NOM Inflate

TRANS-FoRM-ers feat. NOM

2009-10-20T11:17:00.008+13:00

50 mins worth of footage from the night... (with some editing) and we have a NOM video of our project from the night of the event. Its a bit long but as the convoy wasn't experienced by all we wanted to share the bus phenomenon and the gathering of our 40 people, along with very first inflation for the night with our convoy participants.

For those who haven't heard the good news we got second place for the peoples vote and first overall for the architects vote! Judging was done by Pip Cheshire and Sir Miles Warren. Congrats also to This Way Up and Spacebook!

Thanks all for coming and all who helped us. Truly appreciated.
- NOM

TRANS-FoRM-ers... nom nom

2009-10-19T19:00:00.011+13:00

Absolut nom?

2009-10-19T15:47:00.005+13:00

During the weekend journey of picking up photos from our awesome photographers I happened to stumble across this massive inflatable in Western park in Ponsonby on the corner of Ponsonby Rd and Hepburn St. The event follows the aboslut theme of 'doing things differently leads to something exceptional'. Absolut commissioned cutting-edge New Zealand artists and designers working in every media from film, paint and paper to silver, wood and even skin to exhibit their submissions. Not entirely relevant to our parachute but inflatable architecture with a white skin nevertheless.

The Convoy

2009-10-17T22:22:00.004+13:00

This is the idea behind our convoy and its relationship to the constant transformation our project undergoes.

Rather than designing a project for Shed 12 and then finding a way to transport it we designed the convoy (a bus of 40 people) and then designed our submission around the way these people could create their own architecture. The transformation that our project occurs during the convoy is the 40 people understanding their importance to the design and how they assume a place on a bus not knowing what to expect till things start to unfold as they are debriefed on the bus, receive their instruction sheets and then how the bus is unloaded and the project is assembled at the venue.
An element of surprise is constantly experienced by the convoy participant even to the point when the parachute has been spread out and the sandbags have been placed in the rim and they are receiving instructions on how to inflate the parachute. The interior space that is created inside is unexpected and is the most dramatic transformation of our project.
As discussed in previous posts the addition of drawstrings and the entering and exiting of people from the dome further transform the parachute. The parachute's shape is different everytime it is inflated so it sustains a constant change of state.

Nom instructions

2009-10-17T21:39:00.010+13:00

Here are the set of instructions that will be attached to each of the 40 sandbags. Each person who is coming on the convoy will receive a sandbag making them a unique participant to the architecture week event. The parachute completely relies on the sandbags to seal the air that is captured when the parachute is flapped.

The 40 people become the creators of our design. They are intergral to our design as if one sandbag is missing the rate at which the dome deflates significantly increases due to the air escaping. The sandbags are only placed in the parachute for the first inflation by the first lot of 40 people. They remain in the rim of the parachute throughout the rest of the night.

These set of instructions needed to be simple and straightforward. They were placed in a small specially made tag envelope that was attached to the strap hole with a piece of scrap nylon (the same fabric used on the dome). By attaching the instructions to the strap hole it also showed where the holes in the strap were on the sandbag.

Flooring Construction

2009-10-17T17:00:00.001+13:00

The flooring is white tarp which will be constructed of 40 panels also. They will be sewn in quarters for easier set up, and each quarter has one extra panel to overlap the next quarter. This ensures totally covering the entire 12m diameter circle.

Constructing the centre bean bag

2009-10-17T16:17:00.007+13:00

One compartment (8 out of 40 panels) with cardboard pieces sewn in

Panels of beanbag lining up with panels of dome

Bean bags construction

2009-10-17T16:17:00.006+13:00

The 10 smaller bean bags mirror the panelling geometry of the dome. They consist of 22 panels with the same maximum width as the centre beanbag, as well as 2 end circles.

And... this is what happens when you fill it with beans inside out accidentally... MARE.

St Cuths Dress Rehearsal

2009-10-14T15:30:00.002+13:00

Whilst we were doing a mock up dress rehearsal the Wed before the night of the event we left a video camera at the back corner of the sportcentre running the whole time to document the test and capture the lighting effects. Even though Gertrude is pretty powerful it unfortunately wasn't powerful enough to inflate our parachute as successful and as quickly as the group of 40 people!
Note the movie has been sped up as the entire footage of the test was 40minutes.

St Cuths Light Tests Interior

2009-10-14T12:00:00.001+13:00

An interior panorama. The lights were changing as the shots were being taken

The Dress Rehearsal...

2009-10-14T11:00:00.001+13:00

Once again St Cuths let us borrow their sports centre space to do a mock up test of what Friday would be like in terms of lighting. We also wanted to take a few photos in case there was too much ambient lighting from the other projects on the night as we need good ones for our aO's for crit! Thanks to Ms Mahon for arranging the space for us (we wanted to use the rec centre at uni but its $900/hr), to the art dept for lending us equipment and to Gertrude for letting us borrow their pump.

Waiting for Gertrude to inflate the parachute.

Fun Under - Neath (and testing drawstrings)

2009-10-13T01:04:00.001+13:00

The RIP Test Video

2009-10-12T14:34:00.003+13:00

Here is the video taken from Team NOM's rip test of their final parachute done in a lunchtime at the St Cuth's sportscentre.

The big RIP test

2009-10-12T11:00:00.001+13:00

On Monday of the final week before the event team NOM was generously given permission to use the St Cuths sports centre to test their final dome for reinforcement. The previous white dome ripped as the centre wasn't reinforced enough due to the enormous pressure exerted on the centre when the parachute is flapped. With the help of Mkd and Chrissy to round up the expected number of 40 people that we had designed it for we were able to test it! and it held up perfectly with no signs of a rip whatsoever! Awesome triple stitch reinforcement.

Making the sandbag joint on the end of the panels

2009-10-09T16:26:00.001+13:00

Sandbags colliding

2009-10-08T00:09:00.001+13:00

Sandbags fitting together with each other because of the 60/30 degree angle cutline! so pro. This was to ensure there were no gaps or weak spots in the bottom rim - a fully air tight seal.

Sandbags

2009-10-07T10:16:00.002+13:00

The sandbag, with 3 layers of Plastic containing No.1 Sand. 60/30 angle at the ends that are reinforced with a cardboard ellispe to maintain its shape

Sanbag sleeve with strap attached. Fitting together perfect!

The sandbag detail:

MATERIAL MARES. Big material for little machines.

2009-10-06T23:59:00.003+13:00

I think this deserves its own post due to how much pain it put us all through. Trying to fit stiff 6m of stiff tarp through a little sewing machine is not easy, as is fitting 6m of fabric through the sewing machine hole to sew up the last two panels, or trying to get to the centre of a 12m circle to sew the centre circle on! I think its safe to say that by the end of this project the four sewing machines we were using were well in need of a break.

Sewing the white tarp flooring panels
Spot the sewing machine?

Sewing up panel 1 to panel 40 - closing the parachute. A two person job.

Sewing the centre circle on, one of many times.

Crazy box!

2009-10-06T23:59:00.002+13:00

Around SIX THOUSAND METRES of thread used in construction... on FOUR sewing machines. sweat shop?

A mooncake box gone to good use... how asian. and very cool! apart from when kicked over.

Centre Circle

2009-10-06T22:24:00.001+13:00

We had to decide what size to do the centre circle of the parachute - what proportions would be aesthetically nice in comparison to the 12m parachute? Here are some small models experimenting with proportion.

To unify our project we decided the centre circle should mirror the light tub on the ground which is 800mm diameter. So.. our centre circle is 800mm diameter! In scale it is around about the first photo's size.

Here is the centre circles detail: 40 drawstring paths are sewn up to the centre so that they don't stray. There is extreme reinforcement through this as there are 80 triple stitched paths joining the panel to the centre, and 3 triple stitched seams circling the circumference and two smaller circumferences. On top an bottom were 2 more circles sewn over to cover all the lines.

Here are photos of the construction on the final parachute.

Starting as an oval... what!

Making Pin City IPin city!

A mare in a sewing machine...

Re-edited and cutting out a circle!

With drawstrings all threaded.

Fini!

Seam construction details

2009-10-06T11:12:00.002+13:00

Figuring out the seams... We are doing French Seams for the drawstrings to be threaded through, providing a flat clean seamless surface from both sides :) It was difficult to work out exact construction - how much seamage should be left both sides for right angled and non right angled sides, which way the panels should face when sewing the first and second side, how we could work out that the symmetrical sandbag cut for that detail could fit in at the bottom...

Eyelet construction

2009-10-06T11:00:00.001+13:00

Eyelet details for the drawstrings at the bottom - wrapping around the sandbag and coming back out on the inside of the dome for people to use. We needed to find the best way to thread them at the bottom so that the drawstrings would be the easiest to pull and use.

When unwrapped (sand bag seam not sewn)

Constructing the light tub

2009-10-05T15:39:00.001+13:00

A morning in the workshop making our light tub our of plywood and MDF with the 40 panels corresponding to the panels of the dome, flooring and beanbags. The hole cut in the side is for the cables for the lights to run through.

Templates!

2009-10-04T17:00:00.003+13:00

Centre circle and tub template

Downpipe sliced with a 60/30 angle to help with the construction of the sandbags

Sandbag template

Centre bean bag a.k.a 'donut' template

Bean bag template

Sandbag detail panel template

Dome panel template

Let Construction Begin!

2009-10-04T00:16:00.001+13:00

who's scared?

15 days averaging around19 hours a day = 4 very sleepy noms

Lighting Test TAKE 2

2009-10-03T15:09:00.002+13:00

Nom borrowed the LED lights again from Modus to choose the colours that they wanted to use from the RGB spectrum. We settled on keeping the same gradient order that RGB spectrum goes through but selecting a few colours that would illuminate the dome for a period of ten minutes with the gradient fade only taking a minute at the most.

We tested this on our 9m parachute and used a pump borrowed from Doof-doof for the night (thanks). Below are colour stills from the movie we have selected.

This photo shows the double layer panel that we sewed in to test transparency one last time. (3rd panel from left). This was the first time we tried it with the proper lights and we realised that it didn't look as good as we expected as we had been looking at it through daylight previously. We've decided to boycott the changing transparency in panels idea and instead the change in transparency will be in the seams, which because of the way it is sewn and the drawstring through it, will appear a lot darker, which we think will look good as it gives the dome visual structure.

INTERMISSION

2009-10-03T13:04:00.003+13:00

we would now like to interrupt this blog with a small intermission...

...and that was how the dinosaurs really became extinct.

Howie and Ash's BIG DAY OUT

2009-10-03T13:00:00.003+13:00

One not so sunny Wednesday Howie and Ash went to pick up all of the items that had been generously given by their sponsors. Here are some photographs showing the car space issue carnage.

Bean bags plans and sections

2009-10-02T00:52:00.002+13:00

Interior sizing of panels

2009-10-01T00:23:00.003+13:00

Scale drawing of panel sizes for flooring and beanbags

Our inspiration

2009-10-01T00:00:00.000+13:00

We were inspired by this article about japanese architect Yayoi Kusama on the back page of the herald. We want to create a similar effect inside our dome as she does in her installations- the idea of being completely surrounded by consistency. Therefore our concept of the interior of our dome is that everything is consistent in that everything is panelled in the same way as the dome - the flooring, the beanbags and the light tub. Everything will also be made in white and appear as the colour of the lighting.

Size

2009-09-30T21:39:00.007+13:00

Because the parachute needs to be relatively taut before flapping in order to get maximum inflation, the very maximum size the parachute can be is 12.5m diameter due to the size and layout of the shed.

However this size relies very much on us being placed exactly between two columns on the right hand side of the shed and will be awkward for the people attempting to flap close to the columns. We decided this extra 0.5m of diameter was not worth it so have decided on a 12m diameter dome which can be placed anywhere along the right side of the shed.

Our bus has 47 seats, 7 of which are taken up by the NOM team and photographers. Therefore we have 40 people to help us set up and initially inflate the dome, therefore the parachute will consist of 40 panels and with a 12m diameter each panel is 94cm.

What we are going to do with our 47 seats on the bus...

2009-09-30T21:25:00.001+13:00

SEAMS

2009-09-29T09:24:00.004+13:00

Our current seam:

Drawstring seam with no seam sticking out:

Completely flat seam, same on both sides, appears SEAMLESS!!!!!!

Sandbag Joint Detail

2009-09-29T01:06:00.005+13:00

Here is the Sandbag detail:

There will be 40 sandbags - one for each person and one for each segment.
Enhanced design features:
- The openings for the sandbags are offset by half a panel so that sandbag joins are not where a drawstring will be as maximum amount of sand(weight) is required there (and the joins are the weaker spots)
- The surface is slanted at the end of each sandbag. This is so they interlock and tessellate better. Also they are less likely to come apart when being pulled inwards and outwards for inflation as the two end surfaces of each sandbag are pushing against each other. Unlike when it was previously a straight cut and the ends of sandbags could easily slide past each other.
- Each sandbag can only be fed in one direction and there is a stopper at the end so the user will know when the sandbag is completely in the sleeve and which end to insert the sandbag
-Three straps that are attached to the panel feed through 3 corresponding loops at the end of the sandbag. The straps are held together with large clothing studs which are very strong.
Essentially the 2 meeting sand bags have 4 points of linkage as the top seam provides the'4th' strap.
-A piece of fabric that wraps around the two adjoining sandbags further conceals and protects the join.
-The angle slant on the edge of the sandbag has been tested at 50degrees although we think that the slant is too great and needs to be closer to 90degrees.

For the purposes of testing out the joint in sewing terms we used calico, as nylon has become a precious commodity!

-New and improved sandbag with slant and straps (although straps will be on parach. Please note that the ends of the sandbag will not show the seams not the outside.

- Original flat end of sandbag

Glare Shield Panel Detail

2009-09-29T00:12:00.004+13:00

This is a quick detail showing how the panels will connect with one another on the glare shield.

Glare shield! Shield the glare

2009-09-28T09:49:00.007+13:00

This is the glare shield for the LED light panels in the centre of the dome. It will be made out of 20 wooden panels in which the lights will go. The bean bag donut will go around it. The 20 panels of wood are to correspond with the 20 panels of the bean bag donut attached.

Current Dimensions of the glare shield are: 600mm Base 500mm high panels 94mm wide panels

Glare....

No glare....!

Transparency

2009-09-28T08:37:00.005+13:00

We wanted to play with transparency through layering the material on some panels of the dome to create cool lighting effects. Essentially we want to create a panelling transparency pattern which will look random in elevation yet symmetrical in plan.

Suchhhh big problems...
-the material doubling up was too heavy to be self supported - the dome sagged in these places and the deflated shape was heavily affected.
-we tried doubling two panels in a row however this created an unwanted scallop shape in the middle where the seam was

Soooo after figuring out we couldn't use material to affect transparency, we tried using thin layers of spray paint. this created a good effect if it was evenly coated, and through the light too.

This eliminated the weight problem of sagging, however more problems arose...
- the spray paint was so smelly
- it rubbed off really easily with handling
- it would be hard to get an even coat over a larger surface area for our 1:1

Different options...
- bleach
- spray paint + waterproof spray
- sandpapered material (to get rid of waterproof coating) + spray paint
- sandpapered material + spray paint + waterproof spray

none of which eliminated all problems... such a mare! they looked very blotchy close up, and covering such a large area at 1:1 would be very difficult.

Experiments with panelling

2009-09-27T15:07:00.002+13:00

panels varying in size

alternating colours

experimenting with transparency - layering the material in an even pattern

layering material in an uneven pattern

Beeean bagggg

2009-09-27T12:52:00.008+13:00

As well as 10 of the big portable bean bags, there will be one fixed central beanbag in the centre, helping to act as a glare shield to the lights (the LED panels require the glare of the actual lights to be blocked out in order for the full effect of the lighting around the rest of the dome to be appreciated). An actual glare shield (out of wood?) will be in the centre, and the donut like bean bag placed around it to help to hide it, panelled in the same way as the dome kind of like our existing bean bags with a hole in the middle. There is a continuous idea of panels radiating out of the centre.

Here is a small model of how the panels will be sewn together. There are cardboard slats sewn into the inside so that the bean bag fits firmly around the light tub without twisting. The bean bag will also be sewn in compartments so that there is an even distribution of beans around the entire bean bag donut.

Nom nom bean bag

2009-09-24T21:06:00.007+12:00

Rather then the previous beanbag which was 2 flat circles sewn together, this bean bag is sewn as a sphere to increase the volume. We decided on a sphere of 1.5m diameter - big enough to fit a few people but still able to be moved/chucked around/stacked on top of each other. So comfy!
Note : We aren't actually going to use fluoro material we just didn't have enough white. Even though fluoro is awesome.

Net

2009-09-24T08:30:00.001+12:00

The net of the parachute is not sewn as a flat circle, but like the top of a sphere, in order to capture maximum amount of air possible. This means the sides of the panels of the parachute are slightly curved. We must be careful about this though, because the shape still needs to be able to be flapped by the people - there can't be too much excess material otherwise the top will never lift off the ground.

Bean bag!

2009-09-19T14:45:00.001+12:00

The bean bags will provide the white flooring to our dome, in order for lighting to be more effective. Here is our first test, its pannelled in the same way the dome is! We are using the same nylon as used in the dome, and you can see the bean bag beans through it in the light :) The bean bags will also be used to protect/hide the LED light sources inside the dome.

Lighting video! (such a mare)

2009-09-17T08:19:00.002+12:00

Sorry this video took a while nomers but there was a bit of footage to get through and edit slash movie maker was having saving mares non stop.
Anywho on the night of the lighting test we inflated an unripped dome and a ripped one. Note that the funny audio bits have been kept otherwise the rest is just muted. Thanks to everyone who came on the night! and to Bryan for the lights.
Also a couple of cool lighting things in the video to keep an eye on when watching...
- around 1min 10 when Mel and Pat are touching the dome and making it ripple
- the camera flash/'strobe' at 2min 20
- and the really cool glowing effects captured when people are about to inflate the dome which are throughout.
- o and funny quotes
Fran: "i have two pins... i have double sided tape...?"
Pat: "yeyah this is cool" Mel: "i feel like throwing up now."

The Failed Domain Test

2009-09-17T07:53:00.001+12:00

Here is a movie of our failed domain test and social experiment; not just because of the extreme demographic scale on that Wed (people were either too old or too young). It further reinforced our need for a large number of people and the outside factors of the wind and sun.
On the day we tried to address the wind factor by moving to a more sheltered spot near the wintergardens as shown in the video but still this was not enough to spark any sort of curiosity to entice the public to participate.
On Mon 14th Sept (first day back from break) we gathered 25 people (the largest group we've ever had) to inflate our dome again. This experiment was conducted inside (in the flat space next to the design theatre) as we wanted to see the longest period of time that people could withstand staying in the dome before it got too uncomfortable as our previous trials were all outside and the sun was a major contributor towards the heat generated inside.
The timer stopped at 8mins with 23 people remaining in the dome for that length of time (who were of course later rewarded with chocolate!)

Materials for Sandbags

2009-09-15T01:04:00.001+12:00

Here is an experiment with other materials that we could possibly use to contain the sand in. One material was tarp and the other a calico type material.

Pebbles//Dry Sand//Wet Sand

2009-09-12T23:02:00.001+12:00

The Weights

2009-09-12T20:59:00.001+12:00

*can anyone spot my dyslexic moment(s)?

So... i consulted my mole and began to figure out ways Team NOM could improve on the seal along the edge of our dome. From our current experiments with our dome we have realised that the sandbags could be a bit more heavier to allow the sandbags to sit flat against the ground. The density of sand in the bags currently varies too much, and what is happening is that some areas may have a lot of sand and other areas have less. Therefore causing parts of the dome to be lighter.

Things that were being considered in this exploration:

- different materials
- density
- movement
- weight
- size & length

Pebbles instead of sand?

The pebbles offered a lot of weight, also the texture of the pebbles and the sound that it made was an interesting characteristic. Because the pebbles havea more defined size, it is more likely the the stones can shift and move without creating too much variation in the density. However, the pebbles do not allow the bag to be competely filled, creating gaps where additional weight could be added.

The movement of the pebbles was very good. The pebbles offered a lot of movement, also suggesting the different shapes that the pebbles come in.

Using Fine Sand a.k.a No.1 Sand

No.1 Sand is very very fine sand, therefore it is the heaviest sand you can get. It compacts really well, and has a good density. Because we used sand in our previous 3 domes, the approach to this exploration was to see the ways the sand could be packed and connected effectively to achieve and maintain a constant weight.

Our first dome was filled with sandbags about 30cm long and was sparsly distributed around the edge of the dome. It didn't create a good seal as there were a lot of loose material that wasn't being weighted down. However, the bags themselves were compacted quite equally.

The second and third domes we used much longer sandbags.. around 7m long. The problem with this was that the length of the sandbags made it hard to maintain an equal density throughout the bags.

This sandbag was made with shorter sandbags that are consequently connected more frequently. This technique made each singular bag achieve maximum density, and when linked together, the weight increases.

As for movement, it didn't move as drastically as the pebbles, however if the sandbags are linked more often then the longer it becomes then the more freer the sandbags will be.

Wet Sand

Basically the next experiment was to see what sand could become if other things were added to it... like water. Using the fine sand, I firstly layered a bit of sand in the bag first,then tampered it with a bit of water... repeating this process till the bag was full.

By adding water the sand became very firm and compacted, almost a rock like texture. Noting the colour difference between the wet and dry sand, a significant differences can be noted between the possible texture of the two sandbags.

different sized panels?

2009-09-12T15:31:00.002+12:00

would mean different parts of the dome would act differently during deflation

Drawstring detail

2009-09-11T16:59:00.002+12:00

Trying to think of ways for drawstring and handle to relate more to each other. What if they were the same thing?

Here are photos from the experiment. Drawstring becomes handle, handle becomes drawstring.

Here is a drawstring detail if it were to be made of the same nylon used for the dome/handles. The alternative would be to have the handles/drawstrings both made from drawstring material.

Toggles for drawstrings!

2009-09-11T15:44:00.001+12:00

We didn't think about how a drawstring would stay pulled until physically testing them... Toggles is the answer!

Courtesy of Charles Parsons :)

Handles!

2009-09-11T15:25:00.001+12:00

User-friendliness... which one would you pick?

Handle shape, seams?

Handle shape, no seams?

Plain strip of material?

Loop of material?

Coloured?

Same material as drawstrings?

There is a lot to think about......

- distribution of handles on the inside?
- do we want them to blend in or stand out?
>number
>colour
>size
>material
>shape
- do we want the form to return to the dome shape once a handle is let go again?

Panelling Tests

2009-09-11T11:14:00.001+12:00

We did some testing to decide whether the size of the panels made a difference to the form / change of form while pulling the handles.

Findings:

- The smaller panels inflated into a better shaped dome, because there were more seams

- When changing the form (pulling handles) the form was easier to move with the smaller panels

- Aesthetically, we preferred the smaller panels as they visually show the structure and curve of the dome more than the large panels. Also, as the dome deflates, the dome with more panels was more interesting as the panels were able to move more freely and the deflation was easier to see.

A Social Experiment

2009-09-09T17:22:00.001+12:00

Today we decided to take our inflatable to new heights by experimenting with the public in the domain. Unfortunately we did not take into consideration a couple of things!

- the wind.........
- we needed our own people there already in order for it the 'first inflation' to catch peoples attention. Team NOM was not enough!

We ended up asking some randoms to help us. Everyone who saw it was intrigued and curious of course, but perhaps not brave enough to volunteerily come and help us.

Parachute Panorama

2009-09-07T23:26:00.001+12:00

beanbags.

2009-09-07T21:45:00.002+12:00

We are going to make beanbags!

Another NOM Parachute test

2009-09-07T17:58:00.001+12:00

Today Team NOM tested their mid semester prototype again on the 7th official day of spring during the uni break! This time handles had been attached to the parachute interior (that needed to be manually pulled) to show the change of form imposed on both the interior and exterior. The experiment revealed more points of discussion:

- Ventilation - circulation of air to aid the heat factor. (Even though todays experiment was done outdoors in the sun, the temperature increase due to body heat is still significant).

- Outside air source - the use of foot pumps?

- Making the sandbags as 'airtight' as possible as we are not having a detention chamber door for an entry exit.

- The use of toggles (or something else) to maintain the scalloped effect when a drawstring is pulled.

- Deflation - pulling the handles, deflating the dome and letting out air.

Special mention to those from studio and randoms who helped us inflate it and Jeev for taking the photos! Manks :)

Mid Semester Crit Presentation

2009-09-01T18:30:00.009+12:00

Our 2nd prototype was in full swing and here are the drawings that further explain the construction and possible flooring solutions inside our dome.

The door was a main feature in this dome, it was constructed by overlapping two pieces of material that were zipped in two places. This allowed us to create a detention chamber so that air wouldnt escape while the door was being used. The door wasn't a nice experience, as it was a very small space when occupied. Also, the weight of the material made a part of the dome to sag. We decided to scrap the idea and use the action of lifting the sandbag to enter and exit the dome. The decision was bought upon the effect that it has on the dome when someone enters and exits the dome. It created ripples along the surface when the sandbag was dropped and it influenced the form significantly as air would escape and the air pressure inside the dome would change. It was a positive decision that allowed us to engage with a constant transformation of the structure that is purely dependant on the amount of use by the users.

Also the fully transparent slit that we added to our dome was taken out as we wanted the dome to essentially act as an escape from the outside world. Additionally, the transparent strip didn't allow us to create a perfect and smooth finish along the entire surface of the dome. The transparent strip was a nice effect but it didnt' work well with the concept we had in mind.

NOM's second prototype

2009-09-01T18:20:00.002+12:00

On Friday 28-08-09 NOM tested their second prototype of the dome structure. Critics included Warrick Bell from Fabric Structure Systems who experienced each groups inflatable space for the first time, exciting!

Changes which were made from the first prototype:
- material: white 210T nylon with waterproof coating
- entry/exit: a double zip compartment acting as an air detention chamber
- size: a massive 9 metre diameter!
- panelling: 24 panels with an extremely reinforced centre
- weights: heavier, continuous link of sand tubes
- lighting: LED panels, provided by MODUS lighting experimentation from Thursday 27-08-09
- transparency: one small transparent panel put in

Why we need an extremely reinforced centre... hmmmmmmmmm

A Tube Inflatable

2009-09-01T18:09:00.004+12:00

We followed through with another experiment with form and wondered what a tube shaped parachute would be like.

Following are more experiments with form and panels, playing with the idea of some transparent panels that create a window, or expose certain parts of the interior to the outside. We are not sure whether we want to continue with this idea as we like the idea of the interior being completely separated from outside, and we would like each person who wants to know what is inside to actually experience the interior.

In terms of form, we have decided to stick with a dome shape as it is the most effective shape in capturing air using our chosen method of inflation. The triangular panelling towards the centre is the most effective in creating a dome shape as the direction of the seams helps to form the structure of the dome. We also like the idea of not pre-defining a complex form - as in we would like to create a pure simple form which the users then can change into complex forms that will change every time, depending on how many people are inflating it, pulling of sandbags in certain places etc.

Here are some photos of uneven, non-triangular panelling which was derived to create two natural deflation points instead of the one in the centre. We decided it wasn't very aesthetically pleasing.........

Realising our Project: NOM's first prototype!

2009-09-01T17:43:00.001+12:00

Here is our first exploration with a full 1:1 scale of our inflatable structure... Our very first test was in studio with around 30 students participating!

We explored with polyester to make our structure. It billowed very well and was able to capture enough air underneath it. But the material was not very air tight, causing the structure to deflate quite quickly.

Here are some more photos of the team playing around with the dome. Pulling at different areas to explore form.

We experimented with a different way to deflate the dome. Instead of deflating from the centre through weights, we used drawstrings through the panels which could be pulled.

NOM's animation for the Jury

2009-09-01T16:53:00.000+12:00

Ideas Jury 10 August

2009-09-01T16:52:00.001+12:00

Our entry for the ideas entry that was held on August 10.

The main ideas that we wanted to portray is the instant creation of our structure and how it can only be done with 50 people.

Parachutes

2009-08-31T21:25:00.001+12:00

The Four Factors

1. The strength: the tension it may resist before breaking
2. The weight: as less as possible as it must be auto-supported by the parachute itself
3. The density: as low as possible to avoid bulky parachutes
4. The porosity: the ability to permit air passing trough the fabric. Theoretically, the lower porosity means more drag (round parachutes) thus slower vertical speeds.

Our First Explorations with Inflatables

2009-08-30T23:01:00.001+12:00

In our first experiments, our concept was derived from the idea of escape and more specifically escape by means of drunkeness. Our idea was to portray the feelings of drunkeness and how it could make someone escape into another state of mind.

The form that we thought we help emphasise the idea of 'escape' was a pod-liked shape that individuals could experience.

We began by playing with the gas helium and from these explorations we considered types of construction methods that we could consider in creating our pods.

Helium was a difficult gas to use, as you need the right amount of weight in order for an object to float. We looked towards thin metal sheets that are used in making balloons and looked into ways they could be panelled to help us create our escape pods. By panelling the balloons in this array, the helium gas was definately doing its job, and we managed to create the aesthetic that we liked with the top half of the body experience a total escape inside the pod, while the bottom half is exposed to initiate curiousity amongst the public.

TRANS-FoRM-ers - What is it all about?

2009-08-23T19:33:00.001+12:00

TRANS-FORM-ERS

mobile architectures between interior and exterior
Auckland Architecture Week 09 competition

Movement and migration are pressing themes of contemporary life. Whether driven by political and economic necessity or resulting from a surplus of leisure time, people are more globally mobile than ever before. How might design, architecture and art respond to this relentless fluidity of people, capital, data, ideas and commodity goods? As the global financial crisis of late 2008 unfolds this competition might address the implications for contemporary mobility.

TRANS-FORM-ERS invites students to fabricate “mobile architectures”. These will take part in a convoy that will move through Auckland city, creating a public spectacle and rousing curiosity. On arrival at the Architecture Week venue, Shed 12, your project will undergo transformation, revealing an interior, to be exhibited and experienced as part of the Architecture Week Pecha Kucha evening.

The “mobile architecture” projects in this competition will examine the relationship between exterior and interior through transformative actions. The provocative potential of your project may recall a state of flux, even limbo, the contemporary condition for many of the globe’s inhabitants. Your proposal may celebrate individuality, public expression and diversity in the manner of a masquerade. And, as with the masquerade, deception and surprise can be strategic provocations. They goad responses by promoting the unexpected and unpredictable. Provocations can disturb or confound. Sometimes they are simply absurd.

This is a two-stage competition.

TRANS-FORM-ERS Stage 1:
This part of the competition is for proposals. In this part of the competition you will present your project to a special guest jury, who will short list then select a winning project. The winning TRANS-FORM-ERS project will receive support for further design and fabrication, including cash and specialist consultancy services.

Date: Monday 10th August, registration for Stage 1 between 9:00-11:00am, jury commences 1:00pm
Venue: Fale Pasifika, Wynyard Street, The University of Auckland
Presentation time limit: each project has 3 minutes (including showing any animation or slides)
Format: digital presentations, A0 poster, models (supply own plinth or stand)
Jury: Sue Evans (Design manager CBD projects Auckland City), Jun Tsujimoto (Jasmax and wikicity project), Tracey Collins (designer and artist), Christina van Bohemen, Architect/Director, Chair, New Zealand Institute of Architects, Auckland Branch, Nick Stevens, Director Stevens Lawson, Jim Speers, Artist.
Prizes: The winning project at this stage will receive a substantial development prize to aid with project fabrication.

TRANS-FORM-ERS Stage 2:
This part of the competition is for completed TRANS-FORM-ERS projects. In this part of the competition you will convoy your fully fabricated project, with all other entries, to Shed 12, along a pre-determined route, then transform your project, in public view. While the Architecture Week Pecha Kucha is taking place the public will experience your projects and vote for the winners, with prizes awarded at the end of the evening.

Deadline: Friday 16th October. Convoy will congregate at 4:30pm, further details on meeting place and route will be published on this website.

TRANS-FORM-ERS stage 2 competition regulations:
contestants are responsible for the following:

All entries at stage 2 must register by 4pm Friday 2 October. Registration forms will be available from this website from September. http://trans-form-ers.blogspot.com/
Projects must be self powered (there is no power available for projects on the site
Maximum height when installed at Shed 12 is: TBC/ Kathy to confirm
Maximum footprint when installed at Shed 12 is: TBC/ Kathy to confirm
For entry to site projects and vehicles must be able to pass through the door of 4.5x4.5m (see post on this)
The project may not attach to the venue building fabric or structure in any way.
Projects must comply with all road use regulations. Consult the guide to safe loading and towing. Refer to: http://www.landtransport.govt.nz/road-user-safety/motorists/glovebox-guide.html
All vehicles must be driven to and from site by fully and appropriately licensed drivers
All drivers and passengers must obey road regulations while in transit.
It is the responsibility of the contestants to ensure that the fabrication, transport (to and from the event) and performance of the project does not in any way break any laws or bylaws.
The project must be removed from the site by midnight on 16 October.
It is the responsibility of the contestants to ensure that waste or detritus are not left at the site
No use of fireworks or any other incendiary devices
If using a generator on your vehicle you must register make and model on the registration form.