PLUSH Portfolio

Casting Study 1
PRECEDENT PROJECT: ODD SOCK STOOL, EXLAB, MEL-
BOURNE SCHOOL OF DESIGN
MATERIAL: CONCRETE, FABRIC, WOOD
SIZE: 2’ TALL, VARYING DIAMETERS
APPLICATION: COLUMN
Fluid Forworks was a study in
the formal potentials of concrete.
How much will it respond to nondefined,
flexible casts? Does it
take on the shape of its cast,
or a life of its own? Inspiration
came from the Melbourne
School of Design’s ExLab and
their Odd Sock Stool, picture to
the left. Using three socks sewn
togetehr as a cast, the team
allowed concrete to assume the
fluid shape of modified socks.
Once rotated upside down,
the piece and its three flowing
stems can function as a stool,
supporting the weight of one
person.
We were drawn to fabric
formworks because of their
deceptively soft and flowing
shapes. These figures tend
to defy the typical notion
of concrete-rigid, stiff, and
orthoganal. Additionally, using
flexible formwork like fabric or
a sock allows for manipulation
before, during, and after the
casting process. For most
formwork, the design is nearly
complete once the form has
been built and assembled. With
our frame and fabric, the design
was just beginning with each
pour. This design flexibility led
to sharp folds, 120 degree twists
and dramatically changing form
diameters. The combination of
a consistent frame paired with
the open-endedness fabric
formwork truly creates endless
design possibilities.
We began our exploration of
fabric forwork with a rectangular
wooden frame. With two open
sides and a hole on top, the
frame provided access for
pouring and manipulating the
form. In addition, plywood
sheets covered two sides and
were punctured with a grid of
holes intended for dowels to
pass through. This allowed
dowels to guide the fabric
through shapes into patterns
featuring sharper curves. The
strict frame and consistent
dowel positioning options
provided constants in an everchanging
set of experiments.
The more comfortable we got
with the materials and their
potentials, the more explorative
the project became.
DSN S 546 Spring 2021 | 137