Ebb and Flow: Folding Continuum

This project explores the interplay between rigid architectural structure and fluid form through a facade system generated by folding, creasing, and surface translation. The wavy facade acts as both a defining architectural element and a responsive interface between the building and its urban context( Austin's E 6th Street). Rather than functioning as a static surface, the facade is conceived as a continuous plane that is bent and manipulated to negotiate program, light, and spatial depth. Through these relationships, folding becomes a method for organizing space and expressing movement across the building envelope.

1. Rhino (primary modeling software)

Documentation

1. Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop
2. Camera/ Phone

Fabrication

1. 3D Printer (PLA filament)
2. epoxy or glue
3. Cutting tools

The first step in the design process was identifying folding as a response to the surrounding urban environment. The project is located along East 6th Street in Austin, Texas, a corridor defined by layered facades, rhythmic street walls, and strong visual identity.

A wavy mural on a nearby street wall became the primary reference. The mural’s flowing geometry suggested movement, overlap, and continuity across a rigid urban grid. Rather than copying the mural’s appearance, its wave patterns were analyzed as potential fold and crease lines that could be translated into architectural form.

These wave lines were abstracted and tested as folding logic, establishing a system that could adapt to changing program and spatial conditions. Folding emerged as a way to mediate between the rigid architectural frame and the fluid qualities of the surrounding street, grounding the project’s formal language in its urban context.

Before folds can operate, the rigid frame of the building must be established. This frame represents the structural order and acts as the anchor for all folding movements, setting the boundaries within which the facade can transform. In the Underlying form, the frame organizes the building’s massing and program, transitioning from public spaces at the ground level, through core functions, to private areas above.

To evoke the rhythm of a street wall, the full facade is split into three distinct surfaces, each responding to its urban context. From these, the specific surface to become the folding module is extracted. Isolating this portion allows the wave logic to be concentrated where it is strongest, turning folding into a spatial and architectural operation rather than mere decoration. This focused study distills the complexity of the building into a precise exploration of movement, material behavior, and spatial transformation.

NOTE: Open dwg file in rhino

The first street wall surface was duplicated and subdivided to create a manipulable SubD plane. Vertical creases were introduced by scaling select lines, and specific rows of the surface were pulled outward to define the folds. The manipulated surface was then bridged to its duplicate, sharpening corners with crease operations. After converting the SubD to NURBS, curves were extracted and used to contour the surface. By offsetting and extruding these curves at a controlled distance, the final contoured, manipulated geometry emerged, forming the basis for further surface articulation.

This operation transforms the facade from a flat plane into a folded field, introducing rhythm, movement, and variation while maintaining continuity across the surface.

Youtube Video by The Adam

This step focuses on the core of the building, which serves as the main entrance. Using a similar workflow to Step 3, the SubD plane was manipulated without contouring, emphasizing the creation of folds that rise from the base to form an undulating surface. Select areas were pulled and pushed inward and outward to create an awning-like entrance, allowing the facade to extend into the building and engage with the interior space. This approach introduces a dynamic interaction between exterior and interior while maintaining continuity across the surface. The design draws inspiration from the Imprint Building by MVRDV, translating the concept of folded facades into a functional entry gesture.

This step focuses on extracting curves from the manipulated surfaces to define the final geometry of the facade. Starting with curves from the contoured surface in Step 3, I duplicated and offset them slightly to establish reference “start” and “end” curves. Both curves were adjusted via control points to mimic the undulating folds established in Step 1, then tweened to create smooth transitions that follow the movement of the core facade.

To align the curves with the entrance folds, edges of the core facade were duplicated to capture the profile, and the projected curves were lofted with these profiles to generate solid geometry. For areas around corners, curves were blended to gracefully wrap the surface before lofting, ensuring continuity and a natural flow across the L-shaped facade. This process translates the dynamic fold patterns into tangible, three-dimensional forms that define both the building envelope and its spatial presence.

The final folded facade was translated into a physical model through 3D printing, divided into separate street wall sections for fabrication. This approach allowed each fold and overlap to be expressed with precision, revealing the depth, shadow, and continuity of the design. Careful consideration was given to connections and assembly, ensuring the individual parts would align seamlessly. The components were printed in PLA and assembled using a combination of super glue and epoxy, highlighting how the folded surface interacts with the architectural frame and emphasizing the sculptural quality of the facade.

This project explored multiple interpretations of folding through creasing, surface manipulation, contouring, and curve extraction. By dividing the facade according to the structural frame, the outcome conveys the sense of three distinct street walls, reflecting both the rhythm of Austin’s urban context and the programming of the building itself, from public spaces at the ground level, through core functions, to private areas above. Each facade section is linked through the undulating continuum of folds, creating variations that maintain continuity across the composition. In this way, the folding logic translates the dynamic ebb and flow of movement, light, and spatial experience across E 6th Street, turning the facade into a responsive and expressive element that engages with both the building and the surrounding urban fabric.