1

DIGITAL DESIGN + FABRICATION SM1, 2016 M3 JOURNAL - SLEEPING POD

Jie Li, Annabelle Roper, Laura Rawlings(743319, 699112, 695220)

Josh Russo - Group 7

2

Introduction

PROTOTYPE SUCCESSES

The prototype as it stands has a lot of successes and failures, which

gives us direction moving forward. We have created some nice

material effects, which we would like to carry through to the final

model. These include the rippling effect created by the loosely

attached fabric to the mesh system and the transparency of the pod

(see image 1). Moving forward we would like to exaggerate these

material effects to explore depth and enhance the experience of the

user and those viewing the pod from the outside.

PROTOTYPE FAILURES

We occurred difficulties when creating a bone structure that would

be strong enough to hold the pod in an arch position (see image 2).

We also had difficulties when joining the mesh system to the bone

structure. Moving forward we need to pay more attention to the finer

details to give the pod a polished and professional look. We will do so

by exploring different digital fabrication options.

Image 1: Rippling effect and transparency created in protoytpe.

Image 2: Prototype being held in outstretched position as it couldnt support it’s own weight.

3

Design developmentADDITION OF BONES EXAGGERATING MATERIAL EFFECTS

EXPLORING DEPTH RETHINKING JOINTS

Image 3: Bones for the pod to be laser cut from MDF sheets. Image 4: To exaggerate the material effects, transparent fabric will be used eitherside of the mesh system

so it can sill be seen. Also the addition of a second layer of the same system in a different material.

Image 5: Section of the two seperate layers, showing the depth of the material system. Image 5: The MDF bones will include holes so the mesh system can attach seamlessly.

4

Design development + fabrication of Prototype V.2

Image 6: Laser cut MDF bones, seperated from sheet

and holes popped out.

Image 7: Outer layer made from two different

thicknesses of tubing fixed with black electrical tape.

Image 8: Ropes tied together with while string, fabric

to be fixed to either side and sewn on the string ties.

Image 9: Rope and Fabric form inner layer and

tubing forms the outer layer. Both are attached to the

MDF bones.

5

ELEVATION

EXPLODED PERSPECTIVE

PLAN

6

Architecture in the Digital Age - Design + Manufacturing/ Branko Kolarevic, Spon Press, London c2003

Briefly outline the various digital fabrication processes. Explain how you use digital fabrication in your design?

Reading Response Wk 6

Two-Dimensional FabricationAs the name suggests, two-dimensional fabrication is limited to two-axis of motion of the

cutting head, material bed or a combination of the two. For example, sheet material

can be cut along the x-axis and y-axis only. Technologies include plasma arc, laser

beam and water jet cutting.

We are using laser beam technology, which is a two-dimensional fabrication technique,

for the bones for our sleeping pod, which will be made from MDF sheet material. Laser

cutters use a focused beam of high-intensity infrared light in conjunction with highly

pressurized gas to make precise cuts in sheet material.

Subtractive FabricationSubtractive fabrication involves the removal of a specified volume from a solid material.

In this instance the cutting head, material bed or combination of the two have three

to five-axis of movement. Technologies include electro, chemically, or mechanically

reductive processes.

Additive FabricationThe principle for all additive fabrication methods is that the digital model is sliced into

two-dimensional sections of which the information transferred to a processing head

and is used to create a three-dimensional model in a section-by-section fashion. An

example of additive fabrication is 3D printing.

Formative FabricationIn the formative fabrication process materials are reshaped or deformed through the

means of mechanical forces, restricting forms, heat or steam.

Image 10: CNC Milled Styrofoam moulds.

Image 11: Zollhof Towers, Frank Gehry.

Image 12: MDF bones laser cut file.

7

Reading applied to design

How does the fabrication process and strategy effect your second skin project?

The digital fabrication process does not benefit the main body of the pod

due to the random nature of the material systems chosen. It is important

to note that digital fabrication has its limitations, and craftsmanship

and the art of making things with your hands is still applicable in today’s

society.

We did however utilize digital fabrication when creating structural bones

for the pod. In this instance, laser cutting allowed us to create precise

arch shaped bones, with neat holes for fixing materials to. We also

benefited from the strength and thickness of the materials available to

be cut. For the bones of the V.2 prototype we used 3mm MDF, which was

much stronger than the cardboard used in the prototype made at the

end of module 2. We need to develop the design of the bones for the

final design however, as they are still not strong enough to support the

material system. This will be easier now we have tested the performance

of the previous laser cut bones.

Image 13: V.2 Prototype design supported by laser cut MDF bones.

Image 14: MDF bones after laser cutting. Image 15: Close up of precise holes created for fixing materials.

8

Digital Fabrications: architectural + material techniques/Lisa Iwamoto. New York: Princeton Architectural Press c2009

Describe one aspect of the recent shift in the use of digital technology from design to fabrication?

Reading Response Wk 7

The recent shift in digital technologies being used in all stages from design to

fabrication has led to the architect being once again more involved throughout the

whole process of the project. The increasing precessence of digital technologies in

the architecture industry has allowed the architect to regain the aspect of their role

that is oversight of the construction process.

The ease and flexibility of digital technologies makes many aspects of the design

and build process easier and more creative. Architect can easily create a complex

design on a computer modelling program and then translate that into a physical

model to test out certain aspects easily by 3d printing, laser cutting, CNC routing and

many more. Digital technologies have made this step so fast in contrast to traditional

methods that it gives the architect room to test new ideas and come up with new

construction methods, new visual effects, new uses for traditional materials or new

materials all together, without much need to worry about cost and time constraints.

With this new complexity in building effects and techniques architects have made it

harder to construct using traditional building methods but again digital technology

allows them to come up with new methods to both fit with the aesthetic of their

design and make construction efficient.

The precision of digital technologies has also added to this aspect, some of the

joining techniques of material effects would be impossible and extremely time

consuming if they had to be carried out by hand. The precision has meant that the

designer can measure up and calculate everything beforehand and test it, then

fabricate the building precisely in separate parts to then be put together on site.

Digital technologies has made it easier for complex buildings to be broken down

and constructed with the ease of flat pack building. Because of digital technologies

the architect or designer is involved in all aspects of the design and construction

process from testing to construction.

Image 16: Precise joints fabricated with digital technologies, and large projects broken into pieces to be

assembled on site. Images from text

9

Reading applied to designReferencing from the lectures and readings, what is the implication of digital fabrication on your design ?

Digital fabrication has had a significant impact on our design. Without digital fabrication

methods our design would have no form, stability, structure or depth. We have used digital

fabrication methods to explore the function of the main bones in our sleeping pod. It began

with just two bones. We had two arches laser cut from 3mm MDF board.

We tested it out with our second prototype after trying to hand cut boxboard for the first

prototype. Our first prototype did not work well at all, by choosing hand cutting instead of laser

cutting we could see first hand how much harder it was. It was slow, tiring and the boxboard

was not strong at all. So when we received our laser cut MDF we knew we were on the right

path. The laser cutting had made that whole process so much faster and we could use much

stronger materials than we would have used if we were hand cutting the bones.

After having the first bit of laser cutting done we were happy to try more. The speed of the laser

cutting had real implications on our design. We were able to quickly design our arches on Rhino

and pan out exactly where everything was to be and then send it off to get cut. This speed

of designing to fabricating has made the design move forward much faster than if everything

was done by hand. It has meant we could design more intricate patterns, think about other

possibilities for what we could do with the rest of the design now that we know the main

structure will hold. If we were still doing things by hand we would still be trying to figure out how

to make the bones strong enough.

The laser cutting also meant that we could precisely measure out and plan for all the joins we

were going to need. Through testing we were constantly changing how many joins we would

need, where they would be joined and how they would be joined. We were able to think of

the best possible way to join the many elements of our design together and then fabricate the

bones precisely to make the joins as perfect as they could be. The ease of fabricating what we need exactly with speed made the designing process faster and allowed us to be more creative with what we could create.

Image 17: First laser cut Rhino file and image. Basic design that was flimsy and too few and not

specific enough joins.

Image18: Second laser cut Rhino file and image. The deisgn has been developed, become

more structurally sound and has specific joins for each element.

10

Prototype development

Image 20: This image shows the extreme flexing in

the MDF arches. The patterning in the black piping

however is looking really nice. The mix of thicker

and thinner piping makes a unique pattern. The

front of the black piping needs to be attached to

a MDF arch.

Image 21: This photo illustrates the pattern of the

material and rope. The joints in the rope need

to be perfected to look less messy. The material

however is performing just the way we intended, it

is sheer so that both the sleeper and the rope can

be seen partially through the sleeping pod.

Image 19: An overall view of the second prototype with someone sleeping inside it. There are many

things that need to be resolved in our design as of yet. The picture shows the flex in the MDF, the

unfinished joins of the rope and material and the black piping to the MDF.

11

The design has much to improve on.

First we need to redesign the MDF arches. Each bone has

an upper and lower layer, in this prototype they are quite

separate, we will need to connect them more along the

whole length of the arch. We will also need to think about

how to thicken the arch either by cutting thicker MDF or

gluing.

To develop our design we will finesse all of our joint elements.

We need to tidy up the rope ties and the ends of the material.

Somehow we need to figure out how to fix the material to the

MDF bones.

We want to explore the possibility of somehow stretching

the material to interact with the top layer. We also need to

somehow manipulate the material to make the most of the

moire effects of the sheer fabric.

We need to explore methods of connecting all the ends of

the rope and piping at the ends of the arch where they rest

on the table.

REFLECTION + MOVING FORWARDImage 22: This photo demonstrates the structural instability of

the sleeping pod. The MDF arches are too thin and are not

attached to all the layers in the sleep pod. This has meant that

the sleep pod is not stable. The MDF is also not laser cut to make

it most structurally stable.

Image23: This photo shows all the joins of the different layers. The

white layer is tied to the MDF. These ties are messy and need to

be fixed. The black piping also looks messily put together, the

joins should not be of tape.

12

Prototype optimisationMATERIAL EFFECTS

We created some really nice material effects

in the V.2 prototype, now it’s just a matter of

exaggerating them even further.

For the inside layer, sewing the fabric to the rope

created really lovely rippling effects (see image

24). To make this even more dramatic we will use

a greater area of fabric and bunch it with every

stich to the rope (see image 27). This will hopefully

still have the rippling effects but have added

depth. The added material will also allow the rope

to retain all its movement, where as in the V.2

Prototype the smaller area of fabric restricted the

rope from moving in all directions.

We are quite happy with the aesthetic of the

outer tubing layer as it is, it creates a nice flowing

spiderweb effect (see images 25 & 26). the only

thing we need to tweak is the distance between

the joins, so as to allow more movement and

create larger gaps (see image 28).

Image 24: fabric sewn to rope.

Image 25: Pattern created with tubing.

Image 26: pattern created at the

top of the outer layer.

Image 27: Attaching a larger area of fabric to the rope to create exaggerated rippling effects.

Image 28: Creating larger spaces between joins to allow the tubing to stretch further.

13

MATERIAL EFFECTS

Testing effects Effects on Personal Space

One of the main aims of our sleeping pod is to create an inviting and

comfortable interior volume for sleeping in and a harder, scarier exterior to

communicate to others the need for personal space.

One of the main ways we have done this is through the use of different

colours. The inter layer is completely white, which gives the interior a softer

aesthetic, similar to that of white sheets on a bed. The outer layer is a

contrasting black, which has a harder and less inviting aesthetic.

Also the differences in material choices for the inner and outer layer help to

create different experiences inside and outside of the pod. The inner layer is

made from fabric and thin rope, which is soft to touch and molds around the

body. The exterior tubing on the other hand is hard to touch and takes a lot

more force to mold.

The choice of fabric is something we did a lot of testing on. We want the final

model to have a rippling effect but still be transparent so the user of the pod

can still see out, avoiding the feeling of disconnectedness for the outside.

Image 29: Testing different fabrics to see the way they crumple and how transparent they are.

14

Prototype optimisationDIGITAL FABRICATION

The main issue with the previous laser cut bones

was that they were not strong enough to pull out

the plastic tubing. Also the gap between the inner

and outer bone meant that they had too much

flex. Making the laser cut for the prototype was

not a complete fail however, because it was great

having the scale physical model to test the material

performance in order to develop the final laser cut

bones.

The first improvement we made to the bones was

to make them 12mm thick as opposed to 3mm,

meaning each bone had to be cut four times and

glued together (see image 30).

The next change we made was to fill in the gap

between the inner and outer layer. We did so with

a zigzag pattern to add strength and continue the

pattern of the fabric and rope system (see images 31

& 32).

Image 30: laser cut file, showing four of each bone and the way they were sized and arranged to fit on eight 900x600 sheets of MDF.

Image 31: Zigzag pattern etched on the front and back bones to

match the aesthetics of the sleeping pod.

Image 32: Zigzag pattern filling in the gap in the bones and creating

strength.

Image 33: Smaller holes for fixing the plastic tubing with cable ties and

slightly larger holes for fixing the rope with string.

Image 34: Larger holes in the inner bones for ropes to be attached

through.

15

DIGITAL FABRICATION

Effects on Functionality and Aesthetics

After the bones were glued together and left to dry over night,

they were extremely strong and it was next to impossible to

bend them at all. In terms of functionality this was a huge

success because we should now be able to pull the sleeping

pod out evenly. The thickness of the bones also should allow the

pod to stay in an upright position.

The precision of laser cutting has had a large effect on the

quality of aesthetic produced. We chose to compliment the

fabric and rope system by etching a zigzag pattern onto the

bones (see image 37), which will act as a guide when we paint

them. Laser cutting also allowed us to create precise fixing holes

on the bones, meaning there should be no messy joins.

Image 35: Laser cut before being removed from the sheet. Image 36: Bones being left to dry after being glued together.

Image 37: Dried bones ready for painting. Image 37: Etched detail and fixing points.

16

Prototype optimisationDETAILS AND JOINS

There are four main join aspects we need to improve. First there is the join be-tween the black piping and the mdf bones, second is the joining of the black piping, then the joins in the rope weave pattern, and finally the join between the fabric and the rope layer.Joining the black piping to the mdf we need to find a secure but discrete meth-od to do so. This is because the force of pulling the stretchy weave is great. We tested black tape and cable ties, the cable ties worked best. This was because with the tape we had to wrap it around the whole mdf width which was not discrete, where as the cable ties could easily be looped through holes in the mdf close to the piping so it was more hidden. The joining of the black piping to itself is also quite similar to joining it to the mdf, it needs to be strong but it’s profile should not be too large as to distract from the smooth curves of the piping in an arch. We tested cable ties and black tape again but for this joint the black tape was the best option. This was because it was wrapping around two bits of piping at were similar size so it had a very flat profile and was strong.Joining the rope to itself we wanted a join that fitted with the aesthetic of the rope. We tried white tape but this didn’t have a good fit with the rope. We also tried wrapping and knotting string around the rope, this worked the best.Finally the most difficult is joining the fabric to the rope. We were really only left with the option of sewing as glueing gets too messy and because our fabric is sheer you would see this mess. We came up with sewing a loop through the two layers of fabric and around the joins on the rope weave so that the full effect of the matterial looking like it is floating would be true. We also had to find a way of joining the edges of the material to either the mdf or the rope so that they would look finished and not just look like messy cut edges. We tried glueing this mate-rial to the mdf but it was messy and the glue took off the paint on the mdf. We ended up sewing loops again around the joins that were through or on the mdf ribs. On the edges that were at the ends of the arches we folded and sewed the material to the rope.

Image42: Plan view of the sewn loop around the rope

joins connecting the edges of the two layers of fabric to

the rope layer.

Image 39: Plan view of the knotted side of the rope

joins. The knot is small and discrete.

Image 40: Plan view of the folded and sewn end of the

fabric. By folding and sewing over the ends of the rope, the

rope is also secured to ensure uniform movement of the

ends of rope.

Image41: Perspective view of join of two ropes through

and MDF arch.

17

Image 47: Left: The testing of white tape to attach the rope together, doesn’t look nice.

Image 48: Right: The string wrapped around the ropes and then knotted. This looks much nicer and fits with the

aesthetic.

Image 49: Left: The joint where cotton thread was sewn around the rope joint to join the rope and fabric in a

discrete way.

Image50: Right: The folded and sewn ends of the fabric to finish it off and connect the ends of the rope to the

fabric.

Image 43: eft: The testing of the black tape to attch the black piping to the mdf.

Image 44: Right: The black cable tie, its much less obvious and very secure.

Image 45: Left: The testing of the black tape to attch the black piping to itself when the weave is not

stretched.

Image 46: Right: The black tape performing well while the weave is stretched. In both cases the tape is not

distracting from the smooth black piping.

DETAILS AND JOINS

18

2nd Skin final design

PERSPECTIVE

PLAN

ELEVATION

19

EXPLODED PERSPECTIVES

20

Fabrication Sequence

Step 1: Removing bones from MDF sheet and

popping out fixing holes.

Step 2: Each bone was made from four identical

pieces which were stacked on top of each other,

glued and left to set in clamps for 24 hours.

Step 3: Bones were romoved from temporary clamps. Step 4: First a layer of white spray paint was applied

to the bones and left to dry overnight. Then an edge

marked out with masking tape for the plack paint.

Step 9: We then stiched the fabric to either side of the

rope, using the marks we created as guides for where

to stitch.

Step 10: By using double the width of fabric to rope,

we created a puffy rippling pattern for the inner layer.

Step 11: The inner layer was then attatched to the

bones using the same string that eas used for the

knots.

Step 12: Once all sections were attatched any

overhanging pieces of fabric were stitched back to

the rope to create a neat finish.

21

Step 5: When paint was completely set, the masking

tape was removed to reveal a clean line.

Step 6: The rope was them measured out and

tied together with string.The knots were glued and

trimmed when dry.

Step 7: We then marked out the pattern of the knots

on a large piece of paper but stretched the pattern

out to double it’s width.

Step 8: This piece of paper was used as a guide to

create marks on the fabric where it would be sticked

to the rope.

Step 13: The tubing for the outer layer was then

measured out and and joined using black electrical

tape.

Step 14: When each section was completed we

pulled it out to chech that it wasn’t missing any joints.

Step 15: The tubing sections were then joined to the

bones using cable ties.

Step 16: when all sections of the tubing were

attatched the cable ties were trimmed and any long

ends of piping were trimmed.

22

Assembly Drawing

Image 51: Bones stacked on top of one another and glued together. Image 52: Ropes attached with string to create mesh system.

Image 53: Fabric attached to either side of the rope uning needle and thread. A greater area of fabric

to rome mesh to create a puffy effect.

Image 54: Plastic tubing attached with black electrical tape. Pattern goes two thin tubes then

one thick one.

23

EXPLODED ISOMETRIC

24

2nd Skin

25

26

Appendix

27