Feature Wall Room Divider by Lachmee Chin and Kurt Dannwolf |
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| DESIGN DETAILS | |||||
| DESIGN NAME: Feature Wall PRIMARY FUNCTION: Room Divider INSPIRATION: The concept behind the design of the featured wall was inspired by a simple mathematical idea - the sine wave. A sine wave is a geometric waveform that moves up and down and side to side periodically and is defined by a simple function. Y=sin x. UNIQUE PROPERTIES / PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The feature wall is the result of a highly customized multi-agent model to generate a geometrically complex, refined and conceptually precise room divider that achieves a perfect balance between transparency and privacy. The feature wall is made of Macassar ebony wood – a highly coveted exotic wood with variegated grains, resulting in a beautiful ribbon of brown and black. Solid brass and nickel were inlayed into the wood. The slats appear to float on both sides of the glass with structural adhesive defying gravity with their Janke hardness of 3,220 lb. OPERATION / FLOW / INTERACTION: The feature wall was intended to act as a room divider between the owners’ s office space and living room. The intended functionality led to a sleek design comprised of Macassar wood slats with varying lengths, widths, and degrees of separation onto tempered glass panels. PROJECT DURATION AND LOCATION: The featured wall is currently in a unit in the Glass building, a luxury condominium in Miami Beach. The total project duration was 3.5 months. The installation took over a week – the glass portion of the wall, which consisted of 4 equal panels, had to be delivered first before installing the Macassar wood slats. |
PRODUCTION / REALIZATION TECHNOLOGY: Designing the wall began with inputting the sine wave formula into a grasshopper script. Using the script not only allowed to control the magnitude of ups and downs but also to manipulate both ends of the wave differently - the upper portion of the slats follow the harmony of the sine wave while the bottom follows a more aggressive undulation. To achieve the perfect balance between privacy and transparency, we further divided the sine wave and added points along the line; another parameter was also introduced into the script to control the thickness and distance between each slat, resulting in a gradient-like between the vertical slats. Upon completion of the design phase, 4 different-sized Macassar ebony slats were produced and cut with matching sleds to hold the slats in place; dados were cut on the front edge to incorporate stainless steel and brass inlays post finishing process. Small wood fillers were applied in each dado to prevent the finish from entering the space allocated for the inlays. Clear polyester was sprayed, Macassar slats were sanded after each coat before polishing each piece with a compound to reach a high gloss, full finish. The dado fillers were removed, and the stainless steel and brass inlays were inserted using epoxy. To affix the Macassar wood slats onto both sides of the glass panels, a structural double-sided duty adhesive was used (versus drilling holes onto the glass which could have broken the glass). Because of the strength of the tape, a system was created comprised of 4 different sized templates taped onto the glass; each wood slat was then inserted into place through the templates, into the correct position. SPECIFICATIONS / TECHNICAL PROPERTIES: Overall dimensions: 15’-16” x 9’-8” 86 (43 on one side) Macassar wood slats varying in length (4 sizes) and thickness (1/4” variation) Materials: Macassar solid wood; ½ tempered Interior glass; metal brass and steel inlays; structural double duty adhesive TAGS: Generative design, digital fabrication, furniture, installation RESEARCH ABSTRACT: The Feature Wall is a prototype derived from an experimental exercise in search of an innovative room divider design that would achieve both transparency and privacy. CHALLENGE: 1. Client wanted the room divider to achieve privacy and transparency at the same time; the feature wall addresses both needs by blending the boundaries of the two. 2. This was a true exploration of design through science and technology. Having 86 vertical members of Macassar wood appear to float on the glass proved to be difficult. The first hypothesis was to create penetrations by doweling matching members of the wood on opposing sides to affix themselves to each other. This hypothesis quickly unraveled. The sheer weight of the wood slats in conjunction with the close proximity of the penetrations in the glass caused the glass to crack. The next hurdle was seeing the interlayer between the two pieces of glass melt as the process to temper the glass heated up. The tempering was cooled and heated to see if there was a median temperature that would allow for everything to come together. No temperature seemed right. Finally, a structural tape was sought out that could support each wood slat. The craftsmen worked to create a jig that allowed for the exact placement of the slats. Two men on opposing sides of the glass had one shot at attaching each slat in a perfect alignment utilizing the jog. This happened to all 86 members over one week. 3. Sourcing the solid Macassar ebony was challenging – this wood is issued from the Diospyros genus which is a tree that grows slowly, has a very limited natural habitat, and is highly desired for its wood's aesthetic appeal and toughness. ADDED DATE: 2022-02-24 20:17:26 TEAM MEMBERS (2) : Interior Designer: Lachmee Chin and Design Wood Crafting: David Tibbs IMAGE CREDITS: Photo credits: Ken Hayden Photography |
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| Visit the following page to learn more: https://www.odparchitects.com/project-vi |
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| CLIENT/STUDIO/BRAND DETAILS | |
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NAME: ODP Architecture and Design PROFILE: Headquartered in Hollywood, FL, with additional offices in Fort Lauderdale and Tampa, ODP is an award-winning service architecture and interior design firm offering services from master planning through interior design and FF&E procurement. ODP has produced a variety of project types, from master-planned multi-family and mixed-used communities, Five Star and Boutique hotels, and a number of retail, commercial and industrial projects. |
| AWARD DETAILS | |
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Feature Wall Room Divider by Lachmee Chin and Kurt Dannwolf is Runner-up for A' Design Award in Generative, Algorithmic, Parametric and AI-Assisted Design Category, 2021 - 2022.· Press Members: Login or Register to request an exclusive interview with Lachmee Chin and Kurt Dannwolf. · Click here to register inorder to view the profile and other works by Lachmee Chin and Kurt Dannwolf. |
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