Negar Kalantar + Alireza Borhani

Assistant Professor of Architecture

Department of Architecture, Texas A&M University

College Station, Texas

http://www.thetranslab.com

Kalantar and borhani explore new agendas for generating form through the interaction of force, geometry and motion. As a journey from static geometry to motion geometry, their works are the outcome of more than a decade of experience in developing transformable and adaptive design, ranging from architectural-scale structures to small products. Kalantar and Borhani demonstrate the concept of transformability as a new design tool in architecture. Here, the architectural attributes of the mechanism, or the ability to change in shape and pattern, are the main concerns. The design concept of their works is derived from geometry informed by sustainable design principles. No matter what the final form is, the underlying geometry of each their works resides in the space between the performance and fabrication limits. Fascinating to watch, almost all their work pieces can capture the imaginations of spectators as the objects slide, rotate or glide as if they have life—or emotion—of their own.

Flexible YET Rigid - Interactive Installation

02:18

Faculty: Alireza Borhani + Negar Kalantar 1st year Students: Raymond Gonzales, Stephen Parker, Ashley Just, Rebecca Bond

2015

http://one.arch.tamu.edu/news/2015/3/24/wood-piece-rigidity-flexibility/

Flexible YET Rigid is an Interactive Installation presented at University of Houston in the National Conference on the Beginning Design Student (NCBDS 31). To link materials with processes and processes with form, the installation presents a project executed by first year students at Texas A&M. By searching for the limits of the use of wood, this installation aims to bring two contradictions of wood together: rigidity and flexibility. Thus, the goal is to transform lumbers into flexible yet rigid elements. These pieces are flexible enough to be formed into different shapes, yet rigid enough to retain the desired shape. The installation was sculpted from flat pieces bent in unexpected and organic ways to challenge what is conventionally expected from a piece of wood.This installation explores form and space via a range of woodcut techniques for cutting slits into solid wood. To explore the elastic nature of wood, compression or other forces can be applied to create the desired curvatur

Transformable Design-Deployable Domes

02:19

Negar Kalantar + Alireza Borhani

2014

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sM55HwF3bSU

The close similarity between these two spherical cups is based on a set of moving compressive bars that are connected together to form a three dimensional mechanism. These two deployable structures are capable of expanding up to several times of their packaged size, when their bars are rotated relative to one another. In the first spherical cup, all the bars meet with one another once the structure contracts from a dome-like shape to a completely compact bundle. This leads to the structure that corresponds to the most efficient folding configuration and maximum expansion conditions. The first cup is ideal for the purposes where compact packaging is essential. The second cup cannot be folded up entirely. The second cup cannot be folded up entirely. The joints are made of aluminum sheet and provide one degree of freedom. The first cup has less joint types (one type) than the second cup (four types). This can facilitate the process of installation.