Designing With Deformation - Sketching Material And Aggregate Behaviour Of Actively Deforming Structures

The recent development of material performance as a key driver of architectural design is currently challenging the role of representation and prototyping. This paper shares findings from a research project exploring the potential of a digital-material prototype capable of addressing this challenge. The project examines the possibility of incorporating material properties into digital models using respectively an analytical and a dynamics-based approach. The paper will present three design experiments with different material properties all attempting to deliberately embrace deformation as a key principle of design. This exploration of actively deforming structures is carried out using light weight dynamics simulation producing flexible and intuitive models for sketching material behaviour in the early design stages.