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Free Content Flexible and sustainable building components through kerf patterns

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Populations in cities are increasing, the way we live is changing, and climate change is at the forefront of the architectural agenda. There is an urgent need to develop sustainable and flexible spaces for future urban housing. This paper examines the potential for using engineered timber, a renewable material that stores carbon, for the production of flexible housing. The paper focuses on kerfing, a cutting method that can turn flat rigid panels into foldable or curved elements. This project aims to develop light and flexible folded partitions that address the challenges of affordability and sustainability for our future cities (Figures 1 and 2).

Keywords: affordability; flexibility; folded structures; housing; kerf; kerfing; morphology; patterns; sustainability; timber panels

Document Type: Research Article

Affiliations: University of Cambridge Department of Architecture Centre for Natural Material Innovation Cambridge, UK, Email: [email protected]

Publication date: June 15, 2020

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