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Flexo InForm: Redefining Geometric-Material Performance

Flexo InForm, an Assembly Pavilion prototype, is a result of an experimental exercise in search of innovative design processes oriented to geometric-material performance. Inspired by the weaving of natural fibers typical of the Argentine Littoral region, the design process involves the parametric discretization of a complex geometry, leading to the creation of an innovative design process based on the generation of algorithms oriented to the performance of geometric materials.

The prototype is derived from an experimental exercise in search of innovative design processes oriented to geometric-material performance. It utilizes active bending behavior as a design tool applied to structures that base their geometry on the elastic deformation of laminar elements. The resulting low-cost mono-material pavilion is self-supporting, adaptable to any terrain topography, lightweight, and fast to assemble.

The process begins with the parametric discretization of a complex geometry built with 3mm multi-laminated Guatambu wooden plates. The resulting flat tapes are flexed using a physical simulation algorithm to obtain a self-forming structural envelope, which is then calibrated and unfolded to allow fabrication with CNC tools. The simple assembly of non-serialized components is carried out on-site in three stages, making it accessible for inexperienced users to assemble.

Flexo InForm was assembled in 2 hours and was available for 1 month for outdoor activities of students and professors of the Faculty of Architecture, Design and Urbanism of the National University of the Littoral (FADU-UNL, Santa Fe, Argentina).

Doctor Architect Mauro Chiarella is a Researcher; Full Professor and the creator of the Representation and Ideation Laboratory (RI.LAB). His lines of research explore innovation in ephemeral architecture and industrial design through the study of ideation processes from new digital technologies. The research and works developed have been published and cited in indexed scientific journals, receiving international awards and distinctions.

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