This session invites contributions that advance fundamental insights, develop new fabrication approaches, or demonstrate functional applications of crafted matter. (3/3)

... desirable functionalities into materials. As the physical and mathematical mechanisms that describe these materials are being better understood, the goal of this focus session is to explore the state-of-the-art of both traditional and newly developed crafted matter. (2/3)

Craft-based techniques—such as folding, cutting, weaving, and linking building blocks—have long been used as simple and iterative rules to generate complex forms. While traditionally used for creative expression in handicrafts, recent research has recontextualized such methods for embedding... (1/3)

Session abstract below. See you in Denver! 🏔️

📸 Photos: Giulia Fassina
👥 Team: Lucia Stein-Montalvo (Adaptive Structures Lab, Northwestern), Sigrid Adriaenssens (Form Finding Lab, Princeton), Elie Bou-Zeid (TUNE Lab, Princeton), &Hypersonic [Art & Design] (Brooklyn, NY)
🙏 Support from Princeton University

🔗 Learn more about Kirigami d’Aria here: lnkd.in/e_RBaRYz and about TSE here: lnkd.in/g6VPV8wY

📍You can visit through November 23, 2025 on the mezzanine terrace of Palazzo Mora in Venice, Italy. Free entry!

✂️ Inspired by the Japanese art of cutting paper, the kirigami canopy “breathes” open and closed when stretched, redirecting oncoming wind to naturally ventilate the space beneath while casting dynamic, colorful shadows.

Team: Lucia Stein-Montalvo (Adaptive Structures Lab, Northwestern University), Sigrid Adriaenssens (Form Finding Lab, Princeton University), Elie Bou-Zeid (TUNE Lab, Princeton University), and Hypersonic (Brooklyn, NY). We are grateful for generous support from Princeton University.

You can learn more about Kirigami d’Aria here: sites.northwestern.edu/kirigamidaria/ and about the exhibition here: timespaceexistence.com

💨 Designed for urban canyons, courtyards, or park pavilions, Kirigami d’Aria integrates with existing structures, and demonstrates how climate-responsive architecture can be scalable and accessible.

✂️ Inspired by kirigami, the Japanese art of paper cutting, the pavilion’s canopy takes a wavy, porous form that stretches open and closed, modulating wind and sunlight simultaneously. Its shimmering, dichroic surface emphasizes its fluid-like movement while the structure breathes.

About the project: As cities grow denser and hotter, the built environment remains largely static, trapping heat and contaminants. In response, Kirigami d’Aria envisions urban architecture as adaptive, self-regulating, and life-like. 🌇

Thanks once again to support from Princeton University: the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, the School of Engineering and Science Project X Fund, and the Presidential Postdoctoral Research Fellowship.

Team: Lucia Stein-Montalvo (Adaptive Structures Lab, Northwestern University), Sigrid Adriaenssens (Form Finding Lab, Princeton University), Elie Bou-Zeid (TUNE Lab, Princeton University), and Hypersonic (Brooklyn, NY)

Kirigami d’Aria is a kinetic pavilion inspired by kirigami (“cut paper”). As it stretches open and closed, the perforated canopy breathes – inviting breeze to pass through, while casting vibrant, shifting patterns of shade.

More here: sites.northwestern.edu/kirigamidaria

👩‍⚕️ Team: Lucia Stein-Montalvo (Adaptive Structures Lab, Northwestern), Sigrid Adriaenssens (Form Finding Lab, Princeton), Elie Bou-Zeid (TUNE Lab, Princeton), and Hypersonic (Brooklyn, NY).

🙏 Support: Princeton CEE, SEAS Project X Fund, & the Presidential Postdoctoral Research Fellowship.