Rhyming Laminated Forms (Part 2)

This week, we picked our two strongest models and, using critiques from class, developed them further.  From there, we made larger, more polished models.
We chose to work with the beehive model and the path model.  We felt that these figures were both more complex, and had the potential to be explored further as we transitioned toward finished pieces.  Our water model was a good way to examine hollow laminated forms, but we ultimately decided that was well represented in our beehive model.  We were happy with how the dome model turned out, and it was interesting to try different arrangements of the pieces, but we felt that there was nowhere to go from the initial model.
For the beehive model, there were a number of changes we were interested in making.  We first discussed different options for the overall shape of the beehive.  We felt that our original square shape was too manufactured, and clashed with the other organic elements.  We considered using a circle, but thought that would be too similar to the curved shapes we were cutting out.  We compromised on a hexagon outline, to mirror the smaller hexagons we were cutting out, to add emphasis to the piece’s connection to beehives.
Once we’d decided the piece’s shape, we found that two canals left us with too much open space, so we increased to three.  This allowed us room to still add hexagons, but not so much room that the piece looked empty.  We also want to incorporate our dome model into this update.  Specifically, we were interested in the pieces of the dome that were cut out from the side.  To use this in our beehive model, we let of the canals intersect with the side of the model.
Once we’d determined where the canals would be, we could add the hexagons back in.  Originally, we’d planned to have the hexagons take up all of the space that didn’t have canals running through it.  We had trouble getting this part of the image to cut during our first model, so we were unable to see what it looked like.  However, now that we’d been able to see what the model looked like with holes cut through it, we realized that the figure would be too busy with hexagons everywhere.  Instead, we decided to have a few hexagons growing off of each canal, to suggest that they existed everywhere without actually showing all of them.

Illustrator view of beehive

Top view of model and canal

Side view of model

Angled view of beehive

This project also helped us learn about the relationship between the Illustrator model and the actual laser-cut form.  We were hesitant to add too many shapes into our Illustrator image, because on the computer you can clearly see how all of the shapes move throughout the form.  The end result is fairly busy.  However, since we cut the pieces out of an opaque substance (wood), the end result still has a lot of empty space.  We considered cutting the pieces out of plexiglass, which would allow us to see the movement of the canals.  If we continue with this model in our final project, changing material could help show the intricacy of the form.
For the path model, we wanted to add more drama.  We felt that our initial model captured the basic idea well.  However, the height difference was too small to be meaningful.  In the updated model, we decided to use a much thicker material, so that each layer had a dramatic increase.  We also broke the path up into more sections, so that the tallest parts had more levels to work with.
In our first model, we’d talked about doing something with the bottom of the piece, so that instead of laying flat, it also curved to complement the top half.  We decided to do this by reversing the curves.  In the places where the path rose on the top, it would stay flat on the bottom.  Where it stayed flat on the bottom, it would curve on the top.  This would make the model look like it was in motion, swirling around itself.

Final figure, top side

This model was more time-consuming in Illustrator, because there were over two hundred pieces to make.  We relied heavily on the “blend” tool, so that the end of each piece had an appropriate curve for its position.  In most cases, this tool worked well.  Even though the two sides of the path followed different curves, they almost always faced the same direction, either increasing or decreasing in curvature.  However, one part of the path had a convex curve transition into concave.  Instead of forming a straight line in the middle, Illustrator created a series of squiggly curves throughout the transition.

Trouble with blending tool

Organized layers for each section

One overarching layer

As in the original model, all of the piece lengths were determined by eyeballing the picture.  This was not the most efficient method, since we would occasionally have to backtrack and delete a series of pieces, because the spacing hadn’t worked out correctly.  If we were to continue working on this form in the future, we would use a formula to determine the lengths.  This would both save time and give a more cohesive curve.