#virtual_composites

The original material experiment is an example of an inexact object achieved with exact production methods (casting of liquid PLA into water). How does a digital interpretation look like?

Simulated experiment and the multiplications and combinations into inexact architectural object: a column.

Extra detail addition and digital manipulations influence the behavior of the object in the simulations.

The original Virtual Composites project was a digital design task. What are the topics that digital design brings, what are the advantages and what are the challenges? How to materialize digital concepts and what is the relation between digital design and materiality?

One of the main advantages of digital design is the details control. In digital design, there are at least two different attitudes of controlling the level of detail: divisions and multiplications.

Combined together, objects with new, distinctive qualities emerge. While the multiplications are a spatial exploration that develops from one part to the whole, the divisions are the opposite. 

Other projects are part of academic researches in Barcelona, Copenhagen,  Prague, Stuttgart, Vienna and Zürich.

GROUP A – GRANULAR STRUCTURES

Granular materials exist naturally in nature or are artificially produced by men. In both cases, granular materials have been studied intensively due to their specific physical attributes (force chains, patterns, particularity,...). As often, architecture revealed its qualities later than the rest of the world, but has recently started to investigate them. Granular materials have due to their chaotic behaviour potential to create surprising forms and patterns and they also work well in composites.

Work with granular material of your choice. Investigate it, test it, glue it, melt it, mix it, shatter it, heat it or just print it. Try to find structural qualities.

GROUP B – FOAM MIXTURES

Foam materials have partly similar attributes to granular materials. There are also force chains, pattern formations and they also work well in composites. They share, however, some special attributes with fluids – viscosity, elasticity or emergent structures, that strongly influence its behaviour.  As often, architecture revealed its qualities later than the rest of the world, but has recently started to investigate them.

Work with foam material of your choice. Test it to find the elements that can influence its behaviour. Investigate it, test it, glue it, melt it, mix it, shatter it, heat it, squeeze it, mesh it.

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As we spoke on Friday, first do a research. Look at several materials, analyze them, compare them and think of processes or techniques we could work with. Keep in mind the accesibility of the materials (no graphin or supersteel) – we have to be able to aquire the materials and to work with them. My suggestions are salt and polyurethan foam due to its accesibility.