UCA 3D Design 2: Biomimicry

30 Images on Biomimicry – Skin and Bones

To start the project, given the theme of biomimicry, we were told to find numerous images of natural scenes, including microscopic images. From these, we could make drawings and ultimately find a path to the final piece for these two weeks.

I was specifically inspired by two images, one of a microscopic image of bone marrow with its low density foam-like structure. The other was an image of a fish sitting in a cluster of sea anemones.

Drawings

Those two led me to the final results for this project, but before I chose them, we completed an idea generation task, making layered drawings from our references.

My first layer was inspired by the bone marrow image. I created layers of overlapping loops to create the illusion of a foamy structure.

Next I added several other elements in different media, as the task required. I added the sea anemones, moss, citrus fruit, a fish, and some amoeba.

I decided to follow the sea anemones into sculpture.

CNC introduction

For the weekly workshop, we were introduced into CNC machining, including the formats we needed to work with to create compatible designs. The possibility to create precision machined objects from drawings is very useful given working with organic forms.

Wire Sculpture

After drawing from references, I decided to take my work 3D through creating a block of sea anemones using flexible wire. I then documented this under different lighting conditions, including using string lights to generate a soft, ambient glow within the structure, mimicking a forest.

I also made a series of GIFs of each photo series, to create an immersive experience of the anemone forest.

View post on imgur.com

The way the springs diffused the light that passed through them interested me, pushing me towards the idea of using organic shapes to form lights or lamp shades.

Peer Review

The feedback was largely positive, suggesting I work more on my annotations. Chris supported my idea to move towards lighting and lamp shades, while Lara proposed that sustainable materials would both help the ecological impact of the final piece and make it more authentically nature inspired. The use of wooden veneers to create lampshades follows both their advice, for which I’m grateful.

Biomimicry Research

Pike Bergmans

In ‘Phenomeon (cloud)’, the artist Pieke Bergmans uses glassblowing to create organic, wormlike shapes, filling them with neon (Bergmans, n.d.). Through applying a high voltage, the tubes glow with an uneven, soft blue hue. The result is unreal, and the shapes seem to float in space whilst lighting it. Although the product prioritises being a work of art over functionality, the use of organic forms to help a light source blend more naturally into a scene interested me.

Similarly, in his work ‘Vapor’, he uses a technique similar to glass blowing to create organic forms from plastic (Griffiths, 2013), lighting them internally, creating beautiful forms that also diffuse light for a soft room filling effect.

Carolyn Raff

In her work ‘algae experiment II’ as a part of her broader project ‘Ein Meer voller Möglichkeiten’(A sea full of possibilities) the material and textile designer Carolyn Raff used algae to create agar-based bio plastics, colouring them with additional algae, to achieve a range of colours and finishes (Raff, n.d.). As well as being translucent, so possible to use for lighting applications, the results are petrochemical free and therefore potentially more sustainable than non-bio plastic alternatives.

‘Shoal’ — Scabetti Studio

For the product and artwork series ‘Shoal’, the designers Dominic and Frances Bromley use moulded fine china to create a school of fish as translucent light diffusers, surrounding different shapes of lighting. The ‘Biomimicry’ here is purely aesthetic. I was inspired to see how organic forms could be used to filter and alter light, particularly to diffuse point sources.

’Feeling Material Works’ — Anthony Gormley

In ’Feeling Material’, Gormley uses continuous loops of wire to create a figure with surrounding volume, eventually creating something ‘like a drawing’ or an ‘energy zone’. The layering of wire creates light and shade indirectly, realising a figure from otherwise unrelated loops of material.

’Shell Lamp’ — Noah Taylor

For his work ’Shell Lamp’ Taylor uses 3D printed PLA to create an organic-growth inspired lamp shade (Choraria, 2022). The undulating forms filter and diffuse light creating a beautiful shadow pattern, and the use of 3D printing makes the design accessible, and theoretically green: the work can be printed on demand, reducing wastage, and bioplastics are ever more ubiquitous as printing filaments. Importantly for my work, the lampshade uses organic forms to create unique light patterns.

Metalworking workshop

Light Diffuser Sculpture

For my outcome, I decided to design and manufacture my own light diffuser. I started in vector software, sketching the image of bone marrow I had used earlier on. This is the final, squared design:

Paper Prototype

After drawing the design in a vector software, and thanks to the 3D workshop technician Ben Fletcher, I was able to cut a series of paper mock-ups for the final design.

I then photographed them with some fairy lights to see how the light and shadow worked with the layering and patterns.

The shadows of lower layers are visible through higher layers as the paper is thin, and bunched close together. The light is generally diffused, softening these shadows, and giving the object a warm glow.

The camera exposure creates a blooming halo type effect around the lights, in reality the glow is much less.

Veneer Model

This proof of concept let me push forward with my design. Speaking to Ben about the possibility of using wood instead of paper, he suggested using veneers.

These thin strips of wood are both translucent, letting the glow through, and relatively strong (although a frame is necessary).

The wood effect lets them fit into many interior situations.

Cutting the Veneers

With some laser calibration, I was able to cut 4 sheets from the veneers. This image, with the veneers backlit by the sun, shows their diffuser potential.

Frame Design

The next step was to design frames to hold the veneers. I came up with two designs, one with the frames being largely structural and the other with them acting more light traditional photo frames.

I settled on the flush version, as it keeps the pattern as the main element, whilst still supporting the thin veneers.

Assembling frames

Ben helped, cutting some timber into the 28 cm angle cut pieces, and I used CA with an applicator kit to quickly assemble the frames. I then used PVA to secure the veneers to their frames, with a large weight to ensure the warping didn’t affect the bond.

The final results held on their own, with the frames hidden behind the veneer. I took some images contextualising the framed designs as individual pieces.

I then assembled the backlight section, using IKEA LED strips. These face the centre of the frame, with one side of the frame layered with tracing paper for diffusion and the other with white paper for reflection. I cut a channel for the cabling to pass under the reflector, and applied Velcro tabs to the back for hanging.

Final Images:

Polaroids

Throughout the process, I took a series of Polaroids to document the design process, showing each step.

Several images came out as duds, given the difficulty taking polaroid in suboptimal conditions. However, here you can see the final series, piece by piece (the first three are in a single image as I ran out of time to scan them, this may be updated later.):

Of these 5, 3 are usable, highlighting the general difficult of using Polaroid.

Final 3 Images

Reference list

Bergmans, P. (s.d.) Pieke Bergmans / Atelier Pieke Bergmans» PHENOMENEON (cloud). At: https://www.piekebergmans.com/phenomeneon-cloud/ (Accessed 30/11/2022).

Choraria, N. (2022) Shell Lamp Is Crafted from the Least Amount of Material. At: https://designwanted.com/shell-lamp-noah-taylor/ (Accessed 07/02/2023).

Gormley, A. (2008) Feeling Material. [Wire] At: https://www.antonygormley.com/works/sculpture/series/feeling-material#p5 (Accessed 07/02/2023).

Griffiths, A. (2013) Vapor inflated plastic lighting collection by Pieke Bergmans | Design. At: https://www.dezeen.com/2013/10/31/vapor-by-pieke-bergmans/amp/ (Accessed 30/11/2022).

Raff, C. (s.d.) Carolyn Raff - algae experiment II. At: https://carolynraff.de/algae-experiment-ii (Accessed 30/11/2022).

Scabetti (s.d.) Shoal by Scabetti. The iconic ceramic fish chandelier, created from English fine bone china. At: https://www.scabetti.co.uk/scabetti-collection/shoal/