When One Door Closes, Another Opens
I created an interactive sculpture inspired by this quote:
When one door closes, another opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us. — Alexander Graham Bell
This quote felt very relevant to my senior semester of college, and I wanted to create a playful piece that invited audiences to interact and engage with it while being self-reflective.
The digital design was done using SketchUp, then fabricated using a laser cutter. This was my final project for the 3D Fundamentals course at Northeastern University.
Process
Although this was my first time working in 3D, I was able to apply my usual design process.
Research
This sculpture was mainly inspired by the works of Arthur Ganson, Theo Jansen, Alexander Calder, Chuck Hoberman, Ivan Black, and Dukno Yoon.
Prototyping
The design for this sculpture went through a number of iterations, driven by a series of prototypes.
My original concept sketch involved a chaotic tower of interconnected doors.
Engineering the pulley-hinge took some thinking, and I took some inspiration from the "Another Door" sculpture.
This hinge prototype revealed that the doors needed supports so that they wouldn't wobble when opened.
Translating the sketch into a digital model showed that "floating" doors are tricky.
I simplified the design to be a single-level ring of interconnected doors.
Each door has a unique design inspired by doors from around Boston.
Fabrication
The thickness of each piece of wood was incorporated into the final design, so that each part fits snugly together for a press fit.
Presentation
I designed a poster that gives an overview of the design process behind the piece.
