eCAADe 2017 --- LightWIRE (workshop)

TITLE: LightWIRE_structurallyembeddedluminescence

ABBREVIATION: LW

ORGANIZERS:

NOUMENA

Noumenais a collectivegroupfocused on design, research and educationbased in Spain, withnodes in Austria, India and Italy. We investigate between the boundariesofnewdigitalparadigms and design strategiesappliedtoarchitecture, robotics and fabrication, through a hands-on and experimentalapproach.

Founded in 2011 by Aldo Sollazzo and Matteo Di Sora, Noumenapromotesexperimentation in every task, pushingitsownboundariesbeyondconventional design limits.

Weembracedata-driven design, mixing environmentalstrategieswithcomputationalthinkingfromurban scale toroboticfabrication.

Noumenaleads and coordinatesseveralinternationalevents and activitiessuchasworkshops, competitions and exhibitions, establishing a networkingworkflowbased on open-innovation.

Besidesthat, weprovideexternalservicesofconsultancy, bringingourskillsintootherenvironments, offeringourexperience on computation and fabricationtoexternalprojects.

INSTRUCTORS:

Eugenio Bettucchi_Noumena

Eugenio Bettucchihas a degree in Building Engineering and Architecturefrom Alma Mater Studiorum, Universityof Bologna, Italy. Hedevelopedhisthesisfocusing on robotic material depositionbased on real-time feedback betweendigitalsimulation and physicalenvironment. Actuallyheis senior designer at Noumena and hisinterests and skillslie in computational design, digitalfabrication and the way ofwhichthesesystemsinteract. Duringhisstudies, heassistedseveral seminar and coursesasexternalfaculty at IaaC (InstituteforAdvancedArchitectureofCatalonia) and collaborated in manyworkshops and researchprojects in internationaleventsrelatedtocomputational and fabricationtopics.

ReciproCity_(workshop)_Agentbasedstrategyapplied at the urbanscale_Location: IAAC_Assistant

Imprimida_(workshop)_Advanced manufacturing campforarts and design_Location: Iaac + Sonar +D_Assistant

Aerialstigmergy_(workshop)_Environmental data to generative design_Location: Green FabLab + Nodo_Tutor

GSS16_(IAAC summerschool)_HyperCities_Location: IAAC_Assistant

IacopoNeri_Noumena

Iacopo Neri studied at the UniversityofFlorence (UNIFI, Italy) - SchoolofArchitecture - and attended a Master in City and Technology at the InstituteforAdvancedArchitectureofCatalonia (IaaC, Spain) afterpresenting a paperaboutSwarmIntelligencesforcrowd-basedanalysisduring the ResponsiveCities Symposium (2017, Barcelona). Currentlyheisstudyingnewareasofdialoguebetweendigitalsimulations and craftsmanshipascomputational designer at ExternalReferenceArchitects (Barcelona, Spain), whileheisinvolved in the organizationofinternationalworkshopstodiscuss the roleof computer graphics and parametricprogramming in the fieldofarchitectureas a researcher at MTSYSStudio (Florence, Italy).

MMXXLAB.2015/6_(3rd yearcourse at UNIFI)_InteriorComputational Design Laboratory_Location: UNIFI_Assistant

MMXXLAB.2016/7_(3rd yearcourse at UNIFI)_InteriorComputational Design Laboratory_Location: UNIFI_Assistant

EnvironmentalResponsiveSkin_(workshop)_Digitalprototypingforkineticenvelopes_Location: UNIFI_Tutor

CIEE_(american visitingprogram)_Prototypingforurban speculative ecologies_Location: IAAC_TeachingAssistant

UnbuiltArchitecture (workshop)_Postproduction in the fieldofArchVIZ_Location: Florence_Organizer

The Rusted Pixel (workshop)_Towards 3d storytelling_Location: Florence_Organizer

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Objectives, scope, contributionto the Conference, and expectedoutcomes or skillsacquired

The aimof the LightWIRE workshop isto produce a seriesofphysicalprototypestorethink the structural and ornamentalaspectsof design,steeringonetoblurinto the other. The formerisreachedby bending plastic rods at specificangles in ordertodiscretizecomplexmorphologiesintolinearelements, joinedtogetherthroughedgeconnections. Thankstothis, a secondlayerofelectroluminescentwires can finditspathsthrough the network and add a lightingattractionto the system whileembracing the structuralcore.

Throughout the experience, studentswillapprehendmethods from the digitalrealmtoimplementintophysicalone. Elementssuchas material properties and physicalconstraintswillbetakenintoconsiderationthroughdigitalsimulations in ordertosimplify the fabrication and assemblingprocesses. Allthis, in a constant iterative loopbetween design and fabrication, torefineconstructiondetails and studypossiblegeometries.

The modulemanipulationwillbecodedentirelywithRhino/Grasshopper and the Anemone add-onto simulate system feedbacks. The experiencewillbestructured in sequentialsteps, goingfrom software understanding, totestingnewapproaches in ordertobuildanarchitecturalprototype in a 1:1 scale.

Studentswillhave the chance toresearchmulti-scalar design languages and complexgeometries in discrete environmentsexploringComputationthroughphysicalprototypes and practicalcraftingmethods in a continuous feedback betweendigital / manual. The final output of the workshop willbe the resultof progressive studysteps in whichstudents and tutorswill work side by side.

Webelievethat the LightWIREexperiencerepresentsaninterestingexampleofdialoguebetween the technological and physicalboundsofcontemporary design. Byphysicallytranslatingdigitalconsiderationintoit can becomeanasset for the SharingofComputableKnowledgeconferences.

Workshop size: Twodays (4 x 4 hours)

DraftProgram:

Monday 18th _morning

Introductionto the topic

Design investigation + proposal

Monday 18th _afternoon

Prototyping

Tuesday 19th_morning

Prototyping + Assembly

Tuesday 19th_afternoon

Assembly + Short presentation

Prerequisiteskillsofparticipants

The workshop is open toallparticipants, no previousknowledgeofRhinoceros and Grasshopperisrequired (althoughanintroductoryknowledgeis welcome). Participantsshouldbringtheirown laptop with a pre-installed software. The software package neededhas no additionalcostfor the participant (Rhino can bedownloadedas trial version, whileGrasshopper and plugins are free). These software are subjecttofrequentupdates, so a download link to the versionused in the workshop willbe sent to the participants a fewdaysbefore the workshop.

Logistics and technicalrequirements

-1 Projector/Screen (32”/40”)

-Tablefor 10 students + 2 Instructors

Suggested:

-1 small laser cutter

-1 small 3d printer

Material (estimated budget 500 euro)

-METACRILATO PIPE (8mm externalradius, 5mm internalradius, about 10 meter per participant)

-ELECTRO LUMINESCENT WIRE (2.4 to 2.7mm, 1 to 3 metereach, 1 kit per person)

-HEAT GUN (1 every 4 participants)

-WOOD BOARD (12mm thickness, 50x50cm, 1 every 2 person, usedas base for the prototypes)

-zip ties, cutter, sand, gloves

The maximumnumberofparticipantsisfixedto 10.