This was a project that began last summer and was completed in January this year. We were commissioned by Rob Cohen to design lights and furniture for a new brew pub, Falling Sky Brewing, that he was opening in Eugene Oregon. These are some images of the prototype of the first version light – what we were calling the ‘hairy one.’ We designed a parametric system in grasshopper to be able to alter the overall form of the light – then after unfolding we ran a script we wrote to create the tabing. The drawing shows how we were experimenting with the morphology of the tendrils. Key was the idea that the tabing not only holds the piece together (i.e. is structural) but also plays an ornamental roll. The only fasteners in the piece are the ones that hold a laser cut acrylic bracket to the body of the light. We adapted an inexpensive IKEA fixture to use as a light source.

This was a project that we worked on this summer in which we were exploring the typology of tent construction – pairing it with digital parametric logic. The entire piece was designed on the computer and the patterns were transferred to the nylon fabric using projection. Of particular interest for us in the piece besides the strategy of digital design and the system of construction – is the interdependency between the fabric and carbon fiber rods. The shape of the piece is in part determined by the pattern of the fabric – but also the weight of the piece which bends the rod into a particular shape. This research is ongoing. Erika Lindsay assisted us on the project. Thanks Erika! The project was produced in support from the University of Michigan.

A few initial study images of a current project in the office. The steel and fabric structure is designed to house an outdoor kitchen and eating area for a health and wellness retreat organization – located on a rural site in south-eastern Michigan. The project will utilize CNC – pipe bending machinery to fabricate the frame from computer models and pattern making software to design and fabricate the skin from sailcloth.

Our proposal for the 2010 addition of DesCours in New Orleans. We are proposing to fabricate a contoured landscape utilizing EPS foam cut by a computer controlled robotic hotwire. The landscape would be covered in sod and is designed to facilitate public gathering and lounging. Luminaires are installed and eminate light from select slits in the surface. The final proposal would conform to the specific constraints of an assigned site. EPS foam – and not to mention sod are 100% recycleable materials. The competition will be decided in mid-august. Our complete proposal can be viewed here.

This was a project we did last summer as part of an ongoing house renovation – that we hope to have more images and drawings of – in the future – in the ‘project’ section of the site. This particular part of the renovation involved an existing stair and the design, fabrication and installation of a new railing. The technique utilized the development of a gradient image ‘rasterized’ into a dot pattern. The pattern was subsequently used to CNC mill the plywood for the railing.