This project consisted of three phases -- each making improvements to the process to increase uniformity while balancing strength and weight.
The first pour consisted of a styrofoam mould CNC'd from a model made in Rhino.
For the second pour, a switch was made to a laminated wood mould. This was in the hopes that a less porous surface would lead to better surface texture.
There were three major changes for the third pour. The concrete blend was altered, replacing sand with glass beads in hopes of reducing weight. The wood mould was fitted with guide holes to better align the top and bottom, and was coated with a polymer oil to improve surface texture.
The final result was a much lighter sculpture than previous iterations, with far fewer imperfections.
Concrete pouring is subject to many outside variables, like temperature and humidity, meaning even a perfect reproduction of the steps for each of these pours could result in a slightly different outcome
All three pours were 'successful', but through small iterations, meaningful differences can be seen in each sculpture.
