Tenu, V.; (2009) Minimal surfaces as self-organizing systems: a particle-spring system simulation for generating triply periodic minimal surface tensegrity structure. Masters thesis , UCL (University College London).

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Abstract

Minimal surfaces have gradually been translated from the field of mathematics into the architectural design research due to their remarkable geometric properties. The simulations of soap films or protein folding are only some of the many applications in various fields, while architecture and engineering have been applying them for tensile roof structures since the early 1960’s. The research question relates to the problem of creating a computational generative tool which simulates a parametric minimal surface with a non‐standard method using a self‐organizing particle‐spring system and achieving a controlled level of subdivision modularity of the surface for fabrication. The process is iterative and it has a different approach from a standard computational method such as the dynamic relaxation algorithm, because it does not start with a pre‐given topology and it consists of two simultaneous processes: the one that is defining the minimal surface geometry and the one that is creating the subdivision of the surface to control the basic constituent modules. The method is tested on the case of triply periodic minimal surfaces and from the fabrication point of view it is focusing on defining a tensegrity modular system composed of interlocked rings with a unique dimension or a pre-given set of standard dimensions.

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