Virtual Environments: Journal3 2013 | Kim Nguyen 636114

JOURNAL WEEK THREE:VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENTS

FORMING

MODULE 1: IDEATION Kim Nguyen

L-R: Direct, Layered, Cut, Filtered, Extruded, Diffused (Ways of distributing light)

During the past few weeks, we have been studying how patterns in nature form naturally and under what rules these patterns form. The subject of my study was the pattern of a turtle shell and the ro-tated tiling of the six sided shapes which form the scutes. I was also interested how the scutes stack on top of one another and there is an element of repetition and scale.

For this week’s task, we had to form models out of plasticine or clay based on all of the work we have done so far; our observational drawings, recipe, and paper forms. The models we created had to be of a 1:5 scale and we had to think in particular about how the model is to be held.

As well as that, we had to consider what kinds of lighting effects we wanted our model to produce: direct, layered, cut, filtered, extruded or diffused.

WORKSHOP MODELLING: PLASTICINE

PLASTICINE EXPLORATION: CUTTING AND FORMING

Making models out of plasticine differed from making models with paper in my different ways, which proved to be quite the challenge. When using paper it was much easier to keep pieces together with glue or other adhesives but plasticine was difficult to keep together and it was difficult to combine many pieces to become one without falling apart. The plas-ticine was also very easy to deform so when any amount of pressure was applied, the shape would reform on its own.

Using plasticine was definitely a challenge but positives did result from it: my recipe requires at least one surface of the shape to touch another and it was difficult to perfectly fit each piece together. From this I realised that there is no way to connect the pieces without some spaces between them and there is also no part of the rule that requires each piece to be perfect. There could be gaps and spaces and perhaps these imperfections will provide a more unpredictable and creative pattern, which allow for a variety of different shapes of openings which can release light in very different ways. Perhaps this pattern was less of a tilling pattern and more of a packing pattern!

The pictures on the top show different ways of connecting the plasticine pieces and different shapes that could be formed from it and on the right are pictures of some of the shapes I cut out of the plasticine, both flat shapes and some with more dimensions.

MODEL ONE: The pictures on the above show different views and different stages of devel-opment of my first model. The individual pieces that I had cut from the plasti-cine earlier were placed together in no particular order with at least one sur-face from one shape joining with a surface from another shape. In this case, the edges were joined together, not perfectly, so that small spaces formed naturally between each shape. These openings would leave room for light to escape so that although the majority of the light would be directed out of the open end, there was still be some amounts emerging from the small gaps.

The bottom pictures and the one on the right are all of the finished model. Of course, this pattern of randomly attaching six-sided shapes could continue until it fills a huge amount of space but I decided to stop at this point. The shape has enough balance so that it will sit in a stable way without support.

Another interesting feature of the design is the versatility of it, the light source would be placed inside and the model can either be held with the opening facing upwards or with the opening facing downwards.

MODEL TWO: This is the second of my three models, this one using pieces with more dimension (photos of the pieces can be seen in the middle picture) and each piece was formed from an original six sided shape which was extruded. These pieces were, as the recipe dictates, connected to each other with one surface touching which resulted in a structure which slightly resembled a crytal shape. The result of this model also had a much more haphazard form which looked more like a cluster than any other shape.

This model, to me, really showed how much variation there can be in the results of my recipe and how much of a difference the base shape makes to the final form. Also, the shadows which this model would create would differ greatly in that there would be less direction of the light, the light is more likely to pass through and around the shape and cast shadows of varying opacity and shape.

MODEL THREE:

One element that I did not explore very thoroughly was the concept of overlap on the turtle shell scute and how there is repetition of the same shape which has been scaled. For this last piece I stuck to the recipe of having at least one side touching but the side I chose was not the edge, but the flat face. Having them touch meant that they stacked on top of each other and each piece was slightly moved and/or rotated to create different, unique, effects. Each ‘stack’ has its own features and qualities created by the different pieces that were used and how the pieces were placed.

The way this model would interact with light is that would cast different shadows rather than capture the light. Perhaps if the stacks were hollow in the middle and a light was placed inside a very interesting light form could be created, with varying depths but a general illumination effect.

LIGHTIN

G IN

SPIRATIO

N:

The reason I have chosen these images as my lighting reference is because they both reflect a variation in lighting depth where some areas have the material almost com-pletely blocking the light and some areas the light is free to be emitted freely. The first picture of the left is a lamp by Architect Allison Patrick, who uses folded paper joined together to form a sphere which encapsulates the light. The picture on the right is a lamp design by Nervous Systems which is called Hyphae which uses the structure and patterns in leaves as inspiration for their lamp design.

The main lighting effect that I want to achieve is a contrast between the dark and light - I want to be able to create a lantern which creates a general ambience but there are certain areas of focus where the light is very light and looks as if it is trying to escape the structure it is in. In the sketch the grey area is where paper is and white be-ing the space - the lantern has a general form and shape but there are small gaps in between the different pieces which allows light to escape.

Nervous System – explorations in generative design and natural phenomena » Blog Archive » Hyphae Lamps – an infinite series of lighting designs. 2013. Nervous System – explorations in generative design and natural phenomena » Blog Archive » Hyphae Lamps – an infinite series of lighting designs. [ONLINE] Available at: http://n-e-r-v-o-u-s.com/blog/?p=1701

Allison Patrick | the 3 R’s blog. 2013. Allison Patrick | the 3 R’s blog. [ONLINE] Available at: http://the3rsblog.wordpress.com/author/allison-patrick/.

theinteriorRevolution » Blog Archive » Artisan Profile – Allison Patrick of Zipper 8 Lighting. 2013. theinteriorRevolution » Blog Archive » Artisan Profile – Allison Patrick of Zipper 8 Lighting. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.theinteriorevolution.com/archives/4766.