Jason Wong ARCH1390: August 2012

Thursday 23 August 2012

Assignment 2 Submission

Distorted Regularity

My two concepts explored in this assignment were:

1. The repetition of simple shapes.
2. The distortion of the ordinary to create the extraordinary.

The repetition of simple shapes is conveyed through my model from the physical shapes that make it up. The model is made entirely out of squares and cubes. The repetition of the square shape creates a simple yet interesting model to look at due to the composition of the various squares. This also translates to my physical model, where it is in the physical form of a cube, one of the predominant shapes of the model, and one of the most simple three dimensional shapes.

The distortion of the ordinary is explored through the modifiers I placed on my model to make it a more complex shape. Whilst it is explored through the shape and form of the model, it is also heavily conveyed through the materials of the model. The reflective twisted surfaces do not give a straight reflection, but rather a distorted reflection. The rings around the model are given a translucent glass texture, distorting the objects behind it when we look through it. This concept of distortion is central to the idea of my physical model. Taking the simple shape of a cube, we distort (twist) the cube in order to progress through the unpacking and development of my model, very similar to the model itself.

Storyboards and Draft Models

Throughout the assignment, various storyboards were drawn up for the animations.

This was an early storyboard made in a class.

This is the finalized storyboard used for the animations. The marker combinations were also planned in this storyboard.

Slight changes were made to the model from the first assignment.

Further alterations to the color of the model were made in later stages of the assignment.

BuildAR

These were initial tests with BuildAR using my models from the first assignment.

These are some of the final models used in BuildAR.

Markers

In order to achieve my physical model, I had to split my markers into halves. All 9 markers used in the model are a different combination of 2 of the 6 different halves created.

Many of the halves represents different forms of distortion that when used together can be used to create the extraordinary from simple shapes.

This Marker halve represents the splitting of a simple shape.

This Marker halve represents the skewing of a simple shape.

These two Marker halves represents non-parallel skewing of simple shapes.

This Marker halve represents the projection of a simple shape that is then skewed.

This Marker halve represents the interesting patterns that can be created when overlapping simple shapes upon each other.

3DS Max Renders

The environment where the model sits in is littered with cubes. This represents my concept of the repetition of the simple shape. When trying to show the concept of distortion, all these cubes are turned yellow and twisted.

These two above renders were rendered from the same point of view, allowing me to combine the two renders to create an amalgamation of the two concepts.

The idea behind this render was a distortion of the model and its environment. To achieve this, I rendered the reflection of the environment from a spherical mirror. I played around with different sizes and distances until I ended up with this result.

Originally, I was planning to render the object and the environment through sheet of glass which bent, distorting the view through refraction.

A3 Poster

Required files submitted to course folders.

Wednesday 22 August 2012

Further Progress

Final Storyboard:

New and refined Model:

VRay Render:

Final Physical Object:

Sunday 19 August 2012

Paper Model Progress

Testing the Marker

The marker needs to be placed down with a lot of precision to get the positioning right and lining up the two halves of the markers.

Thursday 16 August 2012

Week 4 Independent Study

Storyboard for unpacking my model

In order to achieve this model of a rubik cube, I would need to be able to split the AR markers into two.
I tested this in the video below, also testing adding animations onto my model.

AR Markers created:

Thursday 9 August 2012

BuildAR Progress

Initially, the materials i used were not compatible with the program, after changing from "arch+design" to "standard" materials, I was able to recreate my original model.

Wednesday 1 August 2012

Assignment 1: Ordinary Distortions

Introduction:

SANAA is an architecture firm that creates stunning buildings from ordinary beginnings. Whilst many architects utilize complex curves and structures to create iconic buildings, SANAA is able to achieve them through the manipulation of simple shapes. The Zollverein School of Management and Design, built in 2003-2006, is a prime example of this. The building's general shape is of a cube, decorated with a seemingly random placement of square windows. Behind the walls of the building are various levels, each with differing heights.

Another example of such design is the New Museum of New York, built in 2003-2007. The building is in the form of a simple high rise prism. However, SANAA has manipulated and distorted the shape, pushing and pulling segments of the building in and out of place, creating an iconic and complex building. This is also evident in the Kitagata Housing project, built in 1994-1998, where SANAA imagined the various rooms of a house as a building block. From there, they created a puzzle, where each piece was a different apartment made with a different configuration of the building blocks.

The simplistic origins of SANAA's buildings make them a very interesting architectural firm that creates buildings with a hidden complexity to them.

Paper Models:

Model 1: The repetition of a simple shape in different forms. [Zollverein School of Management and Design]

In developing my first paper model, I played around with the pattern that was present throughout the Zollverein School of Management and Design. The pattern in the building is made up of a single shape, the square. In order to create a an interesting pattern, SANAA used various squares of different sizes. To convey this repetition, I decided to create model that was dominated by the square shapes. I made the square shapes with different methods and different sizes in order to convey the repetition of the shape in the building in different forms.

Model 2: The distortion of the ordinary to create the extraordinary. [Plans and Representational Archetypes]

This paper model is based around the concept of an underlying or hidden complexity to a structure. It relates to the various sketches that SANAA is known for. From the first glance, the sketches do not seem all that special, however, under closer inspection, they have various complexities that are hidden through the medium in which they are presented. I represented these complexities as strange patterns created through overlapping folds in the paper, appearing only when a light is shown from behind as distortions in the plain paper face. These relate to the iconic features of SANAA's architecture, where they take ordinary shapes and forms, and distort them into something extraordinary.

Poster:
Title Page

Fold Out Segment

To create my 3d model, I began with a simple shape; the cube.

From here, I manipulated this shape in order to result in my final model.

First, I added another two cubes, one above and one below.

I created various square rings around the tower of three cubes, and later added another 4 smaller cubes around the model. This relates back to my concept of repetition, where the simple shape of a square has been repeated throughout my model in different sizes and forms (cubes).

Square shaped holes were then added to some of the cubes in the model.

I began to manipulate the positions of the surrounding square rings to play with the idea of creating a seemingly random pattern.

From here, I started to distort the ordinary shapes through the use of the twist modifier to create some interesting shapes. To further emphasise this, I rotated the square rings around the cubes, and twisted the top and bottom cubes. The twist tool allows for complexity to be born from the simple shapes. This relates back to my concept of distorting the ordinary to create the extraordinary.

It is from the combination of these two concepts that I was able to create my 3d model.

Whilst the poster as a whole is seen as a single sheet, it is still split into two halves.

The top half deals with my concept of the repetition of a simple shape.

In order to demonstrate the concept, I used to concept to create the background of the poster. The background was made by placing squares of different sizes around the poster. This emphasises the interesting patterns that can be created through the repetition of a simple shape. The concept is also shown in the background as I incorporated images of the Zollverein School of Management that emphasised the repetition of the square windows. The storyboard of the development of the model further emphasises how I repeat the shape of a square throughout the model, becoming more complex as it progresses towards the final model.

The lower half deals with my concept of the distortion of the ordinary to create the extraordinary.

I utilized two floor plans developed by SANAA to emphasise this concept. The two floor plans both look very plain and boxy, showing the simplistic beginnings of SANAA’s buildings. To further emphasise this point, I had hand drawn diagrams of my planning of my model scattered across the poster. The plain and ordinary looking title page also emphasises this point, where the presentation begins simple, but later reveals its complexity. The development of the model is shown from the side where it looks like an ordinary and simple object. The complexities of the model are revealed when the model is distorted.

I decided to merge the two posters together to further emphasize the synergy between the two concepts.

3ds Renders: