TEX-FAB

Photos from Tex-Fab

admin — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 18:11:27 +0000

DigiFAB@UHCoA meets ANT FARM

admin — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 20:48:11 +0000

The DigiFAB seminar finished their final project for a parametrically designed and digitally fabricated inflatable wall. The PneuFrame is a deployable system of hinged X-braces and interconnected diaphragms that expand into a symbiotic structural system. Ant Farm members Chip Lord and Curtis Schreier were guest panelists who spoke to the students after the public premier of “What If, Why Not?”

Grotto build session 2

admin — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 02:31:07 +0000

Work on the Grotto resumed today with much more of the forming accomplished. The digital model helps to organize the parts and locate them within the complex assembly.

Inflatable Wall

admin — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 03:39:46 +0000

The students at University of Houston College of Architecture in the current DigiFAB seminar are developing an inflatable component wall system. Ant Farm has been the source of inspiration to the class brought on by the forthcoming world premier of the documentary What if, Why not? Underground Adventures with Ant Farm directed by Laura Harrison and Elizabeth Federici at the College. Cinema Arts Society and Aurora Picture Show are curating the event. Ant Farm member, Doug Michals was based on and off in Houston and infamously taught at UHCOA. The structure is composed of hard and soft bodies that form an interdependent structure when inflated through the base plenum. The deployable frame modules are hinged on the sides and unfold in unison as the internal inflatable is charged with air pressure. The wall will be rear projection surface to screen videos during the after-party on the night of the opening (11/12/09). The class aspires to channel the collaborative work ethic of Ant Farm and apply it to contemporary notions of mass customization and kit-of-parts assemblies.

Partial Architectures Exhibition Design

admin — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 15:29:14 +0000

The students at University of Texas Arlington have initiated preliminary investigations into the design and production of a display system for the Partial Architectures Exhibit set to open concurrently with the TEX-FAB Workshop. The exhibition will be up on February 2nd, 2009 with the formal reception taking place on Friday February 5th, 2009 @ 6:00pm on the second floor of the architecture building.

Scheme 01

Scheme 02

Scheme 03

Scheme 04

Scheme 05

New Harmony Grotto assembly begins

admin — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 02:14:47 +0000

The students at University of Houston College of Architecture have started the assembly process to build the New Harmony Grotto. The Keeland Center will be site for forming and fitting of the components to aggregate into ribs and connectors of the structure.

Lecture 2 Axel Paredes

admin — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 01:32:22 +0000

DESIGN RULES
Wednesday 02/03/09, 5:00PM UTA SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE AUDITORIUM

Axel Paredes teaches design studio and digital fabrication courses at Universidad Francisco Marroquin in Guatemala, where he is also director of the Digital Fabrication Laboratory. He has taught workshops on digital design and manufacturing at the TEC of Monterrey in México and at the Izmir School of Economics in Turkey. He received a Master of Architecture degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with his thesis entitled Generative Opponents: A New Architecture for Native Soil, receiving the Imre Halasz Thesis Prize; as well as an M.A. degree in History and Theory of Architecture at the Architectural Association of London. Among his professional projects, his practice Axel Paredes Arquitectura recently won a competition in association with two other firms to design and build a sixty five thousand square meter building complex in Guatemala City, due to begin construction in 2010.
(Right image credit: Fabric formed concrete system done with students at UFM)

AAFAB conference and exhibition

admin — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 02:13:35 +0000

Metalab made the trip over to London to the Architectural Association to present the Ceiling Cloud project. Other presenters included our friend from GSAPP days, Ben Aranda of Aranda/Lasch. The discussion was moderated by Alan Dempsey of the AAFAB Cluster along with Brett Steele the Director of the AA. We had a look at the exhibition afterward which was part of the London Design Week events. Joe Meppelink and Andrew Vrana went over via New York and presented the project at Columbia and caught up with Scott Marble, our visiting critic on the project… More images… Bustler

Lecture1 Scott Marble

admin — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 19:13:13 +0000

DESIGNING PARAMETERS / DESIGNING ASSEMBLIES
Thursday 02/04/09, 7:30PM DALLAS ARCHITECTURE FORUM

Scott Marble is a founding partner of Marble Fairbanks and a faculty member at the Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation (GSAPP). His early engagement with digital technologies at Columbia University, teaching one of the first “paperless” design studios, has allowed Marble Fairbanks to pioneer innovative uses of digital fabrication and unique assemblies in theirbuilt work. Scott is a frequent lecturer in the areas of digital technologies and building information modeling (BIM). Scott received his Master of Architecture degree from Columbia University and his Bachelor of Environmental Design degree from Texas A&M University. In 2008 Marble Fairbanks was commissioned by the Museum of Modern Art in New York to design a speculative project addressing the potentials of digital design and fabrication for the exhibition Home Delivery: Fabricating the Modern Dwelling.

AMBOX visit

admin — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 04:18:29 +0000

Students in the DigiFAB Seminar at the UHCoA toured the fabrication shop at AMBOX, Limited. They have extensive stamping and forming capabilities shown here. One product is the Kevlar helmets worn by the US military. They can produce 70 per day and have made over 100,000 of them since production began. Their 4000W CNC laser will cut the components for the New Harmony Grotto project later this month.