nicole seekely 2x2 pours

Cloudcrete, Fabrication

This is a record, for now, of our step by step process to make these latex kites!

1: Template printed from from Rhino 3-d model.

2: Template used to cut latex form

3: Edges cleaned with solvent

4.1: Edges adhered with either Liquid Latex

4.2: Or Edges adhered with Rubber Cement

5: Once edges have dried seal with duct tape ( temporary solution until we get the sealed joint that we can trust)

first edge

all edges

gate to fill with concrete

All of the Materials Needed and the three new prototypes

Checking for Holes!

No holes here!

Cloudcrete, Test Day 1

Cloudcrete is a rotational molded series of whimsical hollow forms that feel as light as a cloud! We are working on perfecting the right consistency of the mix, methods of sealing the latex formwork, and the calibration of the thinness of the rockite in a shell. These initial tests included embedding connections in the concrete to be able to string or fit pieces together (grommets and hollow tubes) and adding a fine sand as aggregate to the mixture.

Test 1: Small kite with hollow tube.



Test 2: Three-legged amoeba with grommet. The rockite was able to get so thin around the grommet that light is able to show through.



Test 3: Larger kite with hollow tube and green sand aggregate. The volume of concrete was not enough for the shell to stay together, however broken open, one can see the light effects of the thin shell and the sand.

Concrete Catenary

Study 2: Cavernous Condition 4th Attempt (K Malishewsky)

Example of mold but with less balloons. Still trying to create more void and cleaner openings. I would like to try and start creating the inverse of what is solid vs void

Study 3: Shells 3rd Attempt (K Malishewsky)

Study 3: Shells 2nd Attempt (K Malishewsky)

I wanted to create a more delicate shell and eliminate the need of having a square base to create a pure free-standing shell

Study 3: Shells 1st Attempt (K Malishewsky)

This came from an earlier study where the concrete stuck to the balloon and created a shell by chance. This was pushing that attempt to create a more controlled result of the same shell condition

Melissa Goldman_Test 5

So, I tried taking Peter's idea with the stretched nylon in a cage, but in the rotational molder to make hollow pieces. As per suggestion, I added "reinforcing" fiber to the rockite mix. That was a bad mistake. The fiber congealed all the concrete together in a ball rather than allowing for the mix to coat the inside of the nylon. Perhaps the nylon was also a bad surface to coat as it rotated and something like latex would be better.

Concrete Studies_Rockite in Latex and Nylon cast in wire cage