Journal Entry For
Module 3 - Give Me Shelter
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For my model, I wanted to create a structure that provided ample shade and an intriguing shape. I also wanted the designer to be able to modify the curvature, so the structure could be made more open or closed off, depending on its ultimate purpose. I chose to use smooth curves instead of harsh corners because I find them to be more calming, and I assumed that the shading pavilion would be a place of relaxation.
Parameters in Stage 1:
- to make the structure wider or narrower, adjust the “dist btw points in x” slider
- to make the structure longer or shorter, adjust the “dist btw points in y” slider
- to make the structure taller, adjust the “arch height” slider
- the concavity of the structure can be modified using the parabola graph nodes (see panels with notes)
- constraint: I had to reduce the domain of the pipe diameter to be between 0.01 and 0.1. When the radius was larger than 0.1, the pipe would not render correctly, likely because it could not create a smooth pipe and obey the curved geometry.
Parameters in Stage 2:
- All parameters available in stage 1 are available in stage 2.
- I further parametrized my design in stage 2 by getting rid of the gene pool and adding a slider to the number of points. This allows for further parametric variation of the shape of the overhangs. I tried a variety of equations to map the overhang points to. The sine function led to an extremely thin middle section. The summation of sines function allowed for the creation of many asymmetrical structures. The sinc function provided more symmetry, but became harder for Rhino to render as the period decreased, causing singularity-like spikes at one endpoint.
Stage 3:
For stage 3, I added a scale node that connected to the curves and mesh of the structure. I used a slider that spans from 30 - 400 in order to scale between small and large objects using the same slider. I have attached a screenshot of each scale, 30ft, 150ft, and 400 ft.
- Large scale: Shading pavilion at an exposition center or Olympic venue.
- Medium scale: Shading pavilion at a train station.
- Small scale: The structure can be scaled down to be a long bench.