Zip-Form

A computation-and-fabrication system for creating curved architectural forms by zipping flat-cut pieces together. Developed with architect Emily Baker at the University of Arkansas, Zip-Form pairs mathematical formulations for parallel transport with a simple jig-based assembly process, enabling complex 3D curves from plasma-cut steel and basic tools. The work spans a permanent public sculpture, papers at AAG and IASS, and an ongoing collaboration on shape-optimised concrete formwork.

2018-01-01

Projects

Gearhart Hall Courtyard Curvahedra

A permanent 12-foot diameter steel sculpture installed in the Gearhart Hall courtyard at the University of Arkansas. In collaboration with Emily Baker.

Sculpting Metal Curvahedra

An Art Department piece in MAA Focus tracing the design process for the Gearhart Hall Curvahedra.

Zip-Form: Geometry of Fabrication-Aware Curved Beams

Geometric methods for designing curved beams that are fabrication-aware, connecting differential geometry to architectural manufacturing.

Zip-Formwork: Fabrication of Shape-Optimised Concrete Structures

Application of the Zip-Form fabrication method to curved concrete formwork.

Related

Bridges 2023 Art Exhibition

Exhibited "Study for Mathemalchemy's lighthouse" (2022), a collaborative work with Emily Baker, Ásgerður Johannesdóttir, and Sabetta Matsumoto using the Zipform system.

Curvahedra

A modular construction system based on the Gauss-Bonnet theorem — identical curved pieces that zip together without glue to form spheres, toruses, and other surfaces. Began as a paper puzzle, funded via Kickstarter in 2016, and became a commercial product at curvahedra.com. The same geometry underlies the Gearhart Hall courtyard sculpture and the Zip-Form fabrication system.

Digital Manufacturing

Research into geometry-driven digital fabrication — bringing mathematical structure to bear on how things are made. Projects span cooperative multi-robot 3D printing with custom slicing software, the expressive potential of 5-axis waterjet cutting beyond standard manufacturing constraints, and the Zip-Form system for curved architectural elements. The unifying thread is using mathematical understanding of geometry to unlock fabrication techniques that are simultaneously more precise and more flexible.

Double-Curved Spin-Valence: Geometric and Computational Basis

Geometric and computational analysis of doubly-curved configurations of the Spin-Valence deployable kirigami space-frame system, establishing the mathematical basis for producing doubly-curved surfaces from flat-cut sheet material via spin-folds and hub reconnections.

Gauss-Bonnet Sculpting

Combining curvahedra with the Gauss-Bonnet theorem to select local curvature from holonomy