Week 3 - Processes & Collaboration

Het ontdekken van materiaaleigenschappen.

Assignment 1 - individual

Create your own sample book in which you address the following aspects:

  • Explore what the assigned contrast in material properties entails (this can be in the form of mindmaps, collages, moodboards etc.)

  • Explore what the available flat sheets materials offer and what material(s) would suit your assignment best (share your results with each other). You can also bring your own material(s).

  • Show iterations on the process, work towards a range of experiments that explores the two extremes of your contrast and various stages in between. Document your process and use a template to document the material properties, machine and settings used.

  • Bundle your experiments in a sample book which displays your material exploration. Your sample book contains your interpretation of the assigned contrast, your experiments with various materials and techniques (at least 2 iterations with several gradations), and your final range of gradually moving from one extreme of the contrast towards the other end of the contrast (at least 5 gradations).

  • Your sample book displays experimenting with the laser cutter. Use the laser cutter at least for one iteration with several gradations.

  • Book binding is part of the process of creating your sample book.

  • Document all the steps, tricks, tips, settings and outcomes as described on your gitbook documentation page. Please don't forget to document small experiments that did you perhaps did not include in your sample book (such as cutting/etching, folding/forming experiments).

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During week 3 of the minor, the assignment is to discover material characteristics and how to manipulate them by using a laser cutter.

Sam handed out post-its with two extremes for characteristics, and we could choose one of those contrasts.

I immediately was thinking about materials that are flexible by itself, like paper or latex. But I could also work the other way around, by making rigid materials like plywood flexible. There are many sources of inspiration and examples around. I started looking in the makerslab for some inspiration, and I saw some interesting examples.

My interest for the art of origami inspired me to work with paper. Paper is very versatile, we use it everyday in a 2D form, but the possibilities in 3D are endless.

I started to look on the internet for folding patterns. I quickly discovered a scientific paper, written by Kazuya Saito, Akira Tsukahara and Yoji Okabe. Their goal is to re-invent origami, by adding holes to existing origami folding structures. The goal is to make the structures more sturdy.

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