Hi Luke,
Gaudi had good mathematical skills and used them extensively in his
architecture. The method Gaudi used for arch construction by catenary chain
has been a well-established mathematical method for arch design for 350
years at least and 200 years before Gaudi used it. The mathematics was
described by Hooke and Bernoulli for use in architectural practice around
1670. Parabolic maths (catenary) is widely used in stress-strain analysis
of compressive media and, as you wrote, also interesting in terms of
defining minimum models of surface area for some shapes. My guess is that
Gaudi was using it only for ensuring that the shapes he created were always
in compression.
Best wishes,
Terry
-----Original Message-----
From: PhD-Design - This list is for discussion of PhD studies and related
research in Design [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Luke
Feast
Sent: Monday, 6 June 2011 7:04 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: lego limits and freedoms
Hi Keith,
Regarding Gaudi's process, I believe that rather than trying to see
how gravity worked, Gaudi was calculating the most efficient surfaces
for his designs. I think what is most interesting here is that instead
of using equations to calculate the curves, he utillsed the tendency
of materials to minimise their area (in this case a suspended chain
forming a minimal surface), literally as a sort of "material
computer". The process though which Gaudi calculated his curves is the
same physical process by which a population of molecules in a soap
bubble will organise themselves into a sphere to minimise surface
tension or salt crystalises into a cube to minimise bonding energy.
The work of german architect and structural engineer Frei Otto uses a
similar process to Gaudi, although Otto's research into designing with
minimal surfaces is more extensive.
best
Luke Feast
PhD Candidate
Faculty of Design
Swinburne University of Technology
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: PhD-Design - This list is for discussion of PhD studies and related
> research in Design [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Keith
> Russell
> Sent: Monday, 6 June 2011 11:44 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: lego limits and freedoms
>
> Watching my three year-old grandson playing with his quatro lego (four
> times normal size - discontinued) I noticed how free he was of the
> "rules of lego". That is, he tried impossible things. More
> interestingly, he worked in ways that don't sit all that well with the
> structure. For example, he changed his mind about the base frequently -
> this lead to a few crashes and it led to him working upside-down. His
> upside-down work reminded me of accounts of the process of Gaudi on
> turning models for the Sagrada Família upside-down to see how gravity
> worked. My grandson wasn't looking for gravity but he also wasn't
> trapped into the presumed logic of the blocks.
>
> Soon he will forget this freedom.
>
> Keith Russell
>
> OZ Newcastle
>
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