Collaborative - 2015
This workshop aimed to experiment the capabilities of a digital fabrication method which enables paneled materials to perform in a flexible manner. Over 50 participants collaborated in groups to propose furniture or panels created by this technique and the results were showcased in an exhibition in the university.
The different stretched positions of the module which results in varying degrees of transparency made it a flexible tool for the processing of sight and light.
This workshop evolved around the main subject of the hinge technique in digital modelling and fabrication. The hinge technique is used to weaken materials such as plywood in order to make them flexible. This technique makes the generation of 3D forms out of 2D panels possible. The “weakening” of the panel should be carried out according to the desired geometry.
The overall workflow of the fabrication was divided to 4 stages: Laser cutting, structure, installation and stretching. To support 54 laser-cut plywood 20x20 modules, we built a wooden structural grid as the backbone of the panel. The 54 modules were installed on the structure together with wooden joists on which strings were used to pull back the modules.
A while after the conclusion of the workshop I further pursued possible options for the development of the crib. These led me to the idea of a woven fabric suspended from above which would be attached to the crib and shaped according to its geometry.
As a second alternative, a 90 degree rotation of the deformed hinge proposes a possible structure of a chair. This chair could be supported by a metal mesh which implies the double-nature of the initial technique: firm yet flexible.