Adaptive forms: Origami Geometry in responsive architecture

This thesis investigates the potential of origami geometry as a framework for responsive architecture, demonstrating how folding patterns and adaptive surfaces can enhance design versatility. By reviewing existing approaches to architectural responsiveness, examining enabling technologies, and analyzing key origami systems, the study establishes a foundation for understanding the relationship between geometry, mechanics, and adaptive structural behavior. Case studies identify the most effective strategies currently employed in responsive design and inform a series of simulations examining the Yoshimura, Kresling, and Waterbomb patterns under vault shaping and shrinkage conditions. Although no single pattern proves universally optimal, each exhibits distinct advantages, underscoring the value of a flexible, option-driven design methodology. Through clustering techniques and curve-based targeting, the research demonstrates how diverse configurations can emerge from minimal inputs, revealing the potential for large-scale adaptability and complex form development. While the investigation centers on canonical geometric patterns, the findings indicate opportunities for future work involving increased pattern complexity, variable density, localized deformation, and hybrid systems. Overall, this thesis advances the understanding of origami-inspired responsive forms and provides tools—maps, simulations, and comparative frameworks—to support informed design decisions, reduce iterative experimentation, and expand the architectural possibilities enabled by adaptive geometry.