Being part of a design and fabrication studio led by Jason Johnson and Nataly Gattegno, we are the main contractor in most of our projects. Our recent project was driven by the idea of faceted origami-like surfaces that serve both structural and visual purposes. A challenge from digital form to fabrication arose where the stainless steel parts we were getting from our subcontractor had major misalignment issues that delayed the fabrication progress. As the fabrication lead, I was tasked with identifying what was causing this misalignment issue and developing methods of addressing this in future projects.

Orbital is a contemporary garden folly, exploring geometric and material exuberance. It evokes organic forms found in nature, but also giant robots and futuristic space vehicles. The structure is composed of three coiled legs that spiral towards the sky. The exterior surface is defined by stainless steel origami skins, while the interior space is wrapped by a vortex of colorful tactile shingles. Orbital’s dynamic form evokes an era of rapid change and uncertainty, while also inspiring curiosity and playful interaction.