An updated version of these luminaries can be viewed and purchased HERE!

PROJECTiONE recently participated in Indianapolis’s First Friday event last week. People for Urban Progress hosted us Friday, April 1st. They are located in Studio 213 in the Murphy Building at Fountain Square.

Displayed for the next month, are our fully parametric LightForms that are currently in production and for sale. The lamps are generated using Grasshopper, a plugin for Rhino, which designs and lays out all fabrication files based on one profile curve. On exhibition are some of our stock shapes that were recently shown in Muncie, as well as a new set of colored luminaires. All lamps on display are for sale, and custom orders can be directed to info@projectione.com. We are always looking to develop new shapes and colors.

Thanks to all who joined us for the event and checked out our work. We had a great time and are looking forward to next month. Thanks to PUP for hosting us. We’re excited about hanging out more in Indianapolis with these good people.

For information on First Fridays and to check out the other galleries click here.

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EXOtique is a quick design through fabrication installation at Ball State’s College of Architecture. The Institute for Digital Fabrication invited us to lead the workshop/installation with student help, following three main constraints:

*Timeline- 5 Days: One day devoted to design, one day of modeling in Rhino / Grasshopper and materials testing, and three shared days of fabrication, assembly, and installation.

*Budget- $500 materials budget: white acrylic, white polystyrene, and 55 cord sockets and bulbs.

*Site- Ceiling above the foyer at the west entrance of the architecture building.

Through the use of computational tools (both software and hardware) the design through fabrication process can be drastically condensed. However the use of digital tools and design thinking for the purposes of fabrication rather than representation is not always at the forefront of designer’s minds. This project was aimed at using tools purely as generators for fabrication without the need for representation. As designers and creative thinkers, we do not have to lean on these tools for the purposes of imagery; imagination can act as renderer, and understanding of materiality acts as logic in the physical world. Yet, in order to create the complex and infinitely different component systems, we are dependent on, and benefit from these digital processes.

Our intention was to create a simple, hexagonally based, component system that would act as a lit “drop ceiling” for the space. All fabrication data was generated from a surface in Rhino, with all other processes accomplished through Grasshopper. The surface was triangulated and then associated into hexagonal groups. This was done with an understanding that the bending and folding could achieve non-planer geometry through the correct choice of material. The groups were unrolled and all other details were created. This includes joinery, labeling, patterning for distributed lighting, tolerance adjustments and other fabrication techniques (i.e. tabs for milling). Allowing flexibility within the computer to adjust tolerances made the feedback loop between digital and physical space easier and quicker.

There was no hardware used for connections besides the given hangers for the lamp cords. This cut costs and allowed our materials to work to each other’s benefit. Tabs on the styrene lock into the solid acrylic connectors as rigid sidewalls, causing the material to bend within the component as apposed to its edges. This let all the components meet evenly and create a rigid shell after being connected. The lit hexagonal panels act as the hanger connection point for the piece, and a custom acrylic tabs were created to hold the socket cable after being thread through the components, which attach to clips tied to the ceiling.

EXOtique combines an understanding of how materials react, then intelligently embeds that into the design process.

We would like to thank Curt Schriner and students from Atilier 3+U for their help assembling the piece, as well as The Institute for Digital Fabrication for their continuing support.

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PROJECTiONE was invited to put together an art proposal for the New Wishard, which is under construction. We are amongst 27 artists that have been chosen as finalists out of 550 applicants. Wishard is looking for art that speaks to our time, is for the people, and provides benefit to all the employees and visitors of the hospital. Our proposal looks at 16 elevator lobbies throughout the hospital and ambulatory care building. Below is the narrative, and images of the models and rendering we submitted.

Wishard is currently asking for public input on each proposal, and we invite you to follow the link to provide your opinion.

Check out all of the work here: New Wishard Art Proposals

Concept:
In the body, a synapse allows electrical and chemical signals to pass between cells. The synapse permits the stream of data and information to flow through our nervous system. Temporal Synapse takes this anatomical concept and recognizes the linkage between our body and continually developing technology. As communication and networking is ever increasing, the need for temporality and reality within our surroundings becomes more relevant. This relationship is graphically rendered in a physical space that can be experienced by visitors of the New Wishard. Each elevator lobby wall is transformed into an intriguing reactive lighting element that visually connects users to the human body and their environment. Through the flow of light within this system, data about the space and its users is visually perceived. The graphic patterning of the wall is developed from cellular structures seen within the body. The gestural continuation of this pattern can be read through each floor, growing throughout the elevator lobby towers. This anatomical reference intentionally ties in with the concepts used by the interior design team for the New Wishard. Each elevator tower is developed from the same system, but form and scale of the pattern change, creating variation between each lobby. [Note: Pattern shown in the model is not accurate in scale and is for representation of the continuity between floors only.]

Site / Effect:
An elevator lobby is described through its usage as a temporarily inhabited environment. In a hospital, this common and often mundane experience of waiting can lead to adverse thoughts and emotions. In contrast, Temporal Synapse aims at providing the visitor with a pleasant distraction, that encourages interaction with the art and other visitors. It may spark a conversation between two strangers, or redirect a patient’s focus, even if temporarily. It can be both soothing and ambient, or lively and playful. Continually changing effects welcome repeated daily interaction, while also attracting new visitors. The elevator lobby becomes a source of energy and life throughout the building, redefining what it means to wait.

Material:
Temporal Synapse was developed using a parametric plug-in for a digital 3d modeling software that allows us to continually change and update the design. This provides us the flexibility to adapt to new circumstances as the project evolves. The project will be digitally developed and fabricated, creatively utilizing CNC equipment to make every part entirely custom. The shell is milled out of custom cast 3” urethane plastic sheet stock in order to obtain a very specific appearance and translucent quality. The form milled into each component exaggerates the depth of the pattern and accentuates the lighting quality of the material, while remaining within the provided 3” tolerance of the wall. These removable shell panels are applied over a pre-fabricated network of electronics, embedded in a High Density Poly Ethylene structural substrate. The substrate acts as the connection to the wall and routes all the wiring. Reaction is created using passive infrared sensors (motion detectors) that detect movement in the space, acting as the input for small microprocessors throughout the wall system that trigger specific LED clusters to engage. As the clusters illuminate, a smooth pulse of light spreads to the surrounding components, and the compounding effect traces user movements in the space. These temporary reactions continually update, creating unique experiences.

-PROJECTiONE.com

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An updated version of these luminaries can be viewed and purchased HERE!

PROJECTiONE has just participated in the Muncie First Thursday Gallery Walk this February. Kirk’s Bike Shop (awesome shop!), located at the corner of Walnut and Jackson in downtown Muncie is hosting the exhibition. On display are our latest generation of mylar luminaires, LightForms. We have continued developing a Grasshopper definition that is now fully functioning and can produce everything needed for fabrication from a single profile curve including the structural frame and mounting pieces. Showcased are 10 custom lights of various shapes and sizes, ranging from 8″ to 30″ in diameter. Currently, we are working on a video to showcase the digital processes of the system. Look for that to come soon!


We would like to thank Jason Allardt and Kirks Bike Shop for hosting us as well as everyone that attended and shared a brew with us.

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This custom Case was designed and fabricated around an iPod Nano (5th Generation) for a private client. The case was milled from a solid piece of white HDPE, making it extremely durable while still soft to the touch. At its thinnest it is 0.03″ allowing the contrast of the dial and the glow of the screen to come through. It was designed in two halves that slide and snap together, so that the screen and buttons can be entirely enclosed. The back half is contoured and undercut to precisely fit the iPod, while the front half is fully removable and can be flipped backwards. The bottom is open for access to the dock connector cable and headphone jack.

The function of the case was specifically designed around the client’s type of usage. We were aiming at a simple and elegant solution that highlights the design and quality of the iPod. We look forward to exploring more prototypes in this series.

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PROJECTiONE was recently invited to exhibit work at the Kasian Gallery within the Faculty of Environmental Design (EVDS) at the University of Calgary by Assistant Professor of Architecture, Jason Johnson. Work from our thesis at Ball State University was presented along side a new version of bitMAPS, and multiple MyLights.

This installation of bitMAPS experiments with the use of master graphics within the system. Previous prototypes used abstract patterning as a base image, while this example tests the system’s ability to create recognizable images. A “self portrait” bitmap was created of the PROJECTiONE members and run through a Grasshopper definition to generate all fabrication file types. The major difference in our process of this version was the creation of a series of prefab panels rather than an individually applied tile. Vertical panels of 2×8 tiles were created as units that could be hung with wall cleats, minimizing on-site assembly time and simplifying transportation. We drove the project and other exhibit contents from home base in Muncie, IN all the way to Calgary, allowing for a sweet road trip and negating shipping/flight costs.

We would like to thank Amy Wowk and Yuting Zhu, students at the University for their help installing the exhibit, as well as Jason for extending this opportunity to us. The exhibition will be up until through December 10, 2010. We encourage you to check it out if you are in the area.

If you are interested in purchasing or exhibiting this piece, please contact:
info@projectione.com

University of Calgary UToday

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Once a digital model was created from our maps, the file was split into each individual board. By milling boards individually we could ensure that each part would stay secure to the bed via metal straps and that if any flaws in the wood’s integrity occurred, the entire piece would not be ruined.

You can visit this great bar in Downtown Indianapolis’s City Market on the mezzanine level.

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People for Urban Progress [PUP] is an Indianapolis based non-profit do-tank that focuses on enhancing the urban quality of life in Indy. They operate at the intersection of transit, environment, and design, often working with local artists, designers, and community leaders to make things happen. Their products help support these initiatives and promote a more creative culture in Indianapolis. We are collaborating with PUP on a few products as fabricators, currently including their Business Card Holders and Domeflakes. They have a number of design products for sale and are pursuing some very interesting agendas. We encourage you to check them out!

We have enjoyed making the connection with PUP and hope to continue the collaboration and see where it takes us. We can already anticipate some potential intersections between us in the future.

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Solar Shift is our submission to the request for proposals for an exterior art piece for the new Evansville Arena. Our proposal looks at the large public outdoor space in combination with concepts of sustainable interactive lighting. The Arena was looking for innovative work that spoke to the community and would act as an icon for the entire city. As one member of PROJECTiONE is an Evansville native, we wanted to offer up a forward-looking submission that could be pair with the progressive direction of the Arena.

Below are the images, diagrams, and narrative submitted by PROJECTiONE.

Concept:
Solar Shift will act as a source for physical interaction and community gathering in the outdoor plaza of the New Evansville Arena. It is intended to architecturally define the exterior space as an extension of the progressive thinking and design of the building. The project will dynamically change in response to individuals and groups in the space through the use of motion sensors, photovoltaics, and LED lighting.

Conceptually the project looks at reactive architecture as a way to encourage interaction between individuals and the public environment. We have found in the past that projects physically reacting to users in the space tend to evoke a much stronger emotional response, and the surprise and excitement we have experienced in users has led us to further pursue this type of work in public spaces. This follows many contemporary movements towards embedding technology within our surroundings, and we see this occurring more and more in our daily lives.

Effect:
We will take this concept further in Solar Shift by creating a fully self contained system that acts as a solar collector, using photovoltaic panels to charge during the day, and in turn power the reactive lighting in the evening. As the sun sets each day, the project shifts and slowly comes to life, recognizing the individuals inhabiting it and lighting up to follow their movement in space. Each component in the system will power itself and react independently, eliminating any electrical connections between panels or tapping into an existing power grid. This is both a completely sustainable approach to lighting and increases the durability of the system. The reaction will be based on users’ proximity to each individual triangular component and the number of users in the space. Although each unit is entirely independent, the effect of the reaction across the system will visually trace users throughout the plaza and unify the project.

Form:
Formally, Solar Shift derives its shape from the sun path data of Evansville, Indiana. We began by digitally 3d modeling a surface that is optimized for ideal solar radiation throughout the year from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. From there, the form was modified to accommodate access to the site, circulation paths, and visual aesthetics. We then utilized parametric design software to divide the surface into a triangular component system, where each panel relates to the original sun path data. We are now able to modify any portion of the design and the entire digital 3d model will update in real time. This practice is becoming more and more prevalent in contemporary architecture.

Our background in architectural design/fabrication and embedded technology will allow us to fully control and innovate throughout the design to fabrication process. Our focus on fabrication and experimentation will ultimately lead to a refined final outcome that will both accomplish its programmatic goals and add a level of excitement and progressive thinking to downtown Evansville. Solar Shift, paired with the New Evansville Arena, will attract users of all ages to the site and encourage conversation and interaction, becoming a new icon for the city of Evansville.

-PROJECTiONE.com

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INTRODUCTION:

Radiance covers a standalone brick fireplace in a mid century ranch home in Broad Ripple, Indiana. The clients rarely used their existing wood-burning fireplace and wanted to change its function. We proposed an ambient lighting piece that still hosts traditional qualities of the hearth. As an artist and an architect, the clients’ liberal and eclectic design aesthetic allowed for a great degree of freedom and risk-taking during development. They considered this project as commissioned artwork rather than a client-based architectural intervention, adding to their collection in the home. Radiance is intended to exploit the qualities of the hearth by re-centering the focus of the home and providing an ambient environmental effect.

The project was initiated through the clients’ interest in our plyLight sketch prototype, based on its subtle reactive lighting effects and human tracery. We expanded on these ideas, focusing on visual and systematic complexities of the work. By creating simple geometry and interactions at local levels we could render complex reactions and forms in the overall scheme. Though it was developed and organized through its sub-components, the result is a continuous system which reacts uniformly.

DESIGN:

Radiance was inspired by various shelf mushrooms, based on their form, organizational structure, and component geometry. The mushroom has a distinguishing set of gills that alternate in lengths from the stem’s center point. The lengths of these gills forms a repetitive pattern intended to cover the largest surface area under each mushroom cap. This pattern has been abstracted into our system to arrange each pod, defined as a radial set of 16 plastic components with an LED placed directly behind each. The wiring for the LEDs is embedded within the surface of milled MDF, further expressing the pod’s organizational system. A Passive Infrared Sensor is located at the centroid of each pod, acting as the trigger for the parts around it.

Surface area coverage was important for the project as the poured plastic components and electronics are expensive and time-intensive. The patterning made coverage of the fireplace feasible meeting both our design criteria for density and fit within our timeline. A Grasshopper definition was developed to create the overall pattern and generate final fabrication files, including toolpaths for acrylic and MDF milling, as well as wire length calculations for each component.

DETAILS:

We constructed a steel frame that would enclose the existing fireplace, giving us the ability to fabricate most of the project offsite and assemble, predominantly, in their home. The frame bolts together so it can be disassembled for travel and reassembled onsite. All hardware is recessed in the frame to maintain clearance around the fireplace, and each corner embeds set screws in order to tighten against the fireplace and level out the project without drilling into the brick. Three sides were assembled completely before sliding the piece around the fireplace. Then the fourth access wall was then assembled utilizing embedded magnets in the MDF for attachment to the steel.

The MDF is the structural armature for all wiring, sensors, circuit boards, and plastic components. On the front side, the main LED wiring is exposed to express the organizational pattern while the reverse side contains all sensor, power, and serial wiring. Color is applied to this layer and masked with clear acrylic.

The acrylic acts as a protective layer for the paint and brings out the richness of its color. Its milled areas catch the light of the LED’s, traveling through its clear portions. This tooling occurs in areas where the pods do not overlap, further expressing order as well as adding texture.

To create an ambient and subtle reactive lighting piece we found it is necessary to dim all 512 LEDs individually. To do so, we developed our own Printed Circuit Board (PCB) manufactured through a third party vendor. This PCB houses our Integrated Circuits (TLC5940NT dip-28, made by Texas Instruments) utilizing Pulse Width Modulation (PWM or dimming) on each of its 16 outputs. This allows for the individual fading of each LED. Each of our PCBs corresponds with a pod of 16 elements. These elements pulse slowly out from the center when the sensor is triggered. The Passive Infrared sensor (PIR) is controlled by allowing only a small viewing angle through the acrylic surface, blocking infrared light from all but a designated cone of space off of the surface. These viewing cones have been tuned based on the existing spatial conditions of furniture, walls, and function of the home. Pods are in groups of three and run independently off of eleven individual Arduino Pro Mini microcontrollers.

Each urethane plastic component is part of a multistep mold making process. We began by iteratively 3D printing potential forms. The positive powder prints are then sanded and coated in preparation for a two-part urethane rubber. Points in the mold were created to locate 3d printed jigs used to place a bolt and plastic spacer in each part which fastens to the MDF. We chose Smooth-Cast 325 as our poured plastic material due to its fast cure time, durability, and translucency. 512 hand poured components were created at 12-13 parts per hour with very little variation between parts.

INTERACTION:

There are two pulses that occur after triggering a pod’s sensor. A primary ‘pulse’, that fades to full intensity and quickly fades off, followed by a secondary ‘pulse’ which fades on quickly but dims slowly over nearly a minute. This pattern can be interrupted as new users trigger a pulse creating the dynamic lighting affect seen in our video.

Similar to the lighting effects of fire, Radiance creates dynamic changes in intensities across it surface. This makes the piece enticing to watch and because the pulses fade in and out so smoothly the lighting is not overbearing. There is a distinct difference in the lighting qualities throughout the day and into the night as the piece becomes more and more the central component bringing warmth and light into the home.

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ARCHITECT Magazine has just released the results from their fourth annual R+D Awards, and we are happy to announce that PROJECTiONE has received a Citation for bitMAPS, our patterned wall tiling system developed within the last year. The awards honor innovative materials and systems at every scale—from entire buildings and complexes to HVAC and structural systems to curtain-wall and ceiling-panel assemblies to discrete building materials such as wood composites and textiles. The R+D Awards are purposefully open to building technologies of all types, in order to encourage the broadest possible dialogue among architects, engineers, manufacturers, researchers, students, and designers of all disciplines. The jury considered new materials, products, and systems as well as unconventional uses of existing materials, products, and systems. Entries were judged for their potential or documented innovation in fabrication, assembly, installation, and performance, as well as their potential to advance the aesthetic, environmental, social, and technological value of architecture.

PROJECTiONE has been invited to speak at the 2010 R+D Symposium coming up September 22 and 23 in Chicago at the Trump International Hotel & Tower. Register to attend ARCHITECT’s two-day conference about the forefront of building technology here: http://rdawards2010.com/

We hope to see you there!


We would like to thank Ball State University Department of Architecture and the Institute for Digital Fabrication for their continued support through use of facilities and equipment. Without their efforts this award could not have been possible.

bitMAPS was initiated through a client’s interest in a sketch prototype, and developed as an inexpensive patterned wall system. It integrates a custom design through a repeatable mold and integrates multiple functions of the room. The project is intended to create a clean but complex texture that is engaging to sight and touch, encouraged through embedded switches, custom storage compartments and openings for light and air ventilation.

The prototype was developed using sheets of intentionally pierced bubble wrap as a vacuum form mold for plastic panels. The process was further refined with a repeatable High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) mold. The dimpled panels are created by vacuum forming .06” white polystyrene over the mold. Edge conditions were particularly important to address, each panel had to interlock perfectly to generate the appropriate tiled effect using a hexagonal “bubble wrap” pattern. Positive, negative and flat plugs were milled and inserted into the mold based on printed templates. Oriented strand board was milled for each panel to accommodate for the negatives of the corresponding polystyrene tile, acting as spacer and providing the system with rigidity.

The patterning of the panels originated from a bitmap image. Each pixel was carefully choreographed to communicate a pattern at multiple scales. This tuning was achieved using a specifically designed grasshopper definition; slide bars allowed for variable proportioning of positives negatives and flat pixels, as well as variations in distortion and noise.
For this specific residential application, bitMAPS was applied on two walls and the ceiling of the client’s bathroom. Fluorescent cove lighting was integrated, washing the adjacent painted walls with light. Many features of the space which would normally be separate components were integrated into the paneling system, resulting in an unbroken pattern. The light and vent switch are completely hidden, integrated behind the panel system using capacitance sensing. Simply moving your hand in front of the specific dimples engages either the lights or fan. The “console” houses the majority of the bathroom’s accessories. Custom panels extrude and recess from the rest of the system, hiding the magazine rack, toilet paper dispenser, and iPhone holder within a series of polycarbonate shelves. Other considerations such as the fan vent and skylight feature perforated panels allowing the passage of light and air.

The balance between analog and digital techniques was critical to this project. Because the vacuuming forming process reveals every imperfection in the mold, it was necessary that the base mold and plugs be precisely machined. The timing of the vacuum process required similar precision in order to maintain consistency throughout the project. In order to remove the excess material after forming, a stationary armature was attached to the bed of the 3 axis router, locating the part for cutting by a saw bit.

This project has provided an opportunity to develop an idea into a feasible product, which incorporates building systems and various functional elements while serving to define space. The integration of a unique, client-driven, pattern into this system adds another layer of meaning into the finished piece that addresses a client’s specific needs. Hopefully, this process will lead to future clients and further development of the system.

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An updated version of these luminaries can be viewed and purchased HERE!

myLight is a “Do It Yourself” luminaire intended to provide a user with a memorable experience and appreciation for design and fabrication. Made from durable mylar, myLight is hand assembled by the user following a video as a guide. The object becomes more than simply a store-bought lamp as the user is involved in its production and takes pride in its assembly. PROJECTiONE is focused on process in conjunction with final results. myLight shares this experience directly with users. The visual complexity of the laser cut system adds to its beauty while the simple method and repetition of assembly makes it easy and fun to build. We hope the process can be a shared experience for multiple users gathered around a single myLight. myLight is based on a component system that can be modified to create multiple shapes, sizes, and colors of luminaires, and the current system has been designed for easy handling and assembly by any user. The “Teardrop” is our first version in the line and is now available for sale!

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PROJECTiONE has been invited to exhibit and present Radiance at:

INPUT_OUTPUT: ADAPTIVE MATERIALS AND MEDIATED ENVIRONMENTS SYMPOSIUM AND EXHIBITION 10.08.10

Temple University Tyler School of Art Architecture Department
Conference Co-chairs Rashida Ng and Sneha Patel

INPUT_OUTPUT: Adaptive Materials and Mediated Environments will address the convergence of several significant and fundamental advancements in the ways that materials and environments are designed, evaluated, and experienced within architecture and related disciplines. The emergence of new and ultra-performing materials, parametric design and modeling tools, integrated design technologies, and developing digital fabrication and prototyping techniques establish an interconnected network of technological inputs that has stimulated the development of materials, assemblies, and systems with adaptive environmental behaviors. This symposium will interrogate the relationships that exist between each of four discrete, yet interrelated technologies of adaptive materials: Material Compositions, Material Fabrications, Material Behaviors, and Material Computations. Through contemporary research, design projects, and theoretical positions, it will frame the evolving context for adaption and mediation within the built environment.

For complete details and registration information, click here.


We would like to thank Ball State University Department of Architecture and the Institute for Digital Fabrication for their continued support through use of facilities and equipment. Without their efforts this would not have been possible.

PROJECTiONE.com has finally decided to ignore our paper free habits and take the dot com to print! This analog version of our thesis work details selected projects both in thinking and making, and includes papers that support the foundation of PROJECTiONE. Please add us to your library/coffee table, we appreciate your support.

We are publishing with Lulu.com. The download version is available for free and the hard copy for $40.

BUY ME HERE !

This year was PROJECTiONE.

PROJECTiONE has been a collective focused on the relationships between digital and analog processes in design and fabrication. The individual has been removed from the collective in a pursuit for true collaboration, but as our thesis year ends we recognize the importance of our individual interests after graduation. We have determined separate paths after PROJECTiONE, but look forward to potential future collaborations. Elizabeth Boone has been focused on the pedagogical potentials of PROJECTiONE for new students. She is seeking employment as an architecture instructor and is interested in working professionally to become licensed in the near future. Eric Brockmeyer has further developed an interest in interaction design and physical computing and will be attending Carnegie Mellon University in the fall for a Masters of Tangible Interaction Design. Adam Buente and Kyle Perry intend to continue pursuing the focus of PROJECTiONE through a new venture, starting up a design company based around the potentials investigated this year. They hope to keep up the momentum of PROJECTiONE, pushing towards an interesting new practice and future projects.

For general information about PROJECTiONE, contact us at info@projectione.com.

Feel free to contact us individually:
Elizabeth Boone: elizabethboone@projectione.com
Eric Brockmeyer: ericbrockmeyer@projectione.com
Adam Buente: adambuente@projectione.com
Kyle Perry: kyleperry@projectione.com

PROJECTiONE was recently invited to be a part of a marketing piece for Ball State University. The 90 second video story will be featured on the Ball State University website. It includes interviews from the four of us paired with a handful of expertly shot B roll of the 3 axis mill, laser cutter, 3d powder printer, and our projects. There is potential that the footage will also be used to produce a longer more detailed video for the Department of Architecture.

In addition to the attention within the University our work has been shared on a number of design blogs,
notcot – bitMAPS, CNC pen, Morpholuminescence
Core77 – bitMAPS
Archinect – Morpholuminescence
Dwell – Lightforms
Moco Loco – Lightforms
Rhino – Morpholuminescence
Thermwood – CNC pen
Fast Company – bitMAPS
Schweppes – bitMAPS
Trends Now Magazine – bitMAPS
Device – bitMAPS
fubiz – bitMAPS
Cardonizer – Business Cards
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After several inquiries we are making the soundtrack to our videos public. The songs featured in our videos are chosen after hours of careful consideration. We would like to credit the featured artists listed above.

We would like to invite everyone to attend our final thesis presentation this Thursday April 15th at 1:45 – 4:00pm in the College of Architecture and Planning’s first floor gallery. The presentation will cover our entire body of thesis work / research, and will be followed by an open discussion. The exhibit of our work will remain on display in the gallery until May 10th.

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What is PROJECTiONE: We are a collective of four designers/fabricators/students pursuing a common question. Our project is based on a shared love of making, a pull towards new understandings of technology and a unique and uncommon design aesthetic.

We have reached outside of the University through our website PROJECTiONE.com creating a network of readers who have followed our project as it has developed. The website has helped to brand PROJECTiONE as its own entity. PROJECTiONE.com is a reflection of our process. We take pride in highlighting our details, methods and finished work. We feel that our design is strengthened through the bold and strong communication of its history.

Logistics: We work as a collective. Our design/fabrication/branding decisions are based on argumentation and compromise as any good partnership must be. However we have narrowed down our decision-making to three types: logical argumentation, passionate pursuit, and collective gut reaction. There are times when a reasoned argument is necessary to establish why a certain decision should be made and it takes a reasoned ear to hear it. At other times a member of the collective will pursue a course on his/her own to a point which the collective may latch on to or pull against. And finally but most infrequently a member will make a suggestion which is immediately agreed upon by all members of PROJECTiONE. There is no one way to document all the decisions that go into any one project and we therefore share all credit for each design detail and interactive experience. Though we have various strengths approaches to design, we are partners in the pursuit of our common goal.

Status: There is a failure in modern theory and practice to address the increasing availability of digital tools. The current theory of digital fabrication is focused predominantly on the new tools of making, CNC machines, rapid prototyping technology and BIM and parametric modeling software. We believe that these tools allow for a shift in the methods of an informed practice but do not and cannot exist without a tangible relation to the human aspect of design and making, what we call the analog. Secondly there is a growing recognition by schools and theorists that interactive architecture is inevitable and though slow to adapt, architecture will need to address the proliferation of augmented reality and reactive systems. These have become accepted across our society and the expectation is clear that our buildings must respond to environmental (background/ambient) and human (foreground/direct) stimuli.

Many projects highlighted in periodicals and in academic journals are based on intangible software tools rather than the tangible constraints of making. It has been argued that CNC equipment has allowed for the development of unique components such as contoured blobs and therefore these projects do consider the realities of fabrication. We feel that such an approach is limited and forces the irrelevant digital form into a wasteful object, and is ignorant to the details which are essential to architecture’s success.

Our project is engaged in the question of how digital and analog methods reinforce one another in support of a practice constrained by the realities of making.

Arc: Through a series of projects, explorations and interventions PROJECTiONE investigated this question. This broad spectrum of approaches enabled a varied and diverse understanding. We started the year with an intervention in an exhibition space, performed a series of interviews with top designers and fabricators in New York City, developed product scale designs and pursued full-scale client based products. Each project can be viewed uniquely but collectively it defines the arc of our searching.

Our first project Projection was an opportunity to reflect on how we worked with the digital and analog tools at our disposal. This was an introspective process allowing us to focus very specifically on how and why we made design decisions using a laser cut, three-axis CNC mill and steel fabrication equipment. In order to gain a broader perspective of how practitioners address these issues we met with a group of designers and fabricators in New York City. The interviews that we undertook during that trip reinforced our understanding of how small digitally savvy practices address making. In reflection it became clear that our approach required us to be serious fabricators and serious designers, a feat few of the firms have achieved.

We discovered that a practice grounded in making must straddle the threshold between design and fabrication but also between analog and digital. Based on internal reflection and an understanding of our contemporaries’ position, we moved forward with several small-scale products. Each of these projects highlights a unique understanding of the boundaries between analog and digital and was also an exploration into how our practice can and must embrace material explorations and research.

Finally we moved into the realm of large scale client based projects. This set of projects gave us some insight into the challenges of adapting our methods and practices to the needs and requirements created by a client. Again each project addresses our question on multiple scales. How can a large scale project become aesthetically unique using the analog and digital tools available? How can a client’s design and performance requirements align with our own interests in the conversation between analog and digital? And how can this project become a serious attempt at creating a sustainable practice that addresses these pressing issues?

In educating our clients we were able to reflect on these questions. We have learned the value of clearly conveying our ideals to the clients through these projects. The evidence of our success and failure in answering these questions is in the documentation of our process through video, images, models, and contracts.

Reflect: This project has been most valuable not because we have seen these projects in their completion but we see ourselves in each detail. We committed ourselves to each decision and process from design to fabrication and understand that our value does not lie in the sum of our projects but the sum of our experiences.

This is PROJECTiONE.

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A special thanks to our thesis studio professor Josh Coggeshall for his enthusiasm and support throughout this process, and the Institute of Digital Fabrication for providing us access to the tools and space required to accomplish these types of projects. We would also like to thank our advisors, Bob Koester – Director of Center for Energy Research, Education and Service, Sonne Palmer – Professor of Architecture, Paul Puzzello – Instructor of Architecture, Donna Sink – Instructor of Architecture, Mahesh Senagala – Chairperson of the Department of Architecture, and Dr. Carol Tiernan.

An updated version of these luminaries can be viewed and purchased HERE!

LightForms is based on the same production system used in Luminares. The profile curve of the shade is first generated in Rhinoceros and can be customized to any shape. A Grasshopper script interprets this curve, determines the number of components needed, and lays out each simple component with its necessary intersections. The parts are laser cut from mylar and hand assembled in descending order using a series of simple locking joints to link piece to piece and column to column. This produces a highly precise and strong shade that retains extreme detail and ornament. Time saved in production of digital files is spent on the assembly of the piece, allowing for entirely custom elements that are assembled similarly. The development of the project has been driven by physical prototypes continually feeding back into the script in order to add more complexity.

The colored diffuser is achieved by applying a gradient unique to each component, allowing each part to be read both independently and as a whole. The color was laser printed on mylar, and precisely located in the laser cutter bed before being cut. This technique lets us apply in color(s) or patterns to any shape, increasing possible outcomes.

The custom scale and shape of LightForms are highly accessible because the most complex portion of the process, the geometric calculations, are automated using a script. Our intention is that these can be sold in clusters of a few, or scaled up towards a site specific installation of many more creating an etirely unique environment.

Currently, those shown are on display as the Begley Art Source Gallery in Evansville, IN.

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The Begley Art Source, A Division of the Evansville Museum Shop, has recently invited us to feature a selection of our work in their gallery. The Begley Art Source is a consignment gallery for artists and designers, and has consulted with area corporations and individuals to develop their art collections, heightening connoisseurship and broadening appreciation and understanding of the visual arts. This represents our first step towards commissioned work and development of product design marketed towards a specific user group.

A new 3.5 foot by 2 foot CNC Marker composition entitle COWS was completed. Using a new technique of creating line work in Rhinoceros, the image was rendered with brown and blue marker on a heavy weight paper, stretched over a thick wood frame. The intention is that this piece would become part of a series of graphic and organic CNC Marker compositions reaching up to 10 feet in length. Five different mylar LIGHTFORMS were designed and assembled for this specific installation, ranging in size between 9 and 15 inches in height. They currently illuminate the front space of the gallery, and are also intended to develop as a series of different colors, scales and shapes. Plylight is also featured, located in the day lit meeting area. Over a two-day period a full scale Bodhi Tree was sculpted as the centerpiece of PROJECTiONE’s featured work. The Bodhi Tree was composed of 3,000 pieces of laser cut maple and cherry veneer, and took 24 hours to assemble.

Our work represents the first site specific installation featured at The Begley Art Source gallery. We hope that placing our work at this location will spark commissioned work for new ideas or adaptations of these concepts at a larger scale.

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PROJECTiONE has developed a position on how we would like to practice through self reflection and trial by fire execution of client-based work. As seen in our client-based strategy post, we have developed more appropriate definitions and descriptors of our processes. These descriptions have evolved over time and through reflecting on our experiences with actual clients. We used this process as the basis for generating our contracts. It was immediately apparent to us that our work could not be contained within a single contract or practice structure and we therefore developed the following client relationships/contracts. They are: Product to Client, Process to Client, and Seed Money. These relationships are described in more detail in the following diagrams, but they allow for a greater degree of flexibility in dealing with clients with varying expectations. It is expected that our clients may be traditional owners, fellow designer, or manufacturers looking to invest into innovative usage of a material or process.

This comparison was developed as a means of best understanding the internal PROJECTiONE process. By reflecting on our process over the course of our work together we developed this set of descriptions which represent us. This thought experiment has served as the basis for the development of our client relationships and our own practice structures. The comparison is not intended as a critique of traditional practice structures but it is a standard against which our practice can be most clearly represented.

In this structure the client is interested in a sketch or prototype previously developed by PROJECTiONE. They realize the potential of the design and would like to adapt it to fit their needs. During the development of the design, the client approves the product after the Informed Design phase before moving into the Production, and Assembly and Installation phases.

PROJECTiONE is commissioned by the client to apply design thinking/processes to their unique problem. The client approves the design after the Critical Thinking phase and again after Investigation and Testing, and Informed Design.

PROJECTiONE partners with a Manufacturer/Designer/Venture Capitalist/Investor to provide seed money used to develop an initial concept. PROJECTiONE then interrogates the material/process/idea, investigating innovative technologies, methods, and applications. The deliverable of value is typically the knowledge generated.

This version of Bodhi Tree was customized and designed for a residence in Evansville, IN. The clients originally articulated the desire to replace an existing plastic tree, with something more expressive and elegant. The system was reinterpreted for this specific application, consisting of more than 3,000 wood veneer components, which were redesigned at 2/3 scale of the original piece for residential use, increasing the complexity of the overall pattern and rigidity of the system. The wood species and pattern chosen was based on existing color tones and design of the space. In order to streamline the installation process, the components were prefabricated, sorted, and packaged offsite and brought to the client.

We considered Bodhi Tree for this application due to its necessary involvement between designer and client. Over a two-day period the system was installed with the direct involvement of the family members, who helped with the overall design intention and assembly of the final piece. In this way, Bodhi Tree became more than a foreign object placed in their living room. It became an experience that the family will remember as well as an object that redefines how their space feels and is used.

We found this interaction between client and designer/fabricator interesting as it relates to our process. The client’s direct involvement with the design and assembly changed how value was placed on the project, as they became more than a consumer. They were part of the assembly and decision making process, directly affecting the outcome of their project. Assembly became more than labor, and design became accessible. We hope to continue engaging in this type of client relationship in the future.

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This is a prototypical process growing out of our previous experiment CNC Pen, combining precision digital tools with loose analog tools. This method has been further developed as a study of the relationship between these tools. The process includes translating a raster image file into vector format, separated into various color levels. These vectors are then turned into surfaces and translated into g-code for the router. In this instance we have used a 3-axis CNC router to drive 12 Copic Ciao markers on museum board. The precision of the machine is offset by the bleed of the marker and the porous nature of the board. Feed rate and Z values relate directly to speed and pressure of the hand. The image chosen is of the Ponte Vecchio bridge in Florence Italy from our time there this summer, specifically for its character and color. The nature of this technique and of the place seemed to align. While a certain level of precision is maintained through this process, the inevitable inconsistencies of markering transform the product into something looser. This close relationship between the digital and analog and the innovative use of these tools grows directly from our design platforms.

The product took over 12 hours of file prep and 16 hours of machine time (with testing), embodying our feelings on efficiency. The result was not created faster than a hand rendering, nor does it appear to be machined. The method allows for a new way of making. Repetition and customization are provided for in the process, as well as a dialogue between digital and hand craft. We are happy with this result and look forward to pursuing the next step. For us this piece represents the very important first step in the process.

In an attempt to begin understanding the marketing of our process and design thinking, we have decided to market and sell this outcome. The hope is that the documentation and representation of process will allow a consumer to understand its making, becoming less concerned on only the outcome. The product gains value through its process of making.

This prototype is for sale on ebay here.

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Information about the wood was collected through a Computed Tomography (CT) Scan. This technology is traditionally used for visualizing structures within the body. The CT scan takes X-rays of the wood in section using increments as small as 5 millimeters. The scan of curly maple (above) reveals the grain of the wood.

This data was translated into three-dimensional information by tracing a single grain line in Rhino. The resulting vectors were lofted to create a surface which represents one year of growth in the tree’s history. This process was incredibly time consuming; over 125 sections were analyzed to produce an outcome that was as accurate as possible. Once the surface was generated it was translated into G-code using Mastercam for our three-axis CNC router.

The evenly milled surface was achieved using a half inch bull nose bit with a 1/100th of an inch step over taking over an hour and half. Due to the complex nature of the grain, the milled surface did not precisely follow a single grain line as we had intended. A sanding process was necessary to remove imperfections and smooth the surface. The final piece was finished with Tung oil which protects the wood, enhances the patterns in the grain, and expresses a much richer wood tone.

Although the results from the curly maple were beautiful, using a wood with a looser grain would have been a much better fit for this process. The challenge came from manually interpreting the imaging data into vectors; because the grain was tight it was easy to confuse the grains from one image to another. The juxtaposition of the natural form of the tree’s curvatures and the rigid edges of the sawn lumber makes a statement about the conflict between industrial processing and the materials natural tendencies.

It reminds us of Michelangelo’s slaves; in each unfinished sculpture the curvature of a human body emerges from a large cube of marble. The project embodies the concept of the value of inefficiency. Although this process was tedious, the final outcome is much more valuable because of the time and care that went into making it. The only way to produce this was through a CT scan repetitive tracing, and cautious sanding. The result is a beautifully worked piece of wood that a passersby cannot resist touching.

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Pop Panel is an exploration in the relationship of mold creation and customization. The manufacturing of molds for vacuum forming is often the most cost intensive process, making it difficult to create mass customized objects. Bubble wrap is an inexpensive and fun material to work with that solves many issues of customization. It can be popped in selected patterns and vacuum formed much easier than traditionally made molds, providing variation across a panelized system.

The panels are created by vacuum forming .02” clear acetate over the selectively popped bubble wrap. A piece of MDF is placed beneath the bubble wrap to create an edge condition and allows the panels to match their neighboring panels. The clear acetate can be painted on the inside, allowing for further customization.

The edges of each panel fit into grooves that have been milled from plywood. Between these grooves are large holes that allow access to the panel from behind. Once the panels have been placed onto the plywood, each cavity is filled with expanding insulation foam (Great Stuff). This creates a rigid system and allows the formed panels to adhere to the wood.

The pattern tested was derived from an abstracted photograph, however, the system or idea could be deployed in a manner that users/customers could submit images and graphics that could be translated into Pop Panels. By designing a system of production and allowing others to create the pattern, we can produce a flexible, mass customized product.

also…
this is fun too.
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Hiroshi Ishii and Brygg Ullmer created a vocabulary for Human Computer Interfaces (HCI) and Tangible Media in their paper “Tangible Bits: Towards Seamless Interfaces between People, Bits and Atoms”. They describe “foreground” interfaces and “background” interfaces which are distinct in that foreground interfaces allow users to “grasp and manipulate” where background interfaces are ambient and do not require direct user interface. We are focusing on the idea of foreground interfaces which connect the user to their surroundings.

plyLight is a rapidly developed prototype made up of 44 hand soldered circuit boards. Each board contains three LED’s, a photoresistor, a Darlington transistor, and various resistors and capacitors. By using only analog electronics components, plyLight does not require a processor to function. These boards, which are powered by 12 parallel 9V batteries, are embedded between two milled pieces of plywood. Cavities for the LED’s and photoresistors are milled into the plywood leaving only a thin veneer between the components and the surface allowing the exterior of the object to appear as a plain piece of plywood.

When a user swipes a hand across plyLight the photoresistors are shaded and turn on the three LED’s clustered around it. The LEDs illuminate circles on the board’s surface and the previously simple plywood becomes a display interacting with the user. These discrete interactions take place across the board allowing the user to leave a trace of glowing LED’s behind their hand. The LED’s fade after a hand moves across the board and the effect is that of visual tracers of sparklers at night or of drawing on wet sand which quickly fades back to a flat surface.

The implications for this interaction are not bounded by a singular idea or function. The interface was developed with the understanding that this could be implemented for multiple projects and purposes. The boards could be wired to a microcontroller which communicates with a computer and could begin initiating lighting sequences on its own or in relation to a building system’s function (e.g. control of lighting, sound, or actuated surfaces).

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Our Design Platform is a set of values and concepts that exist to further explain our thesis framework. They give insight into processes of working, designing, and thinking within our collective, providing a foundation to work from and consider throughout design and fabrication.

Value of Inefficiency
Craft and innovation often emerge from time and energy intensive processes. When this concept is applied to seemingly mundane materials the results can transform them into valued pieces. The care involved in this process is evident in the final product and exposes latent beauty and subtle characteristics. This goes beyond a monetary gain in value and elevates the product into something that carries emotional or psychological value for the user and for the designer.

Digital Hangover
In response to the certain digital fabrication movements, we are interested in addressing the notion that designers are able to seamlessly translate a digital model into a physical form with very little effort. It is a rare occurrence that entire assemblies “snap together” without complications, that wood which is fresh off the mill doesn’t need hand finishing, and that tectonics are developed without extensive testing. Instead we acknowledge these processes and embrace them as part of the digital analog exchange. Furthermore, digital manufacturing tools are no longer the avante garde of design. They exist at a level equal with analog fabrication processes and the understanding of their relation must now be explored.

Loosening Precision
Materials often directly inform designs and the processes involved in production. We aim to allow for circumstantial results, loosening precision. While tectonics and details are often tied to materiality, a greater understanding of the material is developed by closley working with it and the resulting knowledge informs design. This approach also applies to the processes involved, as methods play just as an important role in developing design.

Post-Design Design
Because we design, fabricate, and assemble there is an understanding that the design will develop as it is produced. We can anticipate certain results, but the process of making often reveals unforeseen challenges and opportunities. Post-design design is more than just troubleshooting, it is the understanding that the initial idea is flexible and will most definitely adapt. Often in our early design process unknowns are understood and expected, anticipating that a solution will later be inserted into these gaps.

High Intensity/Low Duration- Throughout the next two weeks we will be rigorously designing and creating. The purpose of this quick set of crafted objects is to take the Design Platform and embody those within a physical format. Each project, though highly different from the next, carries the same platform as the next.

woodScan
popPanel
plyLight

FABRICATION>>
Over the past year PROJECTiONE has been engaged in an ongoing project, focused on innovative fabrication techniques paired with traditional materials, in partnership with the Institute for Digital Fabrication. reBarn began in November of 2008 with a large donation of reclaimed barn wood from the Newton family’s local “Pennsylvania-style” barn. Working with the Muncie parks system, West Side Park was chosen for its potential to enhance the public recreational trail along the White River in Muncie, Indiana. reBarn aims to provide single or multiple users with a semi-programmed platform that is suitable for a variety of uses. While its use is not specifically determined, a sense of human scale and proportions is embedded in the layout of the panels, and its form is pulled specifically from the site as it creates a third levee above the river.

It was important for us to use the wood as efficiently as possible, maintain the history and quality of the material, and employ innovative strategies for its application. Rather than completely removing all imperfections, we made the decision to utilize the uniqueness of each piece and expose this on the project’s surface. In order to make milling of the barn wood viable, each piece was de-nailed, power washed, and any area that was unusable was removed. Each board was then numbered and its species, length, width, depth, and interesting characteristics were recorded. The quantity of stock totaled 275 pieces, averaging at 80 inches long and 6.5 inches wide with a consistent depth around1 inch for a total of about 300,000 square feet.

Cut files for each wood component were created using an unrolled version of the 3D model in Rhino. This catalog of digital dimensions of available wood allowed us to efficiently and precisely nest the digital cut files into the stock. Because each board was a different size and many were torqued or bowed, a unique process was developed to secure the wood to the bed of the router. Using the table’s suction a sheet of plywood became the waste board, while each piece of barn wood was drilled down to the waste board with several screws, securing every part nested in the board. The position of each of these screws had to be carefully determined before the milling process and written into the files.

Connections between individual wood components and panels were informed by a partnership with Zahner Metals. In order to offset the traditional material and hidden fabrication techniques, we involved Zahner in the process early on. We visited their shop in Kansas City to discuss materials, tolerances, and processes. The continued discussions with their engineers via phone and email allowed our team to finalize the aluminum components. This resulted in five water jet cut aluminum surface panels, and over 350 variable aluminum joints.

Each three or four sided wood panel is made up of a series of individual components, connected by a continuous dovetail joint that runs around the perimeter. The wood panels are connected to each other by aluminum joints, embed in the assembly process. Each aluminum joint accommodates the specific angle between one panel of wood and its adjoining panel. Consideration of the sequence of assembly and fabrication was equally important as the development of the joinery techniques.

All pre-assembly and fabrication has been completed. In-site installation will take place in November.

INSTALLATION>>
reBarn began as a dialogue between the history of its primary material, barn wood and contemporary tools such as CNC technology. This dialogue balances digital and analog processes, natural and man-made materials, and traditional and innovative details. The assembly tectonic was informed by the traditional cross-bracing that occurs behind the skin of a barn. This technique was employed using a locking dovetail system, creating a framework to begin developing the form.

The overall form was developed with special consideration for the site, retaining a relationship between nature and the user. Placed within a man-made levee created by the Army Corp of Engineers, the installation has a directional flow which references the movement of the river. As users adjust into the multiple positions for sitting and reclining they have the opportunity to recognize the small rapids in the White River, the sycamores directly upstream, and the public passing by along the adjacent White River Trail.

Subtle details were employed to express the age of the wood. The precise filleted space between each board references the way barns age naturally. The expansion and contraction of the exterior wood creates gaps in the siding, resulting in a uniquely filtered quality of light on the interior of the barn. This weathered quality of old barns is embedded within reBarn.

The depth of each piece of wood deviated slightly.  Because we wanted to maintain the aged surface of the wood and avoid time consumed to plane each board. The dovetail tectonic allowed for the variations in wood to be accounted for within the tip surface. The final assembled panels are not exactly in plane but this variation is synonymous with classic wood barns.

reBarn was installed over a seven-day timeframe. We utilized a list of coordinates generated from our digital model, determining the site placement of the structural concrete elements with a traditional two point / arc intersection method. The barn wood and aluminum panels were connected using custom aluminum components cut by A. Zahner Metals.

In order to support the shell structure during installation, temporary structural support for the panels was needed as the aluminum components were bolted together. Because of the extensive prefabrication, installation and assembly of the panels on site took little time. In order to increase the rigidity of the shell structure, it was necessary to add sub-structure and cross bracing to the original design. This phase of the installation was the most time consuming, but was required to insure the longevity and safety of the project. Ten minutes after completion a group of ten children “stress-tested” our project and proved it successful.

The material’s history is highlighted by the old boards creaking as you walk over the structure. Its regionalism is expressed by the inherent textures and character. Some boards retain the initials of the barn’s previous owners; other boards show places of wear from animals. These features tie the wood directly to its origins – the Newton farm in Cambridge City, IN. The contrast between aged materials and the precisely patterned aluminum panels strengthens the effect of each creating a richer whole. This relationship also provides for a direct connection between the analog and digital worlds.

reBarn has been a year in the making. If you are in the Muncie area, we are having an opening this Thursday, November 19 at 5 pm to celebrate its completion.

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We just returned from the annual ACADIA Conference (Association for Computer Aided Design in Architecture) at the Art Institute of Chicago. There were some very informative lectures and we were fortunate to network with many of the designers and academics present. This year’s conference was entitled reForm(), exploring how architects, engineers, artists and designers are using HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and MIDDLEWARE technologies to transform the ways in which buildings and spaces perform, act and operate. Many interesting lectures were centered on computer-human interface and augmented realities.

Kai Strehlke: Head of Design Technology, one of the keynote speakers, spoke about Herzog and de Meuron’s design process, contrasting most of the other presentations. He emphasized that their use of technology does not control the design process; instead, they seek tools to realize designs, many of which come from cultural and social concepts rather than complex algorithms.

It was exciting to hear Robert Aish speak about his history within the field of computer programming and parametric design. Aish described his experience developing computer models for the ship building industries (which had developed parametric models before the advent of computers). He is currently developing a programming language (D#) for Autodesk in order to produce new forms of parametric scripting. He showcased some examples of the language and the developing software.

Achim Menges presented research on wood veneer and hygroscopic reaction. He is currently continuing that research, studying wood’s reactive/sensory characteristics relative to moisture and humidity. Experiments were set up to determine how much deflection veneer could produce in low / high moisture environments. These studies are translated into some larger scale design schemes. It was exciting to see the research existing outside of the computer, in the analog world.

We have been following the ongoing work at the ETH in Zurich (specifically that of Gramazio and Kohler). Their approach to an additive design process has taken them from bricks to wood construction. They are continuing to develop a relationship between their robotic arm and standard miter saws for full scale building skins. Their no-holds-bar approach to creative uses of digital and analog tools has similarities to our own, and it was interesting to hear their perspective.

The last keynote lecture was unexpected, dealing with the developing use of robots in the military. Peter W Singer is a writer and researcher for 21st Century Defense Initiative – Brookings. The presentation was an awakening exposing some of the ethical implications of this research and development. Robots in Iraq with loaded cannons are taking on a major role, sometimes malfunctioning and firing at our troops, other times saving lives. This raises concerns of liability: who is to blame if a robot kills a civilian: the programmer, manufacturer, commander in chief? It also raised moral questions about the replacement of the human in warfare.

The conference included a diverse collection of papers but did not maintain any consistent thread across them. Somebody made the comment that ACADIA is alive and kicking but doesn’t necessarily know in what direction. This isn’t to say that the diversity wasn’t appreciated but we need to ask, what are the implications of these projects and research on the field and on our future?

We enjoyed our MegaBus adventure to Chicago.

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To frame PROJECTiONE’s [n. proj-ekt wuhn] position in the fields of digital design and fabrication we are examining our projects relative to current theories and the critical positions of digital designers and fabricators. We have followed trends in digital theory and executed a series of interviews in New York City to understand what current leaders consider to be relevant to their practice.

We find design potential in the areas of overlap and creative use of analog and digital design and fabrication methods. PROJECTiONE was created within this framework. New understandings of design and fabrication tools, through iterative use, reveal potential in materials and processes providing innovative solutions to design problems and expressions of craft. PROJECTiONE resides in the space between digital and analog.

Over the past two years we have collaborated on a variety of projects, from exhibition installations to reactive architecture. Our work has been displayed in various print, web, and built forms, all remaining within an academic setting. This collaborative history was based on a shared love for internal dialogue and critique parallel to making and experimentation, driving each of our projects. PROJECTiONE is our collective thesis. We have chosen to examine our similarities and past methods of collaboration in order to reposition ourselves within the design and fabrication communities this year and into practice.

“It is a collective which exhibits emergent behavioral patterns that are unpredictable by examining the behavioral patterns of its parts. Beyond simple collaboration, which is the result of an alignment of interests, an emergent network can create new and complex coherences out of divergent interests.” (Wiscombe 2006)

We do not intend to define specialists within our group. We are not a group of individuals that coexist to form a collaborative. While we have different backgrounds that affect our perspectives, we are not completely separate parts under the label of a whole. As Wiscombe explains, this has allowed for unpredictable and unforeseen results in the synthesis of our ideas and interests. However, unlike these clear definitions of collaboration and collective, our interests fluctuate between divergent and aligned. Our ideas, skills, and interests may differ, but they also overlap toward a common goal. We do not formulate individual ideas that the group supports, rather the group reformulates individual ideas to a point where the individual is indistinguishable from the group. This is our collective. This is PROJECTiONE.

Our opportunities to work together in the past have focused on using digital and analog design and fabrication tools. To frame our position in this field, we contrast that experience against current theories and the critical positions of digital designers and fabricators. We have followed trends in digital theory and executed a series of interviews in New York City to understand what current designers and fabricators consider to be relevant to their practice. Our questions highlighted their perspective on the relationship between digital and analog tools and processes.

Two significant theories that have informed digital practice are concepts of versioning (parametric design) and its implications in a new industrial or manufacturing approach, neither of which accurately describes our position. Sharples, Holden, and Pasquarelli’s (SHoP) Introduction to the series of essays in the Architectural Design (AD) issue titled Versioning (Sharples, Holden, Pasquarelli 2002, 7) set the framework for this parametric theory. They describe the shift away from representational design towards a form of design that embeds information through the use of parametric modeling and versioning which, “can be characterised by a set of conditions organised into a menu or nomenclature capable of being configured to address particular design criteria”. There was an emerging understanding of the model becoming rapidly adaptable and flexible based on contextual and formal criteria. This model could directly integrate with fabrication techniques, as defined in Manufacturing and Material Effects (Kolarevic and Klinger 2008, 28). Kolarevic and Klinger’s approach takes on industrial models as guidelines for a shift in practice. They claim that digital and computational technology has allowed architecture to move towards a systemized, accurately calculated method of assembly. While this can be true, it is most often not realized in products of architecture. The validity of this manufacturing mentality is in question, as this attitude is incongruent with practices of craftsmanship and the development of truly unique components, (not necessarily mass-customizable components) incorporating digital tools, hand craft, regional materials, and labor.

In our New York interviews, we sought individuals who are recognized for their contributions to digital design and architecture, yet many of their responses indicated sensitivity towards the human involvement in these practices. For example, Chris Lasch of Aranda/Lasch spoke of a Native American weaver suturing two scripted components together. However, when questioned about the weaver’s involvement in creating the suture hole spacing, a parameter of the script, Lasch said that he made the decision without thought of involving the weaver. While he was sharing information with the weaver in development of the scripted components, he missed, what we find, a critical step in the process that could have been explored with a specialist’s expertise. This is not a criticism of the idea or the outcome, but of the specific relationships and process of this collaboration. A direct connection between the digital parameters of the script and the analog methods of the weaver was missing; instead the design was “handed-off” to the maker, exhibiting two skill-sets within an idea, rather than a truly informed idea created through collaboration.

In an interview with John Nastasi of Nastasi Architects, he described a master plasterer who skim coated a CNC milled wall for one of his projects. What was important to Nastasi was the way in which the digital methods allowed for a streamlined process, and most importantly, a result that was “absolutely beautiful”. While this integration allowed for great results, the process remained linear. We are interested in how the plasterer’s expertise could feed back into the formal development of the model. How could the analog process change the way that the wall is developed digitally? How can this relationship and dialogue take on within a more integrated and cyclical model? Can the techniques of the artisan be implemented in conjunction with the CNC operations, not simply in preparation for finishing?

The existing relationship between digital and analog tools is linear and an extension of traditional processes. The designer defines the parameters (materials and methods) while the craftsman, contractor, or assembler is charged with working within the confines of those rules. Arguments have been made for integrated project delivery which involves these people in design decisions early on, but we are not focusing on that idea. What is critical to us is how those interactions take place, not whether they take place.

When asked, some of the [digital] fabricators described analog tools as finishing tools, mainly relying on digital tools for precise shaping and surfacing. Jefferey Taras of Associated Fabrication told us, “[E]verything gets sanded on some level. It’s perfect when it comes off the mill and then it’s never that way again.” This is an attitude towards fabrication and finishing which is commonly held within the digital design community. There is little appreciation for the abilities of analog tools, yet an unyielding reverence for digital tools. Taras went on to say, “The drill press rarely gets used. We use the chop saw, we use the table saw. They’re all used for select processes, maybe to make a jig but not really as a final piece. We might use it to make stock.” We are in opposition to this perspective, reducing analog tools to a diminished status. However, Associated Fabrication recognizes their specialization in CNC tools and will send out work which requires analog tooling to traditional fabricators (e.g. large panel saw cutting).

Analyzing and critiquing these firms’ view of their tools and processes has brought PROJECTiONE closer to an understanding of our own values and position on these issues. The differences have been highlighted in order to define ourselves through negation.

Some groups we interviewed, such as Tietz-Baccon, find value in the relationships of digital and analog, often using CNC machinery to create jigs for crafted analog fabrication. They exhibit their craft through the use of all tools, recognizing that creativity and precision can still occur within the analog. Others, like Gramazio and Kohler at the ETH in Zurich are exploring this relationship in a different way. Though they are experimenting with a seven-axis robot, they have no intent of eliminating the human, remaining largely integrated into the process. [West Fest Pavilion in Switzerland] In this process, the robot picks up a piece of wood and places it on a table, where a student cuts it to a CNC-specified length with a miter saw. After cutting, the robot positions that same piece of wood in a specific place, while another student secures it with a nail gun. It is a mutually constructive machine-human relationship and an integrated use of this technology.

Similar to these groups, we completed a quick design/fabrication project entitled Projection that we used to analyze our internal methodologies and help define our position. Critical relationships existed throughout the project between the analog design (measurement of Cartesian coordinates) and the digital model (insertion of coordinates in digital space). This was made possible by our understanding of the required digital inputs that informed how we modeled and measured using analog tools. During fabrication, our analog techniques (steel cutting, and welding) informed the shape and information embedded in templates (laser-cut cardboard). These templates were designed to wrap around steel angles so that they could easily be held in place while marking and cutting, but also carried with them information regarding the steel pieces’ length and orientation. An interrogation of analog and digital space in this project allowed a unique and continuous transfer of information between the two.

This example highlights the thinking that is intrinsic to our process, relying on an intimate understanding of a variety of tools, both analog and digital. This knowledge can then be applied in developing innovative relationships (coordinate mapping, and laser-cutting templates). Unlike some of the designers and fabricators interviewed, we remain open to new uses of both analog and digital tools. We don’t place any undue importance on either new technologies or traditional means, and we rethink the relationships that exist between them.

Software and hardware should not just make designing or fabricating easier, streamlining the design process. They should not exist separate from the human. They should provide opportunities to change the way designers think. They should allow us to design differently; more precisely, more creatively, and with greater intent. This can be done through an interrogation of the tool’s purpose. Every tool has a purpose or material associated with it, but that purpose should be continually challenged. PROJECTiONE was created within this framework. We find design potential in the areas of overlap and creative use of analog and digital design and fabrication methods. In every project we intend to innovate. We develop new techniques. We rethink traditional techniques. We creatively force tools to do what they weren’t intended to do. Our ideas and methodologies are based on an interrogation of relationships between the individuals of PROJECTiONE and the tools of our craft. This concept is not unique to us, but its execution and results highlight our position in digital practice. PROJECTiONE resides in the space between digital and analog.

Within the framework of our thesis, we are presenting our position at multiple scales and levels of complexity. This first semester has been research based, relying on a few small scale projects to convey our ideas. Our research has helped to iteratively define PROJECTiONE’s position within design and fabrication. We have looked back at previous projects and developed new projects ranging in scale from our own business cards, to a graphic representation of our trip to New York and a system that can receive projection of our work, each exhibiting our position in a different way.

The next stage for us will be examining the marketing and development possibilities of PROJECTiONE in the field of product design. This will introduce new parameters to influence our methods, specifically a program that is developed for several users and the physical production of multiple products that retain the processes we value. This product should embody the cooperative integration of analog and digital throughout its design and production. Our intention is that this methodology becomes transparent and easily understood to a market and specific users. Our secondary goal for this product is the development of supplemental income generating research funding for our work next semester.

PROJECTiONE is currently developing a “Call for Work” in order to begin networking with potential clients and partners. By expanding the scope of our thesis work to include a full scale client based design problem, we will provide a demonstration project within our critical position. We have presented the invitation to those interested in our work to contact us with their unique design problems and opportunities. This project will primarily take place next semester and is intended to explore the development of an external program-based architectural application that frames our thesis work. Previously, our project development has been internally driven, based on our own interests and generated programs, and we realize that for our position to be understood outside of an academic context we must connect with and design for others. Additionally, we are looking towards manufacturers and material suppliers that could benefit from our skill-set in rebranding themselves and rethinking their methods or purpose. Our processes are often influenced by the integration of materials and industry early on, creating the potential to drastically change the way established techniques or materials are used in design and construction. We look forward to engaging this scale of work and interacting with clients with an aligned interest.

Next semester we plan to expand the scope of our thesis work to include a full scale client based design problem, we will provide a demonstration project within our critical position. We invite those interested in our work to contact us with their unique design problems and opportunities. This potential project will primarily take place next semester and is intended to explore the development of an external program-based architectural application that frames our thesis work.

Previously, our project development has been internally driven, based on our own interests and generated programs, and we realize that for our position to be understood outside of an academic context we must connect with and design for others. Additionally, we are looking towards manufacturers and material suppliers that could benefit from our skill-set in rebranding themselves and rethinking their methods or purpose. Our processes are often influenced by the integration of materials and industry early on, creating the potential to drastically change the way established techniques or materials are used in design and construction.

Please contact Elizabeth Boone if you are interested in working with PROJECTiONE.

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Past Industry Partners

A. Zahner Metals
Arrowhead Plastic Engineering
Indiana Limestone Fabricators, Inc.
Midwest Metal Products

Past Sponsors

Buente | Buente Architects
Capstone Real Realty
LHI Lighting
The Estopinal Group
VPS Architecture

Past Material Donations

David R Webb Co
Laird Plastics

We returned from New York City after interviewing some of the top designers and fabricators in the country. It was interesting to learn of the connections between the firms and the collaboration that exists across them. Each interview gave us an understanding of not only the individual and their firm, but also the network of practices throughout the city.

Our questions highlighted their perspective on the relationship between digital and analog tools and processes. Many of these firms are recognized for their contributions to digital design and architecture yet their responses indicated sensitivity towards the human involvement in these processes. We heard stories of a master plasterer finishing a CNC milled wall and a Native American weaver suturing two very scripted components together. This attitude is emerging as an area of great interest to us and is the main focus of our research and projects.

These firms represent a broad spectrum of size, experience, and expertise. Many of the younger firms we interviewed are small scale and are seeking to better define their role in design and fabrication. These firms are struggling to bridge the gap between design and fabrication. They would like to pursue their own design work but fall victims to their own success with digital fabrication tools.

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Before our trip to New York we decided to make business cards that would both represent what PROJECTiONE is about and stand out as something different among a wallet of others. We recognize that many of our projects find meaning within their design/fabrication processes as much as in their final state; we intended to take on these cards as a project with a similar mindset. The cards uniquely combine a very precise digital process with a learned analog system [vacuum forming] producing highly individualized outcomes. While each one retains the precision of laser-cut mat board molds, slight variations within each card references the human involvement in the process.

We bought-out our local hobby shop to test [destroy] sheet after sheet of polystyrene in order to develop the right process for this specific instance. We used a jig on our ridiculously small vacuum former with a series of mirror-image rastered mat board molds to pull the material to a semi-exact position. Some of the mat board texture transfers over, giving the material a paper-like appearance with a completely non-paper feel, which was unexpected. However the cards do accomplish an original intent: imprinting PROJECTiONE’s information on other business cards.

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This exercise was a quick three day project that PROJECTiONE undertook in order to graphically represent our research over the last week in New York. Since most of our research took the form of interviews we thought it appropriate to represent the emotion or experience of the events. We intended these vignettes to express the language or character of the individuals interviewed. A series of photographs were taken throughout the interview in order to capture this. Presented alongside was a quote pulled from the interview that highlighted a unique viewpoint of the individual, providing an introduction to our process and the firms we visited.

This small project looks at a growing focus within our group, highlighting one aspect of design and fabrication that is important to us. We framed many of our questions around the integration of analog and digital tools and we thought it appropriate to combine them for this representation. Drawing from the ideas of old pen plotters and drafting techniques, we developed an accurate system, using a 3-axis CNC router and a set of drafting and art pens that would draw abstracted versions of each individual. The files were created through a transition from Photoshop to Illustrator to Rhino to Mastercam, using this software to create the pocket configurations filling each hatched area. Through rigorous tests and failures we refined a process and toolset that could provide consistent results. This consistency would be nearly impossible to accomplish by hand, yet the results retain the qualities of the hand and the tools used. While this process is not nearly as efficient as printing off a series of images, the results turned out to be much more interesting.

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These interviews will take place over the week of 9.28.09 to 10.2.09 in New York City, in the offices of various architectural designers, fabricators, and consultants. A diverse range of practices were selected in order to gain information on the question of how practices integrate digital design and fabrication techniques with more traditional methods. Do firms actually practice in the purely digital realm? Focusing strongly on firms that design and fabricate customized components, how do these firms manage the design fabrication feedback loop? These interviews are intended to gain the perspective or attitude on these issues.

Aranda/Lasch
Associated Fabrication
BuroHappold
Case Design Inc.
DavidZachary
Freecell
Front Inc.
Lewis Tsurumaki Lewis
Nastasi Architects
SITU Studio
Tietz-Baccon

Projection was intended to be an internal exercise, a study of PROJECTiONE’s methods of process, from design to fabrication. It was created as a display system for our previous and future work, while in itself representing our design methodology. The system was made from available materials: 1” steel angles, 1/8” translucent white acrylic, stainless steel hardware, key lime spray paint, and a university InFocus projector. The project began with a modeled construction line in physical space out of cardboard and monofilament, which was digitized by mapping xyz coordinates. The actual steel dimensions were added and then split to provide necessary cutting angles.  Templates were made for cutting the steel and drilling the mounting holes for the acrylic.  The steel was welded, ground down, filled, sanded, and painted. Simultaneously the acrylic was modeled in grasshopper: each shape was derived from the length and angle of the associated steel member. Each piece was uniquely heated and bent to produce their proper shape. Projection was completed in four days.

This process allowed us to examine our working relationships and focus on the actual method of collaboration. We have realized some of our faults related to scheduling and time management.  In an attempt to physically make our projects, within a given time frame, we often end up creating too much work and spending a large amount of time in fabrication. Without clear solutions to problems and a framework in place for making decisions, we end up arguing and debating over many issues. This project relied heavily on eliminating variables: decisions were made by determining certain given parameters. This information will allow us to focus and develop ourselves for future projects throughout the year.
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This represents a presentation given at a Pecha Kucha style afternoon. We consider it a first manifesto. The objects below were created out of folded laser-cut acrylic and a hand-cut printed graphic composition of PROJECTiONE’s manifesto. They were handed out to the audience as an artifact in order to reflect on the fast-paced presentation. They can function as a stencil, bookmark, or simply become a visual representation of the event.
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Over the past two years we have collaborated on a variety of projects from exhibition installations to reactive architecture. Our work has been displayed in various print, web, and built forms. We have a shared love of making that drives each of our projects and have thus chosen to pursue a collaborative thesis which we have dubbed PROJECTiONE.

PROJECTiONE aims to examine and prototype an innovative start up firm, through research of existing firm structures, documentation of the process of our internal collaboration as well as with industry and clients, resulting in built projects, subsidiary publications, and an expanded network that represents a culmination of the ideas and work our group has produced together.

We realize some of the challenges of creating a successful practice within the academic world and are excited by them, as each of our past projects has challenged our understanding of architecture. In order to begin framing our process for this endeavor, we have developed a few key goals: These goals are not checkpoints as much as principle to work under.

PROJECTiONE aims to be a self sustaining venture. The documentation of this process will be highly rigorous, not involving a singular project, attempting to understand how processes and testing can add value. We will investigate how material research in design impact design, how we understand the value of an idea as opposed to the value of an object, how our theory of practice impacts the product, and where we fit as specialists in a generalists profession.

As part of the ninth edition of the BEYOND MEDIA festival hosted by Image in Florence, Italy, the SPOT ON SCHOOLS exhibition explored the didactics in the field of architectural design and of the new media of communication, while focusing on the most recent development of the use of digital technologies for design research in the field of education.

The Institute for Digital Fabrication was invited to show work at SPOT ON SCHOOLS on the mezzanine in the Stazione Leopolda. Three projects were included: Morpholuminescence, Bodhi Tree, and Veneer Luminaires. The exhibition design/fabrication team was comprised of the members of PROJECTiONE. The exhibit took five, twelve hour days to install, remained up for about a week and was disassembled in three hours.

Comprised of hundreds of custom laser-cut petals, stems, and hinges, Morpholuminescence was transported in checked luggage and shipped in pieces, fully arriving one day prior to the opening (three days were scheduled for its installation). A large custom clamp was designed and fabricated to hold the 75+lb project from the existing structure at the Stazione. The tricolor LEDs were adjusted to compliment the natural tones of the other two projects displayed.

Assembled and compositionally designed completely on-site, this version of Bodhi Tree required laser cutting of over 10,000 components from hardwood veneer. The system was customized for this exhibit by increasing the overall size of the veneer component to decrease installation time, and reversing the two types of wood for a different effect. A monofilament net was used as a structural system to allow for precise hanging of the piece.

The Luminaires were also constructed on-site from hardwood veneer along with lightweight acrylic armatures and fluorescent lighting. This luminaire design was specifically derived from the lighting system used and was arranged to create a field in balance with the other projects. Three variations of size were constructed to highlight the variability in the parametric system.
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MorphoLuminesence is a kinetic ceiling prototype, originally described as a simple surface in Rhino. The surface was triangulated into panels or ”petals” using a combination of the PanelingTools plug-in and manual modeling based on a specific tessellation logic. “Morpho” consists of these kinetic petals, laser cut from white acrylic, which hang from stems of clear tubular acrylic with planar elbow joints. The acrylic tubes were laser cut using custom fabricated jigs to create angles and grooves along each piece. The compound joints of each petal were created using unique laser cut acrylic angles and pivoting model airplane hinges. The surface is actuated using monofilament attached to small, high torque servos. The servos are mounted to acrylic towers above the MDF top surface, providing maximum leverage. Variable value RGB LEDs, above the petal surface, are tuned across the visual spectrum to provide a wide variety of lighting effects.

The MDF soffit was modeled in Rhino as a network of the stems. Although the original form was a NURBS surface, the tooling patterns and g-code where generated using Mastercam. The preview modes allowed us to tweak the step sizes until we could achieve the right aesthetic. The ridges allowed material to be placed where it was structurally needed to keep the petals stable and fixed. The top of the soffit became the circuit board for the LED’s and base for the servo towers.

A series of prototypes informed the shape and structure of the components that create the overall form. Acrylic panels were flexed to their breaking points, fishing line was stressed, and multiple materials were tested for the
rigid top surface including, HDF, MDF, Particleboard, and High Density Foam.

The surface reacts to people standing and moving beneath it, as Arduino micro-controllers are used to receive infrared sensor data and to control the position of the servos. The sensors detect speed and direction of people in relation to the piece. If a user stands still for a long enough period of time, the petals will retract into the completed surface, but once activated by human occupation, the piece opens and closes pods.
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Indiana has a long tradition of producing hardwood veneer from regionally harvested trees. Made of Indiana hardwood veneer, these prototypes highlight some of the more subtle properties of hardwood. The thinness of veneer allows wood to bend, twist, and glow—revealing latent and innate qualities of thinly sliced wood. These qualities are exploited in projects that reveal the lightness of this typically heavy material.

Hardwood veneer Luminaires were developed with the Institute for Digital Fabrication using laser cut and tiled black cherry. The model used to create the lamps is a parametric Grasshopper file. This allows the user to select, create, and edit contour curves from which the form is created. Slide bars within the software adjust the size, rotation, and density of tiles on the form. This process gives the designer precise control for immediate visualization and a choice from an infinite number of iterations.

This is a shift away from using a predetermined shape, and towards a set of editable rules that create the form. It is critical that the rules be made with production methods, materials, and formal design in mind. This is achieved through prototyping and refining the model.

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Bodhi Tree exists as an interrogation of component based design and an exploration of alternative design processes as part of collaboration with Steve Deters from UCLA, who led a workshop with a group of Ball State University graduate architecture students in collaboration with the Institute for Digital Fabrication. The project began as a series of explorations with wood veneer, in order to understand its physical properties, assemblage, and component fabrication. This effort produced a single component, assembled into a unit which can be multiplied to create any surface: wrapping a column, suspended from a ceiling, or climbing a wall. The curvature and tension of twisting the veneer strengthens each unit to form a stable and resilient lattice.

An important aspect to this project is the relationship between the designer, the material and the process: pre-installation design was limited to the component, allowing the freedom for customization and sculpting of the surface during installation–the resulting overall lattice geometry being the result of this self-organized form-finding experiment. This very intensive design – fabrication project provides an understanding of component based systems and their ability to propagate as gradient assemblies of variegated densities, strengths, and geometries which are able to catch or filter light and transform space.
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