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STRUCTURAL EVOLUTION

A workshop in partnership with
PAACADEMY that journeys through the
last decade of initiatives implementing parametric structures into footwear.

RENDER OF FINAL MIDSOLE STRUCTURAL FORMS

FOCUSED RENDER OF TRIPLY PERIODIC MINIMAL SURFACE STRUCTURE

Throughout the last decade, the evolution of highly-functional parametric structures has found a niche within innovations in footwear.

Programmable behavior, data-driven transformation, and customizable arrangements are development guided by the demands of marathon trails and fashion runways.

By investigating these structural forms alongside their respective footwear applications, this workshop aims to present students with a focused approach to parametric design techniques – directing attention first to intended functionality and then to high-level manipulation.

FULL MIDSOLE RENDER OF EACH STRUCTURAL FORM (LEFT TO RIGHT): TPMS, VORONOI, BEAMS

DETAILED RENDER OF DATA-DRIVEN VORONOI STRUCTURE

GALLERY OF PRESSURE-MAP INFLUENCED VORONOI STRUCTURE

The best lessons are learned through stories.

The Structural Evolution workshop will journey through the last decade of initiatives implementing parametric structures into footwear.
 
Participants will learn of the early experiments between New Balance and Nervous Systems that explored pressure map-influenced voronoi cells and will analyze the universally known beam-based structures utilized by the Adidas 4D Futurecraft.

The program will investigate the research of auxetic patterns undertaken by the MIT Media Lab in collaboration with Puma as well as the study of minimal surfaces led by Onur Gun’s team in partnership with Formlabs.
 
The goal is to discuss the intention of these projects, extract the framework of their structures, and ultimately build these geometries as a parametric workflow within Rhino/Grasshopper.

DETAILED RENDER OF FIELD MAP MANIPULATED DIAMOND MINIMAL SURFACE STRUCTURE

IMAGES OF PHASE SHIFTED DIAMOND MINIMAL SURFACE MIDSOLE

GALLERY OF CUSTOM BEAM-BASED MIDSOLE STRUCTURE

RENDER OF FINAL MIDSOLE STRUCTURAL VARIATIONS

Students will continually transition between industry case-studies and parametric modeling using Rhino and Grasshopper.
In this way, contextual understanding will always predicate technique. 
 
The Structural Evolution workshop will expose students to four structural families:

Auxetics
Beam-based lattices
Triply periodic minimal surfaces
Voronoi structures
 
The first and most important step is to establish the essential building blocks of each structure’s respective anatomy.
Thereafter, the program will build upon these principles to showcase advanced methods of construction
in the form of region-specific control, customized formulas, and data integration.
 
The design process will be taught step-by-step from scratch with the participants,
allowing each individual to have hands-on experience with the software and freely ask questions along the way. 

WORKSHOP MARKETING POSTERS BY PAACADEMY

Program of the workshop:

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Day 1, July 8th

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  • Introduction

  • Lecture: Enhanced performance through structural design

  • Lecture: Exploration of dynamic structures and programmed behavior

  • Tutorial 1: Auxetic structures

  • Lecture: Structural controllability and design for additive manufacturing

  • Tutorial 2: Advanced beam-based structures

  • Q&A Session

​

Day 2, July 9th

​

  • Lecture: Internal components and segmented assemblies

  • Lecture: Triply Periodic Minimal Surfaces

  • Tutorial 3: Implicit fields and customized formulas

  • Lecture: Data Integration and Biomechanics

  • Tutorial 4: Voronoi structures and pressure-maps

  • Lecture: 3D-printing in the world of fashion

  • Q&A Session

CREDITS

COLLABORATORS

Parametric Architecture

SOFTWARE

Rhino
Grasshopper
Houdini
Redshift
Adobe Suite

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