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Take a few seconds to get familiar with the free-D website and its features.
Take a few seconds to get familiar with the free-D website and its features.
free-D.nl, provides a highly interactive tool to find, share and discuss topics related to non-orthogonal buildings. The growing free-D data-base aids in exploiting the potential of CAD technology, by organizing and schematizing on the use, design and construction of buildings with curved facades.
The free-D.nl classifies buildings by the Cad-tool morphological scheme, a shaping scheme based on graphics, that represent the drawing tools by which a building volume in software is generated.
Currently no such platform exists which restricts itself to the theme of non-orthogonal buildings but rather show and abundance of shapes and topics of which the data is unorganized and thereby hard to find.
free-D.nl is a platform that assembles buildings with curved facades. The buildings often are icons - their applied new technologies and investments reflecting the cultural expressions and political ambitions of leading firms, cities, regions and states all over the world. free-D.nl takes interest in both culture and technology.
The free-D.nl staff:
Dr. Karel Vollers - Coordinator
Sagar Thorat, MSc - Content Developer
Jasper Moelker, MSc - Technical developer
Marijn Boterman, MSc – Graphic designer
Manasi S. Jadhav – Assistant
Harshad P. Shitole - Assistant
Dr. Karel J. Vollers
Karel Jan Vollers (born in Redhill, Great Britain,1951), after obtaining his MSc in Architecture at Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands, worked for a year in Berlin (Germany). Back in the Netherlands, as project leader for various architects (Peter Gerssen, Kas Oosterhuis, Neutelings & Roodbeen, UN-Studio), he supervised projects ranging from offices, hospitals, low-energy ultra-light housing, to the 300m span Erasmus bridge in Rotterdam.
A visit in 1986 to office and works of the Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer ignited a great interest in the architectural application of free curvatures. Karel Vollers decided to stimulate their usage in the industrialized world by system design and application of computer based technologies. His commitment resulted in a PhD cum laude at Delft University of Technology (2001).
In 2005 he received the Dutch Aluminum Award for Architecture, for designing the AA 100 Q Twist industrial framing system, the first for freely curved façades. It features opening windows. It was developed with Alcoa Architectural systems (now Kawneer), Van Campen Bending and Tetterode Glas Voorthuizen. In 2007 with PhD graduate Daan Rietbergen, he produced a computer adjusted freely curving mould. Aided by governmental STW funding, this now is followed by adjustable moulds for annealed glass and concrete panels. He is researcher and assistant professor at the Chair of Product Development led by Professor Mick Eekhout, at the Faculty of Architecture in Delft. Karel Vollers lectured on materializing complex geometry architecture at many Academies, Universities and congresses.
Publications:
1 Twist & Build, 2001, 010 Publishers, ISBN 90 6450 410 5
Prototypes:
1 Twisted façade with cold bent glass panes and aluminum framing (1997)
2 Alcoa 100 Q Twist framing system with freely curved glass (2005)
3 Freely curved glass panes connected to cnc cut stainless steel backing frame (2009)
Sagar R. Thorat [1982]
An Architect and a researcher in Architectural Technology. In 2009 obtained his Masters in Architectural Engineering at Delft University of Technology. He has worked as an Architectural Intern for architecture offices Urban Design Cell (Mumbai), India and Studio Schaeffer Architecten (The Hague), Netherlands. More about Sagar on Twitter & LinkedIn.
Jasper Moelker [1985]
The web developer behind free-D.nl with a background in architecture & engineering and a passion for technology. More about Jasper on Active IDs, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Marijn Boterman [1981]
Trained and working as an Architect, Marijn has a fascination for design and new media, especially those connected to graphic design and music. In 2007 obtained his MSc at the Delft University of Technology, on a project exploring the influence and responsibility of commerce in Public Space. [Archiprix selection 2008] At the moment he works at the Rotterdam based architectural office JagerJanssen, and just started his own office, studio hooikoorts. More about Marijn on Twitter & LinkedIn.
Nicole Woods (Marketing Communications) Amsterdam, Netherlands
Kinjal Madiyar (Architect) Mumbai, India
Lan Chen – (Architect) Guangzhou, China
Prasanna Chafekar - (Architect) Frankfurt, Germany
free-D.nl: the online documentation platform on non-orthogonal buildings. The motivation and relevance of the free-D project is based on the increasing degree of geometrical variation and complexity in non-orthogonal buildings worldwide.
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