A prototipation process to build a software defined surface, of ideally whatever the shape, using standardized rectangular stripes of flexible material.

Following an in-office information session on plank lines geometry, we focused on the possibility to describe a whatever complex surface taking advantage of the planar characteristics of plank lines.

The goal of this short project was to define a simple process in order to make it possible to build a simple software defined surface using as building material only rectangular planar stripes.

We used Grasshopper to draw random plank lines on the selected surface, then we related each intersection point to a unique number and we unrolled the stripes as rectangular planar stripes, with every intersection marked with a number (in this way we had a ‘map’ of the intersections that each stripe would have had with the other stripes: thus we had uniquely named joints, easier to connect).

A little of real-world processes to make the stripes connectable and a hinge joint detail (bolts and screws), plus a little patience in finding the corresponding numbers, and the shape is done!