Circumvolute_00 by Cameron Wu
with Jasen Domanico & Julian GonzalezFeatured at the Model Behavior Show
All Photo taken by Chris & Jordan Loofs
In terms of differential geometry,developable surfaces are defined as
those with zero Gaussian curvature which can be unrolled (or “developed”) to a
plane without distortion. Such surfaces
commonly include cones, cylinders, and (lesser-known) tangent developables. For any three-dimensional surface, a geodesic line is the shortest distance
between any two points on that surface.
For developables, geodesics unroll to a plane as straight lines. It follows
that specific sets of geodesics on a developable surface unroll as parallel
lines, defining a series of 2d strips which serve as a flat mapping of the 3d
surface. This method of surface subdivision is known as geodesic planking.
Circumvolute_00 deploys methods of geodesic planking to produce a continuous two-sided closed loop ribbon, wrapping around two host volumes–a cylinder and a tetrahedron. The ribbon is partially coincident with each of these two volumes before migrating (via a plane tangent plane) to the other in an endless cycle. The behavior of any geodesic line moving across a surface depends on its orientation and the curvature of the surface. The non-zero curvature of the cylinder is constant, causing the geodesic to continuously bend into a helical form. For the tetrahedron, the zero curvature of each plane dictates that the only change in direction of the geodesic occurs at the discrete dihedral fold. Despite their geometric differences, the cylinder and the tetrahedron are calibrated to “turn” the ribbon in space in equal and opposite directions, facilitating the closed loop.
Circumvolute_00 is a physical model of a geometric model. It serves as a referent “Ur-form”, a vehicle to explore dialectics that are constantly present in architecture–curvilinear/planar, high-res/low-res, continuous/discrete. It is the most distilled and reduced study of these relationships in Cameron Wu’s design œuvre. The scalability of form and technique allow it to serve as a geometric springboard for other architectural explorations, projects, and processes. It is an archetypal condition, subject to further design differentiation.
Circumvolute_00 deploys methods of geodesic planking to produce a continuous two-sided closed loop ribbon, wrapping around two host volumes–a cylinder and a tetrahedron. The ribbon is partially coincident with each of these two volumes before migrating (via a plane tangent plane) to the other in an endless cycle. The behavior of any geodesic line moving across a surface depends on its orientation and the curvature of the surface. The non-zero curvature of the cylinder is constant, causing the geodesic to continuously bend into a helical form. For the tetrahedron, the zero curvature of each plane dictates that the only change in direction of the geodesic occurs at the discrete dihedral fold. Despite their geometric differences, the cylinder and the tetrahedron are calibrated to “turn” the ribbon in space in equal and opposite directions, facilitating the closed loop.
Circumvolute_00 is a physical model of a geometric model. It serves as a referent “Ur-form”, a vehicle to explore dialectics that are constantly present in architecture–curvilinear/planar, high-res/low-res, continuous/discrete. It is the most distilled and reduced study of these relationships in Cameron Wu’s design œuvre. The scalability of form and technique allow it to serve as a geometric springboard for other architectural explorations, projects, and processes. It is an archetypal condition, subject to further design differentiation.
