Archi Folds: A Revolution in Textile Design

Samira Boon's Award-Winning Creation Merges Origami and Architecture

Archi Folds stands out in the market of dimensional textiles as a smart material capable of self-formation due to its complex inner structure. The design is preprogrammed and woven within the material, turning it into a fabric muscle or 'alive origami'. The space enhanced by Archi Folds is temporal as it morphs, redefining itself in response to human and environmental factors. This constant metamorphosis establishes an emotional connection with the user, making the material and space feel alive.

The creation of Archi Folds involves a uniquely developed computational weaving process that results in innovative origami structures. These structures fold themselves following the tension lines of the interwoven pattern. The composition of the material can be altered to meet site-specific requirements such as transparency, stiffness or softness, reflection, light fastness, weight, and acoustics.

Archi Folds is a strong spatial gesture that can be easily transported or moved thanks to its compact fold. The woven structures can be unfolded into a myriad of different shapes due to their structural flexibility. This allows two identical products to be installed in completely unique manners, reused in different shapes and sizes.

The research for Archi Folds started in 2013 at the Tilburg Textile Lab. The market-ready Archi Folds were first installed in April 2017 in Tilburg Theatres. They were exhibited and presented at Lexus events in November 2017 and January 2018 in the Louwman museum, The Hague. The design was awarded the Golden A' Textile, Fabric, Textures, Patterns and Cloth Design Award in 2018.

The main challenge in the creation of Archi Folds was developing the parameters for the digitally programmed weaving technique. An added difficulty was recreating contrasting features any folding structure requires: soft folds versus hard surfaces. The technique is mimicked in textile structures by applying varying tension to the fold lines in the textiles. Upscaling for architectural applications required many structural optimizations. The material composition was also altered to meet flame retardant standards.

In conclusion, Archi Folds by Samira Boon is a groundbreaking design that merges the art of origami with the practicality of architecture. Its unique properties and innovative creation process have set a new standard in the field of textile design. The design's ability to adapt and change in response to its environment makes it a truly 'alive' material, offering endless possibilities for spatial usage.