Inspiration in Geometry

Today I was left to my own devices to work on a corner of a current project. I don't imagine it will stay exactly this way as the design process progresses, but it was fun to come up with a new idea. We started with the idea of setting an angle in a very rectangular building and I really ran with it.

After seeing the DesignFlex product by Armstrong weeks again, we knew we wanted to find a place to use the heavily patterned ceiling system somewhere and it turns out this might be the right application for it. DesignFlex allows for the incorporation of triangle and parallelogram shapes in addition to the traditional 2x2 and 2x4 panels that usually form the grids in acoustic ceilings. DesignFlex also contains options for colored panels, adding another layer to the ceiling plane. And I bet you thought that was it? Armstrong also partners with a few lighting manufacturers that make customized lighting fixtures to run along the grid of the ceiling. The flaw? Armstrong offers Revit models for a lot of their products, but not for this one.

In order to model this ceiling I created two ceiling planes in Revit, one on top of the other with a different of about 1/4". Then after selecting the lower ceiling, I used Create Parts in order to divide the ceiling into the grid pattern I wanted to use.

For the light fixtures, I was lucky enough to find a product that was already modeled in Revit by the manufacturer. I had been flipping through magazines for at least an hour, searching for any lighting brand I hadn't heard of before to look for something new. Something to match the dynamic look of the geometry in the DesignFlex. I found this something in an ad in for a light fixture called Delta by LightArt, a 3form company. The "deltas" instantly drew me in as I saw the connection in the angular pattern of the DesignFlex and I had to try it out.

And this is where the design ends today. After a long day at work, I signed off and I'll let it be for now. But I hope this has been a peek into my design process for you. I recognize that the design process is ever-evolving and that things will probably change going forward and also that they should change. The first idea is never the best idea. But sometimes it's fun to pause along the way. -C