Folding Architecture

An examination of architecture related to the mathematical concept of folding and catastrophe theory. Articles by Peter Eisenman and John Rajchman provide an analysis of the theory, while projects by Eisenman, Bahram Shirdel and Frank Gehry, among others, are presented, all showing folding theory worked into architectural practice.

A relatively new trend in architecture, folding is a playful method that opens up the design process to spontaneity and surprise. Folding Architecture presents the results of research into the technique, which was carried out in The Netherlands by the architectural faculty at the TU in Delft. It is an enlightening and inspiring survey that is vividly illustrated and presents all of the much-discussed concepts, projects and buildings in which this process has been applied. And as the book implies the possibilities are endless. Compulsory reference material for any architect or student of architecture who wishes to design outside of mainstream. Sophia Vyzoviti is an architect and teaches design method at the TU in Delft.

This seminal book from Architectural Design was originally published in 1993, at a time of crucial change and on the eve of the digital revolution. It brought together a series of essays that many believe created the favourable environment in which computer-based design could thrive. Considered one of the most influential architecture publications of the 1990s, this book ranks as a classic and in itself is a crucial chapter of history, though one that has been out of print since 1999. This faithful reprinting includes a substantial new introductory essay by Mario Carpo, Head of the Study Centre at the Canadian Centre for Architecture, which examines the impact of the original texts and their ongoing significance. Thereafter, the book is true to its original content showcasing projects by ground-breaking architects such as Greg Lynn, Jeffrey Kipnis, Bahram Shirdel, Frank Gehry and Philip Johnson.

Many designers use folding techniques in their work to make three-dimensional forms from two-dimensional sheets of fabric, cardboard, plastic, metal, and many other materials. This unique book explains the key techniques of folding, such as pleated surfaces, curved folding, and crumpling. It has applications for architects, product designers, and jewelry and fashion designers An elegant, practical handbook, Folding for Designers explains over 70 techniques explained with clear step-by-step drawings, crease pattern drawings, and specially commissioned photography. All crease pattern drawings are available to view and download from the Laurence King website.

An explosion of little architectural magazines in the 1960s and 1970s instigated a radical transformation in architectural culture, as the magazines acted as a site of innovation and debate. Clip/Stamp/Fold takes stock of seventy little magazines from this period. The book brings together a remarkable range of documents and original research which the project has produced during its continuous travels over the last four years starting with the exhibition at the Storefront in November 2006. The book features transcripts from the “Small Talks” events in which editors and designers were invited to discuss their magazines; a stocktaking of over 100 significant issues that tracks the changing density and progression of the little magazine phenomenon; transcripts of more than forty interviews with magazine editors and designers from all over the world; a selection of magazine facsimiles; and a fold out poster that offers a mosaic image of more than 1,200 covers examined during the research.

Baroque architect and mathematician Guarino Guarini is the subject of this issue of the Nexus Network Journal. A group of international scholars were invited to contribute papers that shed light on the unanswered questions in several areas: Baroque architecture in general and Guarini’s architecture in particular; philosophy; history of structural mechanics; mathematics and history of mathematics, cosmology. As always, the NNJ takes an interdisciplinary approach to the broad range of subjects that Guarini concerned himself with, thus the final results will add significantly to our understanding of how Guarini’s actual practical and technical processes were informed by knowledge of his multifaceted scientific and philosophical interests.

A beautifully and richly illustrated collection of historical and contemporary folding techniques examples for papercraft lovers, architects and designers.

is a unique collection of papers illustrating the connections between origami and a wide range of fields. The papers compiled in this two-part set were presented at the 6th International Meeting on Origami Science, Mathematics and Education (10-13 August 2014, Tokyo, Japan). They display the creative melding of origami (or, more broadly, folding) with fields ranging from cell biology to space exploration, from education to kinematics, from abstract mathematical laws to the artistic and aesthetics of sculptural design. This two-part book contains papers accessible to a wide audience, including those interested in art, design, history, and education and researchers interested in the connections between origami and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Part 2 focuses on the connections of origami to education and more applied areas of science: engineering, physics, architecture, industrial design, and other artistic fields that go well beyond the usual folded paper.