Topology Optimization Study
at the Aarhus School of Architecture
We recently partnered with the Aarhus School of Architecture in Denmark to explore and experiment with topology optimization for architectural applications, using the topology optimization capabilities of solidThinking Inspired as part of the student workshop. Led with the help of Andy Bartels, solidThinking’s program manager – advanced modeling tools, the workshop was a great success in highlighting to the school board and dean, as well as visiting guests from the urban planning department of Aarhus City administration, that the combination of robotic fabrication with hotwire cutting and topology optimization has a very strong architectural potential.
“The school board and City of Aarhus administration were really impressed that our students were able to grasp a process as complex as topology optimization within one day, and I must give full credit for this to the simplicity of the interface of solidThinking Inspired,” said Asbjørn Søndergaard, head of digital experimentation, Architect M.Arch., Aarhus School of Architecture. “The representatives of the city administration were so inspired by the results and potential that they offered us a prominent site for our prototype demonstration and public exhibition in downtown Aarhus held Oct. 16. The exhibition was a huge success and furthered our efforts to implement teaching in optimization, building on the positive experience from this workshop.”
We’d like to give many thanks to all of the participants, and especially to Asbjørn Søndergaard for the feedback and stunning photos and images from the workshop, which can be accessed by visiting our Facebook album, Aarhus – Inspired/Topology Optimization Workshop. We’ll be sure to share more from the upcoming exhibition in future articles.
solidThinking in Action:
The Sundog Eyewear Experience
Sundog Eyewear sets its sights high – both for the performance-focused eyewear it produces and for the technology integrated into the product design process. The needs of the marketplace have raised the bar for the company’s designers, as Sundog finds its success hinges heavily on trends, seasonality and the ability to quickly adapt.
As a rapidly evolving company that recently celebrated its 27th anniversary, Sundog Eyewear is best known in North America and in the golf industry, where the company’s Mela-Lens (Melanin Lens Technology) is worn by PGA star Hunter Mahan and the LPGA’s Paula Creamer. Sundog Eyewear also has a following in the UK, where the Mela-Lens has grabbed the attention of the running, cycling and triathlon circuits.
Michal Hrk, the company’s creative director, is involved in product design development from the conceptual stage all the way through to manufacturing; and from his perspective, creating a unique DNA for the brand is paramount.
“We approach the process to create products that are innovative and desirable,” said Hrk. “When functionality and aesthetic value become one, good design comes to life.”
solidThinking is a tool that has given Sundog the ability to do just that. Its capabilities have allowed the company’s designers to quickly add more detail to each design’s surface, and the software also makes the task of modifying existing CAD data from the manufacturer more streamlined. Sundog designers also rank solidThinking’s tools layout, intuitive approach to surface creation and “Extend Surface” tool among favorite program attributes. Its ability to run on the Mac platform also is a significant benefit for Sundog.
Before integrating solidThinking, the company’s previous process (which began with sketches on paper and then moved to 2D rendering) left a gap in the designer’s ability to translate an idea to engineers at the manufacturing stage. After integrating solidThinking into the design process, Hrk and his team have significantly reduced the impact of this challenge.
“In a way, solidThinking provides an almost universal language that helps designers and engineering specialists to communicate effectively,” said Hrk.
Overall, Hrk considers Sundog’s purchase of solidThinking an innovative means to achieve results from the design perspective and also from the perspective of retail success for the company’s eyewear products.
“We purchased solidThinking to enhance our ability to create better designs and functional products that appeal to the consumer, to gain more control over the development process and to ultimately bring these products to the marketplace sooner,” Hrk added.
For more information on Sundog Eyewear and its lineup of innovative, high-quality eyewear, visit cart.sundogeyewear.com.
solidThinking Team Spotlight:
Antonio Flores
In the spirit of collaboration, we’re giving our loyal readers and solidThinking enthusiasts insight into the creative minds behind solidThinking by profiling a new key team member every quarter. For our inaugural article we sat down with one of solidThinking’s veteran senior product specialists, Antonio Flores, for a Q&A session about solidThinking, the industry and his creative inspirations.
Click here for the full article and more about Antonio Flores.
Be on the lookout for more on the solidThinking team in future newsletters
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