Influence of Digital Fabrication on Design Process - Research Paper Example

 The great hall ceiling of the British Museum The construction of the great hall ceiling of the British Museum is one of the applications of the digital fabrication. The construction used the mathematical spline curves that were used to manipulate the designing by the architect. The architect work was made possible by the use of these curves so as to determine the desired design. The NURBS (non uniform rational b-splines) that are in the computer are the once that were used to get the exact design of the architecture. The ceiling had to come out in such a way that it told a story the architecture had to ensure that this comes out clearly. This is where NURBS comes in helping the architect ensure that the ceiling comes out with the patterns that are required. The ceiling was built between 1660 and 1753 by Sir Hans Sloane who was a naturalist and a physician. Materials used in the ceiling include over 71,000 objects of different types. Collection of Sloane included objects of vast miscellany which were aimed at reflecting his interests in science. Harley manuscripts and cotton also brought out the antiquarian and literally element (Cherry & Stratford 2011). Most of the work of this museum was based on the work of the Greeks. The walls, the entrance even the reading area in the museum. This museum was build to be a global facility to be used by everyone. It is like a facility that brings unity (Pieters et.al 2012). It can bring people from different parts of the world together for many purposes. Some will be travelling to see the museum and the things that are inside, some will be going there to use the library as it is one of the best and equipped library in the world. Some of the people will be going there to see the great ceiling. This is because it is famous and the art of its creation is remarkable. The design is from a person who really knew how to express feelings inform of art (Pieters et.al 2012). The museum has been expanding since its opening and new items being added, and it has been modernized as the centuries went by. The museum became too small with time that the buildings surrounding it were bought by the board of trustees In order to demolish them and expand the museum (Baraona 2008). It is a national figure and it is therefore supposed to reflect the country's pride and respect of the founders.This can only be done by keeping the museum alive, renovating it after a while so that just like its name “the great hall ceiling of the museum” Our great grand children can find it and can also take care of it following our example so it can be used for the longest time ever (Metropolitan Museum of Art et.al 2009). The Greek work has really been used in the construction of the museum, the court, the library, the entrance and so forth. This is because the time when the architecture was being made then the Greek had the best work when it comes to building their work was original and no problem had been encountered before (Eastman 2008). A great person like Queen Elizabeth 11 courts was designed using the Greeks work. This is a good example as to why they chose to use them (Cherry & Stratford 2011). The ceiling is the major thing about the museum. It represents the whole continent and its collection is meant to give a story of how the man came into existence. There are different stories given to explain the existence of a man, this ceiling tries to tackle each one of it. This is why it is said to cover the whole continent. Each continent has its own version of how they came into existence. This is a way of bringing the continents together (Hall 2009). The symbol is that we should not see each other as people from different continents, but as one whole big family as it is represented by the art of the ceiling. The present is much different from the past because the man is developing every day. The man is a smart creature and the new born are way much smarter than us by far (Bruggen 2009). The ceiling explains all this in its art. One has to understand art in order to get to understand the ceiling and its meaning it looks complicated, but if you know art then it is not hard to follow the story (Pieters et.al 2012). Just like a poem, one can interpret it differently depending on the way people think. Some will see the ceiling as just a decorated ceiling and some will see the art in it. It has a shallow meaning and a dipper meaning behind it. It is for you to choose what to see (Gehry 2010). The great hall ceiling of the British museum is the most attractive part of the whole museum. It would not be this famous were it, not for the ceiling which is a symbol of the whole continent. It is amazing what one can do with art and what art can do to us. This is because art is about what we feel and think. The ceiling is therefore a very good symbol of a true art and mostly it brings out the digital fabrication of machines and what they can do (Datz 2010). The designing of this ceiling had to be thought through carefully and many times. The digital fabrication of machines applies here in that one can manipulate machines and bring out the desired picture that you want. The designing of the roof must have used the three dimension software to try and design this particular ceiling in order to make it as creative as possible (Johnstone 2009). It is not about the design; it is about the capability of a machine and what man can do with the available resources. Source: http://gilygily.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/3677501185_acf5b0dd2d_o.jpg?9d7bd4 The water cube: Beijing Beijings water cube has been turned into a water park. It is where the 2008 Olympics took place. It was so remarkable to the country that they made it a park for people to visit (Porter & Prince 2010). The work of these Spain architect would not have been possible were it, not for the Non Uniform Rational B-spline, the water cubes slides are many, and the walls are made of glass panels. It is not easy for to combine these two items; water and glass. This is because the glass can break any time. The use of NURBS helped the architect in the digital fabrication of the design. The height and weight of the water cube had to be determined using three dimensions. The computer has software called the Computer Numerical Control. That helped the architect in the fabrication. The measurements of the materials and the shape of each of them is decided using this software in the computer. This is what made the Water cube very famous. After the 2008 swimming Olympic, the aquarium was renovated and transformed into a water park. Most of the people in Chinese visited the place to open it and to use it also (Baraona 2008). The water cube is the largest ETFE clad structure in the world. The wall is designed in such a way that it has a soap lathe and at night it is even brighter. This is meant to attract more people and to be able to give the mood of water just like the ocean and its bay. It is supposed to bring that feeling whether at night or day time (Mattson 2010). The place is supposed to look like the Olympics are still on even after its ending (Hall 2009). Water is not meant to be a museum like place due to its consequences if not handled well. This is because the government of china is the manager of the aquarium. It was a national symbol since 2008 and ever since the place has been made as attractive as possible (Daniel & Kelly 2009). Most of people think it is the fastest Olympic pool, and it is much deeper than most pools. Because of this pool has perforated gutters to absorb the waves so as not to disturb the swimmers as the swim. The swimmers are not allowed to go beyond a certain limit to avoid suffocation and also because the pool is too deep (Lim et.al 2010). The pool contains a lot rides and slides. It is being used for the production of Swan Lake. The cube is not actually a cube but a cuboid. This place is opened certain days of the week for the public. The demand is high because it is in this water cube that swimmers broke 25 world records during the 2008 summer Olympics (Hamblen & Furman 2009). This is why it is symbolic to the people of Beijing. Not every country gets to enjoy such a privilege. This cube has become so famous and has also helped the economy of the country. It has created jobs and boosted the tourism sector of the country. The water cube has become famous for the records that were made there (Hamblen & Furman 2009). Jobs have been created because hotels and other things to boost the water cube have been constructed. Not just any hotel the five star hotels so as to accommodate respectable people who come to visit the place (Metropolitan Museum of Art et.al 2009). The ETFE cladding that is used to make the water cube wall is what makes it allow more light to penetrate through it, unlike the normal glass. This is the reason why it is even lighter bearing in mind that it is holding more weight so it is expected to be heavy but it is not. Every ETFE pillow is made to be 0.2mm making the weight of the water cube less (Baraona 2008). This water cube was chosen among other ten proposals, but it was seen to be the best for the summer Olympics. It is the work of an Australian architecture firm made of PTW architect. This makes the work very perfect as it is and because it was made from the work of the best architect companies in the world. Chances cannot be taken when people all over the country are coming to use the facility. The best has to be done. This has therefore left a good memory about it. The water cube is the outcome of a modern facility using modern construction. The three dimension software is used again to bring out the shape and design of the water cube. The machine used to construct the pool was being controlled using the CNC coming up with the right shape and dimensions of the water cube just as it was designed. Such a facility uses a lot of money because the materials they want to use are the best (Lim et.al 2010). Wastage of these materials will be too expensive for them bearing in mind that there will be trial and error. The use of the rapid prototyping machine however made this easier and cheaper because there was no wastage of resources. Source: http://www.beijingholidays.net/image/image_bj/beijing-watercube.jpg Guggenheim museum of Bilbao, Spain Guggenheim museum of Bilbao was opened in the year 1997. It is the pinnacle in the outstanding work of the Gehry’s architectural career. This museum has had 10 million visitors all over the world due to its outstanding look (Hamblen & Furman 2009). It has distinctive titanium curves and soaring glass atrium. These titanium curves and the soaring glass atrium are as a result of the use of CNC (Computer numerical control). This software in the computer helps in the designing of items using the G codes. These codes help in the digital fabrication of the design in order to achieve three dimension figures. This is made possible by the help of the CNC. The accuracy of the measurement of the digital fabrication is determined by NURBS that can be easily manipulated. This made the architectural work possible. This makes it even more attractive to the people who visit the museum. This is especially tourists who travel from all over the world just to come and visit it. The museum specializes in the post war painting and sculpture in America and Europe (Daniel & Kelly 2009). The museum is one of the best and attractive sites of Spain (Totoricaguena 2009). The career of Gehry was one promising, and the outcome was just perfect that is why his work was used to construct it. It has kept the museum with arts from the 20th century to date. This is one of the reasons why it is frequently visited by many (Bruggen 2009). This museum has celebrated many years of its success, and the occasion is attended by millions of people. 10 million and above is not a small number of people. It is because of the outstanding and amazing look of the building itself let alone the beauty of art that is inside the museum. This is what attracts people (Gehry 2010). The post war painting is like a story that the grand fathers and grand mothers tell their grand children because they were not here to experience or see it. There are books and other sorts of writing that explain more about the war but in the museum the remains and some of things like weapons that were used that time are kept. By so doing the things that are read can also be proven to be true by the viewing of these things at the museum (Totoricaguena 2009). Not everything that was used in the war was kept but just the remains and the ones that are symbolic. The post war painting and sculpture is a very important aspect of the American and European history. It is also important for it to be taught in schools. The museum helps the children feel like they were there when all this was happening. The films about the war have also been kept making it even better for the students (Bruggen 2009). People travel all over the world to come and visit the place. Student from other continents also come to visit the museum for the purpose of learning about the history. This helps them because of the presence of the paintings and sculptures. They are painted in such a way that they look real, and the story line can easily be understood. It is therefore used by all people from the different countries. All you need is your sight and sense of touch (Gehry 2010). A lot has happened after the war, but it was a significant time for both the Americans and the Europeans. It was a time when the superiors who are supposed to be an example to the rest of the continents were falling apart. This makes it significant for not only the Americans and the Europeans but to other continents also (Datz 2010). This is why this part of history is taught everywhere in the world, not just in the countries in these two continents. This work is credited to significant artists like Anselm Keifer, Willem de Kooning, Robert Motherwell, and Richard Serra (Bruggen 2009). All these artists are the reason we smile when we hear of the Guggenheim museum being mentioned. It is because of them that the remains of the post war are available to us. They thought about the future generation and their welfare. These are the great people that we need in this world (Hall 2009). Spain has become a very attractive country among other things but mostly because of the museum which is not only visited by scholars but also by tourists who just want to see the building and what is in it, that is the art in the museum that make it so amazing (Totoricaguena 2009). This museum construction is also an application of CNC. The use of the rapid prototyping machine helped in the designing of the museum (Bruggen 2009). Source: http://c1038.r38.cf3.rackcdn.com/group1/building1314/media/media_29452.jpg The Gherkin, London. UK The Gherkin is a famous building in London which is situated at No. 30 of St Mary Axe road. This road is named after the St. Mary church that is along that road (Hall 2009). This office block was opened in the year 2004 and is famous not because of its location but because of the art applied in constructing it (Eastman 2008). This modern construction is the work of Norman Foster and Arup engineers. Norman designed it and became one of the most famous buildings in London. The financial building is 180 meters high and has 41 floors. Foster designed this building using the CNC software that helped him in designing it using three dimensions. The building is designed in such a way that the energy that will be used will be very minimal. The architect therefore fabricated the design using NURBS to ensure that the building was going to be firm and steady. This building was constructed after the Baltic exchange building was brought down to ashes in the year 1992 (Yudelson 2009). Source: http://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/50/40/2504014_3583619b.jpg The building is very attractive because of its outside look. The wall of the building is made of glass and none of it is curved apart from the top of the building where they used the lens to control the light in the building (Daniel & Kelly 2009). The wall of the building which is glass is double glazed, and the space between them is ventilated so as to control the temperatures of the building. Because of this it does not use a lot of energy as similar buildings would (Datz 2010). This building has a spiral pattern that is due to the floor layout. The floor has been made in such a way that it is rotated 5 degrees relative to the floor below it so as to ensure the pattern is consistent (Lim et.al 2010). This pattern makes the building look stunning both in the outside and outside. The top part of the building has been left open so as to give it an all-round view. The building has both lift gear, and the push lifts also in some parts of the floors (Johnstone 2009). The building was designed like this because it is a public figure in that business people all over the world that are interested in the stock exchange of the London market. It is therefore important to give a good impression about the country (Luggen 2009). This was hugely achieved by the choice of the design and the perfect come out of the building just like it was designed. It is perfect for those meeting that are held by international companies when they want to have physical meetings (Yudelson 2009). This building is also used as an attraction site for tourists. The construction is a beautiful art and anyone would be glad to see the work of Norman Foster. People travel from all over the world just to come and see the building (Hall. 2009). Some people prefer attending the business meetings over there rather than having those conference meetings that do not need you to attend physically. This is because visiting this place though it is a business meeting feels more like a holiday than a business trip (Datz 2010). When the planning of the building was being made, the idea was to get something better than the Baltic exchange. This was achieved by the outcome of the building (Datz 2010). The building of another stock exchange building was the ex-deputy prime ministers idea. Several proposals were made, but they decided to settle with this particular design which has turned out to be the best choice (Hall 2010). This is because of the energy saving ability due to its design. The design of the building was made in such a way that the natural source of energy which is sunlight is used more than electricity energy. The wall which is made of glass panes makes this possible and the ventilation is made possible by the double glazed wall (Johnstone 2009). The building is one of the best constructions in the world based on the fact that it has won some sterling prizes of architecture since its opening in 2004. It is the most expensive building in Britain. It is worth six hundred million pounds (Porter & Prince 2010). In the year 2006, it was put into bidding and buyers like Abu Dhabi royal family, British land, land securities and others were interested but in 2007 the joint company IVG immobilize AG and UK investment firm managed to secure the deal and possess the building now (Dats 2010). The CNC technology used in this building makes use of limited energy than other buildings possible. The top part is open, and it still works perfectly. This technology enabled the double glazing of the glass wall (Eastman 2008). This helps in the ventilation of the whole building which would not be possible were it, not for the software. This enabled the building to have enough ventilation and air circulation was also made possibly okay even though the wall was made of glass (Johnstone 2009). Digital fabrication is the bringing together of architecture and construction to come up with a model. This is with the help of three dimension software that uses the computer numerical control (Daniel & Kelly 2009). The designers use this software to come up with new construction models and plan. This brings a whole lot of new designs of buildings and houses (Daniel & Kelly 2009). This kills the monotony of constructions being of the same type and design. The application of art and design into the construction but mostly the designing of it is what bring about the beauty of it. For instance, the water cubes design and construction. These digital fabrication machines are meant to enable the designer to see things at a different angle and therefore coming up with new designs. Just like in the designing of the great hall ceiling of the British museum (Lim et.al 2010). These machines through the use of the computer numerical control enable one to see beyond an image or screen because of the three dimension software. Using the computer you can twist the model and design so it can appear just the way you want it to be (Lim et.al 2010). The only thing is that you have to apply logic and most importantly the architecture and construction rule in order to come up with this (Hamblen & Furman 2009). These machines that are used to do the construction are controlled by the computer numerical control that has the G codes. These codes are letters and numbers in the form of ones and zeros. These codes can only be understood by the computer (Grimm 2009). The G code is the one that enables the architect to manipulate the design of the building to a model that he or she wants. Not all machines use the G code, but most of them do. The machines that do not use the G code have their own code made from within but the same technology is used (Hamblen & Furman 2009). The code can also be manipulated to meet the standards of the user. If the machine is used in manufacturing sites then the codes are made to suit this (Grimm 2009). If the machine is used in construction sites the same logic is applied. All you need is use the right machine at the right place and for the right job (Mattson 2010). Types of CNC Computer numerical control is designed to allow them control the movement of machines as well as their speed. They were designed to help make work easier and faster at the manufacturing industries (Daniel & Kelly 2009). They were very expensive then that the manufacturers were the only people who could afford it. In this century, it is affordable and available to all. These computer numerical controls are meant to help especially in handling metal materials that are needed to make other machines. The following are types of computer numerical control (Porter & Prince 2010). CNC mill These CNC mills are used to control machines using a computer to cut some metal. They use the G-code that is used by most CNC. They control the spindle of the machine into moving into the certain depth and length that they want in order to get the required size of the item (Luggen 2009). CNC lathes Lathes are machines that are used to cut metal into desired shape. When they use CNC technology the cutting of metal becomes easier. This is because of the control of the computer the cut is set and exact measurements made at the computer so that no mistakes are made (Luggen 2009). This is done using letters and numbers that are meant to be understood by the computer. These G codes are meant to make the machine follow a particular path when the computer commands suggest so. This is how the machine works in order to get the right metal as desired (Luggen 2009). CNC grinders The CNC grinders are used by the architectures while designing and when constructing. The architectures need the materials including the metals and other items used in construction to be as designed. This is why the CNC grinder’s use is controlled by NURBS so as to ensure the accuracy of the work are highly used by the architectures in their work (Luggen 2009). This computer numerical control has therefore saved the manufactures a great deal. They can even experiment and come up with new designs using the 3D computer-aided manufacturing software. It is time saving and avoids material wastage (Mattson 2010). Rapid prototyping machines This new technology enables researchers to come up with new ideas that were restricted due to the two dimension software to create objects. Building models and other object that will be made using this software will make work in the manufacturing industry easier. The use of NURBS has therefore made the work easier by enabling the architect to be able to test the accuracy. It is through this software that buildings like the Gherkin were designed (Lim et.al 2010). It has to be experimented in the computer in order for it to be approved and accepted to be constructed. The codes used in the rapid prototyping are what make this possible. These codes enable the designer to play with the code in order to get the desired model (Porter & Prince 2010). Fixing the model into a new art and creation that is pleasing and also possible to make. There are various rapid prototyping machines that are used for this work. The time when they were first discovered they were not affordable to many but now most of the manufactures have adopted this new technology to make work easier for workers and for the business as well due to efficiency, speed and quality (Luggen 2009). Three dimension figures is the main thing about prototyping with the help of computer numerical control (Lim et.al 2010). Variation of rapid prototyping machine The prototyping machine is depended by one thing which is the CNC. It is the thing that makes the whole process possible. The prices of these machines are tagged as from $5000 dollars and above (Datz 2010). This will depend on the quality of the work that they are capable of doing. The better the CNC the higher prices and vice versa. The prototyping machine is also depended on the axis and its size (Gebhardt 2008). The rapid prototyping machine consists of CNC, Computer, CNC routers, CNC kits and CNC software’s. These machines vary in terms of their axis making them different from the rest of the machines (Hall 2009). Three axis machines are the three dimensions that have more than two phases. The two axis machine is the one that has used the two dimension software to design an object (Hamblen & Furman 2009). The sizes of the machines also determine the size of the CNC. This also means that the bigger the size the higher the techniques and what they are capable of doing (Grimm 2009). There are several types of rapid photo typing machines. They include the 3Dimensional printing, inkjet methods, Fused Deposition Modeling, Stereo Lithography and Selective Laser Sintering among many others. The types of rapid photo typing machines are categorized according to their ability to produce complex geometrics in specified period. The machines are also categorized according to their output which includes a quick fabrication of the physical models. New proposed machines New proposed prototyping machine have an advanced technology. These machines with the help of CNC are capable of being useful especially when saving the lives of many people (Cherry & Stratford 2011). If these machines could be used in hospitals where the diseases can be detected in a matter of second and acting upon it then this would be great (Hamblen & Furman 2009). If these machines could also be used in construction and at a higher speed then the world would be different today. Building would be constructed in a matter of hours. This means a lot of business in the country and investment opportunities (Limet.al 2010). If we can be in the world where everything is a computer operated in terms of shaping and modeling everything just the way you like it. Then the world would be a better place to live (Daniel & Kelly 2009). References Baraona, P. E. 2008. Watercube: The book : Beijing National Aquatics Centre, People's Republic of China. Barcelona, Spain: Actar. 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