Component: Base: MDF

We've purchased all the MDF we need to create the four quarters for our base. (Finally getting there :D)

Component: Balloons: Latex

So, we've got 1150 latex balloons ready to be used thanks to Debbie from Balloonatics in Albany Village, North Shore, also a big thank you for letting us use the balloon inflator free of charge, link to their website on the right. We managed to use Stacknit's scafolding as a temporary structure to gauge roughly how many balloons we can fit under our 2000x2000 area, 8M high. We used 150 balloons in the test, for the actual event, it looks like we will be needing to use 500 balloons.

Component: Base: Carpet Underlay

This is the stuff (carpet underlay) we will be using to create a soft cushiony feeling as you walk through the space. The problem with using this is that this will be the finish of the floor (textured), we will be using a coat of flat black spray paint to give the desired colour of the floor. The underlay is kindly supplied by Heather from 'carpetwest' in West Auckland, link on the right to their website. Thanks for the help Heather!

Component: Membrane: Design

 

Thinking in terms of the event's temporal nature, what we were thinking was to somehow recycle the fabric into something that people can re-use. Our membrane will be made of modular bag nets which can be disassembled and then formed into bags as above (NTS). The bag net will dictate how we proceed from here on in terms of making something with the membrane.

Component: Base: Construction

MDF wood for the base. Quite strong, held quite a few people. The pumps sit quite nicely. All going according to plan .....so far (dont jinx it)

Component: Membrane: Pleating

The top image shows how the balloons may be seen through the fabric. The bottom image shows a possible strategy for creating the layered effect: by pleating. By pleating the ends of the fabric we can have the effects of being layered.



Component: Membrane: Fabric

This is the fabric we bought for the membrane. 80m2. Its not the same as the sample we had, but its the closest we can get and produces the same effects when layered.

Component: Membrane: Conceptual Modelling

Exploring an idea whereby the membrane is made up of strips instead of one piece. We were thinking this would reduce the weight, (less surface area overall), also the idea of peeling these strips off as the night goes on to counter balance the issue of helium diffusing through the balloons. The strips would run underneath the base to give the overall appearance more unity, instead of each component sort of having their own identity. We tried using a sort of weving connection at the top where the strips would cross over.  What the model is not successful in doing is showing the tension the balloons would create.

Component: Base: Re-design + Schematics

The layout for the base has now been resolved. Basically, what we did was push all the pumps to the outskirts in order to have the centre assesible by the people. The podium brought up the questions of staying true to what we started with (the experience of bursting the balloons and the effects of the falling feathers). It was felt that the podium was something of excess and was not needed, what we needed to do was design with what we had, not add anything on. See the drawing for the amendmants made in regard to pump layout, pump networking, and movement within the space.

Component: Pumps + Rockets

These are the pumps and rockets we will be using. Supplied by Mainly Toys, Mt. Eden, Auckland.

Component: Rocket: Parachute fundamentals

This video shows how to make a small parachute for use with small objects. It also explains the fundamental principles as to why parachutes fall the way they do.

Component: Base design: Construction

Click drawing to zoom in. Note: This document is subject to change.

Quantifying feathers per balloon

 

  

In order to quantify the amount of feathers that the helium would be able to support without hindering its lift performance, we filled glad plastic bags in 1/2, 1, 2 bag fulls. What we found was that 1/2 bag would do the job, anything more (1), then the balloon would not rise at all.

Component: Base design

This is what we were thinking for the base. In the centre, there will be a podium for the rockets to be put into their sockets, the central podium will also act as a light box. On the floor, there will be 4 pumps that are dedicated to the rockets, the rest that are distributed on the floor will act as air pressure pumps which re-circulate the feathers that have fallen, back into the space. On the perimetre we put a 300mm perspex panel on each side to encase the feathers within our 2x2 space. 

The critique of this design is that the central podium draws too much attention to itself, steeping back, what we initially wanted was for people to experience the effects of the feathers falling, therefore, we might not need the central podium at all. Will keep you guys posted...

Click the drawings to zoom in.

Sequence of events on exhibition day

This diagram explains that from 12:00 to 5:00 we construct (give rise to our form). From 5:00 to 9:00 the balloons will be popping, this is the time the scheduled event runs. At 5 what we end up with is a deflated structure. From 9:00 to 12:00 we will be packing up and tidying up the space.

Bl()op architecture

This is our goal. In a nut shell, the core ideas in the project is that of the effects of aggregating in regard to rising and falling. That is, how balloons aggregate upwards, and feathers inside the balloons aggregate downwards. Basically, we intend to have up to 500 helium balloons create tension in its membrane, the balloons will have feathers inside of them and what happens is we have air pressured rockets that shoot at and peirce the balloons, triggering the downwards aggregation of the feathers. We hope to acheive an atmosphere that captures the feelings of lightness; that lightness being acheived in aesthetic,  materialty, and design of the user experience.

Membrane materiality

This is the material we have decided on for the membrane. What we found when playing with the material was that it created a hatched effect when overlapped with itself. The images above show what happens at 0 (no overlaps) to 4 (four times folded onto itself) , basically the effect we want happens at the first overlap onto itself, bearing in mind we need the material as light as possible for the helium to create as much tension as it can whislt balloon numbers drop throughout the event.

Pump mechanism resolution

These are drawings of a prototype that was constructed in order to test how two pumps connected to one outlet would perform and also to test how the air pressure would distribute the feathers on the floor. What we found was that the container wouldn't tell us how the feathers would spread over a surface area, we therefore simply conducted another test below: