Wing Warping - Design Inspiration for the Camp Hall Trailheads

“My observations of the flight of birds convinced me that birds use more positive and energetic methods of regaining equilibrium than that of shifting the center of gravity…they regain their lateral balance…by a torsion of the tips of the wings.” Wilbur Wright

Concept Design for trailheads at Camp Hall [Rush Dixon Architects]

Wing warping was an early system for lateral /roll control of a fixed-wing aircraft. The technique, used and patented by the Wright Brothers, consisted of a system of pulleys and cables to twist the trailing edges of the wings in opposite directions. Birds visibly use wing warping to achieve control. This was a significant influence on early aircraft designers. The Wright brothers were the first group to use warping wings as their first plane mimicked the bird’s flight patterns and wing forms.

Interesting stuff, but why are we researching wing patterns, you ask? If you have been following our journey designing the initial structure’s for Santee Cooper’s Camp Hall Village, you will recall that elements of nature have been the over-arching design inspiration and wing warping is our latest muse.

Santee Cooper’s Camp Hall is a next generation commerce park where “people, nature and productivity connect.” With state-of-the-art manufacturing in a setting of vast natural beauty, the design concept of “Nature and the Machine” permeates the built environment. Like the vehicles and machines produced in Camp Hall, the architecture is intended to embody precision, sleekness and innovation; the building forms are abstract interpretations of the patterns, colors and figures found in nature. The latest example is the design for various trailheads to be erected throughout the campus in which the concept of wing-warping was explored. In this case, the roof planes twist to create offset drainage. Stay tuned for progress photos of the trailheads in the coming years.

Concept Design for trailheads at Camp Hall [Rush Dixon Architects]

Concept Design for trailheads at Camp Hall [Rush Dixon Architects]

Rotational Symmetry | What it is and why we love it

If you went to architecture school, you may have had that professor that liked to take your drawings or cardboard models and flip them upside down. While it may have been insulting at first, the forced change of perspective often did result in unforeseen and hidden moments of inspiration. It's amazing how often the "flip” finds its way into our daily design process. "Rotational Symmetry" is one such flipping technique that is all around us. You’ll see it in graphic & logo design, industrial design, product design, and even the occasional building. Sometimes the solution is purely aesthetic and symbolic: think of the Yin & Yang symbol or the Recycling logo, each element wrapping around itself. Sometimes the solution is purely functional: think of the repeated blades of a wind turbine or the cogs of a gear. We find the notion of repeating a single component in a not-so-obvious way to create whole new forms, geometries, or spaces to be endlessly fascinating.

Examples of Rotational Symmetry in Architecture:

Symmetry and balance have been revered as architectural tenets for centuries, going back to Vitruvius’s Ten Books on Architecture circa 1st century Rome and before. When people say something has symmetry, they are usually referencing the use of an implied “Line of Symmetry” where each side of the object is a mirror to the other. Rotational symmetry goes one step further with repeating a form or mass around a fixed point. Intrigued by the notion of ‘complexity within simplicity’ and creating a measured dynamic, we studied historical precedents that inspired many of our recent designs.

DAYFIELD PARK

The design approach for Building B at Dayfield Park, a soon to be commercial destination in the award-winning Nexton Community, is rooted in strong massing, innovative detailing and creating an inspiring place to work and do business. The program included providing space for offices and retail tenants in a single story building while creating a unique and modern business park that engaged with adjacent green spaces and supported the current day work place expectations. The resulting design used rotational symmetry to leverage the square footprint by creating a central courtyard and through two overhead ‘thresholds’. The dynamic suggestion is amplified by angled walls and highly textured surfaces. Click here for more about the project.

RDA’S SUBMISSION FOR THE NORTH CHARLESTON FLAG

Earlier this year, the City of North Charleston launched a public design competition to select a new City flag. One of the symbols used in our submission was a reference to Park Circle (a derivative of a Garden City urban plan). By deconstructing the graphic and using rotational symmetry, we were able to invoke dynamics as if in rotating motion. Click here for more on our flag design.

CAMP HALL PARK PAVILION

Santee Cooper’s Camp Hall is a next generation commerce park where “people, nature and productivity connect.” With state-of-the-art manufacturing in a setting of vast natural beauty, the design concept of “Nature and the Machine” permeates the built environment. Like the vehicles and machines produced in Camp Hall, the Architecture is intended to embody precision, sleekness and innovation. The building forms are abstract interpretations of the patterns, colors, and figures found in nature. Specifically, the Park Pavilion uses rotational symmetry to create a subtle dynamic-ness of the roof planes. Click here for more on the project.

FIREFLY DISTILLERY GIFT SHOP FIXTURES

Part of our scope when we were designing Firefly Distillery’s new facility in North Charleston, SC was to carry the building’s design concepts to the gift shop merchandise fixtures. Using barrel lids, steel pipes, and rotational symmetry, a simple solution was created.