Simply adore this architectural and monochromatic Autumn/Winter 2012 collection by Dutch fashion designer Hellen van Rees, brimming with the signature cubic projections woven into the Chanel tweed-like garments which are made of recycled yarn. More after the break:

Designer’s words: This collection was inspired by the tweed fabrics used by Chanel, the straight silhouette of 1920′s flapper girls and 3-dimensional artworks by Anish Kapoor and Rachel Whitebread. The textile is the binding factor of the collection. It’s completely handmade, from recycled yarns woven one by one directly in the shape of the garment. Not wasting anything and making the garment including the cubes totally seamless as it’s woven 3-dimensionally. The yarns and base textile are production factory remnants or old fabrics and scraps taken apart. So the collection is sustainable. The cubes added are all in the same textile making the garments, that are based on very traditional ladies garments, into something more subversive and architectural/sculptural. The blocks themselves are very light, so they don’t distort the garment. Also often they’re attached to a pleated skirt allowing them to swoosh in movement making a seemingly static silhouette suddenly dynamic.

Photos by Alessandro Viero

Christophe Guberan, a student of Ecole Cantonale d’art de Lausanne (ECAL), conceived the Hydro-Fold consisting of an inkjet printer  whose end product are pieces of paper which ‘pleat’ into 3D foms. The machine prints a mixture of water and ink that causes the paper to fold automatically along wet lines and humid areas. It’s hooked up to a computer that can be used to generate patterns for different fold configurations.

The Hydro-Fold will be on display at this year’s Milan Salone Satellite.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Synopsis: The idea is to give shape to paper through the simple use of water, adapting an existing printer to control the phenomenon. This experimental approach allowed me to explore new avenues of research,” explains Christophe Guberan. Indeed, this project is based on a totally new experimental process which, using a printer, a simple sheet of tracing paper and water, creates a transition from 2D to 3D, generating tiny volumes in just a few minutes.

House Folded, designed by by Kyoto-based architecture practice Alphaville, is a three-story residence in Osaka, japan. The concrete structure sits on a a thin site measuring 80 m². Inside the spatially dynamic volumes, the folded dividing walls are defined by a triangular slit that pierces through its front and rear facades which brings in light and spatial continuity between the indoor and the outdoor.

Methodology:

The spaces are delineated by utilizing the decomposition techniques of a Voronoi diagram which equally divides the shortest distance between points to create optimal spatial segments. The three-dimensional study started from a parallelogram with a center wall that runs diagonally to define two spaces which was then pivoted to run parallel to the site through all three levels. The roof was pulled up to form a slant and a private outdoor terrace. Structurally rational and dynamic, the result is a collection of flowing living spaces that shift and change from every perspective.

ground floor

second floor

third floor

longitudinal section

photography: kai nakamura

via designboom

Designed by Colombian architect Giancarlo Mazzanti, ‘bosque de la esperanza’ is a shelter resembling a forest canopy and built as a multifunctional public plaza in a Colombian slum settlement. The structure comprised of prefabricated  dodecahedrons made of of wrapped steel mesh and supported by a series of angled steel columns. The porous canopy hovers above a playing field which can host sports and other various activities, transforming a drab arena into a lively public space to the neighborhood.

via designboom

London College of Fashion graduate Arena Page designed the Mobius Strip collection as an exploration in geometry. Arena generated complex, minimal surfaces using 3D modelling computer program to which a ‘flattening’ process was applied. The flat 2D patterns were transferred to paper and fabric for further manipulation and experimentation in relation to the body. This design process changes the design methodology; going from 3D surface to 2D and then back to 3D. The experimental process essentially designed the collection.

About the designer: Arena was born in Russia and had great interest in fashion with her start in making new garments for her dolls at a young age. She graduated with a 1st Class (Hons) Degree in Fashion Design from the University of Huddersfield, where she discovered her passion for pattern cutting. Arena later applied to pursue MA at London College Fashion to further her skills as a creative pattern cutter. The course gave me a great platform to push my abilities and develop a new way of working.

Photography: Panos Damaskinidis

For his senior thesis, designer Bryant Yee conceived of an eco-friendly paper packaging system for the LED bulb that not only reduces waste and materials during production but also promotes a system of recycling of the old bulbs.

The fun element is in the honey-comb system of hexagons for the packaging boxes which recalls building blocks, allowing for multiple ways of stacking for storage and product display purposes. For the box’s interior, Bryant creates a springy yet structurally rigid pleat system of folded paper to protect the bulb during transport.

The design was awarded in Core77 International Packaging Design Competition in 2011 in the Student category. Congrats, Bryant!

Watch the video of Bryant’s design process filled with pleats and pop-up studies

Click here to view the embedded video.

Have a look at Bryant’s portolio here: Bryant Yee Design

Check out these beautiful pleated reliefs by Yuko Nishimura.

Designed by Swedish designer and artist, Fredrik Färg and Emma Blanche for lighting manufacturer Zero, Moon is a series of pleated fabric pendant lamp presented during the recent Stockholm Design Week 2012.

Designers’ own words: The experience of Moon is as enchanting as the one in the sky: the light that surrounds it is reflected on the surface like the rays of the sun when they meet the moon. The effect is reminiscent of a captivating hologram. The viewer’s curiosity forms an interaction: you move around Moon like a satellite that registers whenever the light hits the surface, when the magic reaches its apogee.

Designers’ own words: The experience of Moon is as enchanting as the one in the sky: the light that surrounds it is reflected on the surface like the rays of the sun when they meet the moon. The effect is reminiscent of a captivating hologram. The viewer’s curiosity forms an interaction: you move around Moon like a satellite that registers whenever the light hits the surface, when the magic reaches its apogee.

Material: Reflex fabric, metal, matt opal acrylic

Images via fargandblanche.com

Iris van Herpen‘s latest collection is another breathtaking look at her explorations with not just 3D printing, but also laser and electroplating bath techniques. Inspired by the scientific SEM (Scanning Electron Microscope) photos from Scientific Photographer Steve Gschmeissner, the Micro Collection takes on the bizarre yet fascinating world of scaly organisms such as vermins, lice and termites.

Above: The Cathedral Dress made of 3D-printed wood

Artist and RISD alum, Lisa Nilsson produced a these jaw-droppingly gorgeous paper series called Tissue. Constructed using the traditional technique of quilling (rolling and shaping strips of paper), each piece represents anatomical cross-section of the human body, with the paper rolls indicating the muscle tissues in excruciating detail.

Check out Colossal‘s entry for a closer look.

via: Colossal

Photography: John Polak

This is the first of the many more posts to  come after a lengthy hiatus! Thank you all for your patience! It’s been one crazy season with a hectic work load that left me with no choice but to neglect my blog duties. Nonetheless, I’m venturing back, so let’s get goin’, shall we?

I’m always fascinated by polyhedral sculptures, and this buoyant sculpture by UK-based Queen + Crawford took my breath away. Named the Little Shining Man, it is a light-weight tetrahedral sculpture based around the kites designed by Alexander Graham Bell. Watch the video to see it in action.

In the words of the designers:

The design of the structure is based around the tetra kites of Alexander Graham Bell, multiplied out into colliding cubes that take the form of the cubic formations of the mineral Pyrite. A double wing module has been duplicated and arranged into a tight cellular structural arrangement that appears as a heavy, un-flyable mass. Utilising lightweight materials and the symmetry of the module and composition, it is able to fly freely and steadily.

Above: Bell’s tetrahedral kite

Click here to view the embedded video.

The kite flown in the images is one section of an arrangement of three, that come together to create the final piece of sculpture that is taken own from display once a year to be flown in St. Aubin’s Bay.
There were several challenges in realising Little Shining Man. The structure had to be as strong and light as possible in order to fly, but had to return to earth with minimal damage so it could be installed as a piece of sculpture. Carbon fibre rod and Cuben fibre, a hand made composite fabric used primarily in racing yacht sails, achieved the perfect combination of strength and weight. The visual impact of the fabric produces an ethereal sense of depth and refraction that gives the heavy mass the lightest touch.

Queen & Crawford designed a joint system, the CKJ_01, a universal Nylon joint that would handle every connection in the composition. They work closely with 3TRPD in Newbury who are at the cutting edge of the Rapid Prototyping Industry. Printing the joints allows design, production, testing and refinement in a short time frame. The material is light and strong, perfect for this application.
More than 23,000 individual components make up the complete structure. Entirely assembled by hand; from design through to delivery more than 16 months of work.

Little Shining Man
2011
Carbon fibre, 3D printed joint system, Cuben Fibre.

Commissioned by Dandara, Jersey

Detail design and fabrication:
Queen + Crawford
Technical consultation:
Sash Reading
Video production and editing:
JimandTonic
Photography:
Matt Porteous

Bell’s tetra kite photo via

It was millenniums ago as a design student that I was in awe of French chronophotographer Etienne-Jules Marey, known for his graphic studies of humans, animals and objects in motion. I’m glad to have come across the works of Dutch designer Kirsten Enkelmann who was inspired by Etienne and recalled my interest with motion and its influence on design (read Wear Out).

Folded Fiction is a sports-inspired collection showcasing a dazzling feat of pleats. Working on a mix of low-tech and high-tech constructions, Kirsten utilized the traditional knife pleat on a variety of fabrics from cotton to pigskin, and lasercuts on neoprene to produce stretch pleats. Take a peek!

Check out this new collection by Neo Dia

The German magazine design Novum , has commissioned the creative agency Paperlux in producing a cover for their next issue comprising of 1,000 faceted and colored triangles that can be bent along lines. Designers Carolin and Max Kuehne Rauen were inspired by the ideas and structural designs of Richard Buckminster Fuller.

Click here to view the embedded video.

via experimenta_es

Iris van Herpen showcased her five new architectural looks alongside her previous pieces for the Haute Couture collection, combining 3D printing with hand-made processes. The result is a remarkable overview of Iris’s works that featured her profound craftsmanship and her skillful grasp of the materials in relation to the body. I look forward to more!

Photos courtesy of Iris van Herpen

Designed by Park Associati of Milan and sponsored by Electrolux, The Cube is a dining pavilion unveiled for the first time on April 1st placed atop the Parc du Cinquantenaire in Brussels, Belgium. The traveling pavilion will pop up on a series of landmark sites across Europe over the course of 2011 tailored for a unique dining experience and other events.

Two Electrolux Cube’s will travel across Europe offering a dining experience for 18 guests per setting in locations, namely on top of monuments, buildings and even water platforms in Belgium, Italy, Russia, Switzerland and Sweden but only for three months at each location.

The Cube has been conceived as a portable and lightweight module with ease of assembly, and designed to suit all climatic conditions. The pavilion’s lightness of form is emphasized by the faceted and white aluminum surface with varying perforations of laser-cut geometric motifs.

Pavilion in context

Elevation

Plan of the perforations on the faceted skin

Detail of the varying sizes of the geometric perforation

Click here to view the embedded video.

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Project team:

Client: Electrolux

Event planner: Absolute Blue, Brussels

Architect: Park Associati, Milano

Logo and texture design: Studio FM, Milano

Photo credits: Carol Kohen & Danica O. Kus

Based on the fictitious inhabitants of Ethiopia in year 2012, fashion designer Karin Wuthrich merged Inuit tribal clothing, African body art and European patterns to produce a monochromatic collection filled structurally (pleated) lapels.

Designer’s statement:
If one were to ask the philosopher Wittgenstein what is actually possible in history, he would answer: ‘What is thinkable is also possible.’ What if the course of history could be changed in order to allow something new to develop? In my fiction I joined Inuit with European and African tribes together in the Ethiopian capitol of Addis Abeba in the 17th century to create a new culture. I then tried to imagine what this Addis Abeba would have become if the city had developed into a modern metropolis. My women’s collection shows the clothing of the fictitious inhabitants in the year 2012. Angular forms and padding recall Inuit clothing. African body art determined new silhouettes; richly embroidered European clothing inspired my prints. Materials like flowing silk, technical fabrics, leather and wool support the differentiated effect. Each article of clothing has its own history of development and is part of the traditions of my fictitious world.

In a few short hours, I’ll be heading off to London for a visit! I’d love to hear from you of any recommendations on food, hot spots, and exhibitions in the great city! See you in a bit.