the inhabited wall

The Process

For the next stage in this process we are asking you to collectively build a model of your spaces, composited to form an inhabited wall, and situated within the room you surveyed in Porto.  What follows is a suggested technique:

1)      Make a single Rhino model of your collected spaces, and locate this within a Rhino model of the surveyed room (complete with vaulting, openings, steps, wall thicknesses, etc.)

2)      Establish what the maximum scale a plan drawing of this room would be on the laser cutter bed.  We imagine a minimum of 1:50, 1:20 probably won’t fit, but if it’s an ‘inbetween’ scale then, in this instance, that would also be fine.

3)      Calculate how many layers of material you require at the selected scale to make the model.  MDF will work fine, but avoid card.  Ideally you should try to optimise the thickness according to the model form (i.e. for complex forms the more layers the better, so something between 3-5mm).

4)      Buy material – note some places can supply thinner material but may have an order lead-in time, so check this asap.  Plan ahead and book slots to use the laser cutter also.

5)      Cut your Rhino model in horizontal planes at intervals corresponding with the number of layers your model will have.  The output may require some adjustment to suit the suggested model format, make amendments (see also notes below) and export the layers in a laser-cutter compatible format.

6)      Cut model using laser-cutter and assemble.

The Model

We propose creating an exploded model, like those favoured by Valerio Olgiati:

Gelb Haus, Flims and School Building, Paspels

Using a laser-cutter will help make a composite model that appears to be made by a single ‘hand’, despite being the work of ten different designers.  It will also ensure that material can be used incredibly efficiently.  As with drawing however, remember that different circumstances call for different model making techniques, and we would expect you to experiment with other model-making techniques hereafter.

We suggest the model should comprise 4 layers:

• Layer 1 – Existing room’s floors (with column position inscribed) and walls (to top of column level?) including openings
• Layer 2&3 – Inhabited wall
• Layer 4 – Columns and vaulted ceiling

The lines for each of these layers will nest inside one another.  The Inhabited Wall forms two layers, although in the first instance it should be cut as a single entity to give you an additional ‘positive’ of the volume, which can be read alongside the negative that is hollowed out.  Once you have removed the components forming this ‘positive’ you should make a new cutting template which bisects the inhabited wall through its centre to form two sectional models (i.e. an inner and an outer ‘doughnut’ of wall). 

Additional Tips

-          When making the cutting templates it is helpful to identify continuous solid areas of the model, and make cut holes to receive pre-sized dowelling (metal rod or timber) which will help keep the lamella in true alignment.  You would be advised not to cut holes in the top and bottom two layers in each case so that the dowelling is never revealed.

-          Getting the model correctly positioned on the cutting bed is essential for bisecting layers 2 and 3 from one another, think carefully how this is done.  Avoid the temptation to bisect these layers using a band saw or similar, as the cutting action on this will be less clean and you will lose more material.

-          Consider how each layer will be held apart in advance, consider the likely weight of each part and factor in any holes you might need to cut as part of the templates to receive the supports.  Note the Paspels model visually recedes the supporting structure through use of colour and position, but other solutions could also work as the spreader plate may not be desirable when describing the central ‘room’.

-          Discreetly number the pieces to know which layer they belong to.  Build the model up in layers over the dowelling, before fixing in place to check the order is correct; only then fix them permanently.

-          Remember to retain the positive spaces for your volumes, as with looking at the drawings these are helpful communication tools.  These are not likely to require dowelling due to their relative size, and indeed this may be difficult to achieve anyway due to their form.