Sustainable Design Update

ReCover Shelter

Designed for disaster relief, the ReCover Shelter can house a family of four for a month. It can be set up by one person in minutes, collapsed into either of two configurations for transportation (horse-shoe shape or flat), and is made of 100% polypropylene.

This caught my eye because I’m working on a series of folded structures which I have had to put on the back burner twice now due to ongoing work in Latin America.

My first exposure to the amazing mathematical art of folding paper was a lecture by Dr. David Huffman at U.C. Santa Cruz back in 1979.  Huffman, a computer algorithm genius and man of many talents took us through the mathematics of folding paper from simple origami to fantastic curved structures that defy the imagination.

David Huffman - Mathematical Paper Folding

Folded structures have unique qualities - they can be self supporting, the folds can add strength if designed properly, and folded structures can be “flat packed” for shipment.

Stay tuned for more on our folded designs.

Recover Via:  Inhabitat

More on David Huffman @ Graphica Obscura, New York Times

This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 3rd, 2008 at 1:41 pm and is filed under Sustainability. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.