SOFT.abilities + HARD.brications
Southern California Institute of Architecture, Fall 2004
Critics: Marcelo Spina, Diego Petrate
Collaborators: Joshua Arnold, Asaf Mordoch

Program Statement:
Students are asked to generate topological and parametric variation through the use of animation tools in the Maya software program.

After conception, the project was refined / manipulated as 'NURB' surfaces in Rhino and then 'unrolled' (projected into two dimensions) for mechanical fabrication. Components (ribs & surfaces) were laser-cut from sheets of acrylic and then assembled manually. Each 'wing' is defined by the space between two edge curves; the system varies incrementally (amount of rotation, vertical displacement) based upon a matrix [image 1, 2, 3] of underlying 'snap points'.

* View final presentation board (plan, elevation, perspective, fabrication): pdf
 

Additional Studies:
Topological and parametric variation within organic patterns: in this case, weaving. Modular surfaces created by 'printing' (milling) a three-dimensional base, and then pressure-molding a sheet of acrylic.