There was a time when architectural models were made out of balsa wood or cardboard, and took weeks to cut and shape and glue together. Those days have been replaced by overnight deliveries of drawing-perfect models.

The Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc) is a center of innovation. It is one of the nation’s few independent architecture schools, and is dedicated to educating architects who will imagine and shape the world’s future.

SCI-Arc is known for examining everything about the build environment — from design and materials to culture and experience. By asking provocative questions, the staff requires students to push the envelope of design theory, to philosophize as well as design. A finished product should not only be a physical model, but a well-thought-out design with its own history, its own place.

Wilson Wu, a student at SCI-Arc explains a particular project of his in this way: “I was constructing a hybrid building based on one from Toronto, Canada. The building is part courthouse and part marketplace, and has a unique internal structural layout. I think of it as an orchid, the way several parts of the anatomy come together to create a whole.”

According to Wu, a hybrid project is one that deals with the notions of duality. One must address and consider each piece. In its most basic premise, the program is split between what is physical and what is virtual. The physical experience offers a social and economic engagement that one would come to expect as a face-to-face formality. The virtual may encompass one of practicality as well as a vast expansion of potential. The combination results in a compelling experience of the courthouse/market, allowing it to be a cultural hub in the fabric of the city.

 

Noted Wu, “Emerging media has profoundly impacted our lives. We’ve come to expect to have constant and immediate connectivity through our mobile devices. There is an app for every possible need. Yet, city models and architecture hasn’t come to fully implement current technologies. As everyday products and transportation becomes more intelligent, there will be a growing demand for architecture to match. In this way, we are moving into that of an intelligent city.”

Using these ideas and concepts, Wu decided to create a whole model as well as a single section from the model to show how the intricate structural elements help to project an overall feel to the building. Similar to his explanation, the section illustrates how the pieces exemplify the idea behind the complete building.

Wu designed his building for a SCI-Arc project using several software systems including AutoCAD, Rhino, and Maya, then saved the files in an STL format for uploading to ZoomRP.com. “I used ZoomRP.com to troubleshoot the print as well as build the prototype,” We said.

The project was created using an SLS (Selective Laser Sintering) additive rapid manufacturing process that builds the three-dimensional model by using a laser to selectively heat and fuse a powdered material. The process begins with a 3D CAD file that is mathematically sliced into 2D cross-sections. From that data, the part is built layer by layer until it is completed. In general, parts can be created from a range of materials, including Nylon-11 and Nylon-12 polyamides. Depending on the material used, up to 100 percent density can be achieved with properties comparable to those found with traditional manufacturing methods.

SLS allows the customer to quickly create tough, durable parts that are heat and chemical resistant. They are readily joined mechanically or with adhesives and have an acceptable surface finish. Detailed feature definitions like the ones Wu needed for his design can be built into the part. Coupled with high durability and long-term stability, this ability makes SLS an excellent choice for producing functional prototypes without the expense of tooling. Producing the part through ZoomRP.com also saves time.

The challenging part of the design for Wu was that the tectonics of the architecture had to be designed as components that made up the larger whole. “In designing an architectural project that you know you will print using a 3D system is always a little tricky,” he said. “The members always have to be slightly thicker and the 3D file has to be cleaner than what you might use if you were producing a virtual project only.”

Knowing the challenges is what leads to understanding the advantages as well. In this case the greatest advantage was in using the SLS process for final output of the prototype. “Because it prints from a powder to a finished plastic, I found that the 3D file could be more forgiving than I had originally expected,” Wu said. “Tightening up the drawing from suggestions that ZoomRP.com made, then printing the piece out using SLS was the perfect choice for this project. Plus, I got the prototypes the next day.”

ZoomRP.com
www.zoomrp.com