My found object

After a long thought process, deliberation and research, the object i have chosen has been staring me in the face the whole time. The concept of doing a plant had occurred to me earlier on in the process but, being unfamiliar with the 123d programs and the laser cutter i wasn't sure how it would go in terms of photographing, modelling and printing, and of course at first using a plant as a representation of landscape architecture occured to me as a bit too basic of an idea, that was until i found this species. Having spent time improving both my knowledge and skills with 123d catch and doing my Fablab introduction which i was able to familiarize myself with the laser cutter and how that actually works, i felt much more confident in producing any object that i wanted to, providing i could establish a clear 3D model using 123D catch to base everything off.

The object i have chosen is a Buxus Spiral Topiary Plant:

    

    

In the end i decided to go with this species because i believed it offered a unique form that isn't often seen within the public landscape. This species of plant, in this style of formation can be very expensive and is highly sort after, and takes years of pruning, shaping and growth to achieve. Its shape offers up a creative spiral formation that will prove a challenge when it comes to the later stages of this project but one i am more than willing to accept.

The following links are Youtube clips referring to Topiary and the way in which they are shaped and maintained. These examples use different species from the plant i have chosen but the same principle is applied for buxus:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4donPzOIMg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=guWBL6_wf2Y

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVIgeTzjaoo