Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Display Systems





Syllabus

FIU S C H O O L O F A R C H I T E C T U R E
ARC 5165 – DIGITAL FABRICATION Spring 2012

Instructor
Eric Goldemberg
E-mail: goldembe@fiu.edu
Office: PCA 387B - Phone: (305)348-1875
Office Hours: Tuesday 9am-11am, Thursday 9am-11am
Meeting: Tuesday 11am-12.15pm, Thursday 11am-12.15pm
Room: #175

DIGITAL FABRICATION - Strategies for Spatial Aggregation

Description
This course considers digital design and fabrication methodologies and techniques in architecture with an emphasis upon the use of laser cutting, CNC milling and 3d printing.

Pre-requisites
ARC 4058, ARC 5176

Course Objectives
The course will explore the use of CNC mill, 3d printer and laser cutter as the prime tools to explore spatial aggregation at multiple scales.
The pedagogy will focus on the configuration of three-dimensional armatures based on fabrication strategies such that the process of design observes principles of direct physical implementation via digital fabrication and its architectural effects in various scales.
The goal of the class is to test the potential of digital fabrication and to understand the scope of contemporary use of fabrication techniques oriented towards the implementation in studio, rehearsing scenarios of tectonic complexity and design refinement of architectural membranes.
The course will look at fabrication both as a means of representation and as a way to speculate on the generative capacity of physical systems.

Learning Outcomes
Students will work to integrate modeling techniques and strategies of making in pursuit of a clear understanding of the limitations and potentials of the fabrication equipment, allowing for a critical phasing and optimization of design skills.
Students will be able to assess the effects of different materials, grain, texture, scale and detail applied towards specific spatial and tectonic effects.
Research of Art Nouveau tectonics and ornamentation will be done in conjunction with visits to The Wolfsonian-FIU collections and library, in pursuit of an understanding of the conditions for a modular display design, as part of a larger exhibition proposal.
The semester will be devoted to the development of display systems, evolving incrementally from one module to a pair, and then on to form chains and extended membranes with spatial and tectonic intricacy.
It will be supplemented by digital lectures/tutorials in which we will discuss how tooling and prototyping can be explored in architecture. Students will work on the design of shapes and techniques for their fabrication, with specific expectancy of expertise development. In addition to intensive work with the computer, students will be expected to produce physical models to test both the precision and feasibility of their proposals. The digitally developed models will be produced through a computer-numerically assisted fabrication process. Using 3D software and rapid-prototyping technologies, we will analyze and catalog a multitude of techniques for the management and fabrication of complex shapes.
Major Topics
Digital fabrication/assembly process
Ornamentation and atmosphere
Analysis of Art Nouveau precedents
Display/exhibition strategies
Modularity, aggregation, tessellation
Iterative logic/versioning

Applied Software
Autodesk Maya, Rhinoceros, MasterCam

Iterative processes: Transformation logics
As dynamical systems, transformational techniques allow technological practices to access the virtual. Transformational methods entail the manipulation of continuous surfaces or objects through procedures such as cutting, folding, and stretching. The objects are structured as sets of interconnected points in such a way that operating on one area of the object induces changes to all other areas. The precise manner in which an individual change will be redistributed over the whole cannot be predicted. Each transformational procedure applies a pressure on the surface that generates other transformations across the surface. The interactions between these transformations comprise the ‘versioning’ power of the technique.

Procedure: 1. Performance ground - 2. Pair - 3. Back ground - 4. Field membrane
1. Performance ground is a spatial module generated from the analysis and manipulation of a primitive, either a polygon or nurbs geometry.
The module is embodied with the performance of a ritual, and a scale of a large piece of lounge furniture is assumed to start and manage the geometries and resultant module in relation to the human scale.
2. Two consecutive modules produce a ‘pair’ related by a spatial joint, a hinge that may encompass space in itself, as it creates a spatial and material contact/continuity between the 2 modules.
3. The joining and regeneration of modules generate a ‘background’ or chain of modules.
4. The field membrane is a structural matrix of topological variation, generated by aggregation of multiple components, adding chains to extend in more than one direction, thus producing an intensively ornate membrane.

“Indexical time: multiple static frames of an object in time are captured and superimposed in the same space simultaneously, generating a temporal palimpsest. In contrast, animate design is defined by the co-presence of motion and force at the moment of conception.”
Greg Lynn

Prototyping on Site
The class will use the 7th floor gallery space of The Wolfsonian-FIU as the location for a system of display that will serve to organize an exhibition of Art Nouveau and contemporary design artifacts, as a testing ground for the assembly of modules. The conditions of this site will serve as guidelines for the deployment of spatial arrays based on modularity, serving a basic program of display and exhibition of digital fabrication products.
Formation of patterns on the site and distribution of atmospheric effects will be the primary goal of the exercise, allowing for strategies of digital and physical assembly.

Digital Nouveau 1910 - 2010 / Context of exhibition proposal
Ornament, rhythm and new modes of craft triggered the concept of “Digital Nouveau 1910-2010”, an exhibition proposal that brings together design sensibilities of two different, but intricately connected eras.
The exhibition engages The Wolfsonian-FIU with the university’s students, faculty, and collections in a collaborative process of investigation. Students in Professor Goldemberg’s digital fabrication course will research and analyze Art Nouveau projects –objects and rare books- in The Wolfsonian collection, and reconsider them through digital fabrication and representation techniques. Students will then work to create a collection of new display system prototypes, thus making this exhibition, like those at the turn of the last century for Art Nouveau designs, both about the objects themselves and how they are viewed.
The focus of Digital Nouveau will be to highlight the shifting terrain of craft and ornament, as it has evolved from the 1900s until the present time by displaying Art Nouveau design artifacts from the museum’s collection as well as contemporary, digitally designed and manufactured artifacts and architecture projects by contemporary designers.


COURSE SCHEDULE:
Calendar dates are subject to change. Please contact appropriate offices for verification and updates. This calendar includes Official University holidays. Faculty is encouraged to make accommodations for students who wish to observe religious holidays. Students should make their request know at the beginning of the semester in writing. The instructor reserves the right to implement changes to this schedule as required.


WEEK 1
Lecture: Precedents and General Introduction to Digital Techniques
WEEK 2
Tutorial: Maya interface, nurbs modeling and construction history
WEEK 3
Tutorial: Nurbs modeling – Basic spline geometry and editing
WEEK 4
Visit to The Wolfsonian-FIU – Art Nouveau research and presentations
WEEK 5
Tutorial: Polygons/Subdivision modeling – editing and parametric control
WEEK 6
Tutorial: Calibration of joinery for component affiliation
WEEK 7
Tutorial: Deformers, editing, rendering
WEEK 8
Tutorial: Component aggregation/chain deployment
WEEK 9
MIDTERM: CNC mill – unit test ½ scale and 3d print of display system
WEEK 10
Tutorial: Rhino – active profile taxonomies and adjustment of sections
WEEK 11
Component detail/ornament: structure + skin – part to whole relationship
WEEK 12
Tutorial: Blend shape and animated snapshot
WEEK 13
Final adjustment of projects and set-up of models for final output
WEEK 14
FINAL REVIEW


Co- and Prerequisite
Students entering Digital Fabrication – ARC 5165 must have taken and passed ARC 4058 and ARC 5176 with a grade of C or better. Students failing to meet these prerequisite will be issued an administrative drop from Digital Fabrication.
Course Evaluation
Students will be evaluated upon performance in the assignments. While a satisfactory grade in the course may be attained by the completion of all work required to the satisfaction of the professor,
individual initiative and investigation of design and research issues that extend beyond the basic requirements are strongly encouraged.
Grades:
94-100= A 87-89= B+ 80-83= B- 74-76= C 67-69= D+ 60-63= D-
90-93= A- 84-86= B 77-79= C+ 70-73= C- 64-66= D 0-59= F
Additional requirements for Graduate students
Graduate students will be required to produce supplementary detail models –at various scales- to demonstrate the assembly process and the adjustment of part to whole relationships of their final prototype. These will be executed using the laser cutter once the final CNC milled models of the project are submitted. Additionally graduate students will be required to develop a graphic presentation of the phases of fabrication and assembly associated with the execution of the project.

Attendance Guidelines:
Attendance and class participation are required at all class meetings. (see Course Schedule) Every absence is 20% off the attendance and participation grade. Four (4) unexcused absences automatically result in a failing grade for the course. Every day you are late, you will receive half (1/2) an absence. An acceptable excused absence is defined by the student having missed class due to extraordinary circumstances beyond his or her control and must be accompanied with written proof. In the event that you have missed a class, you are responsible for all the material covered. If you have any questions you contact your professor at the above phone number or you may leave a message at the School of Architecture Main Office (tel. 305-348-3181) located at VH 212. A sign in sheet is made for each class. It is the student’s responsibility to write their initials next to their name. Failure to do so will be marked as an absence.
Student Work
The School of Architecture reserves the right to retain any and all student work for the purpose of record, exhibition and instruction. All students are encouraged to photograph and/or copy all work for personal records prior to submittal to instructor.
Students Rights and Responsibilities:
It is the student's responsibility to obtain, become familiar with and abide by all Departmental, College and University requirements and regulations. These include but are not limited to:
-The Florida International University Catalog Division of Student Affairs Handbook of Rights and Responsibilities of Students.
-Department Curriculum and Program Sheets
-Department Policies and Regulations
Student with Special Needs:
Students who may need auxiliary aids or services to ensure access to academic program should register with the Office Disability Services for Students.

Civility Clause:
Students are expected to treat one another with a high degree of civility and respect. Students can and should expect the same from the instructor. If a student fails to act responsibly or disrupts the
class or impedes instruction he or she may be asked to leave the class and will be held responsible for all the information missed through this absence.

Links and Resources:
* Autodesk Maya: http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/index?siteID=123112&id=7635018
* Autodesk Learning Tools: http://www.alias.com/glb/eng/learningtools/learning_tools.jsp
* The Gnomon Workshop: http://www.thegnomonworkshop.com/
* Learning Maya: http://www.amazon.com/Learning-Maya-Foundation-
AliasTools/dp/1894893743/sr=1-1/qid=1159292645/ref=pd_bbs_1/002-60678712212819?ie=UTF8&s=books
* The Gnomon Workshop: http://www.thegnomonworkshop.com/
* Maya Tutorial Database: http://www.learning-maya.com/index.php
* Highend3d: http://www.highend3d.com/
* CGSociety: http://forums.cgsociety.org/
* Generative Components: http://www.smartgeometry.org/
* Digital Fabrication: http://digfab.blogspot.com/

Bibliography – Digital Practices
AD – Folding in Architecture (J.Kipnis – G.Lynn)
AD – Contemporary Techniques in Architecture (A.Rahim)
AD – Contemporary Processes in Architecture (A.Rahim)
AD – Versioning: Evolutionary Techniques in Architecture (SHOP)
Digital Tectonics (Leach, Turnbull, Williams)
PRAXIS – New Technologies:// New Architectures
Animate Form (G.Lynn)
NOX machining Architectures (Lars Spuybroek)
Phylogenesis Foreign Office Architects
Catalytic Formations: Digital Design in Architecture (A.Rahim)
Architecture in the Digital Age – Design and Manufacturing (Branko Kolarevic)
COLANI The Art of Shaping the Future (A.Bangert)
Diagram Diaries (P.Eisenman)
CODEX (P.Eisenman)
TRACING EISENMAN (P.Eisenman)

Websites – Digital Practices and Fabrication
FOREIGN OFFICE ARCHITECTS - www.f-o-a.net
ARCHI-TECTONICS - www.archi-tectonics.com
KOLATAN/MACDONALD - www.kolatanmacdonaldstudio.com
GREG LYNN/FORM - www.glform.com
REISER + UMEMOTO - www.reiser-umemoto.com
SHOP - www.shoparc.com
UNSTUDIO - www.unstudio.com
ALI RAHIM - www.c-a-p.net
HERNAN DIAZ ALONSO – www.xefirotarch.com
ASYMPTOTE – www.asymptote.net
EISENMAN – www.eisenmanarchitects.com
DECOI – www.decoi.org
NEIL M. DENARI – www.nmda-inc.com
JAKOB + MACFARLANE – www.jakobmacfarlane.com
WILLIAM MASSIE – www.massiearchitecture.com
JURGEN MAYER H. – www.jmayerh.de
NOX – www.noxarch.nl