Geo-Bench_01
with Shaun Lien & Madeleine (Mads) SmithBased on knowledge and expertise gained from Circumvolute_00, Geo-Bench_01 aims to experiment with a new building material called Acre and discover new fabrication methods for developable geometry. The bench’s form consists of a cylinder and a trapezoid locked together via their joint ruling line(s). For developables such as these, geodesics unroll to a plane as straight lines. This means that specific sets of geodesics on a developable surface unroll as parallel lines, creating a series of 2D strips that serve as a flat map of the 3D surface. This mapping was used to scribe measurements on the planks of Acre’s surface and to track its material qualities throughout the fabrication process. Moreover, the design methodology of Geo-Bench_01 makes it an excellent teaching device for those unfamiliar with developable geometry or fabrication techniques. The resulting bench is yet another example of a single instantiation of an infinitely scalable system.
Note about Acre: It is a “green building material” made up of rice hulls and a glue-like bonding agent. The planks made from Acre can be bent using induction heat, which is a less labor-intensive method than traditional steam bending techniques. This allows for a more compact jig and quicker bending of the planks.
