Morphology Studios 2020-2021

A collage of various sculptural works from Morphology Studios, featuring experimental structures and materials from 2020-2021. On the left, a white fabric sculpture floats mid-air, anchored by strings. Below it, a hand holds an iridescent sheet reflecting rainbow hues against a green landscape. In the center, a black plastic-like structure is suspended taut within a wooden frame. To the right, an intricate star-shaped geometric framework is constructed from interconnected wooden sticks and strings, displayed on a wooden floor. At the bottom right, two smaller images show circular wire frameworks with radial strings.

TRANSFORMING KITES

Over the course of this semester, students were challenged to design and build a transforming kite. The kite could either transform mid-air as the kite is being deployed (tossed up into air) or transform while flying far up in the sky. Students developed and improved several mechanisms each week as they simultaneously grappled with designing and building lightweight structures with the right aerodynamics to fly in various wind conditions.

White inflated fabric structure tethered by ropes, captured mid-air with a building and parking lot in the background.

Person holding a large, iridescent film that reflects various colors, resembling a bubble, with trees in the background.

[Credits:]

Faculty: Che-Wei Wang

Students: Maika Yoshikawa (1), Ashkan Eslami Fard (2)

TAPE-WOUND TOPOLOGIES

In this course, students explored tape-winding as a method for constructing complex surface curvature. Inspired by the logics of spider web construction, minimal surfaces were constructed with winding sequences derived from each surface topology.

A geometric framework, composed of interconnected wooden sticks and strings, arranged in a star-like pattern on a wooden floor.

A lightweight transparent plastic sheet woven into an organic shape, supported by a wooden cube frame.

View from above of a complex web of black tape wrapped around and intersecting a lightweight geometric frame.

A black sculptural installation made of plastic-like material, suspended in a wooden cube frame, with taut strings pulling the material into an organic shape.

[Credits:]

Faculty: Ajmal Aqtash (with Robinson Strong)

Students: Maika Yoshikawa (3), Simon Salazar (4,5), Sue Kim (6)

DYNAMIC STRUCTURES

The class explores the opportunities of form finding and systems development through the research and analysis of structure, form and movement. Students use both physical modeling techniques and digital parametric modeling techniques to understand morphological form. Using the principles of origami, students identified folding techniques and explored its size, shape and movement through the use of physical modeling. Similarly, students used the principle of tensegrity, identifying the principles of equilibrium as tension and compression work together to balance a cohesive tensegrity system.

Two hands holding an extended paper structure with sharp, pointed folds, creating a dynamic, layered appearance, photographed in black and white.

Two hands carefully holding a white, folded paper structure with a textured, star-like surface, showcasing the intricate folds and depth of the design.

Small tensile structure made from thin sticks and strings, forming a balanced frame held together with visible tension.

Four cone-like wireframe structures with circular bases and top points connected by vertical strings, forming an abstract model.

Two minimalistic geometric structures with intersecting lines and circular elements, resembling tensile models, rendered in grayscale with red accent lines.

[Credits:]

Faculty: David Burke

Students: Ziyu Chen (7-9), Beril Kolsal (10-13)

TENSEGRITY | TRUNCATED OCTAHEDRON

In this course, students explored morphing polyhedral cells to create new aggregations, assemblies, and ultimately new structures. Tensegrity was introduced as a tectonic constraint that allowed students to explore the relationship between compression and tension through their digital and analog models.

New methods of joinery and details were conceived through digital fabrication processes allowing the students to take ownership of how things intersect at vertices and design new ways of attachment.

Geometric, circular structure made of wooden beams and string, arranged in a symmetric star-like pattern on a wooden floor.

A star-shaped, three-dimensional framework in white, featuring interwoven plastic and string elements, creating a light, intricate geometric structure.

Close-up of a wooden geometric structure with crisscrossing strings connecting multiple small beams, forming a tensegrity model.

[Credits:]

Faculty: John Gulliford

Students: Yue Zhao (14-17)