Aperiodic surface
Quasi-Projection
Aperiodic concrete formwork for perceived surface complexity
Olivier Ottevaere, 2008
Abstract
By disclosing long range order from few dissimilar tiles, aperiodic tilings can potentially diversify and spatially enrich the repetitive aspects of modular systems still pertinent in the production of architecture today. Such effective tilings have been discovered in quasicrystals and can be generated by the projection of higher dimensional grids in two or three dimensions. A Penrose tiling, for example can be derived from the projection of five dimensional grids onto a two dimensional plane. The thesis initially investigates if a program allowing the grids to be rotated parametrically can provide for numerous alternative tillings using the projection method for any dimensions. Some found tilings are then analysed and their assembly rules tested against the adaptation of other types of geometries in order to determine if a high level of diversity can still sustain the test of repetition of few different modules and field a spatial configuration of probable forces. It is further demonstrated that these initial tilings can in fact perform as efficient organizational scaffolds by letting more complex geometries free flowing past the tiles' edges and pass the test of mass production with the aid of a minimum amount of formwork.
