systemicprocess

During Fall 07, GSD graduate students David Jaubert and Michael Harris, worked on an independent study with the advisor Toshiko Mori.
systemicprocess is the result of their research.

systemicprocess
The working methodology of systemicprocess utilizes a wide coterie of tools from digital modeling and scripting to digital fabrication as a means of removing the barrier between the conceptualization of ideas and the palpability of realization.

the premise
responsive skin is an experiment in the conception of generative processes as a viable means towards producing responsive and adaptive physical systems. it is concerned with performative variability and its relevance to architectural form. Responsive skin questions the repetitive isostatic nature of the architectural facade and explores a system that can vary based on a given set of architectural criteria.

the system
The responsive skin proposes a system of unit-based aggregation in which the part-to-whole relationship is given by the unit's ability to possess unique variation while remaining cohesive within the larger collection. It questions the flatness of the architectural facade through the use of layered systems in which the threshold of the membrane is increased to a condition of interstitial depth rather than graphic two-dimensionality. The layered system introduces the possibility of the facade to engender compound effects enabling a more complex response to the given architectural criteria.

the method
The responsive skin was conceived as a flexible system that could quickly and easily be modified for experimentation. Written in Maya Embedded Language, all major properties of the system are modifiable through a graphical user interface which allows for a robust workflow in which each experiment can be refined through iterative versioning. The system is created exclusively through MEL with a process that can be divided primarily in two parts: the initial creation of geometry and the transformation of that geometry.

The Envirogrid Pergola

by Tomas Janka
This pergola project examines the possibilities of the alternative use of the Envirogrid as a structural skeleton for an irregular surface of an exterior canopy.
Envirogrid’s common uses include soil confinement, slope stream channel and shoreline erosion protection, as well as ground and vertical walls stabilization. The strips of perforated polyethylene plastic are thermo-welded together into a rectangular panel. When the panel is expanded it forms a honeycomb structure. The soil-filled structure can support heavy loads such as tanks and trucks.
The material has inherent structural properties, however those did not in order to achieve an irregular surface, which was the main objective of this project, the project expanded to investigate the combination of Envirogrid with foam as a composite element, introducing increased rigidity, while maintaining its lightness.

The idea of the use of the foam inside the honeycomb structure stems out of another material discovered in the Materials Collection: Mikor is a foam filled honeycomb, which combines the physical properties of foam and honeycomb to yield a material with high-strength-to-weight ratio properties.
The foam would be sprayed into the cellular structure of the Envirogrid. This would form a rigid and walkable surface.. The other areas would be left open to allow for shift in elevation as well as light transmission.
Since Envirogrid is used for erosion control and soil confinement, a green layer can potentially be planted into the honeycomb cells.While the Envirogrid system is based on strips of perforated polyethylene plastic that are thermo-welded together into a rectangular panel. However, a different type of joint is possible - a highly resistant staple system for extreme slopes or structural requirements. The perforation of the strips then allow for drainage.