Vertical Folded Plate is a historical and technological exploration of folded plate design pushed to its limits. Since 1950s folded plate design and mass timber innovation since the 1990s, the need for these two worlds to collide is apparent in 21st Century design—to reveal scarcely known social and ecological benefits that each would otherwise not bring on their own. A new design approach to multi-story design can expand on the proven benefits of mass timber as a renewable material. To prototype the synthesis of a space created by folded mass timber plates, the vertical span of an inhabitable column (as used for vertical circulation, services and daylight) was structurally analyzed to test both precedent and exploratory forms in order to achieve socially-significant spaces.

The study traces folded plate design from Sergio Musmeci’s approach to concrete architecture to Chris Robeller’s synthesis of precision routed mass timber panels with integrated joinery. The modern combination calls for a modern visual analysis method. In this study, column-like spaces created with folded plate were analyzed using structural finite element analysis (FEA) to visually represent how folded geometry supports both physical and social forces. Prototyped on a site as context for an architectural work, the approach serves as a catalyst for future innovation in material and form. The design of a vertical folded plate-inspired space charts a new expectation for sustainability and tech-driven architecture.