Fluid Sculpture from Charlie Bucket on Vimeo.

This project has been in the works for the past semester at the University of Houston Digital Fabrication Studio taught by Andrew Vrana (METALAB), Joe Meppeling (METALAB), and Scott Marble (Marble/Fairbanks) a visiting critic from New York. As a background our program was to redesign an existing space in the University of Houston College of Architecture. The program consists of several offices and a jury space in what used to be a shop space. Our studies for the space were broken up into several groups consisting of Eric Arnold (Lighting and Acoustics), Hugo Palma (Modularity), Preetal Shah (Patterning), Jonathan Aljets (Display Systems), and I worked on Parametric Design. We also had some amazing people collaborate with us outside of the school like, Rajaa Isaa from Mcneel and Associates who created Panelling tools for Rhino. We were introduced to Andrew Payne (Lift Architects). During the middle of the semester we took a trip to New York and visited the Stephen's Institute and Scott Marble's studio at Columbia University.

Since our studio's theme is Digital Fabrication the idea of parametric design was a big part of the studio and also my main focus. At the beginning of the semester I collaborated with Preetal's patterning and explored the use of Grasshopper and patterning. Soon I was given the task of creating an entire parametric model of the ceiling-scape. The general idea was to create a parametric ceiling-scape that adjusts to local conditions that worked on a hung ceiling grid. The ceiling consists of two types of panels that either droop down or bends upward designed by Fabian Vargas. With Grasshopper we were able to control every variable with a slider and all of the panels moved together parametrically and globally. Almost every aspect of the project is digitally fabricated and parametrically designed from the ceiling panels to the connections that hang from the ceiling grid.

Here are some pictures of the project.

If you want to check out more go to METALAB's blog.