Week 4

The group began to do more in depth research about their design, investigating similar designs and how their design is or is not superior. Some group members also began to make simulations and 3D models of the facade using Google Sketchup.

The group members did not have much experience with this program, and making this three-dimensional shape was a bit difficult. Eventually member was able to have some measure of success, though the group was unable to make a video of the transformation, as they had wanted. Instead three stages of the movement (open, partially open and closed) were made in order to give viewers an idea of what would be happening.

We also found a video of a model of a similar design in which the movement was directed from the center rather than the corners.

However, we kept our design as directed from the corners, as this allows us to have a very simple mechanism for operation. The facade can be mounted at the corners on a square frame, and the rods of this square frame can rotate to move the leaves/petals of the different parts. These rods can then be connected to the building with a second set of rods.