variable volume architecture Asheshh Saheba
M AKING spatial propositions has a great impact on the inhabitable environment. As our surroundings are built, shelter is created both physically and socially. The construction of space and its use is regulated by the life span of occupation: volumes are renovated, reprogrammed, or torn down placing substantial demand on the boundary condition. The enclosure that defines occupation is an important interface that initiates the act of making architecture. Living is a dynamic enterprise. Space is sculpted with response to variable parameters. Architecture becomes a living entity, and as such must be adaptable. Using this framework, one can use movement as an essential component in building research. In reaching equilibrium between the external and internal environment, the components of architectural assembly must also maintain structural integrity. Here, a two dimensional surface is transformed and broken by movement. This fractured skin is splayed, physically, to produce a three dimensional spatial structure. Through this manipulation, the planes that create the membrane begin to overlap and create gaps between the skin and the structural frame. As changes in geometry take place, loads on the skin continue to be transferred to the frame. The structural change of the surface in the expanded condition increases the depth of the opening. This depth change allows lateral forces (wind loads) to be transferred more efficiently to the frame from the skin. Also, positive pressure that is present when the surface lies flat breaks up as the surfaces shift out of plane with each other. Negative and positive wind pressure are present in the expanded condition. The characteristics of the boundary are integrally dependent on its form. Permeability of light and air are dependent on the configuration of the system. The potential of this relationship is that the fine tuning of the boundary brings about a greater awareness of external conditions and efficiencies in performance. Using geometric change to design an adaptable system creates the basis for a transformable architecture. The performance of this system is not only measured in terms of quantitative values, but also in terms of the spatial quality achieved. The digital environment is critical to the design of the pieces: the movement of the assembly depends on a high level of accuracy. A minimum tolerance level ensures that the pieces will interact in a precise and predictable way. Also, movement can be tested within the digital environment before physical production. The software gives us an assembly model showing the degree of movement for each piece. Then the components go through a design refinement process before final production.
hinge component
system movement model
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