For this project (as part of my Design 3D class), we were charged with creating a lamp or light source that was composed of multiple similar units. I had recently become obsessed with both woodworking and parametric design (in particular the works of Antoni Gaudi) so I thought I'd try my hand at combining the two. Many parametric designs are very flowing and organic, so I tried to capture that essence by using man-made materials to allude back to the more graceful forms found in nature; I wanted to create something that looked like it had been plucked from the bottom of the ocean on a different planet.

I started by making a custom "amoebic" shape in Illustrator, then transformed & rotated that form into a spiral until I achieved the look I wanted. I then transferred over those vector images into a 3D modeler to get a better feel for the design. I also separated each individual shape (or group of shapes) into plates essentially so that they could be cut out of particle board using a CNC laser cutter. I disassembled and reassembled a Halloween flood light to use as the light source. This was definitely a lesson in patience, as the spacing and angle of each individual piece had to be meticulously placed / glued - I had several iterations before this that either fell apart or didn't look right. Overall however, I'm very pleased with the result and hope to make many more lamps like it soon.