The Manufacturing Material Effects Exhibition, at the Indianapolis Museum of Art, framed and displayed the design and material production work of leading international designers and fabricators who participated in the Manufacturing Material Effect international symposium, and subsequent book release from Routledge Press. Designed, fabricated, and installed by a design studio working closely with industry partners from local wood, aluminum, limestone, and plastics industries, the exhibition closely examined collaborative design and production practices from around the globe based on innovative and experimental processes of material exploration.

Each component of the exhibition display system was custom designed and fabricated. A digitally-fabricated plywood armature system was developed and optimized for efficient nesting, fabrication, and shipping in order to minimize material waste. Rear-illuminated acrylic panels were vacuum formed over CNC-milled wood patterns in close collaboration with a local plastics manufacturer. All connections and joints were facilitated by custom designed and laser cut aluminum clips. Digital files were exchanged with local limestone industry partners for the 3 axis CNC production of stone bases. Full-scale mock-ups facilitated the choreography of the vacuum forming process and connection details.

In order to test lighting effects, the studio deployed a variety of methods—both, computationally, and physically. Entire armature bays were fabricated at full-scale with lighting and wiring in order to optimize the lighting design. Simultaneously, the studio simulated the overall lighting effects using photometric light renderings and false-color illuminance studies. This coupling of digital and physical outputs allowed students to understand the successes and failures in both the design and analysis techniques.

The exhibition project was assembled and installed by the student team, using a coding system for identifying each unique component. Additionally, an interactive, touch-screen informational kiosk was developed and installed by Institute for Digital Intermedia Arts. The design process was richly enhanced by actively engaging and participating with the manufacturing process, along with the vetting of design schemes by industry partners, which led to a design process that was truly informed by production, cost, and material considerations, and fostering an innovative collaborative relationship between design and making.

Student Team:
Amber Agan
Matt Amore
Elizabeth Boone
Adam Buente
Lena Dodson
Brandon Hoopingarner
Joe Intriago
Adam James
Kyle Perry
Ross Smith
Rob Thompson

Faculty:
Kevin Klinger
Joshua Vermillion

Partners:
Indianapolis Museum of Art
Institute for Digital Intermedia Arts
Arrowhead Plastic Engineering
Indiana Limestone Fabricators
Mid-West Metal Products
Indiana Hardwood Lumbermen’s Association
David R. Webb Company
Amos-Hill Associates
Ball State Digital Corps
Laird Plastics

Process Photos

Consisting of sixteen distinct sculptural forms, Displaced Resonance uses varied length tubing to filter sounds from base-mounted speakers according to particular resonant frequencies. A camera-based computer system tracks the movement of spectators within the installation and responds by controlling and changing the distribution of sound to the tubes and associated LED lighting. Sounds played through the tubes consist of field recordings gathered in Japan. The title of the installation refers to removal of the sounds from their original physical and cultural contexts, and the imposition of new physical and cultural resonance.

i.M.A.D.E collaborated with John Fillwalk, IDIA Director, and Associate Professor of Art, on the design, details, and fabrication of speaker driver boxes/bases, aluminum frames, mounts and cases for concealing lighting fixtures.

Much more information and full credits at the IDIA website: http://idiarts.org/projects/20

Consulting Team:
Eric Brockmeyer
Dustin Headley

i.M.A.D.E and A2SX have formed a furniture design collaborative centered around producing new, innovative seating prototypes with minimal material waste. Using digital design and fabrication technologies, the prototypes are designed, optimized structurally and ergonomically, and fabricated using digital information. Further optimization for this work-in-progress is underway including the efficient nesting of components to avoid waste material. The remaining material off-cuts from the CNC fabrication are being used to create other accessories, such as occasional tables. In addition, a parametric model is being created to allow for the customization of the seat prototype for each unique customer/user.
The intent of this collaborative (between design firm and university) project is to create unique pieces of furniture with minimal waste as a means to create an ergonomically, economically, and ecologically friendly furniture design and to spin the collaborative as a speculative commercial venture for a demanding market.
The seating design process which started as sketches by designer Wil Marquez (A2SX) and i.M.A.D.E student intern, Jamie Owens, is being iteratively developed as a 3d digital model with a series of physical, digitally-fabricated prototypes. Structural simulations (using finite element analysis software) and fabrication (using a computer-numerically controlled router) are performed at i.M.A.D.E’s dFAB facility which is on Ball State’s Muncie campus. In addition, one previous prototype was fabricated with a local industry partner, ACS Sign Systems of Indianapolis.
Ultimately, the use of digital information is providing a seamless way for A2SO4, A2SX, i.M.A.D.E, and other collaborators to work together, much of the time remotely, around a complex design project.

Originally shown at the ACADIA 2006 Conference, the DigitalXchange Exhibition was redeployed at Ball State University’s College of Architecture and Planning Gallery.  The exhibition featured the work of 85 international designers hung on an exhibition display system which was designed and fabricated by i.M.A.D.E and University of Kentucky students.  Recent digital fabrication projects from i.M.A.D.E immersive studios and seminars were woven into the gallery space, as well.

i.M.A.D.E students took part in digitally designing, fabricating, and installing a gallery exhibition for the 2006 ACADIA Conference. Working with other students from the University of Kentucky, the design and fabrication process of this installation served as a ‘proof-of-concept’ model for a “digital exchange.”

In the true spirit of collaboration, the design was completely centered around the exchange of digital information—sharing files and ideas via FTP sites, blogs, emails, and mobile phones—in order to coordinate a set of diverse skills and expertise between Ball State University and University of Kentucky professors and students and the New Center Gallery in Louisville, KY. Every piece of the display system was specially designed and fabricated specifically using digital technology: Rhino software was used for the schematic and design development and computer-controlled equipment—CNC mills, 3D printers, and laser cutters created the components directly from the translated digital model. Every component was directly fabricated in-house. By engaging some of our most talented students with research and development collaboration, we were able to generate the design and fabrication models very quickly and efficiently, while giving these students some valuable real-world immersion experiences. The team designed and fabricated with state-of-the-art equipment for a real gallery venue with a real short deadline (one week from conception through fabrication). Given the short time constraint, the students divided into two teams for fabrication—one team stayed on-campus and used Institute equipment, while the other team met with an industry partner in Indianapolis (ACS Sign Systems) and performed the rest of the fabricating at an off-campus facility. The real test came when Ball State students drove down to meet face-to-face the University of Kentucky students in Louisville with trucks loaded with component systems of this 100% digitally-fabricated system. The collaborative worked over one day to install inside and outside of the shipping containers of the gallery spaces in the “Yard” of the New-Center Gallery.

Students: Anindita CHaudhary, Basia Gasior, Andrew Glass, Dustin Headley, Ben Herring, Jason Klinker, Katie Marinaro, Brandon Nuckelt, Jamie Owens, Nutthawut Piriyaprakob, Chandra Shrestha, Siddhant Sinha

Industry Partners: ACADIA, ACS Sign Systems, New Gallery, University of Kentucky

Faculty: Kevin Klinger, Gregory Luhan (U of K), Joshua Vermillion