All of our work comes from an obsession with the mixing of digital tools and physical products. We’re excited by how personalized data gets updated by the second, and how creativity can be explored within virtual reality and materialized through 3D printing. In comparison however, we find the form our physical world still trailing decades behind the digital, remaining relatively static and unchanged.

If you have ever gone through a durable materials review, you would notice that all of the products highlighted here are made from very strong and durable materials. You might also come across a materials review like Superdurables that highlights the advantages of using these materials in comparison with other materials. You can always find both of these reviews in any home improvement magazines or books near you. The good news is that if you have a look at a materials review in a book or magazine, it does not necessarily mean that the material discussed in the material is what you should use in your home. A lot of times, the test of time is what would make you choose a better material in comparison with all the other materials available on today’s market.

This is why our latest experiment Blush Wale was invented – to explore new ways of generating physical forms that evoke the insane dynamism of our digital lives. And so begins the making-of story that  embraces both digital to analog. The piece is the first of a series of experiments that involve digitally designed objects that is then assembled by hand, aimed to create a meaningful connection between the user and the physical product.

“the making-of story behind the creation of an otherworldly sculpture that behaves like a futuristic multi-dimensional chameleon”

Photo by: Gabriel Li

How we achieved the distinctive look in 48 hours:

1. Custom-built software that generated the amorphous 3D form and precisely divided the volume into equally spaced 2D sections. 76 unique profiles were computationally generated and laser cut from ordinary sheets of plywood at the Hot Pop Factory laser cutting Toronto shop in 5 hours.

“76 unique profiles were computationally generated and cut from ordinary sheets of plywood at the Hot Pop Factory laser cutting Toronto shop in 5 hours”

 

2. 52 unique shades of color extrapolated from 2 eye-popping gradients were precisely mapped onto the surfaces of each section, and then transferred onto 42 sheets raw plywood via UV-cured digital printing.

3. The rainbow-spliced waffle structure was constructed in 3 hours by slotting all the pieces together as a kit of parts. When displayed, the vibrant bi-directional surfaces slowly shifts its hue in a precise gradient as the viewer walks around it – from crimson red to sky blue, citrus yellow to ivy green.

“simultaneously real and virtual, solid and void, static and changeable”

Photo by: Gabriel Li

We were really happy with the results, the final piece inhabited both the 2D and 3D world as this multi-dimensional object from the future, possessing qualities that made it appear simultaneously real and virtual, solid and void, static and changeable. Our next step is to design functional housewares and furniture using the same process.

Blush Wale was exhibited at MADE Design, Makerfaire Toronto, and on June 11, it will be making an appearance at 3DXL – a large-scale 3D printing experience.

– Biying