Artistic computational design featuring imprecision A method supporting digital and physical explorations of esthetic features in robotic single-point incremental forming of polymer sheets

Artistic computational design featuring imprecision A method supporting digital and physical explorations of esthetic features in robotic single-point incremental forming of polymer sheets

Zboinska, Malgorzata A.

Article:

Design strategies that employ digital and material imprecision to achieve estheticinnovation exhibit high potential to transform the current precision-orientedpractices of computation and digital fabrication in architecture. However, suchstrategies are still in their infancy. We present a design method facilitatingintentionally-imprecise esthetic explorations within the framework of digitaldesign and robotic single-point incremental forming. Our method gives access tothe esthetic fine-tuning of molds from which architectural objects are cast.Semi-precise computational operations of extending, limiting, deepening andshallowing the geometrical deformations of the mold through robot toolpathfine-tuning are enabled by a digital toolkit featuring parametric modeling,surface curvature analyses, photogrammetry, digital photography and bitmapimage retouching and painting. Our method demonstrates the shift of focus fromgeometric accuracy and control of material behaviors towardsintentionally-imprecise digital explorations that yield novel esthetic features ofarchitectural designs. By demonstrating the results of applying our method in thecontext of an exploration-driven design process, we argue that imprecision can beequally valid to accuracy, opening a vast, excitingly unknown territory formaterial-mediated esthetic explorations within digital fabrication. Suchexplorations can interestingly alter the esthetic canons and computational designmethods of digital architecture in the nearest future.

Design strategies that employ digital and material imprecision to achieve estheticinnovation exhibit high potential to transform the current precision-orientedpractices of computation and digital fabrication in architecture. However, suchstrategies are still in their infancy. We present a design method facilitatingintentionally-imprecise esthetic explorations within the framework of digitaldesign and robotic single-point incremental forming. Our method gives access tothe esthetic fine-tuning of molds from which architectural objects are cast.Semi-precise computational operations of extending, limiting, deepening andshallowing the geometrical deformations of the mold through robot toolpathfine-tuning are enabled by a digital toolkit featuring parametric modeling,surface curvature analyses, photogrammetry, digital photography and bitmapimage retouching and painting. Our method demonstrates the shift of focus fromgeometric accuracy and control of material behaviors towardsintentionally-imprecise digital explorations that yield novel esthetic features ofarchitectural designs. By demonstrating the results of applying our method in thecontext of an exploration-driven design process, we argue that imprecision can beequally valid to accuracy, opening a vast, excitingly unknown territory formaterial-mediated esthetic explorations within digital fabrication. Suchexplorations can interestingly alter the esthetic canons and computational designmethods of digital architecture in the nearest future.

Palavras-chave:

DOI: 10.5151/proceedings-ecaadesigradi2019_298

Referências bibliográficas

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Como citar:

Zboinska, Malgorzata A.; "Artistic computational design featuring imprecision A method supporting digital and physical explorations of esthetic features in robotic single-point incremental forming of polymer sheets", p-719-728. In: Proceedings of 37 eCAADe and XXIII SIGraDi Joint Conference, “Architecture in the Age of the 4Th Industrial Revolution”, Porto 2019, Sousa, José Pedro; Henriques, Gonçalo Castro; Xavier, João Pedro (eds.). São Paulo: Blucher, 2019.
ISSN 23186968, DOI 10.5151/proceedings-ecaadesigradi2019_298