BFA+MFA 2021

Prototypes of transformable polyhedrons

Nada Abarra

Humanizing Architecture: a Polymorphic Space

MFA in Design

Contemporary built environments that support thriving communities are a highlight of human evolution. Still, many places remain ill-suited to our needs due to mass-production, which produces static, one-size-fits-all objects, leading to sterile, standardized environments. There is an urgent need to humanize architecture by using an interdisciplinary approach to engage nature’s behavioral patterns of interactive transformation. This thesis proposes a transformable polyhedral structure, designed to adapt to the changing needs of human emotions—a morphing three-dimensional enclosure capable of expanding and contracting to suit the dynamic needs of its occupants. The resulting project employs principles of interactive design and construction techniques for making transformable polyhedrons, inspired by Buckminster Fuller’s Jitterbug.