SmartGeometry ACADIA / IAI TAP Workshop 2004

Achim Menges
Architectural Association

Generative components to populate double curved surfaces

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The aim of the workshop project was to develop a generative component that can populate double curved surface.

The component is defined as three planes, which are defined by two points of an ‘input’ triangle and a common projection direction, that intersect with the ‘host’ surface in three lines. The surface defined by these two lines and related offset lines in the projection direction creates three planar strips that adapt to the ‘host’ surface. On the component level, the strips are unfolded in the xy plane of the base coordinate system. The input required for the population process are three points, a bspline surface and the position of the unfolded strips by a local coordinate system.

Then the component ‘grows’ a pattern of strips on the surface by using the output points of one component as the input for the next one and thereby maintains the defined angle of the input triangle within each added component.

This input angle as well as the ‘host surface’ can be changed, and the cut pattern for each strip will be automatically updated.