Equilibrium

Equilibrium is an exercise in site-based evolution of form. With a prescribed material of paper-mâché, this project developed around a goal of creating full-scale habitable space through the use of elements in the studio space. Though the room had a largely rectilinear form, the project focused on creating a modular construction out of the one curvilinear aspect of the room: the pipes. Through the creation of 800 paper mâché cylinders, a system of tension and compression was developed to suspend the form. Three legs cradled the form from the pipes themselves in tension. The other three legs supported the form from the ground using a system of compression.

The final construction was unexpected. Although the design created single arches for the compressive legs, the weight of the assembly quickly bent them into a form of hammerbeam double arches. Although this was not the original design, the final form was incredibly stable and dynamic. The cylindrical modular units, combined with the curvilinear form, created an exciting filter for natural light in the studio space.

Project Type: Studio

Role: Designer and Fabricator

Professor: Jennifer Oakley