Final Report Text

The
Turning
Tulip
A Convertible urban Shading
Final Report
Msc-1 Building Technology
Group- 11
The Bucky Lab
For the course Bucky Lab, the Assignment was to design a convertible
urban sunshade(CUS). Convertible urban shade is a versatile solution
for protection from the sun and other elements in urban environments.
This type of shade can be easily transformed to meet changing needs,
providing flexible options for individuals, businesses, and public
spaces. The exercise took place in the first two quarters of the master
track Building Technology. The first four weeks of the course were
devoted to individual designs. Each student is assigned to create
an individual concept that can be presented in an elevator pitch.
After the pitches, one design was chosen for further development.
The design is aimed to create a sunshade that can cover a large area
and at the same time, it should be compact when it closes so that it
will not create any visual barrier. Furthermore, we wanted a sunshade
that can be transported and installed easily at the site. The simplicity of
this concept is the possibility to provide shade to large squares without
interfering with the attributes of the site which makes it an interesting
design option. The tulip was, therefore, selected for further development.
We briefly want to thank Marcel Billow and Nadia Remmerswaal

for guiding us during this process, and for their helpful tips on the
sunshade design as well as the construction of the prototype. We
are happy with what is achieved in the past two quarters and learned
lots of new skills. We also enjoyed working in a group during the
construction week and created a working prototype... sunshade.
Enjoy reading!
CONTENTS
01
Introduction
- Elevator pitches
- Selected concept
02
Sunshade Design Studies
- Problem statement
- Design vision
- Site location and analysis
- Case study
03
Design development
- Design process
- Model experiments- challanges and solutions
- Final prototype- The Turning Tulip
04
Building weeks
- Construction of CUS
- Final prototype
05
Technical drawings and visualisations
- Technical drawings
- Visualisations
06
Reflections
- Personal reflections on teamwork and the course
07
Appendix
- Calculations
- Other elevator pitches
INTRODUCTION
CUS SELECTION
In Bucky Lab course, it was assigned to design a convertible urban Other CUS
sunshade(CUS). Every individual presented their idea in the elevator
pitch. After the Elevator pitch, we chose Tulip as our selected CUS for
further developement.
We, as a group, aimed to create the most compact sunshade, which

can be deployed to shade an area, when needed and at the same
time, can cover a large area. Moreover, the sunshade which can
also adapt different types of places according to their dimensions &
surrounding.
Selected CUS
Figure 3. Elevator pitch 3 Figure 4. Elevator pitch 4

Source- Aashish’s work Source- Tingew’s work
Figure 1. Elevator pitch 1 Figure 2. Elevator pitch 2
Source- Zahra’s work Source- Bob’s work
Figure 5. Elevator pitch 5

Source- Madavi’s work
The Turning Tulip Bucky Lab 03-02-2023

SUNSHADE
DESIGN STUDIES
PROBLEM STATEMENT
Global warming is the long-term rise in the average temperature of
the Earth’s climate system. It is primarily caused by the emission
of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, into the atmosphere.
These gases trap heat from the sun and warm the Earth, leading to
a range of impacts on the planet’s climate, ecosystems, and human
communities. In urban cities, the outdoor temperature is higher
compared to rural areas, due to a high density of buildings and the
high amount of hardened materials (Urban heat island effect, UHI
effect). The increasing temperature has a negative influence on the
comfort of citizens in outdoor spaces. To improve the outdoor climate
in urban cities, reducing the temperature is necessary.
The focus of this project is to design a sunshade that reduces the

UHI effect, while still providing daylight and improving the use of
outdoor space and the health of citizens. The research question for
this design is:
What sunshade design improves the use of outdoor space and the
health of citizens?
The main reason for heat gain in cities is the use of materials with
a high heat capacity (hardscape). The sun heats up the materials For this design, the Netherlands is taken as a reference. However,
and when saturated materials heat up the air, raising the outdoor the sunshade can also be beneficial for use in other countries, while
temperature. A passive way to reduce this heat gain is to block the considering achieving the preferred shading factor for the fabric.
sun and reduce heat gain from radiation. Sunshades are a good
solution for limiting radiation while still providing daylight. Due to
the increasing temperature of urban cities, it is important to provide
sunshades in open plazas.

DESIGN VISION
We envisioned a compact sunshade, which is shaped like a closed flower, that could be hanged above a square and opened (deployed) during sunny days to provide
shade to a large area.
SOFT CRITERIA HARD CRITERIA Sketches
1- Shading 1-Shading
2--Rotary Mechanism 2-Support Positions: 3 at the perimeter attached

to the ground Hanging Support positions: 6 at
the level of the tulip’s top
3-Easy to operate (open and closed) 3- Operated manually (mechanically, might be

needed) Time: 2-5minutes to open and close the
tulip
4- Hangs in the sky 4- Height 12m when opened Sunshade will be

hanged from 6 cables and 6 tracks and atleast 2 meter gap
between sunshade and support, (for ventilation and view)
5- Decent diffused daylight 5- Fabric’s Shade factor (as per the material
properties)
6- High ratio of open to closed position 6- Ratio at closed position and the open
position- 1/15 to 1/20

SITE STUDIES
Based on the research, the most effective site to reduce the urban The transition square is characterized by a large hardened area,
heat island effect and improve the use of outdoor space are large without a specific function. It mainly connects restaurants, and stores
transition squares, which also contain several outdoor activities. to each other, and is used to get from one location to another(Source).
These squares don’t contain a lot of attributes and are occasionally
UHI effect in the Netherlands used for markets and events. The transition square is because of its
From analyzing cities in the Netherlands on the Urban heat island large hardened empty area an effective spot to reduce heat gain and
effect, Utrecht, Leiden, Amsterdam, Den Haag, and Rotterdam minimize the UHI effect in cities.
seemed to have significantly higher outdoor temperatures than other
cities in the Netherlands. Square sizes
To create a sunshade that is adaptable to different squares, square
sizes were analyzed, in mentioned cities, with their UHI value (Urban
heat Island effect). The sizes of the squares in these cities can be
classified into widths of 20 to 40m (42% of the squares) and 40 to 60m
(30% of the squares)(see table 1) (Nationale energie atlas). A sunsha-
de of 20 meters is most suitable to shade and fit most squares.
Den Haag Rotterdam
Utrecht Amsterdam
Figure X. Temperature in dense cities of the Netherlands

Source- (Nationale energie atlas).
The Transition Square

Within cities, squares play a major role in connecting citizens. Improving
the climate of these outdoor spaces with shading, indirectly improves
the use of these spaces and the health of citizens by reducing UV light.
In the book ‘’ publieke waarde van pleinen’’ five square types are dis-
tinguished, (1) the playground square, (2) the sport square, (3) the
transition square, (4) the resting square, and the (5) the multifuncti- Figure X. Open Square sizes in dense cities of the
onal square. Netherlands
Source- (Nationale energie atlas).

SITE ANALYSIS
Schouwburgplein Other possible locations where Tulip can be installed
A famous transition square, Schouwburgplein, is situated in

Rotterdam, also known as the theatre square. It consists of an open
area of 40x65 meters and also contains various outdoor activities. When placed in an enclosed
Underneath the ground, there is parking for vehicles, with a roof that city square, the sunshade
cannot take a heavy load. The convertible urban shade will be hung at can be attached to the sur-
the Centre of the site to provide maximum shading to the occupants. rounding buildings.
A hung sunshade will also maintain the emptiness of squares and
doesn’t negatively influence the use of the open square.
Diameter of Tulip can be

customize and can be pro-
vided in multiple numbers
Figure X. A bird-eye view of Schouwburgplein

Source- (Google Earth).
Tulip can be placed with ver-

tical support.
Figure X. Schouwburgplein
Source- (Google Earth).

CASE STUDY
Description Prototype
NASA’s flower-shaped starshade is to block out the starlight while
preserving the light emitted by the planet. Working in conjunction
with a space-based telescope, the starshade is able to position itself
precisely between the telescope and the star that’s being observed,
and can block the starlight before it even reaches the telescope’s
mirrors.
Figure X. How NASA Engineers Use Figure X. The Starshade Rendezvous

Origami To Design Future Spacecraft Mission (SRM) design
(source from https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=Ly3hMBD4h5E&t=99s)
Concept
The starshade is made up of petals that are attached to the Inner Disk
Subsystem (IDS). The IDS can be folded into a barrel-like shape with
the petals wrapped around it. The deployment process involves two
stages: first, the petals open up and then second, the IDS extends.
During the initial stage of petal unfurling, the IDS stays in place and
doesn’t move. During the second stage of IDS unfolding, the petals
are fully extended and have their own structural stability, separate
from the IDS. The petals and the IDS are activated in a specific order,
with a clear boundary between them, allowing for each stage of
Figure X. Flower power: NASA reveals spring starshade deployment to be examined separately.
animation
Source- https://exoplanets.nasa.gov.
Figure X. Overview of the IDS testbed.

Source: (Starshade Technology Development Activity Milestone 7A)

CASE STUDY
Design and Construction details The structural hub consists of a central cylinder, two spoke rings,
The following subsections detail the design and construction of the and two truss flanges.Each spoke ring is a precision part to which
individual components of the IDS prototype: the perimeter truss, the 56 spoke interfaces are attached. The spoke rings are bonded to the
spokes, the hub, and the optical shield. central cylinder, which is a rolled thin-walled aluminum tube.
Perimeter Truss Spokes
Figure X. Folding and deployment Figure X. A single perimeter truss bay,

kinematics of the perimeter truss showing key components and the critical
dimensions of those components.
The perimeter truss is a stiff structure that reacts the tensile preload
of the spokes in the deployed configuration. It provides attachment
Figure X. Spoke lacing pattern.(source from
interfaces for each of the 28 petals. Deployed, it is 10.6 m in diameter. Starshade Technology Development Activity
The starshade perimeter truss draws heritage from the successful Milestone 7A)
Astromesh antenna reflectors.
Four spokes are attached to each perimeter truss node, two at the
Structural Hub top, and two at the bottom. The spokes are attached to the hub such
that the tensioned spoke is tangential to the hub cylinder. At each
node, the two top spokes are routed to the top of the hub, and the two
bottom spokes are routed to the bottom of the hub.
Figure X. The structural hub and the hub

fixture.(source from Starshade Technology
Development Activity Milestone 7A)

CASE STUDY
Optical Shield Size
The following subsections detail the design and construction of the

individual components of the IDS prototype: the perimeter truss, the
spokes, the hub, and the optical shield.
Figure X.: The OS during construction, showing the internal-

structure.(source from Starshade Technology Development
Activity Milestone 7A)
Figure X. The screenshot shows the Figure X. The screenshot shows the
deployment of the 10m Inner Disk deployment of the 5m Inner Disk
Subsystem prototype hardware in the test Subsystem prototype hardware in the
A number of aluminum frames canbe seen without integrated facility at Tendeg.(Source from https:// test facility at Tendeg.(Source from
exoplanets.nasa.gov) https://exoplanets.nasa.gov)
blankets. The ribs extend beyond the shown frame network. The
construction of the blankets can also be seen.

CASE STUDY
Prototype compactness Case study Inferences
- Easy to control—one direction force and rotate with wheel

- Compact efficient
- Too much track makes people feel stress under the shading.
- open sky is more popular.
- In our case, completely blocking the light may not be a good
choice.
Figure X. Deployment from a 96% stowed state. The images are at the same scale. - Need to rotate at the same level of the system, but in our case we
(source from Starshade Technology Development Activity Milestone 7A)
need control at a standing height.
Need to search:
- How to support when take self-weight into account.
- How to fix the rotate spring in the center.
- How to hang or connect to constructions.
- How to control opening and closing with minimum force.
Figure X. The IDS prototype, deployed and stowed. Deployed, the IDS is 10.5 m in
diameter. Stowed, it is 2.2 m in diameter. The two images are not at the same scale.
(source from Starshade Technology Development Activity Milestone 7A)

S
DESIGN
DEVELOPMENT
MODELING PROCESS
Model 1 Model 3 Model 6
- Origami paper model - Adding Circular ring - Adding Spring to the

for support. center.
- Tracks for opening and - Two layers of cables.
closing.
Model 2 Model 4 Model 5 Model 7
- Hanging Tulip with - Providing steel reinfor- - Providing steel reinfor- - Final Prototype
steel cables and three cement in tulip. cement in tulip. - Using fabric
vertical support - Soldering the metal - Adding plastic tubes - Using elastic band for
reinforcement. as hinges. the mechanism.

MODELING PROCESS
Model 1 Rails or Cables

The first model is based a hexagonal folding origami. This pattern is To control the moving parts of the flower, and prevent it from drooping
a common one which can be based on a regular polygon to a circle. to create an equally horizontal shade, supporting rails or cables can
For our project we decided to work on the dimensions used in NASA’s be added. In the model shown above the supporting.
Starshade project.
Dimensions
- Outer diameter min. 5 to 6 m (As large as possible)
- Max. height of the tulip’s structure 1.8 m– The hanging height needs
to be defined.
- When closed as compact as possible
- Diameter when is closed will be max. 1m (depends on the fabric
material)
Height of the fabric
Size
We tried to reducing the height of the fabric by adding more side in
Ratio at closed position and the open position- 1/15 to 1/20
fabric (as shown in picture); however, this change was creating many
Max. outer diameter normative, the outer diameter is more leading
complex joinery which was not suitable for the mechanism.
make it at least 5 or 6, thereafter make it as compact as possible.
Height
The tulip’s height is a critical point for us. To reduce this amount, we
have two ways.
1- Change the geometry to a regular shape with more edges and
close to a circle. In this case, the joints do not have enough space to
operate, and this is theoretical.

MODELING PROCESS
Model 2
Proposed site is surrounded by three buildings (i.e. theatres, other
residential and retail building). It consists an open area of 40X65m.
The convertible urban shading will be installed at the center of the site
to provide maximum shading to the occupants. The shading device is
supposed to hang through the surrounding building facade; however
due to the large span and orientation of the surrounding buildings, it
was difficult get the required angle. Therefore, three columns were
used to support the structure.
Figure X. Model 2 pictures

Source- Own work
Design Challenges
Figure X. angles between cables 1. There was not a frictionless movement of fabric through the steel
Source- Own work cables.
2. Sturucturally, it was not stable to support the whole shading device
These three columns are connected with the steel cables at from three cables that will also be difficult in a large scale.
the top, which is supporting the fabric. The shading device 3. In this stage, we used paper as a shading material but if fabric is
is hanged from the edges to the steel cables (as shown in used instead of paper it will be difficult to maintain the shape of tulip.
figure-8) that runs through the cables for opening and closing 4. Since the tulip is hanged only from three sides, it was creating a
of the Tulip. deform shape of tulip. In a large scale, fabric will have its own weight;
therefore, it is require to support the tulip from all six ridges.
5. There was no support from the center to the cables, which made
the tulip unstable.
6. The tulip was planned to operate from the center through the black
threads (as shown in figure-8). Due to the large number of turns in
thread, it was difficult to operate the shading device smoothly.
7. Joinery details were not designed.

MODELING PROCESS
Model 3 In this stage, we tried to rectify all the challenges from the previous
This is the third attempt of models in our process. Newly added stage.
features are:
1. To control the moving parts of the Tulip, and prevent it from drooping
Columns and to create and equally horizontal shade supporting tracks are
To attach the cables to the façade of the buildings at Schouwburgplein, provided. which will allow fabric to move smoothly in these tracks.
they need to be very long. At this site it is therefore not an efficient
solution. To support the flower a maximum of 3 columns will 2. To make the sunshade structurally stable, a ring is provided around
be added. the structure.
Ring frame 3. To provide a proper tulip shape, hard edges (material wood) are
To support the structure of the flower a ring frame is added introduced. These edges works on scissor mechanism and allows
fabric to operate.
Rails or Cables
To control the moving parts of the flower, and prevent it from droop- 4. Six horizontal tracks are used to maintain the shape of tulip.
ing to create an equally horizontal shade, supporting rails or cables
can be added. In the model shown above the supporting.
Figure X. Model 3 picture Figure X. Model 3 picture

Source- Own work Source- Own work

MODELING PROCESS
Model 4
Trying to make the shade’s structure with ductile and transformable
material such as steel wire. In this attempt, we chose a steel wire for
panel’s structures. Since the connections were rigid by soldering, it
did not work out.
Figure X. Model 3 picture

Source- Own work

Source- Own work
As shown in the picture above, with the first try to fold the panel, we
experienced joints fracture very early. The result of this failure led us
towards to joints with more degrees of freedom. Connections with
the ability to rotate in one plane (Pin- Joints) or in 3d space (Sphere
mode) were needed.
Since movements should be in two different axes, panels can get
attached to each other just by having pinned connections. The outer
edges of panels which move in the Z axis also benefit from this
connection type. In the next step, we made separate panel structures
to allow each to move easily. To make precise panels with correct
geometry and angles, the inner joints are rigid.
As we have thickness in our panels, it’s not possible to have a simple
pinned connection. Therefore we searched for the hinged one with Figure X. Model 3 picture
Source- Own work
opening up to 180 degrees.

MODELING PROCESS
Model 5

Source- Own work

Source- Own work
Metal reinforcements on edges
Because the fabric didn’t follow the folding pattern we tried making
some failsafe solutions for the right behaviour of the fabric. We tried
making a complete rigid frame that could hinge in two axis. This
model worked but existed of to many moving parts. It was a very
complicated solution for something that could be done easier.
Source- Own work
MODELING PROCESS
Model 6
In this stage, we investigated the operating mechanism. From the
beginning we were thinking about a central spring that would be
winded up when the mechanism was being opened so it would wind-
in and retract the sunshade. After looking into a couple of different
spring options, we came up with the idea to test an flats spiral torsion
spring, which can be found in measuring tapes for example.
We screwed open the tape, adjusted the cover and attached the wires
for the operating system to the spring case and attached the main
support cables to the tape cover.

Source- Own work
After some testing with the right pretension, the principle worked
fine with paper. Because of the paper stiffness property, it was easy to
fold into the shape of tulip; however, we tried same mechanism with
fabric which again created some new challenges.

Source- Own work

MODELING PROCESS
Model 6

Source- Own work
Metal reinforcements frame

Another potential solution we tested consisted of reinforcments with
steel bars on the straight axis with spaces in between for the fabric to
behave like a hinge. However the idea seemed very usefull the reallity
was that the glue and connections we used were to stiff and the fabric
now didn’t fold in at all. The metal bars in al the crests also hardend Source- Own work
the movement. After testing we quickly abondend this idea of solid
Extra fabric on edges as reinforcements
reinforcements.
The new challenge with the folds that they were not able to be in
the tulip shape, which led us to explore other options. one of options
was adding extra fabric as reinforcements. This was a very useful
lightweight solution, so we continued exploring this option.

MODELING PROCESS
Model 6

Source- Own work
Rigid outer edges

By making the outer edges rigid, the sunshade held it shape better
when folded in. this combination of rigid sewed in folds and a rigid Source- Own work
outer edge gave the best result.
In this mechanism, the steel cables we used had to much friction,
Later on we started testing with the cloth, we figured out that this this resulted in too much counter force for the spring, and it slowly
material was to stiff and rigid. The spring was no longer strong got stuck and started skipping rotations. The spring worked fine but
enough to succesfully operate the mechanism. although the fabric we needed a stronger one. We couldn’t get hold if it, so for the final
looks folded it refused to fold in correctly model we had to think of something else.

FINAL PROTOTYPE- THE TURNING TULIP
‘‘Rotates to open and close.’’

‘‘Shaped like a tulip. To view
the inside of the tulip from the
bottom.’’
4 Reasons to pick this Tulip
‘‘A lightweight shading

structure to be hanged to
the facades. If not possible
supported by a minimized
structure.’’
‘‘A compact shading.’’
‘‘Used in summer and stored

in winter.’’
‘‘Just a sunshade, not a

raincoat. Angled folds, for
water to simply slide off.’’
‘‘Opens like a flower during

the day and closes at
night, to help cooldown the
environment.’’
‘‘For a person to operate when

‘‘As simple as possible. Less
shading is wanted or unwanted.’’
components and simple technical
principles..’’

COMPONENTS USED IN TULIP
Model 7
3 Vertical pulley to turn

the direction of cables to
vertical
1 Horizontal Pulley to run

through the cables along
the ring.
2 Exploded view of center

spring which connects the
ring and the fabric.
4 Winch to operate the Tulip

by using gears.

TRANSPORTATION, INSTALLATION & OPERATION
1 All the comonents can be

prefabricated in the factory
2 First, supporting structure
(frame) should be installed
3 Once frame is installed, Tulip
can be hanged at the center
4 Installed Tulip and ready for
the operation part.
and transport through the on site. through the vehicle support.
trucks.
5 Cables are connected

through the fabric and the
6 Winch can operate the
sunshade by rotating the
7 Once the Tulip is open then
it creates a tension (because
8 Rotating the winch in anti-
clockwise will close the
frame and run through handle clockwise. of center spring) then it can Tulip. This process will
the ring to the controlling be selflock to provide shaded be easy due to tensiomn
point(Winch). condition. created by the spring.

DIGITAL DESIGN
The rotary movement, tracking paths and sunshade’s shape when Kangaroo plug-in
it’s compact were three parameters which made it impossible not To impose force on our sunshade which leads to rotation, we tried
to use the parametric modeling. So we decided to make all of our the Kangaroo Physics as one of the Grasshopper 3D visual language
design digital by writing the related script shown below. programming.
Since all of the dimension parameters are reliant on the frame’s first
radius, scaling this complex geometry became precise and easy.

BUILDING WEEKS
CONSTRUCTION OF CUS
The group work this semester, was based on the each person being Central part
mainly responsible for one specific section to make sure each task At this part, we needed a robust hexagonal wooden case for the
makes parallel progress. This method was also used in the in weekly central spring. To do so, the shaper tool was the best option. So by
sessions and each person were expert in part . However, sometimes importing the CAD file to the shaper, we managed to have a precise
according to the workload people were switching to help the other hexagon out of a wooden block. According to the central part’s design
section. two simple shapes of a circle in a hexagon with different levels of cut
Construction Week simultaneous tasks are mentioned below: elevations are needed. A tongue and groove connection attaches the
1) Central Part spring case to the top part of the hexagon.
2) Frame and columns
3) Pulleys
4) Fabric structure
5) Winch
2 1
Figure X. Final model picture
Source- Own work
The conventional spiral spring is made out a thin metal strap, but
3 since companies wouldn’t provide a single spring and if so the price
was extremely high, we had to experiment with making a different
kind of spring mechanism in the center. Two options of rubber sheet
bands with spiral form and a straight one were tested. Because the
4
ruber sheet could not stand the tension force while it was attached to
5
the case, we were obliged to select the straight one in the left.

Source- Own work Figure X. Final model picture
Source- Own work

CONSTRUCTION OF CUS
Vertical support (Columns) Frame construction process

The three required columns for the model were prepared by using
the saw machine. Since the technical drawings were not compatible
with the existing materials, two layers of 9 mm boards were cut and
then glued together.
1
Creating a jig
2
Division
3
The Router

Source- Own work 4
Mapping
Frame
The outer frame became twice the size we had planned it for. Instead
of making one large circle out of a single sheet we doubled the
thickness and made 8 quarter circles that got connected brick wise.
although we haven’t tested the strength of a single plate, looking at 5
the forces that appear when operating the mechanism it was a good Glue and
Screw
choice to beefen up the support structure.
This process consists of six steps:
6
1.Making a Jig Clamping
2.Dividing the frame into four planar parts and 2 layers.
3.Using the router to cut pieces
4.Drawing a legend on the ground to have pieces as a precise circle
5.Sticking the eight pieces with glue and Screwing the horizontal
frames
6. Clamping the pieces together for one day
CONSTRUCTION OF CUS
Pulleys Pulley B
As illustrated in the technical drawings, three types of pulleys were This pulley is responsible to collect and guide all six cables in one
designed to guide the cables aligned with the frame. Sixteen pulleys group. Therefore, at the initial design, two sets of vertical pulleys
screwed to the middle line of the frame, known as pulley A were were considered. However it changed to two vertical pulleys with one
made out of three materials and each by a different technique. bigger case which got attached to the frame by two long screws.
Pulleys’ process in general
Pulleys’outer part is made by cutting an aluminium sheet into 25mm
straps. Then the straps are sawed again to get divided into smaller
parts. The critical point was how to bend these pieces from the
correct position. Which became possible by taking advantage of a
table clamp.

Source- Own work
Winch
At the design phase, we assumed that this pulley which is for operation
would be a conventional one, but in the development phase, it shifted
to a winch with worm gear mechanism.
Source- Own work
The central cylinder is the result of using the shaper and the circular
parts with less width at two sides, are produced by drilling. These
parts were glued together and then attached by a bolt.
Figure X. Final model picture Figure X. Final model picture

CONSTRUCTION OF CUS
Winch completion process Challenges

Since the worm gear production should be accurate to allow the rotary
mechanism, we decided to use the additive manufavturing method.
The 3d-printed winch was made out of plastic filaments glued to the
Cable coming together
worms central part. The glued joint was not strong enough to tolerate
the force. As a result, the winch torn apart.In another approach, we
1 used a nail to stick the worm to the the central part.
Priliminary Design Hard to pull manually As shown in the pictures, six cables were braided together to unify.
A single Pulley
One-way driving
Reversible operation
Self-lock system
Many revolutions at slow

speed.
More speed will generate
2 heat to melt the plastic.
Construction
Worm Driving
Easy to operate
Thinking further
3 Come up a way both
Final oparete easily and reduce
Gear Driving the force in practice.

Source- Own work

CONSTRUCTION OF CUS
Fabric Fabric Attachment to the Spring Case Fabric Attachment to

wooden ring & Threads
As a pattern for our origami sunshade, we printed a plan based on
our prototype’s scale. Then the guiding lines, were projected on the
fabric by a fabric chalk. The origami lines had to get sewed to a pocket Creating pockets to cover the
wooden ring
to stay robust. Therefore, a 5 mm offset were considered to provide
The fabric is rotated
this space. The sewing process took place manualy in two rounds for around the hexagon
having rigid pockets which were cables seat. edges. Therefore they
should be strongly
integrated
Pockets sewing created

1 sharp edges as folding
lines. Six small screws
integrated the
wooden ring to
the upper wooden
Cutting the fabric part
Mapping
Sewing the Pockets
As shown in the picture,

4
threads run along the
edges in the pockets.
Running the treads
from the holes in the
hexagon through the
Sewing the End Edges fabric

CONSTRUCTION OF CUS
Mechanism and Assembly Cables

In the assembly of rubberband to wood in our first attempt, we In the construction week, due to the high friction caused by cables,
tried to screw them together but the rubberband torn apart. So we we looked for strings with smooth covers and same strength. By
changed our mechanism tool with preserving the principle. Later Marcel’s advise, in this prototype, simple thread with high strength
in the process, we transformed the centre to fit some ballbearings were applied.
because the wood-on-wood friction was higher then expected. This Upper cables
resulted in a smooth frictionless rotating mechanism.
There are two sets of cables, the first set is for keeping the hexagon
in the center by being attached to the frame by eye screws. Also,
the fabric is hanging from the upper cables by integrated wires to
the mountain folds.

Source- Own work

CONSTRUCTION OF CUS
Central part & cables to the frame Lower cables

To put the right position, we had to draw the exact circle with Lower cables knotted at the endpoints start from the haxagon top
dimensions on a board and adjust it manually. The jig we used before part, going through pre-drilling holes and pockets. At the other side
for the router part was reused for this step. of the fabric, these cables get free to rotate around the frame by
leading pulleys.
Figure X. Final model picture Figure X. Final model picture


CONSTRUCTION OF CUS
Testing and adjustment of the Elastic Band Final Prototype

The elastic band which we chose is the one that gets used for
bycicles. We adjusted the elasticity strength and its imposing force
by changing the band’s effective length.

TECHNICAL DRAWINGS
TECHNICAL DRAWINGS

TECHNICAL DRAWINGS

TECHNICAL DRAWINGS

TECHNICAL DRAWINGS 10 12.5 5 12.5 10 Circular outer Ring
EQ.
21
25
EQ.
Pulley type A, refer
construction drawings for
details
Pulley type B, refer

details
Tension Cables
Vertical Post 50X25mm
Joining cables into one

cable
Connection between Pulley A and Pulley B
Pulley type A, refer

details
Pulley type B, refer

construction drawings for Circular outer Ring
details
4 12 4 20 Pulley type A, refer
Circular outer Ring construction drawings for
details
EQ.
20
25
5 mm dia. pointed screw

EQ.
30 Joinery detail between Frame and Pulley A

10
2
Vertical Post 50X25mm
Joinery detail between Frame and Pulley B Joinery details

TECHNICAL DRAWINGS

TECHNICAL DRAWINGS

TECHNICAL DRAWINGS

TECHNICAL DRAWINGS

TECHNICAL DRAWINGS

TECHNICAL DRAWINGS

VISUALIZATIONS
REFLECTION
REFLECTION
Tingew Du
Msc-1 Building Technology track
This Bucky lab was such an amazing experience for me. I really got so much out
of the process and thought about what could be improved. I learnt from the class
presentations and the feedback from the teacher. Throughout the teamwork I was
responsible for the model making, mechanical concept and the construction of the
winch part. I found that I was more used to optimising specific mechanical principles,
but not good at workflow. However, Zahra was very good at this, organising and
assigning tasks, making decisions to move the project forward and completing the
weekly reports. Aashish was very good at rational analysis and raising possible
pitfalls in time. Bob took on the most important task of the central spring mechanics
and provided clear direction when we encountered problems. Madevi was very good
at editorial and research work, and she took the notes of our group meetings and
researched the site and materials. I was lucky to be part of such a complete group
where we complemented each other’s abilities and took on our responsibilities.
Sketching, experimenting, reflecting and improving this design process has taught
me the priceless lesson of acting fast, failing fast and learning from process.
If I wanted to improve the course, I would like to see more interact workshops with
other courses. Also, perhaps the time spent on pre-design could be compressed
so that we have two weeks after the building week to do another small design
optimisation so that we can validate the ideas that come out. Overall, I really enjoyed
the set up of the course and I really felt that the process gave me a wonderful
feeling of doing the design like an experiment. And this theory can be applied to
my life. Thanks to Nadia for making me feel the magic power of speech and Marcel
for making me realise the power of doing and acting.I’m sincerely pround that this
course is dedicated to giving us those abilities that are beyond knowledge and hope
it will go further.

REFLECTION Aashish Sadaphal
Personal reflection
After seeing many excellent elevator pitches from my peers, I decided to choose
Tulip, which was the idea of Zahra and Bob. Finding myself in an excellent group,
where each individual has unique qualities gave me a feeling of excitement with
new learnings. While continuously working on the mechanism, we failed a lot.
However, these failures taught me a lot about the material, geometry, and function.
For instance, why the metal cables are not good for movable joints, or why the fabric
does not stay in the shape? From week one, I always tried to share opinions with my
group mates. However, most of the time. I found no response from the team as they
want to work on their own and do not want to share their thoughts. Zahra, Tingew,
and I worked on different models every week to make our mechanism work and
shared each and every detail in the group. After some weeks Bob shared his idea
about the mechanism which we as a group really liked and started working on that.
In my opinion, I learned more from the process where I worked on modeling hall,
burned my finger, and got some blood than from working on the final prototype.
Groupwork reflection
Working in a group was always taught me new learning, how to collaborate and
respect each other’s ideas to provide the best solutions. Being an experienced
person in the group, I have never tried to impose my opinions on others. Sometimes,
I waited for people to take responsibility; however most of the time I did not get any
response. For example, what will the structure of the presentation or report? Then, I
had to take a stand to take this further. I have always shared my idea as a suggestion
and asked for better ideas to get the most desirable results. In my opinion, everyone
should be a leader by taking responsibility instead of waiting for someone to take it.
There should not be a leader who will guide the process. Despite having conflicts,
which people did not discuss, we were able to make a working prototype. However,
our presentation could be better, in terms of explaining the mechanism. In the end,
I would say working every week on our failures, I cannot call them wasted days as I
learned a lot from them.
Technical and course reflection

I have always been intrigued by the workshop and creating something in the real world.
Bucky lab provided me with lots of opportunities to learn new skills, including using
router machines to cut wood delicately. The most important part for me is the
process, as we tried every week with new challenges and helpful suggestions from
Marcel and Nadia to make our mechanism work. While facing new challenges gave
me a feeling to climb up toward the best solution for our CUS. Apart from the course,
I like the way how Marcel is passionate about tools and machines which motivates
me a lot. In nutshell, working in an environment with supportive guidance allowed
me to explore things beyond the line.

REFLECTION Zahra Khoshnevis
Personal reflection
I was initially enthusiastic to find that Bob’s ideas aligned with mine, which seemed
like a strong foundation for our group. However, I felt uncomfortable having to
repeatedly ask for people’s opinions and wished for more open discussions to avoid
conflicts. Despite mixed feelings, I discovered the unique talents and skills of each
group member: Madevi excelled in research and fabric development, Du had a talent
for mechanism, digital design, and patience with delicate models, and Bob was
skilled in structural analysis and practical techniques, and Aashish was precise and
experienced in analytical thinking, presentation, and problem detection.
Working in this diverse group was a valuable learning experience for me. Despite
facing language barriers and differences in cultural background and education, the
group was respectful and worked well together. One thing that made some of us with
similar cultural backgrounds more linked to our thinking process, was our thirst
to work and try as much as possible in the time we had. But this wasn’t the same
for rest and if something was a simple answer it would be enough with no place
to explore more. Due to varying educational backgrounds, sometimes architectural
finesse was overlooked, which sets apart an architect like Santiago Calatrava from
a typical civil engineer. This led sometimes to a burden on some of us to turn the
work into something presentable for the master’s degree and appropriate for the
professional level.
All in all, I am deeply happy that I had the chance to work with these talented people.
And if you ask me if I want to go back to just working with people with the same
opinion as you? No, not at all, I have just started to learn how to overcome this
challenge. I might not be the best for this role, but I am willing to learn.
Technical and course reflection

This course was a wealth of opportunities and innovative thinking. I gained valuable
knowledge from our many attempts at model-making, and working with different
materials and tools improved my practical problem-solving skills. While I enjoyed
the experience, I feel that more time could have been devoted to developing each
idea. I am now more knowledgeable about the mechanisms involved and am eager
to take my skills to the next level by exploring new ways to eliminate poles.
I was impressed by Marcel’s expertise in construction techniques and his clear vision
for the project’s goals. Nadia’s guidance on delivering a compelling elevator pitch
was particularly helpful in today’s market-driven environment. However, conflicting
opinions between Marcel and Nadia at times slowed our progress.
I am grateful for Marcel and Nadia’s contributions to the course and for creating a
positive and supportive atmosphere throughout.

REFLECTION Bob Post
Personal reflection
Looking back at the project I have some mixed feelings about the progress I made.
From the start I found it quite hard to judge how to position myself in the group.
Because we worked with my pitched concept, should I have taken the leadership
role? While Aashish and Zahra both already had years of experience working as
Architects in their home country this gave me some inner conflict how to position
myself. The fact that I had never worked with people from different nationalities, and
the fact that ‘we’ as Dutch, safe in our own country, are seen as being bossy I didn’t
want to spoil the group connection. This later gave me the feeling that I missed
some authority when I would have wanted it. Looking back, it would’ve been an ideal
situation to develop some more management/leadership capacities, where I now
missed out on.
The group cooperation for me leaves much to be desired for the future. We didn’t
make any hard arrangements about working times at the studio. Which lead into
people not being there or not at the same time. We weren’t on the same page when
it came to the design vision as well. Where I wanted it to be as simplistic and efficient
as possible, the architectural desires of the others were creating a way more (in my
eyes unnecessary) difficult design to work out. While we discussed which direction
we wanted to go, every time we got to getter it felt like we didn’t discussed anything.
The products were completely different in spirit than I had envisioned. This resulted
in us not making too much progress over the weeks. In the end, in my eyes, we nearly
finished with what we already had in week 2. Because we lost to much time standing
directly opposite of each other on the beginning of every week.
Technical reflection
The technical process of innovation logically has much to do with the groupwork.
As mentioned above because we weren’t on the same design page. This harmed
the innovation and development. For example, the final model works nicely with the
bungee cord as a spring. But it could have been so much easier by having the same
principles but with a rope and a weight instead of a spring. Because the force of a
spring changed and put unnecessary stresses on everything. While a simple weight
would have been so much easier and has the advantage of a linear force distribution.
But because we had so much discussing going on, and I had to defend my ideas and
make them clear over and over. I lost the overview of making the model even more
efficient.
So overall moderately happy with the result, because it could have been so much
more, but the we managed to deliver a working model that matched our criteria.

REFLECTION
Madavi Sewnath
It’s hard to design something good if you don’t really know the exact problem you’re
trying to solve. That is why designing has always been a complex and especially
challenging process for me. But I’m slowly learning that design is a product of a
development, a process that you can shape the way you want. A process that, if
executed properly, can lead to many beautiful designs. And a process that will help
you understand the solutions, but most importantly the problem you are trying to
solve and your own criteria. Bucky Lab taught me to like the process, especially by
focusing on creating something and enjoying it. This made me realize that being too
critical at an early stage stagnates development. This practical method works very
well for minimizing criticism and will be something I will use more often in the future.
Our group was stubborn, we disagreed most of the time. Design visions and options
have been scrutinized and criticized as ´´bad´´. This has taught me that it’s better
to go beyond saying it’s a bad or good idea, and to discuss design as something to
learn from. It taught me to examine all the pros and cons of a design, get inspired
and create new ones, and improve the overall development, ultimately leading to a
better developed design. After weeks of discussing design options, we became more
flexible and finally created a design we all agreed on. This has led to a very good
construction process during the construction weeks. The construction drawings were
clear and complete and the construction of the prototype went smoothly. Everyone
was aware of what needed to be done, and knew the project by heart. We worked
very well together. I also learned to sew and discovered how wonderful fabric is.
Bucky lab is the first course where I really had to build something. I had no experience
In designing movable objects. This was very challenging, because I didn’t know how
to approach this assignment. Moving technical parts in particular were difficult for
me to understand. I have learned that models are very helpful in understanding
and solving these parts. But what I also learned is that inspiration can come from
anywhere. In our project, the movement of a tape measure, the pleating of a skirt, a
rotating table, etc. In other words, solutions are everywhere, and sometimes doing
something different can help get there. Finally I would like to thank the teachers
and my groupmates for everything I learned from them, it wouldn´t have been this
educational without you.
APPENDIX
CALCULATIONS
Calculations How to operate manually?

How much force is needed by a man to pull? Two design prototype
Weight of the sunshade fabric, 314m² x 1,2kg* = 376kg

(*weight of a reference product: https://www.auracanopies.co.uk/ar-
chitect/tensile-fabric-structures/)
With a diameter of 20 meters the outer roller needs to cover a dis-

tance of 8 meters, 10 meters radius minus 2 meter diameter when
folded in.
Figure X. Worm gear (source Figure X. Normal gear

fromhttps://en.wikipedia.org/ https://www.youtube.com/
wiki/Worm_drive watch?v=YG1DW5p-nlk
By using a worm gear and a normal gear we have a self-locking gear

mechanism.
Self-locking
When winding the spool to fold out the sunshade the tension in the
spring will increase, when you would suddenly let loose of the spool
and not set the brake the sunshade will fold in again. After using a
self-locking gear this risk is disappears. The worm gear is the driving
Force needed by a human to pull= 325N gear, so the crank-arm is attached to the worm gear. You can operate
it two ways. When winding up the spool, so unfolding the sunshade.
With a spool of 0,2 m diameter the circumference is 0,62. You need to put in force, when folding in the sunshade the central
spring takes over. You only have to guide the process by unwinding
The spool needs to be rotated 12 times. With a lever of 0,4m the force
the spool.
needed is 172,5N
Force reduction
According to moment formula:
Force can be reduced by maxidriving the large wheel with a small

wheel and extending the grip.
ELEVATOR PITCHES
I arrived in the Netherlands on the 38-degree summer days, suddenly obliged to cycle everywhere. Going up a bridge with my bike, I was lost and felt like my heart would explode at
any moment. So, I pulled over at an intersection.... and wow, what scenery, multiple restaurants and a small bench between two trees. However, I was still melting. Now, I wonder
if I could just be chilled over the Zuidkolk for a little bit? Not then, but now I firmly believe that it could hopefully be possible by placing a hexagonal origami shade between two
external supports or trees. People using the shade just need to spin the crank and strings responsible for pushing or pulling two symmetric telescopic jacks at the shade’s two
ends. This either modular or large shade will tell you about the city when it is fully opened. Wanna go on a city tour?

ELEVATOR PITCHES

ELEVATOR PITCHES
Interact With Street
Tingwei Du 5808138
This shade device was designed for street performers. Foldable and compact are his most prominent features. The scissor-shaped kickstand has a self-locking system and can be
opened to any height and proportion. When the sunshade is fully open, it can also be turned into a display panel to market itself to the public. With easy to move wheels on the bottom,
you can place it in any corner of the city.
100%
50%
0%
Fully compressed self-lock Fully open

ELEVATOR PITCHES

ELEVATOR PITCHES
The Dam in Amsterdam was once the center of the world,

there were lots of markets and one of them was the flower
market. The Tulip was the king of the market, and still is
one of the most exported products of the Netherlands. To
bring back this important player in history I present you
the sunshade tulip.
When in an enclosed city square the cables can be
mounted to the facades. put the stem under the bud and
a new tulip is born.
The biggest flex of this design is, when its folded out, the
structure increases its size by 3750%.
The mechanics behind it are really simple, pull the cables
and it folds out, release the tension in the cable and the
spiral torsion spring in the center winds up again and
folds in back to a tulip.
Let’s get the tulip back to the Dam

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The

We briefly want to thank Marcel Billow and Nadia Remmerswaal

We, as a group, aimed to create the most compact sunshade, which

Figure 3. Elevator pitch 3 Figure 4. Elevator pitch 4

Figure 5. Elevator pitch 5

The Turning Tulip Bucky Lab 03-02-2023

The focus of this project is to design a sunshade that reduces the

The Turning Tulip Bucky Lab 03-02-2023

SOFT CRITERIA HARD CRITERIA Sketches

2--Rotary Mechanism 2-Support Positions: 3 at the perimeter attached

3-Easy to operate (open and closed) 3- Operated manually (mechanically, might be

4- Hangs in the sky 4- Height 12m when opened Sunshade will be

The Turning Tulip Bucky Lab 03-02-2023

Den Haag Rotterdam

Figure X. Temperature in dense cities of the Netherlands

The Transition Square

The Turning Tulip Bucky Lab 03-02-2023

Schouwburgplein Other possible locations where Tulip can be installed

A famous transition square, Schouwburgplein, is situated in

Diameter of Tulip can be

Figure X. A bird-eye view of Schouwburgplein

Tulip can be placed with ver-

The Turning Tulip Bucky Lab 03-02-2023

Figure X. How NASA Engineers Use Figure X. The Starshade Rendezvous

Figure X. Overview of the IDS testbed.

The Turning Tulip Bucky Lab 03-02-2023

Perimeter Truss Spokes

Figure X. Folding and deployment Figure X. A single perimeter truss bay,

Figure X. The structural hub and the hub

The Turning Tulip Bucky Lab 03-02-2023

Optical Shield Size

The following subsections detail the design and construction of the

Figure X.: The OS during construction, showing the internal-

The Turning Tulip Bucky Lab 03-02-2023

Prototype compactness Case study Inferences

- Easy to control—one direction force and rotate with wheel

The Turning Tulip Bucky Lab 03-02-2023

Model 1 Model 3 Model 6

- Origami paper model - Adding Circular ring - Adding Spring to the

Model 2 Model 4 Model 5 Model 7

The Turning Tulip Bucky Lab 03-02-2023

Model 1 Rails or Cables

The Turning Tulip Bucky Lab 03-02-2023

Figure X. Model 2 pictures

7. Joinery details were not designed.

The Turning Tulip Bucky Lab 03-02-2023

Figure X. Model 3 picture Figure X. Model 3 picture

The Turning Tulip Bucky Lab 03-02-2023

Figure X. Model 3 picture

Figure X. Model 3 picture

The Turning Tulip Bucky Lab 03-02-2023

Figure X. Model 3 picture

Figure X. Model 3 picture

Figure X. Model 3 picture

Figure X. Model 3 picture

The Turning Tulip Bucky Lab 03-02-2023

Figure X. Model 3 picture

Metal reinforcements frame

The Turning Tulip Bucky Lab 03-02-2023

Figure X. Model 3 picture

Rigid outer edges

The Turning Tulip Bucky Lab 03-02-2023

‘‘Rotates to open and close.’’

‘‘A lightweight shading