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All of these shapes are based on the same kinds of folds that create the leaf on the previous page. |
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If you look closely, you can kind of see how it is basically four simplified leaves put together (the tip of each leaf are the corners of the square). Forms like this - that can fold and unfold - are sometimes called deployable structures. An engineer named Davide De Focatiis has been studying leaves to design deployable structures. I found these patterns through his web pages. |
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I've been wanting to use this fold to fold printed paper around a structure. This paper is printed with an image of the sky and clouds. |
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This is a pattern for the fold above. It was designed (and patented) by Ron Resch. This system was used to make the world's largest Ukrainian egg, in Alberta, Canada. |
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This is the coolest deployable structure I've found. It starts as a little cup-shaped thing you can hold in the palm of your hand and unfurls beautifully! This pattern was designed by Simon Guest. One really interesting thing about this structure is that the folds are slightly curved. You'll find two versions of the pattern on his web site. One is simpler - it requires only moderate patience to make. The other requires extreme patience. But it turns out really nice. |
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We used this design to make an interactive flower garden at a workshop at the MIT Museum in Cambridge. |
