Integrative Computational Design Methodology for

Composite Spacer Fabric Architecture

Taichi Kuma1 , Moritz Dörstelmann2 , Marshall Prado3 , Achim Menges4
1
Stuttgart University, Germany 2,3,4 Institute for Computational Design,
Stuttgart University, Germany
2,3,4
http://icd.uni-stuttgart.de
1
[email protected] 2,3,4 {moritz.doerstelmann|marshall.prado|
achim.menges}@icd.uni-stuttgart.de

Spacer fabrics are 3D warp-knitted fabrics, which have a volumetric structure.

Together with the capacity to differentially stretch and contract, these materials
allow three dimensional which is specific to spacer fabrics. The authors present a
computational design methodology which enables the generation of form based
on these material characteristics and local, regional and global material
manipulations. Such a process can not only generate functional surface
articulations, but also control the forming of spatial textile geometries. As a resin
infused composite structure the spacer fabric can serve as architectural
construction and building envelope. This new methodology to develop fibrous
and textile morphology is contrary to a traditional hierarchical design process,
which is based on a linear strategy from design to implementation. The
investigation methods are based on analogue material experimentation and
integration of the materials behaviour into a computational design process. Such
a feedback process can unfold potential material morphologies and performances
of spacer fabric as an architectural material.

Keywords: Integrative computational design, Fibre composite structure, Spacer

fabric, Material Computation, Form Finding

INTRODUCTION brous and textile morphology and to explore the

The authors present a design and fabrication potential applications in the architectural field.
methodology for a fabric structure composed of 3D This research is strongly related to a series of
warp-knitted fabric, which can be solidified by resin form-finding experiments by Frei Otto. Similar to the
for structural rigidity after the geometry is defined Frei Otto experiments, the research started from a se-
by manipulations. Composite structures utilising ries of physical experiments. Both areas of research
fibrous fabrics are already widely used, especially find the material form as a state of equilibrium of in-
within automotive and ship building industries. This ternal resistances and external forces. While most of
paper proposes a new methodology to develop fi- Frei Otto's form finding processes use abstract model

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 scale material representations to find the global mor- tween the physical model and the computational
phology of a system. (Menges 2007); the aim of this model helps in understanding of the material sys-
research is to explore a design methodology for a tem, which is related to not only morphology but
specific material. This methodology is based on ma- also to performance. Although, physical experimen-
nipulation of the fabric in order to simulate, design, tation is a good way of intuitively manipulating the
and fabricate architectural structures. These local, re- material, in order to quickly explore design poten-
gional, and global manipulations, differ in scale and tials while abstracting the material system's charac-
purpose and are interrelated within the material and teristics and constraints, a computational method is
global system. In this sense the manipulations do not appropriate. This research therefore analyses the ma-
only generate a surface articulation, but also control terial both physically and computationally which can
the global geometry. unfold potential material morphologies and perfor-
mance.
INTEGRATIVE COMPUTATIONAL PROCESS Contrary to a traditional architectural design pro-
Computational tools can extend design possibilities cess, which follows a linear logic from design to im-
by the integration of structural analysis and digi- plementation, this process has a reciprocal informa-
tal fabrication criteria. Exchanging information be- tion structure (Figure 1). Even though initial geom-
etry is used as an input to control the architectural

Figure 1
Integrative
Computation
Design Process

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 intent and scope, the final geometry emerges after scale, even though the system has interesting geo-
several iterations of the computational tool and fab- metrical or performative aspects. Since this research
rication process. The geometry is updated according focuses on elastic and continuous material, dynamic
to integration of the information from physical exper- relationships between local and global form can be
iment, computational simulation, structural analysis, maintained in the fabrication process. However, the
and fabrication constraints. As a result, this process application of textile material is still limited in archi-
can generate architecture which is embedded with tectural field mainly because of its structural prop-
more information than conventional architecture. erty. Therefore, the research initially starts to look at
spacer fabric which has the scalability because of its
Figure 2 property (Figure 2).
Spacer Fabric The pile, a three dimensional parallel ordered ar-
rangement of monofilaments between the top and
bottom mesh of the spacer textile, adds thickness to
the fabric structure. In contrast to two dimensional
fabrics the strong filaments in the pile provide a rel-
ative amount of compressive strength and bending
stiffness while the textile remains very lightweight
(Knecht 2006). Also, this material has the capacity to
differentially stretch and contract through geomet-
ric deformation, which offers the possibility to drape
Figure 3
the spacer fabric over complex double curved sur-
3D Spacer Textile
faces with no need for seams or cut patterns (Menges
Composites / Nico
2009). Architectural applications of spacer fabric
Reinhardt / 2007-08
have already been explored in research at the Depart-
HfG Offenbach
ment for Form Generation and Materialisation, by the
co-author at HfG Offenbach. One example involves
the design and fabrication of double-curved furni-
ture, which required five-axis CNC milled moulds.
Another example instrumentalizes local form-finding
processes in order to differentiate continuous 3D tex-
tile glass fibre composite surfaces (Hensel et al 2008)
(Figure 3). A series of local manipulations provide
structural depth, and create complex emerging sur-
face articulations. Moreover, the spacer textile has
MATERIAL SYSTEM: SPACER FABRIC variations of weaving pattern, thickness, and elas-
The integrative design process is based on a specific ticity for several usages. Although the majority of
material system. By analysing the material character- spacer fabrics are made from polyester it is possible
istics of the spacer fabric carefully, the new potentials to manufacture glass fiber spacer fabric. These fabri-
of the material system can be unfolded. This creates cation parameters allow the production of very thick
a bottom-up approach for the architectural design. glass fiber spacer textiles that would be suitable for
On the other hand, to become a useful building el- large scale applications. Based on the methodologies
ement the material needs to have scalability. Other- of these precedent researches, and the potential for
wise, the application is limited to furniture or pavilion performative material applications the possibility of

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 using spacer fabric in an architectural proposal is de- generating form. Pinches with opposing directional-
veloped, by integrating form generation with struc- ities that are equally distributed on the fabric, such
tural design and fabrication methods. The novelty as horizontally and vertically oriented pinches, main-
of this research is that the combination of local, re- tain a thickened local deformation though the effec-
gional and global manipulations controls the geom- tive global deformation of each individual pinch is
etry without any formwork. negated creating a globally flat geometry.
Figure 4
PHYSICAL EXPERIMENTS This is a figure
Through physical prototyping, a catalogue of form-
generation strategies for the fabric manipulations
was developed for local, regional, and global ma-
nipulations. These manipulations are achieved by
pinching various points of the spacer fabric and con-
necting them with plastic cable ties which partially
squeezes the textile. This contraction of either the
top or bottom mesh results in a bending deformation
of the three dimensional fabric structure. First, each
manipulation is applied manually. Second, accord-
ing to the deformation of each pinch, successive ma- Figure 5
nipulation are determined iteratively through a com- Local Manipulation
putational tool. Finally, this process shows the rela- (multiple pinches)
tionship between the 2D pattern of pinches and the
resulting 3D geometry.
There are three different steps of material manip-
ulations for generating form. First, global system ar-
ticulation, such as rolling, twisting or hanging, the
fabric can be approximately transformed to specific
3D geometry. Second, based on this geometry, the
fabric is locally manipulated to further control the
surface and increase structural depth. By accumulat- Based on the pattern which is locally deformed
ing locally differentiated manipulations, the spacer and globally flat, a density difference is applied to the
fabric can be transformed into complex geometries. pattern in this experiment. The pattern is manipu-
The process of physical experimentation and compu- lated by only pinching the top layer of fabric. The
tational simulation are conducted simultaneously as used fabric sheet is 1.4m by 0.5m with a thickness
both processes inform each other. of 1.5cm. The pattern of manipulations is denser in
the center than the peripheral area. Thus the amount
MANIPULATIONS of deformation in the center part and the peripheral
Local Manipulation area become gradually different. Because of the vari-
Due to the material continuity, elasticity and stiffness ation in density, the overall geometry deforms glob-
even a single pinch affects the global geometry (Fig- ally as well (Kuma 2013). This creates an arch like
ure 4). The larger the pinch width is, the more de- shape, with the top forming the inside of the arch
formation both locally and globally. This means the (Figure 5). Although, it supports the self-weight in
pinch size and directionality are decisive factors for this scale, it is not rigid enough to keep the geome-

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 try at a larger scale. In this sense, manipulations only Regional Manipulation
provide the tendency to define the global geome- Regional manipulations are controlled by the inter-
try though, these accumulated local manipulations action of multiple local pinches (Figure 6). The fab-
have the potential to partially reinforce the geome- ric between pinches is deformed if the distance be-
try in a global model. More decisive manipulations tween manipulation points is within a range deter-
are needed to accurately determine the global geom- mined by the stiffness of the material. This gener-
etry. ates a larger deformation than one which is gener-
ated by the individual local manipulations. There-
Figure 6
fore, regional manipulation can easily connect the
Regional
deformations in the global geometry and generate
Manipulation
a "flow" of surface articulation (Figure 7). Using this
(single pinch),
technique of continuous deformation, the curvature
can be smoothly controlled. Regional manipulation
can also reinforce the global geometry by thicken-
ing the surface and distributing weak points to avoid
continuous fold lines in the structure.

Global Manipulation
Compared to local and regional manipulation, global
manipulations change the geometry dynamically.
Figure 7
For example, even one single long-span pinch can
Regional
deform the entire geometry by connecting strategic
Manipulation
points together. Hanging the fabric is also a method
(multiple pinches)
of global manipulation. Since spacer fabric has cer-
tain weight, the effect of pinching manipulation can
be emphasized by gravity (Figure 8). Global manipu-
lation can deform global geometry more efficiently,
using fewer manipulations. Consequently, local and
regional manipulations are used to modify and rein-
force the base geometry crested from global manip-
ulations (Figure 9).
Figure 8
Global COMPUTATIONAL SIMULATION
Manipulation Based on this physical prototyping, the 3D form is
(hanging) simulated using a live physics engine. In this ap-
proach, the entire knitted pattern is translated to a
system of particles and springs, and the elasticity of
the spacer fabric is controlled by variables such as the
stiffness and rest length of these springs. In addition,
two meshes, consisting of particles and springs for
top and bottom layer of the spacer fabric are used
to show curvature changes. By applying additional
springs to this setup, the geometry is relaxed and

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 the simulation provides the approximate geometry STRUCTURAL INTEGRATION
of the manipulation. The relevant variables are deter- In addition to this form generation system, struc-
mined by comparing physical models with the com- tural analysis is utilized in the design system, and
putational simulation. Likewise, the computational integrated with form generation to calibrate the
process is tested iteratively to find a way of control- structural contribution of both the overall curvature
ling geometry. According to the output geometry and the local undulations resulting from local textile
of relaxation, the successive manipulation points are gathering (Menges 2009). First, the physical model
defined by analysing the curvature of mesh in the shows how the local undulated pattern contributes
digital model (Figure 10, 11). By using this simulation to the global geometry by using load case tests. Sub-
tool, pinching patterns can easily be tested compu- sequently, it is analysed by computational tools using
tationally to examine the potential deformation in a a finite element method (FEM). Generally, based on
physical model. principal moment lines and force flow lines, the fab-
ric can be reinforced by differentiated pinching pat-
Figure 9
terns.
Global
Manipulation +
FABRICATION Regional
Robotic Integration Manipulation
The fabrication process incorporates existing fibrous
composite technology and digital fabrication meth-
ods. For added speed and accuracy, the hand pinch-
ing manipulation can be replaced by the 6 axis
robotic arm in the fabrication process. In this devel- Figure 10
oping scenario, a series of fabric manipulations are Computational
applied robotically and interactively. For example, Simulation of
the robot finds the successive pinching points on the Spacer Textile by
complex surface by using a 3D scanning and image Physics Engine
processing method (Figure 12). 3D Scanning data is (local manipulation)
then analyzed computationally. Iteratively, a com-
parison between the in-process geometric state of
fabric and guide geometry is utilized to detect the
area with the highest deviation in terms of the cur-
vature. Subsequently, the necessary manipulation is
calculated for this area and is applied to the fabric ei-
ther in a manual process, a robotically assisted pro-
cess, or in a potentially fully automated robotic fab- Figure 11
rication process (Figure 13). This iterative process is Computational
repeated until the fabric is transformed into a form Simulation of
within a specific range of deviation from the guide Spacer Textile by
geometry. This adaptive robotic process can increase Physics Engine
speed, tolerance and redundancy of fabrication. (regional
manipulation)

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Figure 12 fabric finds it form through several steps of manipu-
Robotic lations. Subsequently the resin in the fabric can be
Manipulation cured by controlling the temperature or by treating
integrated with 3D with UV-light.Alternatively the soft and flexible hap-
scanning tic nature of the material can locally be maintained
through selective resin infusion. This allows for the
integration of interior design features and structural
design.

ARCHITECTURAL APPLICATION
The potential in this fibrous spacer fabric reinforcing
Figure 13 process is the development of a self-supporting en-
Information Flow closed structure without use of extensive formwork
for Robotic in which there are many architectural applications.
Fabrication New architectural tectonics can be generated with
complex spatial arrangements utilizing the specific
character of spacer fabric (Figure 14, 15) . The emerg-
ing surface articulations can be instrumentalized to
modulate performative criteria such as structural re-
inforcement, acoustics and thermal regulation. Espe-
cially the characteristic soft light conditions and re-
ciprocal relation between structural depth and light
transmission have the potential to create stunning in-
terior qualities. As a building envelope in particular,
this new fibrous design methodology explores an ar-
chitectural potential to create a weatherproof, habit-
able space in a large scale.
Figure 14
Prototype_A
Structure by Spacer
Fabric

Matrix Application
Spacer fabrics can be infused with resin and solidified
into the controlled geometry. This can be done either
before or after adding the manipulations. Currently
the resin is applied in a manual process during the
physical experiments. Potentially the fabrics can be
pre-impregnated with resin before applying the ma-
nipulations and stored at cold temperatures, slowing
the catalyzation process. After the resin infusion, the

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 Figure 15
Prototype_B Space
by Spacer Fabric

CONCLUSION als forming behavior through gradual transitions in

The research demonstrates the potential design mesh size and variable stiffness through controlled
methodology of spacer fabric architecture by inte- monofilament density. The possibility to fabricate
grating physical prototyping, computational simula- customized multi-material spacer fabric would allow
tion and automated fabrication processes. Further local enhancement and integration various material
research will focus on fabrication of a 1:1 demonstra- performances, such as structural reinforcement, light
tor and the development of a fully automated fabri- transmission and insulation properties. This could
cation process. Since the manufacturer of spacer fab- also apply for the integration of soft electronics into
ric has limitations for material sizes that can be pro- the fabric.
duced, modularity of elements for larger scale appli- Further fabric customization could not only in-
cations and on-site assembly may be considered. The clude material variations but also allow individual
robotic fabrication process could potentially produce fiber arrangements within multi-axial spacer fabrics.
mass-customised components, which will be assem- Such a material would enable further structural dif-
bled, for various architectural demands. ferentiation through anisotropic fiber reinforcements
Full control over the fabrics production param- and achieve a higher degree of material efficiency.
eters and their integration into the computational This architectural design and fabrication
design process could expand the material systems methodology could combine the soft and light ap-
capacity. This could allow variations in the materi- pearance of textiles, increased functional integration

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and highly efficient lightweight construction into
novel atmospheric and performative tectonics in ar-
chitectural design.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
This research was mainly conducted in Institute for
Computational Design, University of Stuttgart. And,
the spacer fabric was sponsored by Heinrich Essers
GmbH & Co KG / Essedea GmbH & Co KG.

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