Living Architecture Fall 2008 Pratt

We developed a new prototype that demonstrates our understanding of the range of motion necessary to create the expanding and contracting effects within our fabric tile system. By using flexinol as a tendon, the frame can be pulled to its flexible limit and reoriented back away from itself. This creates the popping motion we demonstrated during the midterm. Unfortunately for this prototype, the flexinol had a short lifespan and was unresponsive towards the latter half of our testing process with the model. The photographs below show the basic geometry, newly added lever arms, and addition of an expander block to facilitate movement past the peak position of the frame.