Original article in Russian, 2013, isicad.ru
isicad.ru editor-in-chief: Below is a slightly abridged version of a large
report Evgeny Shirinyan published recently in his blog about his contribution
to a unique photography exhibition held at the Moscow Central House of Artists
late past February. The exhibition focused on Vyacheslav Polunin, a Soviet/Russian/planetary
comedian and performing artist, president of the Academy of Fools and founder
of the Snowshow, whose work demands that
his story should be told with utmost creativity. Perhaps the younger readers
will be at a loss to say who Polunin is, so this article is a useful piece of
information. For those who won’t find the time to click on the links given by
Shirinyan let me cite the media news: “The 5D format opens up five senses. The
viewers will see photographs, feel the smell of meadows, woods, flowers and
bread, get in touch with creativity, hear a special soundscape and taste
ice-cream made of natural ingredients and homemade cookies”.
I would have recommended to read the article below even if it had been a
simple report. However, Evgeny also describes the process of both standard and
unconventional application of such tools as SketchUp (for modeling) and Rhino (for computation), reflects on interactions with real model producers
and looks into possibilities of teamwork based on BIM.
Evgeny Shirinyan is a Moscow Architectural Institute lecturer, Digital
Culture module supervisor at the Moscow School of Architecture (MARCH), PARALAB
group member, PROSAPR blogger and also isicad.ru active contributor and
commentator. Among his publications are CAD and Art, or the Fascinating
Potential of SpaceClaim, BIM = Architecture? On
the Development of Architectural Education, and Inforbix — a View
from the Outside, or Web 3.0 is Already in the Making.
Courtesy of the author, the present publication has
drawn on Evgeny’s post SLAVA DURAK, or the
Way It Was.
This article is the first
attempt at recording the process of designing and manufacturing installations,
which are in fact a kind of architectural projects. It was perhaps precisely
the big number of different teams that had worked to stage the SLAVA DURAK 5D
exhibition that prompted me to take a new look at BIM and integrated design
problems. For details about the exhibition visit RIA
NOVOSTI report and a VESTI TV story.
Organisers
Troyka Multispace curated the exhibition and
Vladimir Mishukov, who did the photographs, acted as the exhibition artist.
Incidentally, we have enjoyed working with Vladimir and found his methods of tuning
oneself up to a constructive approach very helpful. A good way of conducting
talks.
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At the site. Photograph by Dasha Kovaleva
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I would like
to start with deadlines. Three weeks for the large DNK hall at the Central
House of Artists is not much. If we take into account the complexity of the
exhibition, it is very little time. At first, I didn’t even want to get
involved, but Dasha and Seryozha talked me into it. Almost immediately, we came
up with something like a Gantt chart.
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Nebotov drew up this chart, and the scale of ”disaster”
became clear to everyone
|
What Was to Be
Done
It being a
photo exhibition, the main component was Vladimir Mishukov’s photos of the
well-known mime Slava Polunin. First we were sent preliminary designs. Sort of
tunnels made of fabric with photographs put up inside were the main components
of the exhibition space. “Lianas” were to rise up to the ceiling and a
spectacular polygonal “tree” designed by Alexander Matveyev was placed in the
center, on which guys from Interactive Lab projected mapping. In
addition, smells, sounds and, of course, light were paramount aspects of space.
In a word, a real “5D foolish exhibition”.
We were to design and monitor
the manufacturing and assembly of installations based on our favorite high-tech
lycra, or biflex.
Fairly soon we came up with
the idea of a curvilinear carcass, and also changed the original shape of the tunnels
to that more suitable for biflex.
IPD
I am practically
convinced that the process of staging an exhibition is very similar to the IPD (Integrated
Project Delivery) concept, which many are talking about, but few have had a
hand in.
All were
working as a single team as it was obvious that everyone was responsible for
the outcome. There were, of course, no special contracts, but there was the
desire to do a good job. The architect had there and then to get out of his
digital design vacuum and think up something optimal and feasible. Any solution
was first talked over with the installation personnel because it had to be
foolproof.
No Drawings
After taking
measurements of the DNK hall and modeling the space in SketchUp, we in fact
started promoting the idea of collecting all information within a single
(that’s right, a single!) model. Light
technicians, Troyka and Interactive Lab all used that model. I can’t say that
there was feedback, but for our part we conscientiously brought the different
participants in the project together.
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General model in color by layer mode
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Eventually,
we took our laptops along to the site every time and frequently witnessed the
following scenes:
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V.Mishukov (in the foreground) and SketchUp.
Photograph by Sergey Nebotov
We made use
of practically no drawings while SketchUp with its simple interface enabled all
the other participants to get involved in the 3D process. Although I think that
BIMx from Graphisoft would have served better for communication with the
client.
Computational
Model
As we used SketchUp
to assemble the installation and our tunnels were fully curvilinear, major calculations
were made in Rhino. Kangaroo plug-in was used to simulate the behavior of soap
films. Rhino coped 100% as far as production was concerned. More about it
later.
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Resultant Kangaroo grid
|
 |
“Liana” production principle. Left: simulation result,
right: computational grid
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Physical
modeling
Despite the diverse means of modeling and
computation, we started working with physical models almost from the outset.
For example, it proved next to impossible to create the “liana” system in
digital media. Too many variables precluded digital modeling (as well as made
any scheduling impossible), while the desired systematized chaos of “lianas”
could be attained rather easily in a model.  |
Dasha working on the model. Incidentally, we used a
similar principle in our System at ArchMoscow
|
It proved
especially productive to make 1:1 models. Just the same, the computer did not
give a full sense of space. That was how we arranged tunnel layouts and
verified the size of the tunnel’s inner space.
 |
| Dasha, Vladimir and I. Photography by Sergey Nebotov |
A tablet and
pen made it possible to register various solutions instantaneously.
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Sergey acting as Modulor
|
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Dasha is tired
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Carcass, Rhino and
Production
The carcass was
a closed contour made of bent 2 mm thick aluminum tubes 30 mm in diameter. I
should say we had a tough time with the carcass. One of the greatest accomplishments
was us mastering the tube bending technology on
NC machines (Stroiplast LLC). Rhino facilitated the transfer of NURBS-curves
into the grappling of arches, material estimates, drafting of design
specifications for production and overall carcass optimization. I should say,
AutoCad is unable (at least I failed) to estimate the length of the curve.
That’s that.
 |
| Optimized and marked elements of a standard tunnel carcass |
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| The approximate look of design specifications for production |
For the fun
of it, I decided to visit the plant and monitor the production process. As a
result, I spent there three days as the managers could not meet the tough deadline.
In fact, I was giving out assignments just standing by the machine. Sketching
the tube by stencils came next. That was when we realized that some items were
bent a wrong way: something was screwed up at the input stage. The way I
understood it, the trial element was not bent. It had been a rush job. In
general, you can’t rely on telephone calls and under the circumstances should
engage in purchases, formalizing commissions, etc. as much as possible.
Metal proved a very “live” and
finicky material: yield points, diameter limits, bend radius, etc. Immersion in
the strength of materials. Unfortunately, we failed to make a strength
analysis, but we tried to minimize stress through roundings and turning joints. |
| Finished elements. About to cut off technical sections |
Pattern Cutting
and Sewing
This time it
was not we who did the sewing, but at the final stage, when it was getting
really tough, we joined in. Dasha alone could do the “lianas”: after all, it
was she who had thought them up!
 |
| Working on the 1:17 scale |
Assembly
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The carcass itself. Photography by Sergey Nebotov
 |
Vladimir Mishukov decides to leave it as is.
Photography by Sergey Nebotov
|
We all had
the jitters, but the shape of the tunnel was so successful and transformable
that it all came out even better than we had imagined. The tunnels transformed
into suspended awning structures. They looked surreal in line with the
exhibition concept.
Finale
When it came to mounting, we worked nonstop. It was hard, but we did it.
Below are some of my photographs of the result and a small video I did with the
help of a YouTube editor.
I should say
that the most extraordinary impression came from watching how people get their
bearings in an unusual space and interact with it. It seems to me that it is
yet difficult to simulate that on a computer.
Conclusions
1. Such undertakings are the
best testing ground for training architects. This option is harder, but more
productive than any abstract workshop.
2. How new technologies
(even the artless ones such as SketchUp) should be promoted? Only through
personal example that should motivate others. And you can’t do without
psychology here.
3. What matters is
not the availability of technologies, but the desire (!) to interact and meet
each other halfway.
4. Technologies are
powerless if people do not want to listen, hear and make suggestions.
5. Architects should swap
their vague position of a designer or free artist for a proactive involved role
in the process. Anyhow, it seemed to me that the team of guys who did the
mounting job appreciated our initiatives.
6. IPD, even on such
a “homemade” scale, calls for total commitment. Are you ready to commit
yourself?
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