Pluripotent (‘capable of multiple tasks‘) stem cells are cells that can divide indefinitely.
These cell layers are the fundamental tissues that give rise to all the different types of cells and tissues found in the adult organism.
Given this property, stem cells are potentially able to recreate any tissue or organ found in the body.
Two ways of multiplication:
- division
- Proliferation
the idea of adaptability and growth inspires innovative approaches:
Generative Design and Algorithmic Architecture:
- Generate designs based on specific parameters, allowing for the creation of complex and organic structures inspired by the principles of stem cell development.
Parametric Design:
- Enables architects to create dynamic and adaptable structures. Parameters can be adjusted, and the design evolves accordingly.
Load Distribution and Redundancy:
- Buildings with redundant structural elements or distributed load paths for improved load-bearing capacity.
Goals:
- Generate a geometry mirroring the natural process of cell division, starting from one mother cell splitting into multiple smaller daughter cells.
- Creating a moving dynamic bulb-shaped geometry similar to a living cell.
- Achieving a balance between accuracy to the natural behaviour, and what is available in terms of computational performance and tools.
- Create a Voronoi dome geometry with precise and accurate cell boundaries and overall shape.
- Play with randomness factors to add a more natural and organic appearance to the geometry, creating irregular cell shapes in the process and mimicking natural patterns found in organic structures.
Pseudo-code
Behaviour animation
Research iterations
Process
Challenges encountered :
Understanding Voronoi:
- Grasping the concept of Voronoi tessellation (Seed Points, Voronoi cells) and understanding how to generate it in the desired dome shape.
Mesh Generation and Manipulation:
- Constraining the mesh as well as controlling its inflation through Kangaroo physics.
- Generating the initial mesh geometry, subdividing it appropriately for cell recreation, and then adjusting the mesh to control cell sizes and shapes.
Data and parameters:
- Managing data structures, dealing with data matching issues, and controlling parameters to achieve the right look without overwhelming the geometry.
Choosing the right components:
- Selecting the right Grasshopper components as a beginner, doing the research and setting them up correctly to recreate the natural behaviour.
Future steps & conclusions :
Mesh Refinement:
- Refine the mesh used for the cells to ensure smooth transitions between cells and minimize irregularities and voids.
Experiment with Different Patterns:
- Explore alternative Voronoi patterns or configurations to see how they affect the overall look of the dome.
Fine-Tuning the cells :
- Adjust the shapes of each individual cells to create a more varied and visually appealing result with scaling, rotation, or deformation techniques to add irregularity to the geometry.
Explore Alternative Approaches:
- Explore alternative methods or components for creating Voronoi dome geometries and experiment with incorporating them into your design process.
