My first blog

WK6 Supper club Enjoying the event

In the first few hours of the event, we finished the whole project. The only problem is that our color PVC didn’t attach to the model due to time constraints. But it doesn’t matter. The story and idea of this concept will stay in our hearts forever. In the morning of the event, we arrived at the venue early to make final preparations for the evening event. Our concept is to hang colorful candy and biscuits on the structure of dome with fishline. The structural super strong white body has become the most eye-catching symbol. The hanging lines have disappeared in the distance, and colorful candy dances in the air. It’s an interesting and dreamlike scene.

The event in the evening was very lively and joyful. Everyone raised their glasses to celebrate the time. Each group introduced the story and concept of their works in turn, reviewed the process of the past few weeks, and all the efforts at this moment felt worthwhile. Each group has its characteristics. Some groups make delicious desserts and cakes. Some groups prepared delicious fruit wine. Some groups prepared snacks. We will take turns to experience the surprises and fun brought by different teams. It’s an interesting night!

WK5 Supper club Site Construction

The most challenging week is coming, the construction week of on-site production. This week, we will not only complete the field assembly, but also install three huge domes over the forest table. What a challenging and exciting week! We have purchased all the materials we need on the first day of this week. Materials include white pipes, screws, nuts, PVC paper, etc. All our work was completed in the carpentry workshop in advance, and the construction method of factory work and on-site assembly was adopted.

We first cut the calculated length of the white pipe before installation, and then mark it according to different lengths. Flatten both ends of the pipe and heat them with a blower, to flatten both ends of the pipe as much as possible. Then punch holes at both ends of the flattened pipe, install screws, and complete the production of the first triangle. In this way, the whole dome is made. How to install such a large model over forest table is a challenge. We take advantage of the stability of triangles, find three vertices on the dome, and link the pipe to the trunk. And the joint is fixed with screws to complete the permanent and solid joint design.

WK4 Supper club Details Design

Before we started our field work, we built a prototype with paper to ensure that our final solution can be realized. We use the digital model to measure, through the parametric calculation can help us control costs and improve efficiency. We input the bottom area and the height of the dome, and the parametric model will tell us the pipe length needed to build the model. Because the shape of a dome is half spherical, a triangle is not an equilateral triangle. This principle is similar to the structure of football.

The prototype test was successful. Next we will make at least three domes. Using the tree trunk of forest table, we hang the height in the air to form an interesting combination. Next, we need to go to B & Q to buy materials for 1:1 model. Before we go, we have calculated the quantity and price of materials accurately. We still use digital parameters to calculate the length of pipes and the number of triangles, which greatly improves the efficiency of our subsequent precise field work.

WK3 Supper club Scheme Design

After the concept of our project is defined as a time device, how to implement this concept becomes a common problem that our team needs to solve. What materials are used? What shape is designed? How to fix the existing structure of the forest table? This series of problems waiting to be solved have become the challenges we are facing.

We have done a lot of case studies on shapes. To figure out what kind of shape can fit our current site and express our ideas. We finally chose to use triangles to collage an irregular geometry. Why choose the triangle as the element of the overall design? The forest table is surrounded by thick trees. On a sunny afternoon, the sun shines through the leaves, and the shade on the ground is mottled, which has become the inspiration source of our design.

In order to realize our several different levels of umbrella shape, we did different experiments to complete. At first, we thought of using wood as a fixed support frame, using transparent film to attach to the surface, and finally using laser PVC paper to attach to the surface. In this way, an organic modeling feature can be formed, and triangles with different angles can reflect different colors of brilliance under the sunshine. Later, at the suggestion of tutor Lucy, we used a white pipe. In this way, the geometry of triangles can be flexibly assembled and evolved into the final shape we want.

WK2 Supper club Concept Design

The name of this team project is very interesting. We call it a time device. Why is it called a time device? This is an interesting design story.

Forest table is located in the lawn center of UCA, near the campus restaurant. On a sunny afternoon, there are always many students sitting around the forest table enjoying lunch and chatting. It has become the center of students’ lunch, leisure, and communication. But gradually we found a problem. The weather in England is changeable. What would be the situation of the forest table on rainy days? On rainy days, the forest table is surrounded by people passing by with umbrellas. No one wants to stay here. It can be seen that students’ dining and leisure time will be affected by the weather, which determines their leisure time. We decided to make some changes.

We hope to design a large raincoat for the forest table, which can be shared and communicated at any time on rainy days. The use time of the forest table can be extended. At the same time, the use function of the forest table is no longer affected by the weather but determined by the use function of students. Students can decide whether to stay in the forest table at any time according to their own needs and mood. This is the core concept of time devices.

WK1 Wk1 Supper club Brainstorming

The first group meeting was exciting and interesting. We brainstormed in the library and everyone came up with an idea of their own. We conducted a survey on the site of the forest table and made an in-depth analysis. From what perspective, we can make it more comfortable. My idea is to start with the function. The weather in Britain is changeable, and the site of the forest table is completely open-air. I suggest that we can make a big raincoat so that people who eat here can no longer be affected by the weather. Some people want to make lights because the night is very long in winter. Once it’s dark, no one will want to stay here. If there is light, the utilization of the forest table will be greatly improved.

The forest table is close to the restaurant. On a sunny afternoon, it is a very popular dining space. Some people put forward that they want to change the lawn and increase the hard pavement between the lawn and the restaurant. Because I want to link the restaurant and the forest table, which are close to each other. Some people want to use the tree trunk of the forest table to set up several layers and use these layers to place cameras to record the good time people share. Imagine that if you arrange a lecture one day, you can publish these ideas online and share them with more people. Everyone has their own ideas. These ideas collide in the library. We give different design ideas from different perspectives.

WK14 Instant Air-b-n-b Function Thinking

As the project slowly comes to the end, I hope to seize the time in the final stage and complete the insufficient places as much as possible. Because the transformer needs to meet certain compressive capacity, it is still necessary to maintain a certain thickness of the wood board and select a 9mm wood board. In terms of the needs of users, there is special careful classification, such as students, adults, and children. According to the needs of the three groups of people who come to the museum, there are different sizes of storage spaces for them.

Students will need more places for stationery, such as sketch pens, erasers, rulers, etc. Adults are the most basic regular needs, such as coffee cups, umbrellas, booklets, and so on. Children’s needs are more diversified, such as milk bottles, toys, and doodles. In the portfolio, different use scenarios of these three groups in the museum will be displayed. How do they get the transformer? The service personnel will select the transformer suitable for them according to their needs. At the same time, different use requirements, how they use the transformer.

W13 Instant Air-b-n-b Scheme Design Revised

e difficulty in the exploration and promotion of the transformer project has always been how to coordinate the two functions of portability and robustness. Let’s assume that the transformer prototype is a product tailored for art students. In the UK, we often visit different museums. So far, I have visited Brighton Museum, Tate Gallery, National Gallery, V & a gallery and Sir John Soane’s Museum. Art school students often sit on the floor, holding blueprints and notes to record ideas. With the transformer, it’s much easier. Students can sit and place books, stationery, coffee cups, etc. in the transformer.

But the challenge is that the transformer needs to bear a certain weight, so I chose the 8mm wood board. The middle layer can become lighter and thinner, and a 6mm plate can be selected as the support skeleton. This may reduce some weight. In the next project process, I think I will spend more time in the production of drawings and the expression of concepts.

W12 Instant Air-b-n-b After Review Thinking

The days of drawing before the review are very tense and busy. Also in this week can let me review the whole process of the project again very well. From the research of the project site to the case study to the conceptual design to the production and modification of prototype. Every step of the way is challenging and exciting!

The overall communication and feedback between the review process and tutor are good. But the tutor also gives me some small suggestions for my project, which can help my project become more mature. I always regard the transformer project as a sample. What I want to show is the function and usage of the product. The transformer is as simple and cheap as IKEA’s products. In the process of promoting the project, I always imagined that my project would become a possibility of marketization. So the choice and size of wood must fully meet the possibility of industrialization. Wood is environmentally friendly and degradable, and will not cause pollution and damage to the environment. All the assembled boards are modular, which not only facilitates the large-scale operation of the factory but also makes the standardized boards not easy to cause excessive waste. Users can choose the number of plates according to their own needs, and divide the internal space according to their own preferences. It seems that standardized transformer can become customized products.

The tutor wants the project model to be designed for a specific population of one type. In the work collection, we can analyze the use of the preferences and needs of different groups to show the different possibilities of the transformer space. For example, art school students, children or adults and so on. Because I am a student of architecture, I prefer to tailor the transformer for the students.

WK11 Instant Air-b-n-b Detail Design

How to make the project simpler and easier to install is a key problem to be solved in the design of the transformer node. Is it possible to assemble a building block without any tools or machines? Not only adults can install it, but also children can assemble it by themselves? How can we simplify the way we link? Mortise and tenon structure can solve all these problems perfectly.

Mortise and tenon structure is a commonly used structure in ancient Chinese wooden buildings. This structure is also commonly used in the production of furniture, such as the simplest wooden small square stool, which is characterized by the use of mortise and tenon to strengthen objects without using nails, reflecting the ancient Chinese culture and wisdom.

The world of automation accelerates the pace of life, and the Cold machinery and high-speed automation gradually become the mainstream of the market. In such an environment, the fun of doing it yourself and the craftsman spirit of traditional culture become more precious. People can enjoy the fun and surprise brought by hand when they do it by themselves. Not only that, people can divide different sized compartments according to their own needs, and become more humanized. Mortise and tenon structure makes the transformer a hand-assembled toy suitable for all ages!