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Spinning spider machine

Can live spiders be used to develop a shading system? Spider webs become a building-integrated shading element, housed in prefabricated box-window double skin facades that lower the building's energy consumption and glare. In 2008 NASA found that spiders in zero gravity spin webs of symmetrical, even thickness — I couldn't get to orbit, so I mounted them on a spinning disco-ball motor instead. Through iterations of constant rotation, different materials, and specific box forms, the web forms produced can be curated.

"Weaving the Double Skin III" · with Christopher Horng (B.Arch 2023)

Project
Spinning Spider Machine
Location
Ankara, Turkey
Year
Fall 2021
Studio
Prof. Ahu Aydogan

The experiment — motor + connection + spider’s box + rotation

exploded isometric, front view, vertical rotation, hypothetical end-product
exploded isometric, front view, vertical rotation, hypothetical end-product
sun angles at solar noon · left view and isometric of Iteration A
sun angles at solar noon · left view and isometric of Iteration A

Box iterations — every variable changed where the spider chose to spin

iterations A–D: “we need a box”, magnet + twine, sliding door + fishing line, double-loaded + twine
iterations A–D: “we need a box”, magnet + twine, sliding door + fishing line, double-loaded + twine
iteration E “2-box” — minimized loading chamber, bottom-loaded, new wire planes
iteration E “2-box” — minimized loading chamber, bottom-loaded, new wire planes

What the spiders built

model photos (full)
model photos (full)
sliding door + fishing line box — web forms attached to fishing line
sliding door + fishing line box — web forms attached to fishing line
double-loaded box — funnel web form, Dicey protecting her egg
double-loaded box — funnel web form, Dicey protecting her egg
magnets + twine box — Mikasa on her cluster
magnets + twine box — Mikasa on her cluster
vignettes
vignettes
habitat in hand, studio — October 2021
habitat in hand, studio — October 2021

Conceptual

conceptual render
conceptual render — “itsy bitsy spider” pavilion study

Web as shading element

panel type A houses spiders behind an operable window; type B stays regular
panel type A houses spiders behind an operable window; type B stays regular
panel types mapped against open-space and workspace gradients
panel types mapped against open-space and workspace gradients
airflow — winter conditions A and B, Ankara in January
airflow — winter conditions A and B, Ankara in January
airflow — summer and spring/fall conditions
airflow — summer and spring/fall conditions
final render — webs read as a woven second skin
final render — webs read as a woven second skin