Algotecton

Abstract

Algotecton (from algorithm and tecton---carpentry, articulation) is a site-specific generative sculpture inspired by the Weaire-Phelan structure, a mathematical construct that approximates the geometry of foam. It comprises 16 interlocking polyhedra fabricated using advanced parametric modeling and computer numerical control (CNC) technologies. Evocative of different natural formations---a crystalline structure, a kelp forest, a molecular compound---the sculpture responds to Kendall Buster's Parabiosis II piece at the street level of the Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. Algotecton harnesses state-of-the-art computational design and fabrication techniques to give material expression to mathematical concepts, invite discovery and playfully transform people's perception of space and form.