Τhe following project is inspired by the art of origami. Origami is the Japanese word deriving from ori, which means « folding », and kami, which means “paper”. The main idea is to create a Grasshopper definition that can take a curved surface, and generate a polygonal geometry based on it. This polygonal geometry that can be created by paper which is cut on a laser cutter, can then easily be folded and assembled by hand.
In order to arrive to this geometry that can be easily constructed by paper, the initial curved surface is triangulated, and with each triangle functioning as a base, and its centroid moved perpendicularly as a summit, pyramids are created, whose number may vary depending on the choices of the architect. The geometry of the pyramid is chosen because it has the advantage of being easy to fold and unfold, whilst it can give the paper the necessary stiffness to create geometries that are structurally demanding. The larger the number of the pyramids, the more the generated geometry resembles to the initial surface. However, too large a number of pyramids would eventually pose difficulties during the construction phase.
After the generation of the overall polygonal geometry, the pyramids are matched into pairs and unfolded into a plane. Following, wings are added where necessary on the unfolded polygons, which helps with the assemblage of the folded paper. The unfolded pieces are numbered, as well as their wings, so that it is clear which piece will connect to each wing.
The cutting by the laser cutter is followed by the folding by hand and the gluing together of the papers. An experimentation with a variety of surfaces was carried out in order to find the limits and examine the problems of the Grasshopper definition. Throughout this process, many improvements were made, and a series of objectives were set for future research.
Examples
Pieces cut with the laser cutter
The process of the assemblage
