Concrete canvas is the coolest item introduced to the market as of late.   Check out http://www.concretecanvas.co.uk/.

This structural material uses the simple, “just add water” approach.  The possibilities for architectural designs are endless.  We are currently exploring draped furniture and dimensional wall panels.  Currently, it is only available in the UK, but Material Connexion in New York may pick it up.  It is relatively affordable at around $4 per square foot. According to the manufacturer:

“The cloth comes in rolls for orders from 1m lengths to orders of over 5km. The cloth width is 1.1m wide and available in three standard thicknesses (CC4, [4mm], CC8, [8mm] and CC13 [13mm]). The material pricing is heavily volume dependant. For a relatively small order under 80sqm, Concrete Cloth costs £32.0/sqm for CC4, £37.10/sqm for CC8 and £41.15/sqm for CC13 ex. works. For larger orders, the pricing drops significantly. CC8 is £21.44, CC8 is £24.95 and CC13 is £28.34 respectively in orders of over 2500sqm. ”

We are ordering our first sample to start exploring and hope to have some progress photos soon.

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In 2009 Metropolitan Home’s Design 100

Metropolitan Home’s Design 100

Metropolitan Home celebrates, once year, “one hundred of the best homes, architects, designers, buildings, materials, furnishings, house wares, trends, shopping venues, restaurants, green goods, activists, accessories, ideas and more from the many worlds that make up the design universe.” This year included a stunning collection of things “from those made by hand with fine materials to mass-produced, “democratic” designs.”

Texas Hill Road Residence

Texas Hill House is a portrait of the owners’ disparate experiences each being of European, and Asia descent respectively and was developed sustainably to fit naturally into the site. The form of the house directly responds to its site conditions. A ten foot eave cantilevers off the south western garden façade, protecting the interior from heat gain in the summer months along with leafed trees that filter the direct afternoon sunlight. In the winter the afternoon sun warms the interior to reduce heating loads. The primary roofing and siding material was selected for its recycled content, durability and affordability. To maintain privacy and to diminish the structure’s apparent scale from the road, the entrance façade is low and primarily closed inspired by the traditional Japanese farm house (Machiya) that similarly screens its interior from the public thoroughfare. The rear or garden façade emphasizes a shifting experience by opening up to the view beyond, offering a change in scale that responds to the landscape, and that becomes the fourth wall of an outdoor “room” bound on three sides by the green walls of the forest. The design of Texas Hill consciously integrates oppositions: of Eastern and Western traditions, built space and natural space. In its reinterpretation of historical strategies through the lens of contemporary, sustainable materials and construction methods, a unique phenomenology infuses the project. Ultimately, Texas Hill is a synthesis, whose individual parts, coexist as a portrait of its owners’ personal, globalized aesthetic.

About Incorporated Architecture & Design

We are an open source, multi-disciplinary, vertically integrated, Architecture and Design studio dedicated to the incorporation of the design disciplines. With a 20 year knowledge archive and as a member of the US Green Building Council, we approach each project as an individual portrait with distinctive attributes to be filtered through our design lens bringing joy, utility, and craft to each.•

Adam Rolston
Incorporated Architecture & Design

See more photos of the Texas Hill Residence on our Incorporated’s main site in the Residential section.

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So this is a continuation of a series of posts concerning the use of a Branching Algorithm that Incorporated Developed in collboration with Guy Snover at the Steven’s Institute of Technology.  You can check out the earlier posts Branching Furniture Algorithm, Branch Algorithm Growth Movie, and Annoucing the Launch of IncorporatedProduct by lerival.

We have finished our first full scale prototype, which will be shown at ICFF this year in lerival’s booth.  The Branch Table was developed by running several iterations of the branch algorithm using a flat surface for the control.  The branches were then combined to form the top and bottom pieces.  Finally working with RedEye Arc, a digital fabrication company, the Branch Table was fabricated using a stereolithography process to 3D print the piece.  Since like most Architect’s we don’t use traditional product design modeling software like Solid Works, we had some trouble with getting a watertight model even though we were using Rhino, which is considered one of the better software packages out there for 3D fabrication.  It turned out that RedEye Arc was able to properly convert the Rhino file instead of using the files that we exported directly.

You can see renderings of the proposed table and then some photos of the final prototype in the gallery below.

Filed under: General by Arthur McGoey
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New York, NY, May 1, 2009 – Incorporated Architecture & Design (www.incorporatedny.com) announced today the launch of Incorporated Product by lerival.  lerival will participate in the 2009 ICFF International Contemporary Furniture Fair and will be licensing, manufacturing and distributing four designs by Incorporated Product, the Hex upholstery series, the Hex Table series, the endless sofa and the branch side table.

• Incorporated’s Hex Table is an accumulation of stainless steel units, offering infinite possibility for its ultimate configuration and size. Functionally, the table embraces the modern need for flexibility. Theoretically, it offers a visual metaphor for a design process that allows open-endedness. The form of the Hex Table is indebted to the timeless geometry of nature and to the historic discourse of American minimalism.

• Incorporated’s Hex Chair extends the Hex series into the realm of upholstered goods. The series originated with the Hex Table which explores systemic ordering and modular relationships, offering infinite possibility for an endless landscape of Hex furnishings in ever changing configurations.

• Incorporated’s Endless Sofa re-defines the modular sofa. The self-contained, functional parts of a traditional modular seating system have been reduced to a vertical segment of five inches in width. A limitless number of slices may be added, allowing the sofa to reach, in theory, an infinite length.

• Incorporated’s Branch Side Table explores systems of branching and random order to create a side table of unique design. A tree grows in Beta. Mimicking the geometry of a tree, the Branch Table was developed in collaboration with the Stevens Institute of Technology, the oldest engineering school in the United States. The Branch Table utilities a randomizing computer algorithm to grow one of a kind branching objects. Fabricated using stereo lithography 3D printing technologies, each Branch Table is a single iteration of endless random geometric possibilities.

About Incorporated Architecture & Design
Product design is one facet of Incorporated’s design practice. The firm believes that the studio’s design approach applies to work of any size. Thus, furniture and product design are small-scale explorations for their architectural counterpart and vice versa. We are an open source, multi-disciplinary, vertically integrated Architecture and Design studio dedicated to the incorporation of the design disciplines. With a 20 year knowledge archive, we approach each project as an individual portrait with distinctive attributes to be filtered through our design lens bringing joy, utility, and craft to each. Incorporated is a member of the US Green Building Council.

About lerival
lerival is a gallery dedicated to selling and showcasing furniture designed by today’s top architectural talent. A new source for contemporary furniture, lerival offers direct access to untapped, ground-breaking design from the global architecture community. Through lerival, the consumer is never more than one step away from the architects themselves, and our products reflect this; merging cutting-edge aesthetics with close attention to construction and detail, lerival offers its clients true design alternatives, and the chance to invest in a part of tomorrow’s design history today.

MEDIA CONTACT:  Adam Rolston
Incorporated Architecture & Design
40 West 29th Street, #404
New York, NY 10001
212.673.1695 x 101 Telephone
arolston@incorporatedny.com
www.incorporatedny.com

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Below is a video of a branch structure being calculated. As I discussed in the previous post, Branching Furniture Algorithm, the recursive algorithm moves its way through every right branch till it intersects the control surface. Then it computes the left branch and then following right branch again.

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The development of the Endless Storage came out of a similar piece that we developed for a project for a couple and their two kids on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.  Though the original piece was cut from the project we liked the idea so much, we decided to continue pursuing it as full furniture line.  The original system was inspired by modular systems from the 60’s.  The clients had asked for the apartment to have a layered historical feel, with the base architecture staying true to its pre-war style and then furniture mixed from other eras.  The original system was to serve as radiator covers througout the apartment and to provide a large wall unit to house AV equipment, bookshelves and a small desk for the kids.  The unit was extended to a head board and side tables for the Master Bedroom.  Below are a couple of our design renderings that were used in our discussions with the clients.

In developing the system we wanted something that was versatile and modular while still having a custom feel.  Touches like a beveled edge around the doors went a long way towards this quality.  We also played with a number of ideas for the supports, from C shaped and full hoop metal legs to the Lucite we eventually settled on.  Latter as we designed the system for a full furniture line we worked hard on making sure the system was modular in both its outer dimensions and in the interior dimensions of the cabinets.

The following is the description from the Incorporated Products section of our main website.

“Incorporated Endless Storage is a modular system designed to stack upon each other yet they seem to float free of gravity on clear acrylic supports. The striking reflections and transparency of acrylic is a striking contrast to the wood cabinets with their colorful interiors and simple white tops. By stacking these pieces, Endless Storage can meet any need from a full wall of storage to a small side table.”

Finally, here is the end product in a couple of configurations.

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Love this guys work  http://www.meetsebastian.com/english/

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Branch Strucutre Algorithm

Last Spring, Incorporated worked with the Guy Snover at the  Stevens Institute of Technology’s Product Architecture and Engineering program to develop a branching algorithm to be used in developing a line of furniture.  I will talk more about the furniture  in the future, but right now I wanted to discuss the algorithm and how it works.

The idea was to create an algorithm that could create branching structures that responded to a control surface.  This could then be used to create chairs, tables, roofs, etc.  By intersecting and adapting to the control surface, the branch structure would go beyond just banal tree.

The algorithm starts with basic recursion; creating the first node and then stepping down a level to create the right branch, then the next right branch, etc.  It will continue creating branches till it either intersects the design surface or till it reaches a preset recursion limit.  The algorithm then proceeds with the outer most left branch, then its right branch, etc.; working its way through every branch in the tree.  The algorithm calculates each branching node in the tree using a basic length vector that is randomly rotated within a specified limit.  In addition, small touches like filleting the corners add a subtly to the structure that would otherwise be very sharp and angular.

The entire algorithm is written for Rhino using the Monkey Plugin and utilizes Rhino’s modeling abilities to loft each part of the tree while the algorithm is computing.

Filed under: Design by Arthur McGoey
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Applied Capillary Tubes

Applied capillary tube systems consist of very small diameter (3 to 4 mm) plastic tubing imbedded into walls and ceilings, usually in a layer of plaster finish. Commercially available capillary tube mats currently are manufactured only in Europe using proprietary processes, and are generally made from durable, recyclable polypropylene plastic. These can be imported to North America, but the costs are sometimes an issue on smaller sized installations.

Polypropylene also is not an oxygen barrier material, so any capillary tube system has to be separated from the metallic piping system by a stainless steel heat exchanger, and all the pipe accessories in the plastic piping system must be stainless steel or all bronze. The plastic pipe system does not require any chemical treatment, thus saving some capital and operating costs.

These systems are very popular and common in Europe, and are well understood by the building designers there. The concept is to maximize the radiant surface area of the room to use the whole ceiling, wall, or both, to provide a large radiant surface operating at very small temperature differences to the occupied space. This results in a very energy-efficient system, as the main mechanical plant equipment does not require operation at extreme setpoints to provide heating and cooling to the space.

These systems can be more energy-efficient compared to the suspended ceiling panels due to the increased thermal mass created by the plaster embedment, and contact with the building structure in many cases. This allows a lot more building mass thermal storage, which provides a more stable indoor climate. This also results in a relatively slower response time when a control valve modulates, due to the time it takes to warm up or cool down the thermal mass of the plaster layer, and building mass.

Typically a response time of 30 to 60 minutes or more are common, depending on the thickness of plaster and proximity to building structural mass. It is common to use slow acting pulse width modulation controls to operate these systems. Due to the relatively rapid heat gain and response time of these systems, a water chiller is required to provide sufficient cooling water during the daytime occupied periods.

Advantages include:

Can be installed to cover very large surface areas at relatively low cost (in Europe)
“Built-in” to the building finishes and completely invisible in the space
Can be integrated into a dropped ceiling or panels depending on interior finishes
Good energy efficiency
Relatively fast-acting response and can be used with conventional HVAC controls
Easy to divide up and control in small discrete thermal control zones as required
Conventional controls and low maintenance requirements
Silent operation.

Disadvantages include:

Limited availability in North America, high capital costs
Not easy to renovate or change for tenant revisions, high costs to renovate piping connections and ceiling layouts
Requires very clean water to fill the system to avoid plugging the small capillary tubes
Very little experience or design information available in North America
Very light thermal mass, no ability to store and offset building loads to nighttime
Severe fire or seismic event will render the system inoperable and require extensive repairs.

Filed under: Construction by Adam Rolston
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One of our clients has insisted on a stone finish throughout their bathrooms that would be guaranteed against staining.  After a bit of research we became convinced that the best choice would be one of the many qwertz agglomerate.  For those of you not familiar with qwertz agglomerates or qwertz surfacing, they are a synthetic material produced from natural qwertz dust and are often combined with a aggregate to provide patterning.  Most qwertz agglomerates are produced using the same process, which applies pressure to the product while under a vacuum, thus creating a strong, non-porous material. As an aside, some manufacturer’s use post-consumer material as an aggregate, which makes the ideal products for sustainable projects.

We ran into two major problems however, first, most qwertz agglomerates on the market are not recommended for use on floors.  Many products can be used on the walls, counter tops, bathtub aprons, etc., but only a few feel comfortable in flooring applications.  There isn’t any major difference between many of the qwertz agglomerates, just that many of these companies don’t want to take on the liability issues that come with flooring.  We have found only three companies out of the countless manufacturer’s of qwertz surfacing that allowed their products as flooring:  CaeasarStone, SileStone, and Okite.

The other major important aspect of our design was we needed a honed finish, both for aesthetic reasons and for its greater slip resistance.  While you can get custom finishes from most manufacturer’s, the distributors don’t always like to provide them, especially if the quantities aren’t large.  CaesarStone offered a few colors with a standard honed finish, but only Okite offers all their colors in a honed finish.

The final piece of the puzzle is finding a color and pattern to match your project.  While the process is largely the same for manufacturing many of the qwertz agglormates, the range of colors and patterns can vary widely between manufacturers.  Some offer very fine grained patterns to almost solid colors while others try to mimic stone products more or only offer a large grained product.  Due to this wide range, we highly recommend getting large samples before deciding on a color.  We have found that small samples and images can be deceiving and only after seeing a larger sample (12″ x 12″ minimum) were we able to truly evaluate the product.

For those of you not worried about flooring applications, the following are a few of the many other qwertz surfacing manufacturer’s:

CaesarStone
Silestone
Okite
Dupont Zodiaq
LG Viatera
Cambria

Some other synthetic products that are similar but are made of different materials include:

Dupont Corian – An entirely synthetic product that can be shaped into a variety of shapes and comes in a wide range of colors.
Icestone – A concrete based product that uses post-consumer glass as an aggregate and is a good choice for project pursuing LEED certification.
SadlerStone – Another concrete based product that has a nice variation in surface, however it isn’t recommended for wet locations.

Filed under: Products by Arthur McGoey
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