Week 11

Last Week

On Week 10, we have presented three variation in different material combinations.

Type 3 – Wooden panels with metal supports in static arrangement with addition of randomly arranged square holes in progressive hierarchical order (Big hole at top and progressively smaller holes near ground)

 

We have decided to use wood and metal as the material for the construction of the installation as it seems like the most economic, sustainable and feasible choice of building material out of the other two (Concrete and Polycarbonate).

Illustration depicting chosen conceptual form and interaction for installation

The following illustration depicts our chosen conceptual form and interaction for our installation that is inspired from fluidity and dynamism. The installation aims to provide students of NTU with both personal and public space within a singular sculpture.

Sketch Mock ups

At the beginning, we experimented making the curve with acrylic sheet using a hot air gun. To do so, we made a jig to secure the acrylic in shape.

Acrylic Bending test with jig and hot air gun

The process was quite tedious. We had to be attentive to the temperature and distance of the hot air gun to make sure we keep a safe distance so that the temperature is not too high. Ultimately, the experiment did not turn out as expected so we have discarded it. We realised that we would need more practice to ensure that the acrylic do not overheat but is heated enough to retain a shape.

In preparation for the final prototype scaled model, we moved on to working with plywood for a more accurate representation of the installation that we propose to construct with wooden panels. Uploading the dimensions at 1:50 scale, we laser cut numerous repeated panels and two identical cross-sectional profiles.

The two identical cross-sectional profiles are spray painted in metallic coating to represent the internal metal support structure. With the help of the bench saw, we made miniature grooves at each end of the laser-cut panels to allow the cross-sectional profiles to slot into the grooves to connect all the panels in a continuous curve.

Side Profile showing internal metal support sandwiched between two wooden panels. Contrasting elements – curvature in static arrangement vs rigid grids in random arrangement.
Close up on seat
Close up on roof
Back view with randomly arranged grids
User interaction

 

For the virtual 3D model, we have constructed each wooden panels with the dimensions 2500mm long, 120mm in width and 25mm thick. There are a total of 142 panels in total, about 70 panels on the inner wall and 72 panels on the outer wall. A continuous metal rod that serves as the supporting internal structure will be sandwiched between the outer and inner wall of wooden panels.

Click on the image above to watch the installation in movement.

We realised that the weight of the plywood is pretty heavy when arranged along the cross-sectional profile curve that is made similarly out of plywood. To remedy the heaviness of the roof, we have placed a transparent acrylic sheet at the overhang to hold the roof up.

 

Reflection

During our explorations with making small scale sketch mock ups, we are able to have a better understanding of the different materials to know what are feasible to work with. Through our trial and errors, we are able to have a better plan for the making of our final prototype through improvisations and practice.

 

Next week

For the following week, we aim to have a final rendition of the installation for a more finalised form with the details included.

Also, we will continue to work on the making of the final prototype model. We thought of using wire to make the cross-sectional profile curves instead of plywood for a stronger internal supporting structure to ensure that the weight of the roof will not alter the shape of the intended curve.

Visit to Harvey Norman

Harvey Norman

The trip to Harvey Norman was eye opening. I got to notice various trends of household products which I never did before since I don’t frequently change my furniture. TMI: Did I mention that my 20 years old bed frame collapsed a week ago? Well, my dad fixed that up for me so I never need to buy any new furniture…maybe in 20 more years to come.

Two similar products which I saw at Harvey Norman were Dyson Cool Fan and Philips Phone Mira M5501.

Dyson Cool Fan

 

Philip Phone Mira M5501

 

Colour

Interestingly, white seems to be a new trend colour. My first impression of white was that it makes a great contrast with dirt. That means, if I want to keep my furniture looking clean, I will need to keep up with the cleaning too. As a lazy person, white does not seem like a good choice as it magnify dirty marks found on it and the pure colour may lose its shine to become dull overtime. Now wait a minute, it’s white and not bright orange or soft turquoise?

When did white become a colour?

Seemingly plain and nude without any expression of colour, white can be considered to be the freshest colour with no influence from any forms of expressions. It is said to be a timeless colour. Cool white is said to be the most illuminated colour of blues and greens while warm white the most illuminated colour of yellows and reds.

With colour, less is definitely more.

Firstly, colour is not seen the same by everyone. There are some people with colour blindness who are unable to appreciate the expressions of colours by default.

Secondly, humans are generally sensitive to colour. Overly saturated colours can be hard to look at for a long time and may even hurt our eyes.

Thirdly, some colours are hard to work with as compared to others. The best match of colours comes with a good contrast. Look at this chart:

Matching colours
So what made white a popular choice for furniture design?

Pure white can break up patterns, soften bold decor and a whole lot more.

Read up more on Why White Is the Ultimate Pop of Color by principal designer + design influencer at the award winning interior design boutique Toronto Interior Design Group (TIDG).

 

Shape

Quite noticeably, the shape that has been repeated in both designs are circle and race-track oval.

 

 

 

 

The round shapes of circle and oval suggest gentleness and gracefulness. The play with positive and negative space emphasise greatly on fluidity. Overall, the two products exude a visual sense of elegance and sleek appeal.

Material

While the Dyson cool fan is a matt black or white and matt metallic silver or iron blue, the Philip phone mira is a mix between matt black interior and polish white exterior.

While the matt metallic shine of the Dyson cool fan emphasise on the coolness of its function as a fan, the polish white Philip phone gives it a porcelain appearance that emphasises its pristine condition.

 

Function

One is a bladeless fan, another is a cordless phone.

Both the Dyson cool fan and the Philip Phone mira are similar in their approach towards innovation – simplicity without compromising on the best results.

On aspects of safety, the external rotating blade has been replaced with an internal impeller. An aligned loop allows air to enter and be propelled out on the other side by the internal impeller with less turbulence. In addition, a hemholtz cavity has been inbuilt to capture and dissipate motor noise.

An aligned loop allows air to enter and be propelled out on the other side by the internal impeller with less turbulence.

To learn more about the function of Dyson Cool Fan go here.

On aspects of convenience, cordless phone allows communicators to be away from the telephone base and still continue communication. In addition, the intelligently designed concealed sockets and an internal cable guide hides all cable from sight for a clutter free environment.

To learn more about the function of Philip phone Mira go here.

 

Conclusion

To conclude, the trip to Harvey Norman allowed me to compare different designs and understand the kind of design that appeals to me more. Furniture stores are definitely a good place to learn about the new trend setter and what aspects of timeless design.