Flux Panel Prototypes

Here are a few images of the Flux team developing a prototype of the bar for their 2016 Come Up To My Room installation. Ever the resourceful students, the team used cardboard and paper to get a sense of the structure and panels given the entire portfolio of workshops in the university are currently unavailable.

Additional Initial Sketches of FLUX

It is always a great exercise to compare and contrast what the initial ideas are relative to what the final outcomes are, especially in the realm of design and fabrication. Here are some initial concept sketches that the Flux team developed for their submission to the 2016 Come Up To My Room. Let's hope the team is able to translate their ideas into built reality with a high level of fidelity!

The Leg Assembly

Despite studio deadlines and general fatigue from a typical architecture curriculum, [R]ed[U]x Lab's Stantec Gallery has been toiling away.  With the first, second, and third years on this team, the project has been a productive collaboration and exchange among students in the Department of Architectural Science.

Once again the atrium of the Architectural Science Department serves as a staging area for the mock-up  of a [R]ed[U]x Lab project.  More time lapses and imagery will follow soon enough with the build in the next day!

The Beginnings of Panel Assembly

A lot of the day was spent getting the 30 panels started.  Each panel is constructed of a series of MDF, acrylic and plywood planes held together through the use of perimeter skirts and spacers for support. Syringes are mounted in a backer panel comprised of a plywood sheet routed to accommodate the syringes which are held in place by an MDF plane allowing plungers to move in and out of the barrels. The plungers are attached to a dowel which is in turn fastened to a circular MDF cap which acts as a pushing surface. The frontal plane of the panel is comprised of an acrylic sheet fastened to the back of a final MDF plane which lies behind the outer membrane. So far the Aura team built and assembled the perimeter skirt for each panel, as well as attached the spacers and the frontal plane of the panel.      

Gluing the Perimeter Skirts Together.  

Frontal Plane of Panel

16 More to Go!

Key to Efficient Production - The Assembly Line

Acrylic Layer of Frontal Plane

Adding the spacers

Horizontal Frames of Structure

Attaching Spacers to Vertical Frames

Horizontal and Vertical Frames For the Supporting Structure

Always Clean Up!

Coming Soon!

Aura Installation Coming Together

It's nice to see everything coming together after cutting so many individual pieces.  The structure is being framed and now that the individual components are finished, the panels are ready to be assembled.   The Aura team has been working hard over the past week to ensure that everything is ready and continually progressing.  A big thank you to all the volunteers that continue to help us in their spare time!

Acrylic Sheet Ready for CNC Router

CNC Router in Action

Dremeling MDF

Removal of Tape Used to Hold Acyrlic In Place When Being Routed

Our Electrician Preparing For a Day of Wiring

Assembly of Structure

Just Fits Through the Door!

Painting of Spacers to Reflect Light

30 Panels=Lots of Spacers

Ballasts

Ballast Wiring

Digital Startpoint

Here are a couple of screenshots of Rhino model that we did in order to get a sense of how the installation would look and take shape in its location at Ryerson University.  It allowed for us to determine how many panels we would need and the angle that we would connect each panel.  

View From Entrance

View From Exit

Plan View

Side Elevation

Full Production Mode

With the [R]ed[U]x Lab now back open, the Aura team has started to get into full swing with production.  With 30 panels, comes many components, labour, materials and resources.  We have begun to cut the panels and structure for the installation on the CNC and much of the time is being spent getting the pieces cut, sanded, painted and ready for assembly.  Tomorrow will see the acrylic pieces being cut as well as continuing on the framing for the structure to support the installation.  Stay tuned!

Routing MDF on CNC Router

Lumber for Structure and MDF for Caps

Painting of the Lumber

Many Pieces of Lumber