Tately Diep - ATCM 3355.001 Project 4: Architectonic Lamp

Concept:

Shiitake Mushroom (Hanagiri Cut)

For this project, I was inspired to create a mushroom lamp, however, I wanted to add a unique twist to the generic mushroom shape. My design was influenced by the Shiitake mushroom and the traditional Hanagiri cutting technique applied to Shiitake mushrooms that appear as a four or six-pointed diagonal crossed shape. This cutting technique supposedly helps with flavor absorption and release in cooking purely for aesthetic reasons.

Process:

Radial Waffle Black Ghosted View

Radial Waffle Arctic View + Laser Cut Curves

I made my Radial Waffle lamp by utilizing the Grasshopper script provided by Professor Scott which requires a Mesh or Solid form with a hallowed out middle. I started by creating the rounded dome-like shape of the mushroom's top and bottom. I used Boolean Difference to cut out the Hanagiri cut and the cylindrical hole to create a spot for my light source. When creating the Radial Waffle 3D- Model, I took the laser-cut sliced model from the Grasshopper script, and then PlanarSrf the curves, ExtrudeSrf as a solid to create 1/4" thick panels that would replicate the laser-cut wood.

Materials:

Radial Waffle Render - OFF

Radial Render - ON

For materials, I decided to go for a simple light wood that would resemble the wooden panel that I would be laser-cutting with. Although the actual model has burned edges that make the lamp have a darker wood appearance, I kept the material light as I liked the clean look of the light pine wood. I also added a small light source inside my renders to replicate what the final modeled lamp could look like as the light peaks through the waffled layers.

Final Lasercut Lamp - OFF/ON

Overall, I would say I am satisfied with how my Shiitake mushroom lamp came out. I debated whether to paint the wood all dark brown to make the lamp color more cohesive, but decided to leave the wooden panel's original color as it gives a great contrast from the burned edges. I also decided to go with some LED fairy lights rather than a tea light as I thought it would be a tight fit for the light source and overall produce less heat than a light bulb. What I would've changed would be to create the lamp on a slightly larger scale and create a bigger opening in the middle to support larger light bulbs, but I like how the smaller version came out.