1. Stungby the PaperBug
I was bitten by this paper bug two years ago when I attended a 2 hour hands on workshop at Apparao
Galleries at Nungambakkam. Since then I made it a habit to travel with papers wherever I go or find
some when I get there. The paper enables me to have and share magical moments with children and
adults alike. Every paper holds aesthetics that folds alone can reveal. There is an intangible quality to
paper, its ability to grow; grow stronger and at the same time become flexible which is surprising.
Before we begin our quest let’s find out what is Origami. Oru means fold and kami means paper.
Sometime in early 1600’s paper folding became a recreational activity in Japan and has ever since
become a part of Japanese culture. It has now gone far beyond that; today Origami is no longer about
flapping birds and flying dragons. It has established itself as a science; programmable math with
applications in medicine, engineering, automobile, space research and much more.
It isa humblingexperience towatchplainsheetsof paperbecome tri-hexa-flexagons, parabolas, boxes,
bowls, airplanes, flowers, and bugs in a matter of a few creases. So what’s in it for an architect or a
studentof architecture?There isplenty.Tounderstandhow sheetscantake shape and transform into a
3 dimensional form,tounderstandhowthe geometrycanaffectintermsof loaddistribution,every fold
can be construed as part of a skeletal frame in a structural system, to make simple and complex stuff
that is aesthetically pleasing and so on.
Withjust fourbasicrulesto follow, architectsandstudentarchitectscancreate stuff thatisbeautiful
and surprising. Are youreadyforsome folds?Cana paperfoldintoitself asa loop?
The four basicrulesof Origami are:
Principle:There are onlytwofoldsinOrigami. The mountain fold andthe otheris the valley fold.
Rule 1: Two colourability.(i.e.) the spacesbetweenthe foldscanbe colouredinsucha waythat the
segmentsof the same colourdonot become adjoiningonesbutjustmeetata point.
Rule 2: The difference betweenthe numberof valleyandmountainfoldsiseither+/- 2
Rule 3: Alternate anglesaroundavertex addupto 180 degrees
Rule 4: The sheetcannevergetintoa fold.
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