An ephemeral, kinematic pavilion in the light of assembly/disassembly and material use/reuse

In this paper, we address reducing material consumption, conscious material selection, taking advantage of upcycling opportunities, and considering the reuse of components after the structure’s end-of-life in the context of ephemerality. We observe the realized Zero Gravity Pavilion through the lens of (dis-)assembly and (re-)use. The pavilion is presented as a showcase for the responsible design of lightweight structures, in which the geometry of the overall structure and all its components serves as a mediator between the specific material properties and the specific structural requirements of a kinematic structure, and simultaneously enhances both functionality and its spatial effects. The pavilion is a light, kinematic structure and architectural space, which has been assembled, disassembled and reassembled several times in different locations, where it has been continuously modified and adapted. Thus, ease of assembly and rapid disassembly, as well as reuse of components, presented challenges from the beginning of the design process but also triggered ultimately simple solutions in detailing and fabrication. The entire structure is designed so that all components can be easily separated from each other. The paper analyzes and describes in retrospect how much of the material was processed from raw material, how much of them was (re-)used for the construction of the structure and how much of them could be reused after the final disassembly. Based on the total weight, 96% of the pavilion has been seen as reusable after all cycles of its use and its final disassembly. The presented study is considered a step towards a new perception of architectural aesthetics that reflects the responsible use of materials and prioritizes the question of how long structures should last to better shape our future built environment.Peer reviewe

Revisiting Stewart–Gough platform applications: A kinematic pavilion

Stewart–Gough platforms are well known for their extraordinary kinematic motion and therefore they are widely used as devices, ranging from flight simulators to microsurgical manipulators. However, they have not yet been explored much as architectural objects and transformable spaces with regards to irregular arrangements of legs and their associate structural performance. In the current study, an innovative architectural and structural application of the Stewart–Gough platform, implemented as full-scale kinematic pavilion, namely the Zero Gravity pavilion, at Aalto University, Finland, is presented. During the design process a Stewart–Gough 3–3 configuration was rearranged to an irregular 6–6 configuration. The architectural freedom in the arrangement of columns was guided by its immanent effect on the structure’s motion, stability, and strength. We opted for one telescopic leg only and its selection is based on four main criteria. Firstly, for each telescopic leg the stability of the different configurations is investigated. Secondly, the self-collision of leg–leg, leg–roof, and roof–floor was investigated by means of physical and computational models as well as through the full-scale pavilion. Thirdly, the selection process is influenced by the force distribution on the six legs. Fourthly, the path trajectory of the kinematic structure is examined in terms of magnitude and type of motion as an architectural feature. The final choice of the telescopic leg was based on the conclusions drawn from the parametric architectural and structural studies. The overall spatial and structural qualities of the system was validated by the full-scale Zero Gravity pavilion.Peer reviewe

Zero Gravity: a novel cantilever beam utilizing elastic torsion for structures and architecture

This paper describes the structural geometry of a beam element, which is assembled from 4 coupled, thin elastic strips through intentionally applied torsion. Consequently, the beam element generates a self-restraining system. Our investigations are based on architectural design studies of preliminary paper models, laboratory experiments of the full-scale cantilever beam, and computational structural simulations. We are also providing a comparison between digital, physical, and photogrammetric results. We describe the production, assembly, disassembly, the shape generation principles, and the final shape of the beam element in various scales from paper model to physical prototype. We are exploring the design and application space as well as the digital generation and the digitalization of the beam geometry. The paper pays special attention to the geometrical stiffening effect, which has been described by the Föppl-von Kármán (FvK) equations. The phenomenon of notably undulating surfaces of the individual strips of the beam is associated with their length-to-width-ratio but mainly with the extremely thin material thickness. The utilization of elastic torsion as a design driver links structural efficiency, architectural potentials, and aesthetics as first demonstrated in the realized research pavilion "Zero Gravity" by the team of A"SA (Aalto University Structures and Architecture) in 2019.Peer reviewe

The structural geometry of a beam element from 4 torqued strips

When assembling a tube from 4 identical, thin-walled, flexible, rectangular strips, which are hinge-joined along their longitudinal edges, a hollow, square cross-section is generated. One option for restraining the tube’s 1-DOF-mechanism around its longitudinal axis is to cross-wisely connect its ends at a common seamline. This procedure causes a twist of 90° and sideward shifts of each of the four strips. We provide a description and comparison of the structural geometry of such beam elements. Our investigations are based on physical prototypes, photogrammetric reconstruction, and computational simulations. The beam’s geometrical stiffness, paralleled with its ease of fabrication and assembly opens new avenues for the design of lightweight structures, firstly used in the realization of the kinematic Zero Gravity pavilion at Aalto University.Peer reviewe

Zero Gravity : radical creativity by multidisciplinary collaboration

In June 2013, the report “ARTS+ENG, Future Collaborative Academic Models at Aalto: Cooperation between the Schools of Arts, Design and Architecture, and the School of Engineering in Aalto University,” was published. The most significant collaboration endeavor between the schools was the project work course, here referred to as The Synthesis Studio, a platform for multidisciplinary collaboration, which first has been established as ARTS-ENG Project Course in 2016. Since then the course underwent a transformation from disciplinary oriented, thematic baskets to the “discipline-free” topics of “Zero Gravity”, always in mind that its pedagogic intent is to lay an early foundation for the formation of trans- and multidisciplinary skills in future levels of study and to trigger radical creativity. This paper looks into the ideas of radical creativity and presents the backgrounds and the constant development of the project course as a major experiment at Aalto University, including its challenging pedagogical and logistic tasks, but offering unparalleled opportunities to create multiple cross connections in the beginning of the undergraduate studies. In 2019, the course was accompanied by creativity tests, an Alternate Uses Test (AUT) and a ShapeStorm (SS) Exercise, investigating the course´s impact and its significantly positive effect on students' creativity.Peer reviewe