Smart Geometry Redux

This year, the SmartGeometry conference was held from 28 March to 2 April at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts, School of Architecture Center for Information Technology and Architecture (CITA) in Copenhagen, Denmark. Z Corp was a Silver sponsor for this event which draws the best and brightest minds in the industry worldwide.

The event was divided into distinct sections – a four-day Workshop where ten separate group clusters explored specific design challenges; a Talkshop day where Workshop participants reflected on their projects with colleagues; and a Symposium day where invited keynote speakers showcased their latest initiatives. With ZPrinter 650 and personnel support from Z Corp’s local partner, 3D Print Nordic, and also using the existing ZPrinter 450 at CITA, workshop participants used 3D printing to test their design concepts.

Here is a summary of one Workshop taken from the Archinect blog … In the far corner of the space, students were building and testing spaces for sound. “Responsive Acoustic Surfacing” focused on the parameterization of hyperbolic paraboloid geometry as used by pre-digital parametric architect Antoni Gaudi and it explored the sonic potential of this geometry. The participants investigated sound scattering and a 1:1 wall was designed and built using this geometry. The design of the wall was based on feedback from the physical acoustic testing of 3D printed 1:10 scale models using a scale reverberation chamber.

The 3D printed prototypes were created on the ZPrinters and measured 300mm in diameter. The photos below show two different textures for these acoustic surfaces.

Learn more details about this particular Workshop.

See a summary of several Workshops. 

3D printing continues to have a major presence at leading AEC events like SmartGeometry and it comes as no surprise that many of the SG participants work for firms who own their own 3D printer. If you or a colleague attended SG2011, I would love to get your feedback on this year’s event, especially as compared to Barcelona (2010), San Francisco (2009), and prior years.

http://www.zcorp.com/en/Solutions/Architecture/spage.aspx