Structural Innovation Through Digital Means: Wooden Waves, Galaxia, Conifera, Sandwaves, Polibot, Silkworm

This folio presents a body of investigation into the possibilities of innovative built structures developed by manipulating digital technologies to generate new structural systems and tested using manual as well as digital construction methods. Research is generated through a range of projects, in different contexts, at various scales, using innovative building and structural design, and considering the tools generated to make the project as part of the research output. The work further tests new and emerging patterns of architectural practice, construction and procurement. Projects have moved towards a more environmentally-friendly parametrically generated approach e.g. through developing re-useable and compostable structures. Mamou-Mani developed this research through commissioned briefs by clients and self-initiated competition entries for large-scale permanent structures. Often, projects are inspired by patterns found in nature, and the research explores, develops, tests and expands upon these parametrically to suggest new structural models. Structures included are the installations for Buro Happold’s headquarters (2015): for fashion brand COS (2018) –one of the largest PLA (bioplastic made from fermented sugar) 3D-printed structures in the world to date; the largest sand-printed installation to date; and the well-published 60 metre-wide, 20 metre-high Galaxia temporary temple building erected for the 2018 Burning Man event in the USA, duly burned down after use. Innovative procurement and construction methods involved working with volunteers and students as well as skilled construction teams, and formulating self-generated projects that raise finance using crowd-funding platforms and ‘investment angels’, and considering the new architectures these might generate. Software innovations include the Silkworm plugin that exports G-code from Grasshopper, enabling one of the world’s largest 3D-printed pavilions. Iterative knowledge development from this research is shared through the WeWantToLearn.net blog which has 1.6M viewers, as well hands-on exchange with volunteers, students and skilled construction teams, as well as more conventional dissemination

Evaluating the suitability of acoustical measurement techniques and psychophysical testing for studying the consistency of musical wind instrument manufacturing

Musicians often claim to be able to discern differences in the playing properties of musical wind instruments that have been manufactured in exactly the same way. These differences are most likely due to disparities in bore profile or in the positioning and sealing of any valves or side holes. In this paper, the suitability of acoustic pulse reflectometry and a capillary-based impedance measurement technique for detecting differences between instruments of the same model is explored through measurements on two low-cost, mass-produced trumpets. Differences in the measured bore profiles of the two instruments are reported, with the largest deviation caused by the presence of a leak in the third valve of one of the trumpets. Differences in input impedance measurements made on the two instruments are also noted, with the main cause shown to be the leaky valve. Controlled playing tests are carried out using the same two trumpets in order to evaluate the effectiveness of psychophysical testing in establishing whether there are perceptible differences in the playing properties of nominally identical wind instruments. A semi-professional musician is proved to be able to discriminate between the trumpets whereas an amateur player is shown to be unable to do the same

Burning Man Temple 2018 - Galaxia

The Galaxia Temple was a temporary spiritual and secular timber structure, built as the centrepiece of the 2018 Burning Man Festival in the Black Rock desert -- where some structures are ceremonially burnt at the end of the festival. It is the largest of the projects Mamou-Mani has made, which explore geometrical systems generated through digital drawing and fabrication, testing and combining them with analogue fabrication and new craft skills; considering how these may be scaled up for architectural purposes - and which also reconceive the funding, making and using of architecture in contemporary societies. The project draws on the history of lightweight experimental structures, particularly Buckminster Fuller; on Mamou-Mani’s practice in innovatory lightweight and temporary structures, and on his work with Toby Burgess teaching Design Studio 10, in which over eight 6 years, Masters students competed to design, collectively built a total of 6 smaller Burning Man structures, sometimes crowdfunding the projects as part of their work. Galaxia itself was funded by the Burning Man organization and its community as well as Google’s co-founder, Sergey Brin. The building’s spiralling geometry was developed in 2013 as part of a design for Virgin Galactic’s hotel. It was ‘grown’ in the computer through recursion. For Galaxia, the project was rationalised into a series of curving, triangular trusses made of dimensional 2*4’’ and 4*4’’ timber folded as origami modules held together with ratchet straps. It was built by a team of 140 volunteers; with a central chandelier made of 3D printed bioplastic Mandala hanging from the central oculus and generated with our open-source plugin Silkworm. Galaxia was conceived as non-prescriptive open, celebratory space for joys and griefs; while each module could also accommodate a single person, privately writing. During the festival it was used for mourning and celebratory functions including a concert for the Burning Man founder Larry Harvey who deceased that year and the designer’s own wedding, before being burned to ashes in front of the 70,000 “citizens” of Black Rock City. The Temple was covered on CNN, Dezeen, Forbes and was part of an Instagram post by Burning Man that received more than 250,000 likes at the end of the event. It’s the biggest (60m diameter 20m high), most heavily used and well publicised of Mamou-Mani’s structures, which aim to offer alternatives to conventional architectural building in both structure and use

A single microphone capillary-based system for measuring the complex input impedance of musical wind instruments

Capillary-based systems for measuring the input impedance of musical wind instruments were first developed in the mid-20th century and remain in widespread use today. In this paper, the basic principles and assumptions underpinning the design of such systems are examined. Inexpensive modifications to a capillary-based impedance measurement set-up made possible due to advances in computing and data acquisition technology are discussed. The modified set-up is able to measure both impedance magnitude and impedance phase even though it only contains one microphone. In addition, a method of calibration is described that results in a significant improvement in accuracy when measuring high impedance objects on the modified capillary-based system. The method involves carrying out calibration measurements on two different objects whose impedances are well-known theoretically. The benefits of performing two calibration measurements (as opposed to the one calibration measurement that has been traditionally used) are demonstrated experimentally through input impedance measurements on two test objects and a Boosey and Hawkes oboe

Experimental validation of adjusting the resonances of a simplified bass clarinet through modal active control.

This paper reports the experimental results of modifying the resonances of wind instruments using modal active control. Resonances of a simplified bass clarinet (a cylindrical tube coupled to a bass clarinet mouthpiece including a reed) are adjusted either in frequency or in damping in order to modify its playing properties (pitch, strength of the harmonics of the sound, transient behavior). This is achieved using a control system made up of a collocated loudspeaker and microphone linked by an observer, which contains a model of the system, and a controller. Modifications of the transfer function, input impedance and radiated sound of the instrument are obtained

Lava flow hazard at Nyiragongo volcano, DRC 2. Hazard reduction in urban areas

Mt. Nyiragongo is one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world for the risk associated with the propagation of lava flows. In 2002 several vents opened along a huge system of fractures, pouring out lava which reached and destroyed a considerable part of Goma, a town of about 500,000 inhabitants on the shore of Lake Kivu. In a companion paper (Favalli et al. in Bull Volcanol, this issue, 2008) we employed numerical simulations of probable lava flow paths to evaluate the lava flow hazard on the flanks of the volcano, including the neighbouring towns of Goma (DRC) and Gisenyi (Rwanda). In this paper we use numerical simulations to investigate the possibility of significantly reducing the lava flow hazard in the city through the construction of protective barriers. These barriers are added to the DEM of the area as additional morphological elements, and their effect is evaluated by repeating numerical simulations with and without the presence of barriers. A parametric study on barrier location, size, shape and orientation led to the identification of barriers which maximize protection while minimizing their impact. This study shows that the highest hazard area corresponding to eastern Goma, which was largely destroyed by lava flows in 2002, cannot be effectively protected from future lava flows towards Lake Kivu and should be abandoned. On the contrary, the rest of the town can be sheltered from lava flows by means of two barriers that deviate or contain the lava within the East Goma sector. A proposal for the future development of the town is formulated, whereby \u201cnew\u201d Goma is completely safe from the arrival of lava flows originating from vents outside its boundaries. The proposal minimizes the risk of further destruction in town due to future lava flows

Lava flow hazard at Nyiragongo volcano, D.R.C. 2. Hazard reduction in urban areas

Mt. Nyiragongo is one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world for the risk associated with the propagation of lava flows. In 2002 several vents opened along a huge system of fractures, pouring out lava which reached and destroyed a considerable part of Goma, a town of about 500,000 inhabitants on the shore of Lake Kivu. In a companion paper (Favalli et al. in Bull Volcanol, this issue, 2008) we employed numerical simulations of probable lava flow paths to evaluate the lava flow hazard on the flanks of the volcano, including the neighbouring towns of Goma (DRC) and Gisenyi (Rwanda). In this paper we use numerical simulations to investigate the possibility of significantly reducing the lava flow hazard in the city through the construction of protective barriers. These barriers are added to the DEM of the area as additional morphological elements, and their effect is evaluated by repeating numerical simulations with and without the presence of barriers. A parametric study on barrier location, size, shape and orientation led to the identification of barriers which maximize protection while minimizing their impact. This study shows that the highest hazard area corresponding to eastern Goma, which was largely destroyed by lava flows in 2002, cannot be effectively protected from future lava flows towards Lake Kivu and should be abandoned. On the contrary, the rest of the town can be sheltered from lava flows by means of two barriers that deviate or contain the lava within the East Goma sector. A proposal for the future development of the town is formulated, whereby “new” Goma is completely safe from the arrival of lava flows originating from vents outside its boundaries. The proposal minimizes the risk of further destruction in town due to future lava flows.Published375-3872.1. TTC - Laboratorio per le reti informatiche, GRID e calcolo avanzato4.3. TTC - Scenari di pericolosità vulcanicaJCR Journalreserve