The foundation year students of the Department of Design were offered an elective in summer vacation as part of their continuous learning activities. The elective was based on the principle of Tensegrity. Tensegrity is a design principle that applies when a continuous set of compression elements is opposed and balanced by continuous tensile force, thereby creating an internal pre-stress to stabilise the entire structure.
Students had to understand the core principle of Tensegrity and use creative thinking to apply the knowledge of Tensegrity in day-to-day objects and create meaningful products. Students had to first make models inspired by the well-known artist as a stepping stone to learning. After understanding the principal structure integration they had to apply this knowledge to create different product propositions.
Students had limited time to explore the principle and create different objects. Despite the challenges of covid-19, where the material source was limited, they had made interesting workable prototypes ranging from furniture, lamps, and art decor.
Tensegrity Chair
This elective introduced us to the concept of tensegrity and how its use is beneficial. For the final project, we looked at other tensegrity products which already exist and we tried to decode the system of tensile forces which acted within the structure and apply this understanding to create a product of our own. Here I used my understanding of the tensile forces to create a scaled model of a chair which can collapse by removal of the tensile force in the strings.
-Ashwin Suresh (19BDI005)
Learning the concept of tensegrity was really an interesting journey for me. I made these tensegrity lamps using the same concept and understanding which are inspired from the tensegrity towers. This lamp can be used as home decor and that too in multiple ways making this product versatile.
-Hitali Bhonde (19bdi006)
For me, learning the Space decor with Tensegrity was like a cheery on top. The best part of learning was the making process. And experience with our faculty was amazing.
-Manushi Desai
This is a rotating merigoroud that has been made using the concept of tensigrity for small children in park. It is inspired from architect Kenneth snelsons x model.
-Shardul Dugad