Stage 1
Modeling Approach: For my design, I wanted to create a relatively simple structure with different elements (tapers, spheres, sine wave roof). My main goal was to go for a mostly outdoor feel while still having enough coverage to shield from rain. The application I went for was a space to host outdoor dances like during the rodeo (and other events like birthdays, weddings, etc.) that I have experienced back home in Texas.
Geometry:
One of the main objectives from my brainstorming/sketch was to have the spheres appear to be floating (like bubbles) above everyone below. This would require thinner beams or panels with openings for panes to allow light to enter around the spheres. The main adaptive panel was one with that type of opening and the integral adaptive component was the tapered tube resembling a column.
To achieve this, the parameters to be flexed include but are not limited to:
- The sphere radius
- The thickness of each panel
- The tapering of the columns on the outside
- How the array of points are arranged on the surface
- The amount of pairwise matched points for the tapered columns
Stage 2
Modeling Approach: For this stage of the design process, knowing that I have already built in several areas to flex the overall scale of the covering (length, width, height, curvature sliders), that was my focus. As I incorporated the sine wave, I thought this would be better to see over a larger total area. It is also interesting to see the waveform of the “bubbles”.
Geometry:
When testing the limits of my design by flexing different parameters, I discovered one thing that must be carefully accounted for. The number of U points had to match the number of placement points, in order to get my “floating bubble effect”. If this condition was/is not met, the model breaks down. I increased the scale for height, width, and length, in addition to the size of the spheres and the configuration of the tapered columns. I also imposed limits on several parameters with sliders, especially those concerning the sine wave, overall dimensions, placement points, and geometric inputs of adaptive components. Two variations with the since curve are shown below.
