Name: Building unimaginable shapes
Uploaded: 2012-07-27T15:17:16Z
Duration: 10 min 50 s
Description: Inspired by cell division, Michael Hansmeyer writes algorithms that design outrageously fascinating shapes and forms with millions of facets. No person could draft them by hand, but they're buildable -- and they could revolutionize the way we think of architectural form.

Michael Hansmeyer: Building unimaginable shapes

Building unimaginable shapes

Inspired by cell division, Michael Hansmeyer writes algorithms that design outrageously fascinating shapes and forms with millions of facets. No person could draft them by hand, but they're buildable -- and they could revolutionize the way we think of architectural form.

True architectural innovation emerges by designing processes rather than objects. By abstracting nature’s methods, like cell division, even a simple cube can unfold into complex shapes with over 400,000 surfaces. Digital algorithms allow for endless, intricate variations that no hand could ever draw. Building these forms in the real world now bridges the gap between computer speed and physical craftsmanship, revealing a future of limitless design.