Self-erecting temporary shelter: Kinetic Design and Vacuumatics

Abstract

SETS (Self-Erecting Temporary Shelter) is a project born to realize a temporary, flexible, lightweight, experimental pavilion. It is a synthesis between the ancient origami’s art and the innovative vacuumatics. So SETS is able to switch from two-dimensional configuration, for transportation and storage, to the spatial one, adaptable to several uses (from fashion shows to emergencies). To achieve this goal SETS is based on two qualifying items: a strong geometric control, due to the parametric design tool, and the vacuum technology, that is able to ‘freeze’ it into the chosen configuration. In this article the authors will describe the topics of the first steps of the research, that allowed them to make some physic model in scale. They will also show the program of the following phases, that are addressed to the building of a prototype.