Ribbing is a vase designed for floral display and for use as a standalone sculptural object. Vertical ribs run across the curved body, and their contours shift as they follow the changing form. The woven appearance is created with metal-filled filament and produced with a 3D printer. A removable glass insert holds water and can be washed or replaced. Ribbing suits both indoor and outdoor settings. When placed in a moist environment over time, a rusted patina slowly appears on the surface and adds nuance to the exterior.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- Ribbing vase as a floral display medium also speaks for itself with binary visual language in any spatial setting. Its vertical ribs pattern change their contour as they adapt along the curvy shapes, creating a constant momentum on a solid surface. The woven look of the ribbing vase is made out of metal filament and manufactured with a 3D printer. When exposed outdoors over time, a rusted patina will slowly appear on the surface, also known as oxidizing, adding some nuances on the exterior layer that almost resemble a rusty sculpture.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- Large Vase: 140mm,167mm. Small Vase: 90mm, 102mm. Material: copper, iron and brass.
- Tags
- rubbing, vase, 3D printing, home decor aesthetic, fusion, computational
- Production Technology
- In order to manufacture ribbing vases with high-quality production, waste reduction and cost efficiency, I adapted the use of 3D printers and computational software, Grasshopper. After several rounds of testing, I figured out using default slicer software to generate G-code for print is inefficient. Instead, by utilizing G-code directly in Grasshopper allows me to fully control the 3D printer and optimize the production. More specifically, the scripted data transforming my design into a series of curves and paths have turned into the assigned route of the 3D printer. As for the material used, ribbing was made from metal-filled filament, HTPLA.
- Design Challenge
- The making process attains zero waste, zero emission, fully sustainable and self-reliant action by implementing additive manufacturing technology into our production pipeline. Ribbing vases need to fit in 3D printers without any support material and can be manufactured on a small scale by consumer-driven 3D printers. We would also love to support regional markets by manufacturing our products locally. Thus, the ribbing vase was fully designed, manufactured, and assembled in Brooklyn, New York.
- Project Duration
- The Ribbing started in April 2020 and finished in January 2021. Design and manufactured in Brooklyn, NY.
- Operation Flow
- Ribbing vase served as both flower container and diffuser. Users can easily remove the inserted glass piece from the vase to either wash or replace. Ribbing vase itself can fit into both indoor or outdoor environments as a static decor object. If the user prefers the rusted texture, it can be placed in a moisture environment over time as oxidized rust and patina slowly appear on the surface naturally.
- Research
- This project explores a new relationship between vases and plants. People normally think flowers come before vases, and vases seem to be pointless when the plants are gone . My research aims to reverse this vector through designing a vase with inherent voice and sculptural expression. Balancing rigidity and flexibility of the form is the key to achieve the desirable outputs, flipping the general perception of floral decor objects. Ribbing vase presents a feasible option to prove the knit-looking contour can also be made out of metal.
- Inspiration
- Ribbing vase challenges to yield aesthetic expression by combining two contradictory elements: rigidity and flexibility. The Ribbing is inspired from the rib knit, a soft, flimsy and stretchy fabric type. I took this feature and applied it upon the solid form; woven it by metal filament with a 3D printer that simulates a fabric-like surfacing. Ribbing vase presents a refreshing look by fusing the textured appearance, metal materiality and digital manufacturing.
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