Director Dr. Joseph Choma's research receives the 2022 ACADIA Best Project Award Runner up

Controlled Buckling: Ultra-Thin Folded Paper Formwork

In this research, material-lean customizable formwork for concrete is developed by stiffening such molds through the use of folded paper. For this, the research capitalizes on the large body of work that has gone into paper folding—such as mathematical geometry and mechanical behavior of hinges—to design mechanically robust folded structures. This leads to molds that can withstand hydrostatic pressure, facilitating the integration of digital concrete processes. By using paper, a formwork is produced that can be peeled-off, recycled in established material streams, and leave a surface finish matching the highest expectations for architectural concrete.

 

Folded Formwork Geometry: Joseph Choma
Set-On-Demand Casting: Ena Lloret-Fritschi, Fabio Scotto, Anna Szabo
Concrete Mixture: Robert Flatt