“Show materiality in a set of spatial volumes.”

 In order to understand materiality, I had to decide on a type of new material I can explore with. Since I thought of using fabric for my design build project, I took advantage of this competition to discover its characteristcs. Researching the attributes of fabric lead me into discovering tensility, which is the capability of being stretched or drawn out. However, before testing the strength of a fabric, I had to design a set of structures that would act as my columns. Creating these three structures helped me understand how the shape of a fabric changes when stretched. Realizing that the edges of a stretchy fabric curves inward when pulled gave me more ideas for my design build construction. I chose the triangle, the square, and the rhombus as my shapes since they are easier to construct with wooden dowels. To adjoin the pieces together, I used miter joints. I then cut the sides of these structures so it would be easier to tie the string on. Each 3-dimensional structure has levels of fabric to show its ability of stretching even with a small area. Moreover, the levels also created depth. Although it was only a week, the first-year competition was a wonderful time time explore about material and spatial design.

Triangle

Square

Diamond

Together