Chiris
handmade transforming sculptureclient: Columbia University
my role/scope: design, construction, fabrication, assembly
type: student work
my role/scope: design, construction, fabrication, assembly
type: student work
Chiris [“chai-ris”] is a transforming sculpture. The aim is to imagine how the technology and experience of an aperture mechanism could be scaled up and translated into architecture. An innovative, folding origami skin adds a rich third dimension and a shifting pattern of light and shadow.
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/0c2b83c7e8e01e18459a4f01287c36a5d486c8a36a050b440d0aed249fb48330/jmcpddv_origamiIRIS_1500.gif)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/fa05e1f4adbb67e2059440b8fc5d6161e226400e32a75a0d54973c919e4e1739/danae_1.gif)
Chiris is comprised of over 100 wooden arms; each CNC milled, hand-routed, sanded smooth and completed with plastic sleeve inserts. Seven unique joint details, which occur in a pattern throughout, were needed to keep the delicate cladding in-plane as well as to keep cumulative friction minimal.
The supporting structure consists of a 10’ circular frame on a 10’ square base with steel cables tied back to the square base’s corners. A moment connection at the frame-base joint was avoided by utilizing a high-density foam block cut into the baseboard.
Video: Chiris with Jeff
Video: Chenyu with origami cladding
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/05ad5cf62e49df795d649b3983e3e42506b6a623e66ddb7b98cdaa2c4bc3b19c/jetportal-lulu_chiris.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/c85f6f13a445906f45b1ea3d56203cd4645f6086bfef99bcf7f7929d45f937e1/jetportal-lulu_chiris2.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/ad47ace97f0cae039b3ef1e8611fc4495b4af0e06a2dba59ee15249c91139bcb/jetportal-lulu_chiris3.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/57c4e8710531d2ef1c5493d3699fa8cff171a8efb47fce6ae45f88535e244ad4/jetportal-lulu_chiris4.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/7c145b752473dcbdf6e3223676159282b106c326ab142b601969746b42948dc8/jetportal-lulu_chiris5.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/38eaf169f469dacfb287d75f7b0643ec471c5c54223893e7ff86d9d0b2ebc2fb/jetportal-lulu_chiris6.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/f527902e8b263f128b531fba48d5cc16436f8f8d0a75a671e312609f07692b81/jetportal-lulu_chiris7.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/099048e5f096a701ddad5300133d0dd1e31bd7d944a67c783058527fe3083e1e/jetportal-lulu_chiris8.jpg)