Metamorphosis: static and kinematic free form reciprocal structure

The paper presents the static and kinematic free form reciprocal structure "Metamorphosis" submitted for the Expo contest at IASS 2015, Amsterdam. The design of the pavilion relied on the use of the geometric form finding tools Reciprocalizer, a form-finding digital design tool that embeds the constructional logic of reciprocal structures within the Grasshopper parametric design environment, and the KRS algorithm, a software for the design of free form kinetic reciprocal structure, both developed by the author, and coupled with structural form finding processes.
The pavilion incorporates novel digital processes from design to fabrication for geometric and structural form finding. The newest releases of the Reciprocalizer software enable to handle new levels of complexity and precision which affect the design process itself, as the final shape is, rather than imposed, the result of continuous negotiations between a variety of geometric parameters, structural optimization and intended spatial effects.
The fabrication of the pavilion required the development of a custom developed digital fabrication machine, the Reciprocalizer robot, which marks and drills the bars at the joints position at precise angle and distances. Furthermore it required the development of a joint that enables handling the complexity of the free form shape and the varying bars shape with a limited set of adaptable custom developed laser-cut pieces.