Abstract:

The present paper treats the topic of modular spatial structures determined by using basic geometries for three-dimensional composition generation through paper folding and assembly techniques. The aim of the study is to develop a didactic method which can provide interior design students with an in-depth understanding of how spatial modular composition can be structured and, at the same time, achieve aesthetic qualities while considering the module a unit in a geometric system. When studying modular spatial geometries there are two main interdependent components that require intensive analysis: the module and the global composition. For interior design students, the task was to produce a vertical modular system with interior decoration purpose in a three-step process. In the first phase, the activities focused on a bottom-up approach by testing several geometries in order to determine the optimal shape of a module. This undertaking was performed by building physical paper models through cutting and folding paper techniques where each student tested a series of possible modules. The second stage of the process focused on a trial-and-error method where the students attempted to produce geometric spatial systems created by assembling modules as a system. At this stage, the students encountered difficulties in multiplying the base unit as interconnected elements in a composition which lead, in some cases, to reconsider the geometry studied in the first phase. The final phase implied the use of digital modelling tools with the purpose to test several global compositions based on the modules and systems studied in the first and second phase. Unlike the analogue method, the use of digital modelling tools ensured comprehensive understanding of the aesthetic qualities and perception effects of the proposed spatial structures. The resulted open or closed geometries provided students with information about how the module can affect the whole composition, advantages, disadvantages of certain geometries and insights about material and assembly limitations. The illustrative part of the paper presents student work which have been created during the second and third semester of Interior Design Bachelor Programme.

Keywords:

module, composition, folding, didactic method, digital modelling