Folding Architecture by Sophia Vyzoviti

This book treats design as a series of “operations” that can be applied to paper.

For example: score, crease, rotate, twist, wrap, pierce, weave.

Review

This is a highly conceptual book and reads like a dictionary of techniques. With very little text, it visually classifies and presents operations. With a relatively low level of complexity in the build, the authors create sophisticated, elegant structures.

An example of two structures that illustrate the ingenuity of this book are found in the images below.

In one case, the use of negative space between two glass hallways contributes a third space (garden), which gives visitors room to breathe.

In the other illustrative example, a tunnel is constructed with minimal cuts. The asymmetry gives character to an otherwise plain construction.

Page Samples

Inspired Applications

I used one of the structures as inspiration for the structure in my NICU Reading Program / Experential Retail project. Because my initial prototypes were made of paper and cardboard, making foldable structures was time-efficient. In the final design, I shifted towards basswood but kept elements of the design — using negative space to create a safe space for families to relax, read and play.