MODULE 03 | Myportfolio

MODULE 3

Pattern vs. Surface

Thinking, Design, Technology, and Modelling

Thinking how to design the model is one of the most important parts of this assignment. It includes how to design the model based on the terrain provided and create a strong visual effect. By analysing my terrain, I found it is very flat and is a downward slope topographically. I thought my terrain is boring and is not very good to produce something creative and interesting. However, it inspired me and I want to create an elegant, peaceful, and continuous flow on the surface.

After having this idea, I started to design the basic module objects that would be applied to combine the surface. Since I want the surface looks elegant and peaceful, the outline of the basic object cannot be very sharp or too dramatic. As a result, I designed the six basic module objects (1) that look uncomplicated but not simple. The middle and right module objects in the second row have the same outline but different direction, which makes them have a sense of rhyme. For the right figure in the front row, the two pyramids have different trends, giving a strong contrast. The two objects on the left side are combined with various pyramids that have different heights. In short, I want to make these basic module objects look more interesting.

1. The Six Basic Module Objects

After finish creating these panels, I began to design the surface based on the terrain provided and the objects I designed. As I mentioned before, I want to my surface has a continuous and beautiful flow. I decided to use the curve attractor (2a) in the Rhino during the process of digital modelling. Using a curve can create a movement on the surface to break the stillness of the surface. It would make the surface "alive". What's more, the shape of the movement is inspired by the river bend. In order to create a sense of elegance and balance, I made some areas of the surface are open and some are closed.

One thing keeps one sense all the time is boring. To breaking the rhyme, I decided to replace some panels on the surface (2b) by using more complicated objects. These parts of my surface would create a strong visual contrast.

However, at first glance, my those parts seem unnoticeable, but I wanted the viewers to feel it. You can find the surface (3) I designed has a strong visual effect that involves using balance and rhyme, moving flow, etc. with your observation processes.

2. The Process of Digital Modelling 2a. The Offset Points and the Curve Attractor 2b. The Original Digital Model

3. The Final Digital Model

The next stage is making a physical paper model. According to Iwamoto's Digital Fabrication, digital technology can narrow the gap between the virtual model and physical artefact. Rhino is quite useful during the process of making the model. So I started to unroll each panel on the surface. After unrolling, I got the surface of each objects (4).

4. The Unrolled Surfaces of Panels

5. The Process of Physical Modelling 5a. The Surfaces of panels 5b. How to cut off the surface from the Ivory card and fold it 5c. Folded Panels 5d. The Photo of Final Model

At the stage, I needed to pint all the unrolled surfaces of each module object in actual size in the normal paper (5a) and then cut them off from the Ivory card (5b). And this step is time-consuming. I needed to do better time management to finish folding all the panels (5c). When all the panels were folded, I combined them following the digital model’s order. But the problem of this step was I could not show the height of the terrain which meant it would affect the visual effect of the paper model (5d).

The final step of the assignment is taking pictures of the paper model. The challenge I faced in the step was how to represent the details, beauty, elegance of the paper model. Due to I could not restore the height and slope of the original terrain, the images I took were not very satisfying. However, they still have some good points to take (6).

6. The Pictures of Details of the Model

Module 3 requires using a number of techniques to create a digital model and physical craftwork. Using Rhino is a significant part of the creative process, from creating the surface based on my original terrain to unrolling the individual panels to flat or two-dimensional. I gained knowledge with digital work and improved skills with this software which is an integral part to nowadays architects.