Andraditic Mass (Barnacle)

IMG_8692

Andraditic Mass

arduino, firefly, rhino, 3d printed pla, baltic birch plywood

status : complete

With its initial beginnings as a milling exercise to produce a series of mitered polygons that form a single complex polyhedron, new opportunities for exploration emerged with the idea of introducing layers of real-time interaction.

Continuing research into responsive surfaces, I am looking at integrating physical computing, computer vision and responsive movement within the polyhedron shell. These three systems offer a huge range of fabrication and embedded electronics research opportunities that I have started to explore. My goal after this initial research will be to bring these systems up to an architectural scale in order to study the impact of these responsive systems in built environments.

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Process


  • IMG_8683

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  • IMG_8686

  • IMG_8688

  • IMG_8689

More Work

Architecture


  • Wichita Mobile Clinic

    anadarko, oklahoma

  • SA Architects

    cranston, rhode island

  • OKC Greenhouse

    oklahoma city, oklahoma

  • Pawtucket Day Nursery

    pawtucket, rhode island

  • Meeting Street Center for Excellence

    providence, rhode island

  • Norterly Island Nature Center

    Chicago, Illinois

  • National Institute of Flamenco

    old town plaza, santa fe, new mexico

  • Corrales Comunity Pathway + Pedestrian Park

    corrales, new mexico

  • CRCUIT

    albuquerque, new mexico

  • The Construction of Art

    providence, rhode island

  • Santa Fe Univeristy School of Fine Arts

    Santa Fe, New Mexico

Design + Fabrication


  • Flatpack Foldable Structural Connections

    rhino, grasshopper, mild steel

  • Renegades

    Fred Jones Jr Museum of Art

  • Surface Flux

    python, c#, grasshopper, pla, wood, steel

  • Carbon Fiber Connections

    grasshopper, rhino, pla, carbon fiber

  • Acoustic Diffusion Panel

    grasshopper, rhino, cnc, rigid insulation

  • Hyperbolic Bending

    grasshopper, rhino, laser cut acrylic, bristol board

  • Filtration : Infiltration

    python, grasshopper, rhino, 3d printing

  • Recursive Paneling

    laser cut mylar

  • Sweet Crude

    python, c#, grasshopper, wood, plasti-dip, carbon, gelatin

  • Ruling Lines

    laser cut cell cast acrylic, stainless steel braided wire

  • Volumetric Aggregations

    processing, grasshopper, rhino, cast acrylic, black walnut, hickory

  • Cellulose Bookcase

    pine, black walnut, compressed wood fiber board, stain

  • Asher Chair

    rhino, pla, birch plywood

  • Andraditic Mass

    arduino, firefly, rhino, 3d printed pla, baltic birch plywood

  • Cholla

    grasshopper, rhino, black walnut

  • Folding Attractors

    grasshopper. rhino, white museum board

  • Grain Chair

    rhino, cnc milled birch plywood

  • Tracking Parallelograms

    grasshopper, rhino, hickory

  • Infiltration Table

    processing, spalted birch plywood, poplar, enamel, lacquer

Art + Code


  • Prairie Fire

    acrylic, ink, plywood

  • Surface Flux

    python, c#, grasshopper, pla, wood, steel

  • Dixieland Death Cult

    acrylic, plywood

  • Approximation of a Generation

    private tremendous

  • Elemental Worlds

    science museum oklahoma

  • Gonzo Cubes

    solidity, html, css, javascript, illustrator

  • A Line of Force

    arduino, grasshopper, firefly, java, plywood

  • The Drift

    html, css, javascript

  • Gear Institute

    illustrator, photoshop, php, css, html

  • Prism

    unity, c#, spine2d, illustrator

  • Squall

    petroglyphs national monument, albuquerque, new mexico

  • Galileo’s World Interactive

    c#, unity3d, illustrator, photoshop

  • Steel + Light

    convergence arts festival masterworks project, providence, rhode island

  • The God of Skiing

    book design

© [wpsos_year] Ken Marold USA, Inc. All rights reserved.

Continue reading

Tracking Parallelograms

File_002 (2)

Tracking Parallelograms

grasshopper, rhino, hickory

status : complete

  • File_005 (1)
  • File_004 (1)
  • File_003 (2)
  • File_002 (2)

Process


  • File_000 (2)

  • File_001 (2)

More Work

Architecture


  • Wichita Mobile Clinic

    anadarko, oklahoma

  • SA Architects

    cranston, rhode island

  • OKC Greenhouse

    oklahoma city, oklahoma

  • Pawtucket Day Nursery

    pawtucket, rhode island

  • Meeting Street Center for Excellence

    providence, rhode island

  • Norterly Island Nature Center

    Chicago, Illinois

  • National Institute of Flamenco

    old town plaza, santa fe, new mexico

  • Corrales Comunity Pathway + Pedestrian Park

    corrales, new mexico

  • CRCUIT

    albuquerque, new mexico

  • The Construction of Art

    providence, rhode island

  • Santa Fe Univeristy School of Fine Arts

    Santa Fe, New Mexico

Design + Fabrication


  • Flatpack Foldable Structural Connections

    rhino, grasshopper, mild steel

  • Renegades

    Fred Jones Jr Museum of Art

  • Surface Flux

    python, c#, grasshopper, pla, wood, steel

  • Carbon Fiber Connections

    grasshopper, rhino, pla, carbon fiber

  • Acoustic Diffusion Panel

    grasshopper, rhino, cnc, rigid insulation

  • Hyperbolic Bending

    grasshopper, rhino, laser cut acrylic, bristol board

  • Filtration : Infiltration

    python, grasshopper, rhino, 3d printing

  • Recursive Paneling

    laser cut mylar

  • Sweet Crude

    python, c#, grasshopper, wood, plasti-dip, carbon, gelatin

  • Ruling Lines

    laser cut cell cast acrylic, stainless steel braided wire

  • Volumetric Aggregations

    processing, grasshopper, rhino, cast acrylic, black walnut, hickory

  • Cellulose Bookcase

    pine, black walnut, compressed wood fiber board, stain

  • Asher Chair

    rhino, pla, birch plywood

  • Andraditic Mass

    arduino, firefly, rhino, 3d printed pla, baltic birch plywood

  • Cholla

    grasshopper, rhino, black walnut

  • Folding Attractors

    grasshopper. rhino, white museum board

  • Grain Chair

    rhino, cnc milled birch plywood

  • Tracking Parallelograms

    grasshopper, rhino, hickory

  • Infiltration Table

    processing, spalted birch plywood, poplar, enamel, lacquer

Art + Code


  • Prairie Fire

    acrylic, ink, plywood

  • Surface Flux

    python, c#, grasshopper, pla, wood, steel

  • Dixieland Death Cult

    acrylic, plywood

  • Approximation of a Generation

    private tremendous

  • Elemental Worlds

    science museum oklahoma

  • Gonzo Cubes

    solidity, html, css, javascript, illustrator

  • A Line of Force

    arduino, grasshopper, firefly, java, plywood

  • The Drift

    html, css, javascript

  • Gear Institute

    illustrator, photoshop, php, css, html

  • Prism

    unity, c#, spine2d, illustrator

  • Squall

    petroglyphs national monument, albuquerque, new mexico

  • Galileo’s World Interactive

    c#, unity3d, illustrator, photoshop

  • Steel + Light

    convergence arts festival masterworks project, providence, rhode island

  • The God of Skiing

    book design

© [wpsos_year] Ken Marold USA, Inc. All rights reserved.

Continue reading

Ruling Lines

File_001

Ruling Lines

laser cut cell cast acrylic, stainless steel braided wire

status : complete

  • File_001
  • File_003
  • File_004
  • File_002
  • File_000

More Work

Architecture


  • Wichita Mobile Clinic

    anadarko, oklahoma

  • SA Architects

    cranston, rhode island

  • OKC Greenhouse

    oklahoma city, oklahoma

  • Pawtucket Day Nursery

    pawtucket, rhode island

  • Meeting Street Center for Excellence

    providence, rhode island

  • Norterly Island Nature Center

    Chicago, Illinois

  • National Institute of Flamenco

    old town plaza, santa fe, new mexico

  • Corrales Comunity Pathway + Pedestrian Park

    corrales, new mexico

  • CRCUIT

    albuquerque, new mexico

  • The Construction of Art

    providence, rhode island

  • Santa Fe Univeristy School of Fine Arts

    Santa Fe, New Mexico

Design + Fabrication


  • Flatpack Foldable Structural Connections

    rhino, grasshopper, mild steel

  • Renegades

    Fred Jones Jr Museum of Art

  • Surface Flux

    python, c#, grasshopper, pla, wood, steel

  • Carbon Fiber Connections

    grasshopper, rhino, pla, carbon fiber

  • Acoustic Diffusion Panel

    grasshopper, rhino, cnc, rigid insulation

  • Hyperbolic Bending

    grasshopper, rhino, laser cut acrylic, bristol board

  • Filtration : Infiltration

    python, grasshopper, rhino, 3d printing

  • Recursive Paneling

    laser cut mylar

  • Sweet Crude

    python, c#, grasshopper, wood, plasti-dip, carbon, gelatin

  • Ruling Lines

    laser cut cell cast acrylic, stainless steel braided wire

  • Volumetric Aggregations

    processing, grasshopper, rhino, cast acrylic, black walnut, hickory

  • Cellulose Bookcase

    pine, black walnut, compressed wood fiber board, stain

  • Asher Chair

    rhino, pla, birch plywood

  • Andraditic Mass

    arduino, firefly, rhino, 3d printed pla, baltic birch plywood

  • Cholla

    grasshopper, rhino, black walnut

  • Folding Attractors

    grasshopper. rhino, white museum board

  • Grain Chair

    rhino, cnc milled birch plywood

  • Tracking Parallelograms

    grasshopper, rhino, hickory

  • Infiltration Table

    processing, spalted birch plywood, poplar, enamel, lacquer

Art + Code


  • Prairie Fire

    acrylic, ink, plywood

  • Surface Flux

    python, c#, grasshopper, pla, wood, steel

  • Dixieland Death Cult

    acrylic, plywood

  • Approximation of a Generation

    private tremendous

  • Elemental Worlds

    science museum oklahoma

  • Gonzo Cubes

    solidity, html, css, javascript, illustrator

  • A Line of Force

    arduino, grasshopper, firefly, java, plywood

  • The Drift

    html, css, javascript

  • Gear Institute

    illustrator, photoshop, php, css, html

  • Prism

    unity, c#, spine2d, illustrator

  • Squall

    petroglyphs national monument, albuquerque, new mexico

  • Galileo’s World Interactive

    c#, unity3d, illustrator, photoshop

  • Steel + Light

    convergence arts festival masterworks project, providence, rhode island

  • The God of Skiing

    book design

© [wpsos_year] Ken Marold USA, Inc. All rights reserved.

Continue reading

Mylar Bending

File_002

Recursive Paneling

laser cut mylar

status : complete

  • File_007
  • File_006
  • File_005
  • File_004
  • File_003
  • File_002
  • File_001
  • File_000

More Work

Architecture


  • Wichita Mobile Clinic

    anadarko, oklahoma

  • SA Architects

    cranston, rhode island

  • OKC Greenhouse

    oklahoma city, oklahoma

  • Pawtucket Day Nursery

    pawtucket, rhode island

  • Meeting Street Center for Excellence

    providence, rhode island

  • Norterly Island Nature Center

    Chicago, Illinois

  • National Institute of Flamenco

    old town plaza, santa fe, new mexico

  • Corrales Comunity Pathway + Pedestrian Park

    corrales, new mexico

  • CRCUIT

    albuquerque, new mexico

  • The Construction of Art

    providence, rhode island

  • Santa Fe Univeristy School of Fine Arts

    Santa Fe, New Mexico

Design + Fabrication


  • Flatpack Foldable Structural Connections

    rhino, grasshopper, mild steel

  • Renegades

    Fred Jones Jr Museum of Art

  • Surface Flux

    python, c#, grasshopper, pla, wood, steel

  • Carbon Fiber Connections

    grasshopper, rhino, pla, carbon fiber

  • Acoustic Diffusion Panel

    grasshopper, rhino, cnc, rigid insulation

  • Hyperbolic Bending

    grasshopper, rhino, laser cut acrylic, bristol board

  • Filtration : Infiltration

    python, grasshopper, rhino, 3d printing

  • Recursive Paneling

    laser cut mylar

  • Sweet Crude

    python, c#, grasshopper, wood, plasti-dip, carbon, gelatin

  • Ruling Lines

    laser cut cell cast acrylic, stainless steel braided wire

  • Volumetric Aggregations

    processing, grasshopper, rhino, cast acrylic, black walnut, hickory

  • Cellulose Bookcase

    pine, black walnut, compressed wood fiber board, stain

  • Asher Chair

    rhino, pla, birch plywood

  • Andraditic Mass

    arduino, firefly, rhino, 3d printed pla, baltic birch plywood

  • Cholla

    grasshopper, rhino, black walnut

  • Folding Attractors

    grasshopper. rhino, white museum board

  • Grain Chair

    rhino, cnc milled birch plywood

  • Tracking Parallelograms

    grasshopper, rhino, hickory

  • Infiltration Table

    processing, spalted birch plywood, poplar, enamel, lacquer

Art + Code


  • Prairie Fire

    acrylic, ink, plywood

  • Surface Flux

    python, c#, grasshopper, pla, wood, steel

  • Dixieland Death Cult

    acrylic, plywood

  • Approximation of a Generation

    private tremendous

  • Elemental Worlds

    science museum oklahoma

  • Gonzo Cubes

    solidity, html, css, javascript, illustrator

  • A Line of Force

    arduino, grasshopper, firefly, java, plywood

  • The Drift

    html, css, javascript

  • Gear Institute

    illustrator, photoshop, php, css, html

  • Prism

    unity, c#, spine2d, illustrator

  • Squall

    petroglyphs national monument, albuquerque, new mexico

  • Galileo’s World Interactive

    c#, unity3d, illustrator, photoshop

  • Steel + Light

    convergence arts festival masterworks project, providence, rhode island

  • The God of Skiing

    book design

© [wpsos_year] Ken Marold USA, Inc. All rights reserved.

Continue reading

Hyperbolic Bending

File_003-2-2

Hyperbolic Bending

grasshopper, rhino, laser cut acrylic, bristol board

status : complete

Most flat sheet materials, such as wood, metal, and plastic used for architectural construction, are inextensible. This means that they cannot be stretched to make surfaces that have compound curvature. In order to use them to make “compound curved” surfaces, we need to create a series of flat patterns that can be assembled into a visual approximation. A surface that can be reduced to a flat pattern without being distorted is called developable.

The process of translating a compound curved geometry into pieces that can be developed is called rationalization.

In Rhino, create a surface that has significant compound curvature. Break the surface down into pieces that can be rebuilt as developable surfaces. Laser cut and assemble the pieces from white card stock or Bristol board.

• How close can you get the form of the physical artifact to the original digital geometry?
• How many, or few, individual components are required?
• Does the deconstruction need higher discretization at areas of greater curvature?
• How minimal can the boundary supports be to keep it in position?
• What is the best way to join the edges of each piece?

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  • File_006 (2)
  • File_005 (2)
  • File_005 (1)
  • File_004 (2)
  • File_003-2-2
  • File_002 (3)
  • File_001 (3)
  • File_001 (2)
  • File_000 (3)
  • File_000 (2)

Process


  • IMG_5180

  • IMG_3495

  • IMG_2665

  • IMG_0772

  • File_006 (1)

More Work

Architecture


  • Wichita Mobile Clinic

    anadarko, oklahoma

  • SA Architects

    cranston, rhode island

  • OKC Greenhouse

    oklahoma city, oklahoma

  • Pawtucket Day Nursery

    pawtucket, rhode island

  • Meeting Street Center for Excellence

    providence, rhode island

  • Norterly Island Nature Center

    Chicago, Illinois

  • National Institute of Flamenco

    old town plaza, santa fe, new mexico

  • Corrales Comunity Pathway + Pedestrian Park

    corrales, new mexico

  • CRCUIT

    albuquerque, new mexico

  • The Construction of Art

    providence, rhode island

  • Santa Fe Univeristy School of Fine Arts

    Santa Fe, New Mexico

Design + Fabrication


  • Flatpack Foldable Structural Connections

    rhino, grasshopper, mild steel

  • Renegades

    Fred Jones Jr Museum of Art

  • Surface Flux

    python, c#, grasshopper, pla, wood, steel

  • Carbon Fiber Connections

    grasshopper, rhino, pla, carbon fiber

  • Acoustic Diffusion Panel

    grasshopper, rhino, cnc, rigid insulation

  • Hyperbolic Bending

    grasshopper, rhino, laser cut acrylic, bristol board

  • Filtration : Infiltration

    python, grasshopper, rhino, 3d printing

  • Recursive Paneling

    laser cut mylar

  • Sweet Crude

    python, c#, grasshopper, wood, plasti-dip, carbon, gelatin

  • Ruling Lines

    laser cut cell cast acrylic, stainless steel braided wire

  • Volumetric Aggregations

    processing, grasshopper, rhino, cast acrylic, black walnut, hickory

  • Cellulose Bookcase

    pine, black walnut, compressed wood fiber board, stain

  • Asher Chair

    rhino, pla, birch plywood

  • Andraditic Mass

    arduino, firefly, rhino, 3d printed pla, baltic birch plywood

  • Cholla

    grasshopper, rhino, black walnut

  • Folding Attractors

    grasshopper. rhino, white museum board

  • Grain Chair

    rhino, cnc milled birch plywood

  • Tracking Parallelograms

    grasshopper, rhino, hickory

  • Infiltration Table

    processing, spalted birch plywood, poplar, enamel, lacquer

Art + Code


  • Prairie Fire

    acrylic, ink, plywood

  • Surface Flux

    python, c#, grasshopper, pla, wood, steel

  • Dixieland Death Cult

    acrylic, plywood

  • Approximation of a Generation

    private tremendous

  • Elemental Worlds

    science museum oklahoma

  • Gonzo Cubes

    solidity, html, css, javascript, illustrator

  • A Line of Force

    arduino, grasshopper, firefly, java, plywood

  • The Drift

    html, css, javascript

  • Gear Institute

    illustrator, photoshop, php, css, html

  • Prism

    unity, c#, spine2d, illustrator

  • Squall

    petroglyphs national monument, albuquerque, new mexico

  • Galileo’s World Interactive

    c#, unity3d, illustrator, photoshop

  • Steel + Light

    convergence arts festival masterworks project, providence, rhode island

  • The God of Skiing

    book design

© [wpsos_year] Ken Marold USA, Inc. All rights reserved.

Continue reading

Cholla

IMG_9428

Cholla

grasshopper, rhino, black walnut

status : complete

Project Overview
Cholla is a sculptural investigation into the hidden geometries of wood. Drawing inspiration from the pore patterning within hardwood xylem, the project uses computational design tools to reimagine microscopic vascular systems at a macroscopic architectural scale. The work explores the relationship between natural growth logics and digital toolpaths, translating unseen biological structures into a physical artifact carved from solid walnut heartwood.

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Conceptual Framework
The project asks how code can become a generative proxy for natural processes. By studying the pore distribution and cellular organization within hardwood species, Cholla sought to encode these biological dynamics into a parametric model. The result is a porous, lattice-like geometry that reflects not only the flow and porosity of vascular systems, but also the capacity of digital fabrication to reveal new scales of legibility within familiar materials.

Computational Design and Modeling
Grasshopper and Rhino were employed to generate a recursive patterning logic derived from xylem structure. The script organized voids in varying densities, simulating the irregular yet systematic quality of pore distribution across wood cross-sections. This algorithmic process produced an evolving set of apertures and connections, creating both surface depth and volumetric porosity.

Fabrication and Material Tactics
The final artifact was milled on four sides from a single mass of black walnut. Multi-axis CNC machining allowed the lattice to wrap continuously around the object, with each side revealing different densities and orientations of apertures. The toolpath itself became a form of surface definition: the ridged texture of the carving process remained legible, amplifying the dialogue between natural grain, coded geometry, and machine inscription.

Material Expression
The use of walnut heartwood emphasized the tension between natural substance and digital intervention. Its rich tone and organic grain contrast with the mechanical regularity of the CNC-milled apertures, creating a hybrid expression that is at once natural and artificial, grown and coded. The porous structure recalls the cholla cactus skeleton — a vascular remnant of another species — highlighting cross-material resonances between plant forms.

Conclusion
Cholla bridges microscopic biology, computational modeling, and material craft. By encoding xylem structures into parametric logic and fabricating them through CNC milling, the project foregrounds both the unseen dynamics of natural systems and the expressive potential of digital fabrication. It proposes a new lens for understanding wood — not simply as a material to be cut or joined, but as a living archive of flows, pores, and patterns that can be amplified through design.

Process


  • IMG_9031

  • IMG_8986

  • 50303801246__BD55BF70-2BB2-422A-B43A-317D0B7D9F16

More Work

Architecture


  • Wichita Mobile Clinic

    anadarko, oklahoma

  • SA Architects

    cranston, rhode island

  • OKC Greenhouse

    oklahoma city, oklahoma

  • Pawtucket Day Nursery

    pawtucket, rhode island

  • Meeting Street Center for Excellence

    providence, rhode island

  • Norterly Island Nature Center

    Chicago, Illinois

  • National Institute of Flamenco

    old town plaza, santa fe, new mexico

  • Corrales Comunity Pathway + Pedestrian Park

    corrales, new mexico

  • CRCUIT

    albuquerque, new mexico

  • The Construction of Art

    providence, rhode island

  • Santa Fe Univeristy School of Fine Arts

    Santa Fe, New Mexico

Design + Fabrication


  • Flatpack Foldable Structural Connections

    rhino, grasshopper, mild steel

  • Renegades

    Fred Jones Jr Museum of Art

  • Surface Flux

    python, c#, grasshopper, pla, wood, steel

  • Carbon Fiber Connections

    grasshopper, rhino, pla, carbon fiber

  • Acoustic Diffusion Panel

    grasshopper, rhino, cnc, rigid insulation

  • Hyperbolic Bending

    grasshopper, rhino, laser cut acrylic, bristol board

  • Filtration : Infiltration

    python, grasshopper, rhino, 3d printing

  • Recursive Paneling

    laser cut mylar

  • Sweet Crude

    python, c#, grasshopper, wood, plasti-dip, carbon, gelatin

  • Ruling Lines

    laser cut cell cast acrylic, stainless steel braided wire

  • Volumetric Aggregations

    processing, grasshopper, rhino, cast acrylic, black walnut, hickory

  • Cellulose Bookcase

    pine, black walnut, compressed wood fiber board, stain

  • Asher Chair

    rhino, pla, birch plywood

  • Andraditic Mass

    arduino, firefly, rhino, 3d printed pla, baltic birch plywood

  • Cholla

    grasshopper, rhino, black walnut

  • Folding Attractors

    grasshopper. rhino, white museum board

  • Grain Chair

    rhino, cnc milled birch plywood

  • Tracking Parallelograms

    grasshopper, rhino, hickory

  • Infiltration Table

    processing, spalted birch plywood, poplar, enamel, lacquer

Art + Code


  • Prairie Fire

    acrylic, ink, plywood

  • Surface Flux

    python, c#, grasshopper, pla, wood, steel

  • Dixieland Death Cult

    acrylic, plywood

  • Approximation of a Generation

    private tremendous

  • Elemental Worlds

    science museum oklahoma

  • Gonzo Cubes

    solidity, html, css, javascript, illustrator

  • A Line of Force

    arduino, grasshopper, firefly, java, plywood

  • The Drift

    html, css, javascript

  • Gear Institute

    illustrator, photoshop, php, css, html

  • Prism

    unity, c#, spine2d, illustrator

  • Squall

    petroglyphs national monument, albuquerque, new mexico

  • Galileo’s World Interactive

    c#, unity3d, illustrator, photoshop

  • Steel + Light

    convergence arts festival masterworks project, providence, rhode island

  • The God of Skiing

    book design

© [wpsos_year] Ken Marold USA, Inc. All rights reserved.

Continue reading