Topological generation of woven nodes for double-layered elastic gridshells built from deployable cylindrical components
Elastic gridshells combine geometric elegance and structural efficiency, forming curved surfaces through the elastic deformation of slender elements and offering new opportunities for deployable architectural systems. However, their realization at large scales remains challenging due to the complexity of global deployment, motivating component-based strategies that subdivide the structure into locally deployable units. This work explores a material system composed of cylindrical gridshell components interconnected through woven nodes. The key challenge to address is reconciling differing ribbon layouts across multiple cylinders to form geometrically and topologically consistent nodes. To this end, this paper introduces a computational framework for generating constructible woven node topologies that interconnect these deployable cylindrical components. The method first explores potential matchings between ribbon endpoints based on geometric and combinatorial constraints, and then optimizes the 3D equilibrium state of the assembled structure through physically-based simulation. The proposed approach was validated through a series of experiments using a consistent tripod configuration composed of three interconnected cylindrical components, with both symmetric and asymmetric setups, varying parameters such as the number of ribbons, coiling patterns, and geometric dimensions. The method was further tested with two physical prototypes, demonstrating the feasibility of the computational pipeline and highlighting the practical benefits of efficient packaging enabled by the extended design space.
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