waffles

Research and exploration were the main focus of this project. With the grasshopper plugin, waffling as a concept was studied in order to create a tool that allows a designer or user to take any form, object or geometry and turn it into waffles. The variation of grids, direction, density, curvature, tilt and other aspects were all examined and integrated into this tool, to allow a generative but focussed approach by the user along those parameters, which can be changed through various function groups inside the tool. This generates endless use cases, from simple waffling prototypes to examine the form of an object, to architectural spaces since the material is up to the user and even real products. 

Together with Angou Liu and Leopold Heimpel

At the beginning of the project the goal and inspiration were Mike Sheldrake's surfboard cores made out of cardboard. Our question was how to use waffling to change the grid density to create different volume in certain areas to improve certain aspects of surfboards we had been dissatisfied with.

The grasshoper file works with function groups that take different approaches to changing the grid structure. These groups work as illustrated in the animations: Simple density, rotation and tilt of the ground plane, waffle culling determined by the distance to a reference point and section removal based on adjustable geometry. The tool is fun and easy to use so give it a try:

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