Exodesic: Structures, Tumbleweeds, Electronics

by Dennis L. Dollens.
SITES Books, Santa Fe, New Mexico, U.S.A., 1999. 72 pp.,
illus. Paper. ISBN: 0-930829-41-7.

Reviewed by Rob Harle

recluse@lis.net.au

A delightful and inspiring book. Actually at a mere seventy two pages it is more a "booklet". Its slim size belies both its importance and wealth of information. I found this book to be one of those rare finds that makes you want to extend, expand and perhaps rethink where your art, design or scientific experimentation is going.

For those architects and designers who are having trouble thinking "outside the box", both literally and metaphorically, this book is a must. Linear, straight line thinking and design is not the way of the future, either for earth or space based structures.

Dollens’ ideas for structures extend the investigation of organic forms in important and exciting ways. His methodology involves observing, trimming and modifying the "humble" tumbleweed. From this model, by various means, the computer turns an organic seed-idea into a virtual structure, this in turn is observed, trimmed and modified and the resultant virtual form may then be used as a basis for real life shelters. His efforts have extended to the science lab which he utilised to produce microphotographs of the cellular structure of tumbleweeds and from this created models both physical and digital.

The book is basically a chronological documentation of the TumbleTruss project. "TumbleTruss project is a series of physical models and related electronic, 3D models and graphics that I developed as design experiments with curving forms and warped surfaces" (p. 12). For Dollens the tumbleweed (Russian thistle) offered a dynamic structure and form from which trusses and self supporting organic architectural forms can be developed.

His physical models employ various materials to cover or enclose the truss structure, especially, handmade papers from native plants in the Sante Fe area where he works and lives. He found these skins were important structural elements of the models in their own right, similar to the windscreen being an integral structural component of modern automobiles.

Dollens has spent much time in Barcelona, over twenty years and is inspired by Miralles, Gaudi and especially, Joseph Maria Jujol whom he has studied extensively. Dollens’ New Mexican TumbleTrusses are related to the intersecting masonry vaults of the Church at Vistabella, "Exodesic helps animate Jujol for me" (p. 11).

The title of the book annoyed me in that you will not find exodesic in your dictionary and "electronics" is quite misleading. Exo ... means, "outside or external to" and geodesic is concerned with "3D Euclidean curved space", whilst I think it is a brilliant neologism and describes his work well it does not really tell you what the book is about without this prior knowledge. Similarly "electronics" connotes electronic circuitry/design which the book has nothing to do with, clearly digital would be more helpful, perhaps a more suitable title would be, Organic Structures: Exodesic, tumbleweeds, digital forms. I feel this title would be more informative and help sell more books. The computer software Dollens used to create his virtual forms and models is described briefly and includes Photoshop, Freehand and 3D StudioMax.

The book is well illustrated in black & white; with drawings, scans and photographs of Dollens’ models both individually and in the Plan B Gallery exhibition. Many of the forms stand alone as beautiful, delicate sculptural art forms themselves.

Dollens is interested in environmental sustainability and part of his project involved going to Brasilia to explore the use of latex (produced from rubber) for the truss skins. Latex is being investigated by the University of Brasilia as a cottage industry and as a means of economic survival for small groups who are threatened by the destruction of the Amazon forests.

There is no index and a scant bibliography. Whilst an index is probably not necessary, a more extensive bibliography would be a definite asset, especially as the book’s main thrust is as a platform for further experimentation and investigation.

"Exodesic represents the conceptual model for reverse engineering a future architecture" (p. 11). I really believe this little book will be an inspiration to many people, from young school kids through to professional architects, artists and designers.