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2025 | Shaping Environments | Carnegie Mellon University, MSSD
Challenge: To explore biodegradable alternatives to plastic by experimenting with bioplastic recipes and patterned geometries to understand their behavior.
Solution: A base recipe consisting of water, gelatin, glycerol, and vinegar was developed, and it was combined with natural aggregates such as fly ash, sawdust, rice flour, orange peel, coffee, and sugar to enhance the strength and texture. The material was cast over kirigami and tessellation-based patterns to study the relationship between form, flexibility, and surface response.
Among the experimented recipes, the gelatin–water base proved most effective for integrating aggregates. It exhibited good tensile strength and a workable consistency that allowed it to be piped into patterns. After drying and resting, the material showed slight shrinkage, and the following observations were recorded.
Shrunk by How much?
Building on these findings, we aimed to create stronger, more rigid forms by reducing the glycerol content and casting the material over various kirigami and tessellation-based patterns.Â
The resulting experiments produced two distinct outcomes: one set of samples remained flexible and was later stitched together, while the other developed into a harder, shell-like structure.
Stitched and Flexible 3D Scans, with Orange Peel
Hardened Shells with Flyash
A combination of a Hard shell center over a Kirigami pattern, and a flexible one around it with a tessellation pattern.
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