Spider Behaviour - Part 1 - Detection

Project Title: Spider Behaviour

Condition: Academic

Date: 12/2016

Spider Behaviour is a computational and metabolism architecture project developed by Chulalongkorn University undergraduate Settawut Leenavong. The research investigates the behavioral properties of living organisms, specifically focusing on the engineering and composition of spider silk webbing. It includes environmental data collection, analysis of structural components, and the modular elements involved in the cyclical process of web construction.

This lightweight architectural system draws inspiration from the natural strategies spiders employ to build their webs. The project experiments with parametric design methods to evolve web-like enclosures that respond adaptively to sites with complex environmental conditions. It seeks to foster a harmonious integration between architecture and its surroundings, enhancing the organic relationship between built space and the site they occupy.

A distinctive aspect of this project is that the site is conceptually based on the human face; one of the most intricate and recognizable features of the body. The face offers a wealth of complex forms and subtle details, providing rich opportunities for design interpretation and creative challenges.

Spider Behaviour is structured into three main phases. The first phase focuses on facial analysis and reconstruction, serving as the foundation for site analysis. The second phase addresses considerations of scale and dimensionality. Finally, the third phase completes the computational design workflow, integrating parametric webbing enclosures across all three facially inspired sites.

The drawing illustrates a mesh reconstruction of my face, where gradients of black and white arrows indicate variations in elevation, length differences, and the directional flow of paths pointing downward.

Three regions highlighted in red: the eye, nose, and ear, have been selected for detailed analysis due to their distinct and diverse morphological characteristics.

The analysis further dissects the proximity of these areas to uncover layered information about their unique features. The face comprises complex elements such as hairs, bumps, follicles, moisture, softness, slopes, and underlying bone structures. These multifaceted readings reveal the differing conditions that characterize each of the three focal sites.

Site 1 - Eye

The circular red arrows depict the dense arrangement of eyelashes and eyebrows, encoding vector data on their length, displacement, and angular orientation. The drawing also reveals the nuanced terrain texture of the face, highlighting the smooth, reflective surface of the eyeball and the location of the underlying rigid skull structure.

Surface analysis

Site 2 - Nose & Mouth

Similarly, the light density of the mustache and the hair surrounding the wrinkled lips form a highly systematic arrangement. In contrast, the upper nasal hairs exhibit a more irregular pattern, often pointing in opposing directions.

Site 3 - Ear

The ear region represents the most tranquil area, yet it supports the growth of sideburns, characterized by the densest cluster of hairs, which gradually extend outward in a unified direction with minimal variation in their orientation.

Physical models of the dissected regions

Read Part 2:

https://www.chokoon.com/post/spider-behaviour-part-ii-augmentation