Looking Outwards [0]: The Parametric Design Landscape
Areas Ripe for Parametric Design Exploration
Structural Components
As part of a lighting commission in The Hague, engineering firm Arup combined parametric design with 3D printed steel to great a new fastener joist. Recently they have started casting these with 3D printed sand molds, significantly reducing the production costs. The node on the right is 1/2 the size and is 75% lighter, considerably reducing the overall weight of the installation, which used hundreds of these.
3D Printed Structures and Forms
The idea was to demonstrate the combination of multi-axis 3d metal printing merged with a parametric design that could continually be modified to fit the site, even during printing. Their original design used a topological design optimization to try and reduce the form to the purest expression possible. However, due to regulatory and structural challenges, they had to scrap this design. The overall printing process took six months, which might make it hard to bring this process to market with the current technology, but the resulting form is pretty damn cool.
Identify 2–3 creatives (designers, architects, etc) that are making interesting forms, objects, installations, or artifacts.
Refik Anadol
Anadol creates mesmerizing ‘data sculptures’ that. What I find fascinating about his work is that their form is derived mainly from the underlying data set, and attempt to make the unseen seen. However, many times, without explanatory text, the resulting forms lose their connection to the data set and become ‘pretty.’
From a process standpoint, he tends to begin by discovering exciting data sets, which he then parses using machine learning to unearth deeper connections and meaning in the data. The data is then transformed using shaders, creating the final visual output. The exact workflow varies considerably based on the data set and installation.
Robert Hencke & Christopher Bauder — Deep Web
“Deep Web is an installation using 12 high precision lasers and a matrix of 175 moving balloons to create a dramatic three-dimensional sculpture of lines and dots floating in space above the audience. The choreography is synced to a musical score played back in 8 channel surround sound.” via Robert Henke
For me, the exciting part of this project occurs in each of the spheres. Rather than rely on embedded LEDs in each ball, the balls diffuse the incoming color from the laser projectors and allow for color mixing, when multiple projectors hit each sphere.
While this work sits in the ‘spectacle’ category, seeing the level of focus that the audience has. At the same time, watching makes me believe that in-person, it transcends the Instagram catnip paradigm and creates something that requires more considerable attention and creates an intimate shared experience.
Originally published at https://blog.claytonk.com.
