CODE2121: April 2016

Bar Design

The design concept of the bar is to create one which is aesthetically pleasing yet able to withstand a heavy amount of load and economically inexpensive to build. For the design of my bar, the aesthetic aspect of it is inspired by the lines that are produced during the 'folding' process.

Hence, I was able to sketch some of my initial ideas for the design of the bar as shown below.

During the making of the design, I first made a box in Grasshopper and then insert a component in order to give a random set of points in the box before drawing out lines in order to make a design concept just like my initial ideas.

After making the design of the structure for the bar, the program Karamba is used in the scripting process to provide an optimal result. After seeing the results, iterations of the design is made until the perfect result for the design came out.

For my final design, it is shown in the load test that the design can withstand a maximum load of 190 kg and from the deformation test, it is seen that when the bar will collapse on one side first when the maximum load is exceeded.

The bar structure is going to be made up of wood beams, a glass table top, and 3D printed nodes. From my design, a total of 23 nodes is needed in assembling the bar.

Below, is the rendered version of the bar. The material used for the beam structure is glossy varnished oak as it is classified as a strong and durable hardwood which is relatively inexpensive for its quality. It also gives a beautiful appearance to the structure and is adaptable to its surroundings. Besides that, it is one of the types of wood that has low maintenance. As for the perspex glass, it will be clear yet tinted blue glass just for a better aesthetic touch.