (beginning in 2005) by FrontDesign.

The generative furniture works that were created by FrontDesign artists. (Image Credit: Front)

I found this project to be intriguing for what the artists might have been aiming to convey; that is, that their project follows the complete process of creation: the birth of an idea or sketch, the execution of the movements tracked by the Motion Capture, and the final product materialized in the real world via Rapid Prototyping. It surprises me that this project is over 10 years old and it boggles my mind the kind of potential we have today when it comes to 3D-printing (especially with regards to better, more efficient, and more optimized programs and technological advances that permeate into other fields such as bioengineering, architecture, and fashion.)

As for algorithms, the programming involved with the Motion Capture must be able to track and follow the strokes of the artists as they sketch while being able to maintain that form, save it within a 3D print file, and consequently materialize the sketch accurately using a machine to provide Rapid Prototyping.

Note: Unlike some other projects, the exact process and/or code and exact machinery involved with the project was not disclosed.

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A piece called Sunflowers made in 2013 by Rob and Nick Carter made an impression (sorry for the pun) on me. The work is a 3D replication of Vincent Van Gogh’s painting of the same name. The duo recreated the painting by translating the 2D brushstrokes into 360 degree perspective. They then used 3D printing to cast the sculpture in bronze. I admire the work because of the way it brings Van Gogh’s painting to life. It is a precise piece that displays the signature way in which Van Gogh painted. The movement and energy of his brushstrokes is seen in the sculpture. The algorithms for the base of the sculpture were not that refined. The great detail came in with the use of zbrush.

link

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3-D Printable Connectors

diy table surface supports

This project uses 3D printers and materials to lend a hand to more hands on projects that link computational projects to physical DIY projects. Overall, what I love is that this project solves is the common problem of the complexities involving dIY furniture construction; therefore only enhancing a non-computer activity, rather than entirely replacing it.

Not only does this project help the building part of furniture construction, but it also has goals in more efficient packaging, given that the larger wooden pieces can be flat-packaged with these connectors.Even more, buyers would be able to create their own furniture from scratch if desired with these easy to use parts.

diy furniture connector plastic

Although I am not sure about what the artists inspirations were or what algorithms were used, I do know that the solution uses strong triangular shapes for structural support and requires only the most basic screwdrivers to finish the product.

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Daniel Omar with a 3D-printed prosthetic arm

Technology has developed greatly in the medical field. Computation fabrication has allowed a new door for prosthetic limbs. Ian Birrell, in the Guardian Article written in February 2017, discusses the story of Ivan Owen, an artist who helped others by creating 3D models of prosthetics. One of the story shared was about Liam, a five-year old with missing fingers. While Owen knew he could make the prosthetics fairly easily, the concern of Liam’s rapid growth bothered him. Therefore, Owen made a 3D prosthetics model that could be resized and reprinted whenever needed. This allows Owen to always change the fit of the prosthetics as needed, as well as be able to produce it in a cheaper method than hand creating the object himself. Computational fabrication has allowed for more people to have access to prosthetics, helping those in need.