PRODUCING DESIGN OBJECTS FROM REGULAR POLYHEDRA: A PRACTICAL APPROACH

Abstract

In the last few years, digital modelling techniques have played a major role in architecture and design, influencing, at the same time, the creative process and the fabrication of objects. This revolution has produced a new productive generation of architects and designers focused on the expanding possibilities of material and formal production, reinforcing the idea of architecture as an interaction between art and artisanship. This original perspective inspires this paper, which illustrates the contemporary scenario and provides some practical guidance about tools and technologies the designers most often use for creating geometric sculptures with 3D printing. Creative possibilities of topological mesh modelling are used to generate complex geometries from regular polyhedra. This process explores how combining different geometric operations can activate architectural inquiry and generate fascinating shapes with creative flexibility.