Ornamental Discretisation of Free-form Surfaces

Abstract

The adoption of digital planning methods has given rise to an unprecedented formal freedom in architectural design. Free-form shapes enjoy considerable popularity in architectural production today. However, these shapes prove to be notoriously hard to fabricate. In the course of a funded research project we investigated the approximation of continuous double-curved surfaces by discrete meshes consisting solely of planar facets, which can be fabricated efficiently using standardised, mass-produced building materials.We introduce our geometrical approach, which is based on the intersection of tangent planes to the surface, and present the digital tools we conceived to integrate the processes of design rationalisation and form-finding.

Prototyping Architecture: A flat-pack timber plate structure from design to production

“…There are several precedents of folded or segmented timber plate structures (Stitic and Weinand, 2015;Robeller et al, 2016;Tagliaboschi, 2020;Shah et al, 2022). Most structures either consist of interlocking plates (Henriques, 2012;Foged, Pasold and Jensen, 2014;Gatóo et al, 2022;Robeller et al, 2015;Bechert et al, 2018), and tenon joints (Robeller and Weinand, 2016;Rezaei Rad, Burton and Weinand, 2020) or comprise of individual panels that are connected with cleats (Schimek, Meisel and Bogenperger, 2010;Ruffo, Schimek and Wiltsche, 2011;Manahl, Stavric and Wiltsche, 2012). An interesting method and tool is Wood Frame grammar that connects plywood panels either with studs or with the help of structural connections, such as dog bones connectors (Sass, 2005).…”

Tree-Structure Canopy: A Case Study in Design and Fabrication of Complex Steel Structures using Digital Tools

“…In contrast to the Ornamental Discretisation of Free-form Surfaces approach described Manhal et.al. [2], where an algorithmic tool has been developed in order to tessellate double curved surfaces, the design team questioned and thus avoided the necessity of such complexity as part of their approach.…”

Digital fabrication and digital design

“…There are several tools that help designer keep up with competing geometric constraints, and substantial research emerging by both academia and praxis. Within the broader research area of facade rationalisation and panelling of free form surfaces, there are numerous parallel developments happening at Gehry Technologies (de Leon, 2012), Arup Tokyo (Amano, 2015), TU Graz (Manahl et al, 2012;Schimek et al, 2012;Stavric et al, 2010;Stavric and Wiltsche, 2011). The algorithm by Evolute GmbH which is included in the Evolute tools plugin that attempts to optimise on the planarity of panelization during the surface discretization process and configures the general layout with the aim to make each panel as planar as possible or within given tolerances set by the material (Cruz, 2013).…”