Fwd: Tensegrity Designs - "Open Tent" for socializing
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Dante-Gabryell Monson
Sep 16, 2011, 12:55:22 PM9/16/11
to econ...@googlegroups.com, neonoma...@googlegroups.com, bxl4l...@googlegroups.com, ecoho...@googlegroups.com
Thanks Eric,
your reply is very inspiring.
note to Tobias and Paxus : does twin oaks produce these kind of "hammocks", mentioned by Eric ?
///
I add it to
I will take some time to transform such potentials into tangible results.
I am currently based in Brussels, and am finding people interested in joining for a ( fourth ) field trip to Leipzig,
as to potentially get engaged in buying property there ( it is rather cheap - some kind of "German Detroit" - although apparently less extreme )
The approaches you bring forward also inspire me for usage in recreating spaces,
for example in some abandoned industrial heritages such as gas containers ( also called "gasometer" )
such as this one which is abandoned :
Though this would more likely be for more light post-industrial space projects...
Or for community convergence spaces...
Or a combination of both, such as
the Open desig city hackerspace in Berlin
unless it may be cheaper to use conventional abandoned ( depoluted ? ) industrial spaces for a hacker space, and use a gasometer for events and community convergences... ( having it round enabling mutual visibility )
I still want to find out the purchasing price of such gasometer...
more :
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Eric Hunting <erich...@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, Sep 16, 2011 at 6:15 PM
Subject: Re: Tensegrity Designs - "Open Tent" for socializing
To: dante....@gmail.com
This is an interesting concept. I gather by 'hammock floors' you are thinking something roughly akin to the cable-hanging beds? Like so;
http://www.floatingbed.com/
These have been around since the '70s in various forms and have long been popular with yurt dwellers, users of tent domes like the Pacific Domes line, and people who like open-plan living approaches. As you can see, they have many options for various degrees and kinds of enclosure. A structure like this can be made to many scales and to make a seating space you might change the bed platform into a bowl-shaped 'conversation pit' which could include a small radiant heating unit. These beds have the limitation of a cone-shaped array of perimeter cables, which is OK for a bed but a little problematical for a seating space where people are sitting along the perimeter of the platform. But a simple solution to that is to include a compression ring the same or larger diameter of the platform suspended on the cables some height above the platform, creating a cylinder or inverted cone array. Many shapes other than the round platform are possible with this and it also lends itself to the design of 'pods' rather than platforms where greater enclosure is desired.
Which brings us to the larger structure. There are many forms of tensegrity structures but the ones we commonly think of as 'tensegrity' -where you have tension cables linked to compression struts- have tended not to see much architectural use because they tend to come in two forms; space-filling trusses where the compression struts and cables intersect the volume of the shape and enclosure trusses which are tensegrity equivalents of the geodesic dome/sphere which tend to be less rigid than geodesics (in part because of the kinds of materials used) harder to visualize, and a bit complex with many parts. A variation of the tensegrity enclosure did evolve into a concept called 'Geotensic' invented by Bob Gillis which has become the common basis of many contemporary large high-erformance tents -and the subject of many a battle over patents among tent companies. These are also known as 'yurt domes'. They are generally based on an external systems of flexible rods that tension from the outside a dome tent shape. They are capable of a huge assortment of shapes but, again, are not as rigid as geodesics and rely on materials with elastic qualities. Bob Gillis founded the Shelter Systems company making many such tents and which is also famous for the invention of the GripClip.
http://www.shelter-systems.com/
Unfortunately, these kinds of structure may be too flexible to support the sort of hammock floors you're envisioning.
Tension roof systems are more commonly used in architecture and tend to be easier to understand due to fewer larger elements. They're not often thought of as tensegrity structures, even though they are. They usually rely on a small number of large pier and post elements and the massive scale of these for large area spans tends to limit their use in temporary structures. However, more modest scale structures are possible with forms akin to tensegrity prisms. Here's a good example;
http://www.bweebweebwee.com/tensegrity/
This is based on a simple triangle but you can see that the basic structure would apply to any regular polygon and, by extending some of the height of the piers beyond the perimeter corner attachment points you could attach upper opposing tension cables to points along the free-span area to lift the tension membrane into peaks. For instance, let's say you make a shade like this that's a hexagon. We make three of the six corner piers (corner piers might also be A-frames independent or interlocking along the perimeter) longer/higher than the others. That way we can three attach cables from their tops to the center of the hexagon to lift it into a little peak so it's not flat and water doesn't pool there. Alternately, we can use alternating heights of corners to give the shade a hypoid warp to create some alternating peaks and troughs. But because tension roofs are generally designed to make large spans where there is only the tension membrane covering it, you don't get many possible places for anchoring your hammock floors. The design above was suited to perimeter mounting of hammocks between the piers, which might suit the idea you are noting, but probably only at a rather large scale. It could also support one central raised floor platform sitting on the piers or one central hammock floor if it's using A-frame piers.
But there is another class of tensegrity structures that one might also consider; tensegrity ring trusses and what I often call Dymaxion structures;
http://www.fibersource.com/Textile_Arch/Cat-5.htm
Ring trusses can be horizontal or vertical and rely on one or more key anchor elements bearing most loads. The classic example is Buckminster Fuller's Dymaxion House;
In this concept a central pier/column supports a series of tension cables anchored from the top to the ground. Two hexagonal deck planes are suspended between the center column and perimeter tension cables. You remember how I noted you could take those hanging beds and give them a more cylindrical shape by adding a compression ring higher up on the cables? The same principle is being applied here, except the anchor point is a central column rather than the cables being strung from a point in the ceiling.
I used this concept with a structure called a Dymaxion Sea Tent. The idea was that you would construct a 'spar' or 'pylon buoy' based on a long semi-submerged pole that floats in the water just like the structure of the FLIP research vessel.
But instead of that elaborate hull module on the top, you just have the simple pole, sticking out of the water. You then use that as the anchor point for the tension cables and suspend a series of deck units radially around the column and enclose it in a tension roof or tent membrane or rigid hanging panel wall systems like you use on office buildings and you have this nice little temporary building that can sit stable on the open sea. You could make this as small as a camping tent or as large as an office building. This idea was actually the inspiration for the current proposed structures of the SeaSteaders. (they used to give me credit on their web sites, but they never invited me to be part of their organization because I'm very outspoken against Objectivism and don't believe their structures can be safely used to 'homestead' the ocean)
This concept is also the basis of a nice line of tents whose design derives from medieval-era pavilion tents -though the company making them doesn't seem to have gotten their act together. They're called Trussring tents;
Here a succession of hoops form a roughly-dome like shape supported on a single central pole. Reinforcement cables between the rings relieve the load on the tent fabric. This kind of structure can be supported either internally, with a central pole, or externally with a series of three or more perimeter piers that use cables attached to the rings. You can freely alter the profile of the enclosure by changing the rings -which don't necessarily need to be symmetrical. You could design a very organic shape this way. But with a relatively shallow dome form the rings provide a continuous anchor structure for other things, like lighting, curtains, suspended fixtures, and those hammock floor units you were thinking about. For a large structure, the rings could be formed of trusses just like ring shaped theatrical trusses, and so can be broken down into small pieces. Depending on the area, you could you several rings to provide different radial zones to which your hammock seating could be attached. Of course, you can do exactly the same thing with the classic geodesic dome and have many more possible attachment points at the nodes of the dome space frame. But this is a far more minimalist structure that would -like a circus tent- be much more easily dissembled and leave few traces behind. The rings also become a natural dividing point for modular elements. For instance, in the cooler months you might want the fully enclosed space and additional inner linings -as with yurts, tipis, and lavvu- as well. But in the warmer months you could remove the lower portion of the enclosure to make it a much lighter airier shade structure.
Eric Hunting
erich...@gmail.com
On Sep 4, 2011, at 8:34 AM, Dante-Gabryell Monson wrote:
> Hi Eric,
>
> I wish to share yet another idea.
>
> I wish to find a good ground to converge people with experience in design/architecture,
> as to invite them to create a tent based on "Tensegrity"
>
> More :
>
> http://sharewiki.org/en/Tensegrity
>
> The idea at first is to enable sitting comfortably, protected from rain , cold weather / wind, and wet grass and earth,
>
> while still having a open space with large hammock type of "floors" which can be open to each other and enable people to see each other, having the choice to socialize with people on their "hammock floor", converse between hammocks, or relax in their own "corner".
>
> I wish for such solution for the space we use in a parc nearby my place, where people from the neighborhood are used to come together in summer.
>
> I m a bit sad that such space is not used in winter, and wish to find solutions,
> as this space enables many people in the neighborhood to come together and socialize ( a bit like a water well )
>
> I notice there are CAD solutions...
>
> http://tensegrity.wikispaces.com/CAD
>
From: Eric Hunting <erich...@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, Sep 16, 2011 at 6:15 PM
Subject: Re: Tensegrity Designs - "Open Tent" for socializing
To: dante....@gmail.com
This is an interesting concept. I gather by 'hammock floors' you are thinking something roughly akin to the cable-hanging beds? Like so;
http://www.floatingbed.com/
These have been around since the '70s in various forms and have long been popular with yurt dwellers, users of tent domes like the Pacific Domes line, and people who like open-plan living approaches. As you can see, they have many options for various degrees and kinds of enclosure. A structure like this can be made to many scales and to make a seating space you might change the bed platform into a bowl-shaped 'conversation pit' which could include a small radiant heating unit. These beds have the limitation of a cone-shaped array of perimeter cables, which is OK for a bed but a little problematical for a seating space where people are sitting along the perimeter of the platform. But a simple solution to that is to include a compression ring the same or larger diameter of the platform suspended on the cables some height above the platform, creating a cylinder or inverted cone array. Many shapes other than the round platform are possible with this and it also lends itself to the design of 'pods' rather than platforms where greater enclosure is desired.
Which brings us to the larger structure. There are many forms of tensegrity structures but the ones we commonly think of as 'tensegrity' -where you have tension cables linked to compression struts- have tended not to see much architectural use because they tend to come in two forms; space-filling trusses where the compression struts and cables intersect the volume of the shape and enclosure trusses which are tensegrity equivalents of the geodesic dome/sphere which tend to be less rigid than geodesics (in part because of the kinds of materials used) harder to visualize, and a bit complex with many parts. A variation of the tensegrity enclosure did evolve into a concept called 'Geotensic' invented by Bob Gillis which has become the common basis of many contemporary large high-erformance tents -and the subject of many a battle over patents among tent companies. These are also known as 'yurt domes'. They are generally based on an external systems of flexible rods that tension from the outside a dome tent shape. They are capable of a huge assortment of shapes but, again, are not as rigid as geodesics and rely on materials with elastic qualities. Bob Gillis founded the Shelter Systems company making many such tents and which is also famous for the invention of the GripClip.
http://www.shelter-systems.com/
Unfortunately, these kinds of structure may be too flexible to support the sort of hammock floors you're envisioning.
Tension roof systems are more commonly used in architecture and tend to be easier to understand due to fewer larger elements. They're not often thought of as tensegrity structures, even though they are. They usually rely on a small number of large pier and post elements and the massive scale of these for large area spans tends to limit their use in temporary structures. However, more modest scale structures are possible with forms akin to tensegrity prisms. Here's a good example;
http://www.bweebweebwee.com/tensegrity/
This is based on a simple triangle but you can see that the basic structure would apply to any regular polygon and, by extending some of the height of the piers beyond the perimeter corner attachment points you could attach upper opposing tension cables to points along the free-span area to lift the tension membrane into peaks. For instance, let's say you make a shade like this that's a hexagon. We make three of the six corner piers (corner piers might also be A-frames independent or interlocking along the perimeter) longer/higher than the others. That way we can three attach cables from their tops to the center of the hexagon to lift it into a little peak so it's not flat and water doesn't pool there. Alternately, we can use alternating heights of corners to give the shade a hypoid warp to create some alternating peaks and troughs. But because tension roofs are generally designed to make large spans where there is only the tension membrane covering it, you don't get many possible places for anchoring your hammock floors. The design above was suited to perimeter mounting of hammocks between the piers, which might suit the idea you are noting, but probably only at a rather large scale. It could also support one central raised floor platform sitting on the piers or one central hammock floor if it's using A-frame piers.
But there is another class of tensegrity structures that one might also consider; tensegrity ring trusses and what I often call Dymaxion structures;
http://www.fibersource.com/Textile_Arch/Cat-5.htm
Ring trusses can be horizontal or vertical and rely on one or more key anchor elements bearing most loads. The classic example is Buckminster Fuller's Dymaxion House;
In this concept a central pier/column supports a series of tension cables anchored from the top to the ground. Two hexagonal deck planes are suspended between the center column and perimeter tension cables. You remember how I noted you could take those hanging beds and give them a more cylindrical shape by adding a compression ring higher up on the cables? The same principle is being applied here, except the anchor point is a central column rather than the cables being strung from a point in the ceiling.
I used this concept with a structure called a Dymaxion Sea Tent. The idea was that you would construct a 'spar' or 'pylon buoy' based on a long semi-submerged pole that floats in the water just like the structure of the FLIP research vessel.
But instead of that elaborate hull module on the top, you just have the simple pole, sticking out of the water. You then use that as the anchor point for the tension cables and suspend a series of deck units radially around the column and enclose it in a tension roof or tent membrane or rigid hanging panel wall systems like you use on office buildings and you have this nice little temporary building that can sit stable on the open sea. You could make this as small as a camping tent or as large as an office building. This idea was actually the inspiration for the current proposed structures of the SeaSteaders. (they used to give me credit on their web sites, but they never invited me to be part of their organization because I'm very outspoken against Objectivism and don't believe their structures can be safely used to 'homestead' the ocean)
This concept is also the basis of a nice line of tents whose design derives from medieval-era pavilion tents -though the company making them doesn't seem to have gotten their act together. They're called Trussring tents;
Here a succession of hoops form a roughly-dome like shape supported on a single central pole. Reinforcement cables between the rings relieve the load on the tent fabric. This kind of structure can be supported either internally, with a central pole, or externally with a series of three or more perimeter piers that use cables attached to the rings. You can freely alter the profile of the enclosure by changing the rings -which don't necessarily need to be symmetrical. You could design a very organic shape this way. But with a relatively shallow dome form the rings provide a continuous anchor structure for other things, like lighting, curtains, suspended fixtures, and those hammock floor units you were thinking about. For a large structure, the rings could be formed of trusses just like ring shaped theatrical trusses, and so can be broken down into small pieces. Depending on the area, you could you several rings to provide different radial zones to which your hammock seating could be attached. Of course, you can do exactly the same thing with the classic geodesic dome and have many more possible attachment points at the nodes of the dome space frame. But this is a far more minimalist structure that would -like a circus tent- be much more easily dissembled and leave few traces behind. The rings also become a natural dividing point for modular elements. For instance, in the cooler months you might want the fully enclosed space and additional inner linings -as with yurts, tipis, and lavvu- as well. But in the warmer months you could remove the lower portion of the enclosure to make it a much lighter airier shade structure.
Eric Hunting
erich...@gmail.com
On Sep 4, 2011, at 8:34 AM, Dante-Gabryell Monson wrote:
> Hi Eric,
>
> I wish to share yet another idea.
>
> I wish to find a good ground to converge people with experience in design/architecture,
> as to invite them to create a tent based on "Tensegrity"
>
> More :
>
> http://sharewiki.org/en/Tensegrity
>
> The idea at first is to enable sitting comfortably, protected from rain , cold weather / wind, and wet grass and earth,
>
> while still having a open space with large hammock type of "floors" which can be open to each other and enable people to see each other, having the choice to socialize with people on their "hammock floor", converse between hammocks, or relax in their own "corner".
>
> I wish for such solution for the space we use in a parc nearby my place, where people from the neighborhood are used to come together in summer.
>
> I m a bit sad that such space is not used in winter, and wish to find solutions,
> as this space enables many people in the neighborhood to come together and socialize ( a bit like a water well )
>
> I notice there are CAD solutions...
>
> http://tensegrity.wikispaces.com/CAD
>
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