Sunday, 15 January 2017

Evaluation Report



In recent years, use of material has been more and more innovative, from replacing the material of ordinary projects using new sustainable materials to challenging the limit of production using digital technology. It is due to the developing of technology and increasing awareness of environmental concern.

Through the lessons and blog research, I become more aware of environmental issues and realized the choose of material could influence environment a lot, especially for the everyday projects. "Agar Plasticity" (replacing plastic by seaweed), "Forest Wool" (using pine needles to produce furniture) and "Pinatex" (using pineapple leaves to produce leather) are three projects I have written about transforming leftover material in an innovative way to generate sustainable designs.  They are all environmental-friendly and could biodegrade after use.  It inspired me to consider the dispose of materials used for contemporary architecture structures, as what I am studying. I remember seeing "The Smile" from the London design festival in the Parade ground being smashed after exhibited. It would be more sustainable if the structure could be adapted to suit other functions or build by another material which could be easily dissembled and reused.

"The Smile" from the London design festival
It changes my understanding of the digital design process. I used to dislike 3d-printing and other data-driven designs and attracted by the tactility and subtlety of handmade products.  It is because I consider the digital design is more like production process by machines rather than a human design process. However, this opinion of the digital design process has been changed since we had the first lecture when I saw the Solar Sinter project by Markus Kayser, using sun and sand as a 3d printer in a desert. Compare to the traditional 3d printing process, it uses " sun's rays instead of a laser and sand instead of resins".(Labaco, 2013.) This is the first time I realized 3d printed could be used in a different way. There is another project drew my interests on 3d printing, the Swiss pavilion in the 2016 Venice architecture biennale. It is a cloud-like exterior with a cavernous interior that people could climb on. The structure was generated using 3d-printer, combine with human interpretation.

 Solar Sinter project by Markus Kayser
 Solar Sinter project by Markus Kayser

I was really interested in the innovation of 3d printing process and have researched and written few blog posts about it. The 3d printed hair by MIT mediated group is really impressive in the way it is extremely complicated, tactile and soft, while traditional 3d printed projects are hard. The death mask by Nari Oxman using data-driven and 3d printing techniques visualized breath, which is very difficult to capture. The silk pavilion and the pavilion build by 3d printer pen open new possibilities for 3d printing and go beyond the limit of the size of the printer and the layering printing system.

The advantage of using digital technology in design is inevitable. "Based on mathematical functions, the software-generated design allows for the development of new forms of geometries that would be hard if not impossible to conceive or produce with the same precision by means of traditional methods."(Christiane, 2013) I realized that 3d printers are machines. What it will produce depend on how people use it.  Human instinct is always vital in the digital design process and machines could be modified or developed depends on human needs.

Overall, by browsing through design websites to search up-to-date projects for my blog, I realized sustainability and digital processing seems indispensable in all design discplines. The innovative materials and methods really challenged my preconceived notions of value. I started to questioning the possibly usual combination of material and objects. As for spatial design, materials are the most important components and I always go to the material I used to, like timber and concrete. However, experimental materials may create surprise, especially for the model. Furthermore, I really hope one day I will have the opportunity to experiment with digital devices in design. I think it will open a lot of possibilities in terms of ascetics and functions.


Reference

Christiane, P. (2013). Objecthoods From the Desktop. In: T. Ronald, ed., Out of Hand: Materializing the Postdigital, 1st ed. London: Black Dog Publishing Limited, p.10.

Labaco, R. (2013). Out of hand. 1st ed. London: Black Dog Publishing, p.40.


Friday, 6 January 2017

A Pavilion Built by a 3D Printer Pen



Introduction

A team at the University of Tokyo’s Obuchi laboratory, overseen by architect Kengo Kuma, has created complicated architecture structures out of plastic sticks using a self-developed 3D-printing pen. The largest structure built by the team is a small pavilion on show at the Ozone Gallery. "The project is one of the most ambitious creations in 3D-printing pens that have been developed by researchers in recent years." (Frearson, 2016)


Process

Thermoplastic strings would come out from the 3d printing pen once the trigger was squeezed.  "Initially these strings are hot, vicious and sticky, but they cool to become more like a slightly bendy clear plastic", and therefore form the space. (Frearson, 2016) To solve the lack of precision of hand drawing, a digital tracking system was used to calculate the precise positions of the sticks whiling building the structure.


The foundationn was  "made with aluminum rods that have been inserted into pre-drilled sheets of plywood. The acrylic rods are inserted and the filament is then drawn on top of this simple base."(Grunewald, 2016) Therefore the foundation could be completely hidden with ground cover, leaving only the rods and strings on the top. For the prototype in Ozone Gallery, the foundation was covered by river stones.


"The structures are meant to only last about nine months," because the hanging string will lose some of their strength. However, reinforcing weak area is not difficult, by adding extra strings to the structure.(Frearson, 2016)


Analysis

Flexibility is one big advantage of 3d printing pens. Compare to current 3D printers that couldn't print objects larger than the size of the printer itself, 3d-printing pen has no limitation in size and is free to make any complex forms in any locations and by any people. "It is ideal for the team to invite the public to adapt and extend the structure."(Hiorns, 2016) As "Kevin Clement, a member of the project team says that: 'What makes this system interesting for us is that the shape can be modified to match different site conditions, and it is simple to add or subtract members to the construct, allowing it to grow and adapt to user preferences.'"(Frearson, 2016)

Technology was initially used to replace human labour and increase efficiency. However, human instinct could not be ignored in the design process. This project really connects the digital machine with human interpretation and demonstrates that human intuition has a role to play in digital construction.


Reference

Frearson, A. (2016). Tokyo students develop architectural 3D-printing pen. [online] Dezeen. Available at: https://www.dezeen.com/2016/02/22/tokyo-university-research-students-3d-printed-pen-complex-architectural-structures-plastic/ [Accessed 5 Jan. 2017].

Grunewald, S. (2016). Tokyo University Students Use Custom 3D Printing Pen to “Draw” Large 3D Structures. [online] 3DPrint.com. Available at: https://3dprint.com/121439/tokyo-u-3d-pen-structures/ [Accessed 5 Jan. 2017].


Hiorns, B. (2016). Tokyo Students design an architectural 3D Printing Pen. [online] Creativepool.com. Available at: http://creativepool.com/magazine/design/tokyo-students-design-an-architectural-3d-printing-pen.7828 [Accessed 5 Jan. 2017].


Wednesday, 4 January 2017

Lazarus: The Death Masks Visualise the Wearer's Last Breath



Introduction

In the new design museum, there is one project that immediately watched my eye. It is the Lazarus mask, which is a collection of death mask that could visualize the wears' last breath by Nari Oxman and MIT Mediated Matter group. It is a 3D printed portraiture, like an air urn that contains facial features and the spatial enclosure of their last breath of the deceased individual.


Traditional Death Mask

Death Mask is "traditionally made of a single material, such as wax or plaster" (Bader et al., 2016). It is often hand made by taking a cast or impression directly from the corpse. In some culture, like Egyptians would "bury the death mask which the individual as they believed it could imbue the wearer with the power of the deceased."(Cannizzaro, 2013) In middle age, the death mask became more like a way of preserving the memory of the deceased.

Traditional death mask
Process

Unlike the traditional handmade analog, the process of making Lazarus is mainly digital with additive manufacture.  "The masks were printed using a multi-material voxel printing method that deposits layers of droplets sequentially in an “inkjet-printer-like process” onto a build platform. " (Lau, 2016) The team invented a software model complicated shape based on data "at a per-pixel resolution, comparable in size to a single sale." (Lau, 2016)


The design of the shape of the death mask and its material composition is informed by the "physical flow of air and its distribution across the surface"(Bader et al., 2016). It was generated by three data," including a heat map of the last breath, a map of the wearer's face, and the path the flow of air takes across the face."(Morby, 2016) The software transformed the data into a three-dimensional design and finally printed by a 3d printer.


Analysis

Most technology is used for designing more efficient and sustainable objects or system that are usually futuristic. However, this project emphasis on past civilization and culture heritage.  The advanced technology was used to reimagine ancient artifacts, transforming them to contemporary arts. "The team expresses the contemporary technological spirit in their version of ancient artifacts. "(Wu, 2016) It is interesting that the project enlivens the new through the ancient, and the ancient through the new.

I was touched by the project on how it transformed a subtle, ephemeral and personalized object like breath to a timeless art piece. It could not be done without the computational design and technologies they invented. In this project, "the technique defines an expression as much as the expression defines the techniques"(Oxman, 2016) It is interesting to see how art and technology is pushing each other forwards.  This high-end technology could be interpreted in lots of areas.The ability to fine-tune properties in high resolution could lead to the design and manufacture of "advanced biomedical devices, self-healing materials, and highly customized building skins." (Lau, 2016).


Reference 

Bader, C., Kolb, D., Sharma, S., Smith, R., Weaver, J. and Oxman, N. (2016). Vespers: Lazarus Environment | London Design Museum. [online] Matter.media.mit.edu. Available at: http://matter.media.mit.edu/environments/details/vespers-lazarus [Accessed 4 Jan. 2017].


Cannizzaro, A. (2013). 7 famous Death Masks in History. [online] Biography.com. Available at: http://www.biography.com/news/famous-death-masks [Accessed 4 Jan. 2017].

Lau, W. (2016). Vespers, the Latest Mask Collection by MIT's Neri Oxman. [online] Architect. Available at: http://www.architectmagazine.com/technology/vespers-the-latest-mask-collection-by-mits-neri-oxman_o [Accessed 4 Jan. 2017].

Oxman, N. (2016). Neri Oxman in conversation with Justin McGuirk. In: J. Mcguirk and G. Herrero, ed., Fear and Love: Reactions to Complex World, 1st ed. London: Phaeton.

Morby, A. (2016). Neri Oxman's Lazarus death masks visualise the wearer's last breath. [online] Dezeen. Available at: https://www.dezeen.com/2016/12/12/neri-oxmans-lazarus-death-masks-visualise-the-wearers-last-breath/ [Accessed 4 Jan. 2017].

Wu, A. (2016). Death Masks From MIT Capture Your Dying Breath. [online] ArchDaily. Available at: http://www.archdaily.com/800176/death-masks-from-mit-capture-your-dying-breath [Accessed 4 Jan. 2017].


Sunday, 1 January 2017

Silk Pavilion by MIT Media Lab



Introduction

Silk pavilion is a dome-like suspended structure firstly woven by a robotic arm using silk fibres, which was then finished by live silkworms. This project by MIT Media Lab's mediated matter group unprecedentedly combined scientific research, digital designs, and biological fabrication techniques together in an architecture scale.


Process

"Inspired by the silkworms' ability to generate a 3D cocoon out of a single multi-property silk thread (1km in length)" (Kayser et al., 2013) Researchers motion tracked silkworm's movements by attaching small magnets to their head to collect data, which allows the robotic arm to imitate the way silkworm build its cocoon. The robotic than "deposits across 26 flat polygonal metal frames"(Howarth, 2013) as the primary geometry of the pavilion, using a single continuous thread across patches providing various degrees of density just like the silkworms. These panels together form a dome that suspended from the ceiling.


For the secondary structure, "6500 silkworms was positioned at the bottom rim of the scaffolding spinning flat non-woven silk patches as they locally reinforced the gap across silk fibers."(Kayser et al., 2013) Because of the worms were like to immigrate to a dark area, the fibres were laid denser on the northwest side of the structure.



Analysis

I found this project really interesting on how it intensely connects biology and technology. The correlation between silkworm and the robotic arm is fascinating, as"the research shows the blind instinct of silkworms is sometimes revealed as almost machine-like" (Stott, 2013). Because of the behavior of worms are affected by environment, the density and thickness could be the control on structural and environmental constraints, which makes it more like a mobile 3D multi-material printer.

It opens new possibilities to what 3D printer could be like. As Neri Oxman, the director of Mediated Matter group believes, " by studying natural process such as the way silkworms build their cocoons, scientists can develop ways of 'priming' architectural structures more efficiently than can be achieved by current 3D printing technology." Traditional 3D printing was limited by the granted-size poses and layering structure. "The gantry limitations can be overcome by printing using multiple interactive robot printers, and process limitations can be overcome by moving from layering to weaving in 3D space using a robotic arm." Oxman indicated this in Deezen interviews(Fairs, 2013).  I always found 3D printing objects have similar structures if we could be free of these limitations it would have numerous possibilities for what could be print more than we could imagine.


Reference

Fairs, M. (2013). MIT researchers to 3D print a pavilion by imitating silkworms. [online] Dezeen. Available at: https://www.dezeen.com/2013/03/13/mit-researchers-to-3d-print-a-pavilion-by-imitating-silkworms/ [Accessed 1 Jan. 2017].

Howarth, D. (2013). Silkworms and robot work together to weave Silk Pavilion. [online] Dezeen. Available at: https://www.dezeen.com/2013/06/03/silkworms-and-robot-work-together-to-weave-silk-pavilion/ [Accessed 1 Jan. 2017]

Kayser, M., Laucks, J., Duro-Royo, J., Uribe, C. and Oxman, N. (2013). Silk Pavillion Environment | CNC Deposited Silk Fiber & Silkworm Construction | MIT Media Lab. [online] Matter.media.mit.edu. Available at: http://matter.media.mit.edu/environments/details/silk-pavillion [Accessed 1 Jan. 2017].

Stott, R. (2013). Silk Pavilion / MIT Media Lab. [online] ArchDaily. Available at: http://www.archdaily.com/384271/silk-pavilion-mit-media-lab [Accessed 1 Jan. 2017].

Friday, 23 December 2016

Dress Made from Pure Mycelium



Introduction

Dutch designer Aniela Hoitink has made a revolutionary garment using pure mycelium, which is the vegetation part of a mushroom fungus.

Material and Techniques

"Mycelium has been predominantly used in a solid state in combination with a substrate."(Mail Online, 2016) However, Aniela developed texitiles consisting only mycelium after researching. Taking inspiration of the 'soft bodies' species that grow themselves repeatedly and follows some kings of modular pattern, Aniela built her textiles in module system. "The discs of mushroom stick to each other to form a fabric, allowing Aniela to shape a dress on a mannequin without any sewing."(Mail Online, 2016) It also allows all the material potentially to be used, without any leftover during the making process.. One big advantage of modules is that it could be easily assembled and disassemble. In such way, the garment could be easily repaired without interfering the look of the fabric, by simply adding a new patch to cover the broken part.  It becomes a living product. "'The garment can be built three-dimensionally and shaped whilst being made, fitting the wearer's wishes,' said Hoitink. 'Thus, it is possible to create mycelium patterns, to adjust the length of the garment or for example to add elements'."(Morby, 2016) The material is also biodegradable. It could be  left in the ground without creating any waste


Analysis

Textile is usually been regarded as a static object and the consistency is what we pursue. Nowadays, consumption rate is keeping increasing. Clothes are disposable and hardly be repaired if broken. The garments made from mycelium is a slow project in the fast mass production industry. "The Petri dishes have to be left for a week-and-a-half to allow them to grow and Aniela needed 350 discs to make one dress."(Mail Online, 2016) Although it is not efficient compared to other material, I think it is an advantage as the time need for growing adds liveness subtleness to the material and make the garments more cherishable. Aniela wanted to change the way we use textile and I think it is successful.


Reference

Morby, A. (2016). Aniela Hoitink creates dress from mushroom mycelium. [online] Dezeen. Available at: https://www.dezeen.com/2016/04/01/aniela-hoitink-neffa-dress-mushroom-mycelium-textile-materials-fashion/ [Accessed 23 Dec. 2016].

Mail Online. (2016). Designer creates dress from MUSHROOM ROOT. [online] Available at: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-3561205/Is-FUNGUS-future-fashion-Designer-grows-eco-friendly-dress-mushroom-root-just-one-week.html [Accessed 22 Dec. 2016].


Thursday, 22 December 2016

Fibre Extraction Technique Turns Plant Waste Into New Material



Introduction

Waste is not only an environmental problem but also and economic loss.  Because of the long degradation process, products have been accumulated forming a huge amount of waste. Designers have researched in transforming these leftover resources in the mass production industry to new materials. "Forest Wool" and "Piñatex" are two great examples.

"Forest Wool"

 The world’s primary ingredient of timber is pine trees. "Every year 600 million pine trees are cut down in the EU only. But there is more to the tree than just wood: pine needles account for 20 to 30 percent of its mass. " (Orjola, 2016) Designer Tamara Orjola researched the value of pine needles, which is the leftover material in the industry, and transformed it to an innovative and sustainable material.

"By crushing, soaking, steaming, binding and pressing the needles, Orjola extracts the pine needles' fibre and transforms it into textiles, composites, and paper. The process also allows essential oils and dye to be extracted and used." (Tucker, 2016) Orjola has made a pair of minimal benches and oval carpet from this material and exhibited them in dutch design week.

Because mass production is unwilling to adopt less sufficient source, valuable material and technique have been forgotten. Orjola's project is aim to bring that back.



"Piñatex"

Pineapple leaves have been regarded as an agricultural-by product and are often burned or left or rot. "An estimated 40,000 tons of this pineapple waste is generated globally each year" (Tucker, 2016) Piñatexis a unique natural and sustainably made from pineapple leaf. This animal-friendly material could be used as an alternative to leather.




" The fibres are extracted from the leaves during a process called decortication, which is done at the plantation by the farming community. Furthermore, the by-product of decortication is bio-mass, which can be further converted into organic fertilizer or bio-gas." "Both the extraction of the fibers and the consequent bio-mass will bring added revenue stream to the  farming communities." (Anam, 2016) The fibres have then been through an industrial process with local factories to become a nonwoven textile.

"The fabric is strong, versatile, breathable, soft, light, flexible, and can be easily printed on, stitched and cut." (Anam, 2016) It can be used for making clothes, shoes, bags or furniture.

Local Factories in the Philippines separate strains and felt them together into a non-woven fabric

Commonalities

These two projects are both extremely environmentally friendly. They focus on the leftover material which has usually been ignored,  and turned these waste into new materials for production. In terms of techniques, they both transform the original material by extracting fibre from them. By doing this, the waste transformed to a completely different and biodegradable material.

Wider Implications of Nature Fibre

"There has been an increasing interest in biodegradable renew- able composites reinforced with plant fibers."(Faruk et al., 2012) These materials have been sufficient due to intensively researched developed and frequently applied new compositions and process.  While environmental awareness and the demand for sustainable technology is rapidly increasing.  "The use of natural fibers instead of traditional reinforcement materials, such as glass fibers, carbon, and talc, provides several advantages, including low density, low cost, good specific mechanical properties, reduced tool wear and biodegradability. " (Ayrilmis, Ashori and Heon, 2016) Furthermore, the ingredient is profoundly avaliable make it a good area to research in. Plant fiber has been used to produce packaging, furniture, clothes, etc. I believe as the environmental awareness increasing and technology developing, nature fibre will be developed into a greater variety of products and commonly used by people.


Reference

Anam, A. (2016). Introducing Piñatex™ - ananas anam. [online] Available at: http://www.ananas-anam.com/pinatex/ [Accessed 21 Dec. 2016].

Ayrilmis, N., Ashori, A. and Heon, J. (2016). Properties and Utilization of Plant Fibers and Nanocellulose for Thermoplastic Composites. In: P. Visakh and S. Lüftl, ed., Polyethylene-Based Biocomposites and Bionanocomposites, 1st ed. Scrivener Publishing LLC, p.406.

Faruk, O., Bledzki, A., Fink, H. and Sain, M. (2012). Biocomposites reinforced with natural fibers: 2000–2010. Progress in Polymer Science, 37(11), pp.1552-1596.

Orjola, T. (2016). Forest wool. [online] Tamaraorjola.com. Available at: http://www.tamaraorjola.com [Accessed 21 Dec. 2016].

Tucker, E. (2016). Leather alternative Piñatex is made from pineapple leaves. [online] Dezeen. Available at: https://www.dezeen.com/2016/06/09/pinatex-ananas-anam-vegan-leather-alternative-ethical-recycled-pineapple-leaves-sustainable-materials-design-camper/ [Accessed 21 Dec. 2016].

Tucker, E. (2016). Tamara Orjola makes furniture and textiles using pine needles. [online] Dezeen. Available at: https://www.dezeen.com/2016/11/07/tamara-orjola-forest-wool-pine-needle-furniture-textiles-sustainable-dutch-design-week-2016/ [Accessed 21 Dec. 2016].




Wednesday, 21 December 2016

The Miracle of Self-cleaned Wall



Introduction

Biomimicry is the imitation of the models, systems, and elements of mother nature to find solutions to complex design problems. "Yet as we become more and more concerned about the environmental impact of our behaviour, biomimicry is becoming fashionable."(O'Connell, 2009) StoCoat Lotusan is a biomimicry product that already on the market that yield some big results. It duplicated the microstructure of the lotus leaf, to create self-cleaning wall surface.

StoCoat Lotusan

The conventional facades that exposed to the prevailing weather usually damp and dirty. StoCoat Lotusan is a facade paint that keeps walls clean and dry for longer, and therefore against algae, bacteria, and fungus to build up. It mimics the water repellent process discovered in the leaves of the lotus plant. "The fine structure of lotus leaf reduces the contact surface area water and dirt could cling to. Raindrops simply run off and take dirt with them."(StoLotusan Color, n.d.) StoCoat Lotusan is the first product that has incorporated the technical attributes of the lotus-effect. "It is available in various colour and could be applied to mineral, cementitious and concrete surfaces."  (StoLotusan Color, n.d.)

The microstructure of a lotus leaf at 7000 x magnification
The successful transfer of the lotus-effect into StoLotusan Colour.

Lotus Effect

the Lotus-Effect developed by botanist Dr. Wilhelm Barthlott. As mentioned above. It is about the self-cleaning system of the lotus leaf. "Scientists have discovered that this is because the surface of each leaf contains nanometer-sized waxy bumps that prevent dirt and water from adhering. Because the valleys between the bumps are too small for dirt particles to get into, the dirt stays suspended on the tops of the bumps. When a water droplet falls on the leaf, it is also suspended on top of the waxy bumps."(Nye, n.d.) Therefore, this "nano-mountain" structure is possible could be used to make all kinds of self-cleaning and non-stick material. StoLotusan paint is one successful example.



Analysis

I always think nature contains profound and genius precedents for creation. “If you look at all the creations that have gone extinct versus all that are still alive today, it’s a tenth of one percent,” (Benyus, 2002) Because of the nature selection process, the remains must have the best solution against the outer circumstance, and also work with the ecosystem. Nature could lead us to come up with inventive designs and productive, successful collaborations."Imitating natural systems is about trying to mimic the amazing effectiveness of ecosystems, where the waste from one system or animal is used as the nutrients for another," says Michael Pawlyn. we could learn a lot about sustainable and environmentally friendly design from nature. StoLotusan paint is one of the examples that borrow the self-efficient cleaning system from nature and therefore walls could last longer and look nicer.

I also realized that, while designing products or buildings,  it is important to think out of the things you are making and consider the influence it may cause to surrounding in a larger time frame like nature do.


Reference

Benyus, J. (2002). Biomimicry. 1st ed. New York: Perennial.

Nye, J. (n.d.). Lotus Leaf Effect Part 1: In Nature Part 2: In Technology. University of Wisconsin-Madison

O'Connell, S. (2009). Biomimicry: why the world is full of intelligent design. [online] Telegraph.co.uk. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/5479418/Biomimicry-why-the-world-is-full-of-intelligent-design.html [Accessed 21 Dec. 2016].

StoLotusan Color - The unique facade paint that keeps walls clean and dry for longer. (n.d.). 1st ed. [ebook] Sto Ltd. Available at: http://www.p3.co.uk/collateral/StoLotusan_Colour.pdf [Accessed 20 Dec. 2016].

Learning from nature | Michael Pawlyn | TEDxLondonCity2.0. (2016). [video].