Zip-Form

A computation-and-fabrication system for creating curved architectural forms by zipping flat-cut pieces together.

2018-01-01

Developed with architect Emily Baker at the University of Arkansas, Zip-Form pairs mathematical formulations for parallel transport with a simple jig-based assembly process, enabling complex 3D curves from plasma-cut steel and basic tools.

Coverage: University of Arkansas News — The Collaborative Crush Test

Projects

Gearhart Hall Courtyard Curvahedra

A permanent 12-foot diameter steel sculpture installed in the Gearhart Hall courtyard at the University of Arkansas. In collaboration with Emily Baker.

Sculpting Metal Curvahedra

An Art Department piece in MAA Focus tracing the design process for the Gearhart Hall Curvahedra.

Zip-Form: Geometry of Fabrication-Aware Curved Beams

Geometric methods for designing curved beams that are fabrication-aware, connecting differential geometry to architectural manufacturing.

Zip-Formwork: Fabrication of Shape-Optimised Concrete Structures

Application of the Zip-Form fabrication method to curved concrete formwork.

Related

Bridges 2023 Art Exhibition

Exhibited "Study for Mathemalchemy's lighthouse" (2022), a collaborative work with Emily Baker, Ásgerður Johannesdóttir, and Sabetta Matsumoto using the Zipform system.

CAMel

A lightweight, open-source CAM library for Rhino and Grasshopper.

Curvahedra

A modular construction system to explore the geometry of curvature.

Double-Curved Spin-Valence: Geometric and Computational Basis

Geometric and computational analysis of doubly-curved configurations of the Spin-Valence deployable kirigami space-frame system, establishing the mathematical basis for producing doubly-curved surfaces from flat-cut sheet material via spin-folds and hub reconnections.

Gauss-Bonnet Sculpting

Combining curvahedra with the Gauss-Bonnet theorem to select local curvature from holonomy

Technology Craft

Treating manufacturing machines as mathematical objects, and exploring what they can do.