This was a student project by Shawn Hoover and Dustin Todd for Kay Bea Jones's ARCH 341 course, Autumn 2006. This project began with the analysis of a chosen fruit, the kiwi, and what relationships it contained between the organic nature of the structure and the skin. The original study began by looking at the very center of the kiwi. Here longitudinal sections of the kiwi were looked at to determine how the core developed into not only a structural element, but also a transporter of nutrients and a protector of the seeds inside. This inner core is composed of a series of dense fibers which run longitudinally through the ovular kiwi, and connect to the outer skin at each end. This outer skin is made up of a network of thin fibers which are held in tension to give support to the inner structure of the fruit. The skin is able to do so because it is a lightweight, thin surface made up of layers upon layers of varying sized fibers. With these properties in mind, materials studies were performed with two different types of paint and different tensile variables, ranging from varying weights of fishing line, to different thicknesses of cotton thread. Further studies were more successful at recreating the characteristics of the kiwi skin, by using a combination of dimensional fabric paint and cotton thread. Not only was the surface lightweight and thin, but the translucent quality allowed for interesting lighting effects. With this in mind, varying lengths of the skin were spaced apart in sequential order, and were tensioned to create a dynamic fluid-like appearance which allowed varying levels of translucency. -- Shawn Hoover and Dustin Todd This work is a part of the online collections of the Knowlton School of Architecture Student Archives, The Ohio State University. It is part of an effort to make accessible student work ranging from the first student that graduated from the program in 1903 to the present.
Notes
Austin E. Knowlton School of Architecture Student Archives Collection
