A new era of digital technology has emerged to enable freedom of design expression. Increasing complexity in surface curvature through rapidly developing digital techniques has enhanced an age old design problem of constructability of non-standard surface geometries. Along with the software for creating this complexity, intelligent capabilities for construction can be utilized through algorithmic and parametric logic. Simultaneously, improvements in fabrication technologies are clearing the way for a fully unified design and construction process. Simultaneously, the possibilities for both design and fabrication are reinvigorating the professional role of the architect.

Tesselion is a built project which demonstrates a system of flat panel tessellation derived from complex surfaces to enable ease in constructability and a directly evolved spatial environment through lighting, programmatic adaptation and structural simplicity. Each panel’s uniqueness is afforded by the efficiency of digital fabrication while coded parametric relationships allow an emergent structural efficiency.

Recently the development of planar quadrilateral meshes has become a strong interest in the architectural community due to their potential ease for constructing complex surfaces. The project responds to this problem and proposes a method for flat panelization of free form surfaces which provides large scale, efficient and economic construction from flat sheet material.

Project Collaboration:
Marc Fornes (http://www.theverymany.net) Adrienne Yancone (http://www.diecreative.com)

Tesselion is located at the Philadelphia University Architecture & Design Building & will be up until October.

Address : 4201 Henry Ave. Philadelphia, PA 19144

http://www.tesselion.wordpress.com