One Fold is an exploration of the spatial andstructural potential resulting from the simplefolding of a sheet of stainless steel. It is inspired by an abstract origami of Paul Jackson who was challenged by one of his students to create an origami object by folding a piece of paper only once. Our initial investigations of One Fold followed the traditional methods of folding paper. Fundamental to the sculptural possibilities of the origami is the fact that any crease in a piece of paper lends the flat sheet a relatively great degree of rigidity and formal stability, and with every further crease comes additional stiffness and shape.
A traditional press brake uses hydraulics to generate the tremendous forces needed to deform steel. Without such technology at our disposal, we resorted to the most ancient of simple machines: the inclined plane or screw. By perforating the sheet at intervals along the line that was to be broken, we were able to pass galvanized bolts through the brake die, the sheet and the brake punch, binding them into a unified and perfectly aligned whole. By tightening the bolts in series, we were able to generate enough force to break the steel. As the sheet began to respond to the brake, the free end was manually lifted and pushed towards the pivot point, one step at a time. After each step, more pressure was applied to the bolts. This process was repeated progressively until the sheet was fully transformed. In all three applications, the resulting assemblage of vaulted forms shares the juxtaposition of straight line and graceful curve, an effect that is further enhanced by the lustrous surfaces of stainless steel. As a result, many further applications of One Fold seem to be conceivable. (John Patkau, Patricia Patkau)
A traditional press brake uses hydraulics to generate the tremendous forces needed to deform steel. Without such technology at our disposal, we resorted to the most ancient of simple machines: the inclined plane or screw. By perforating the sheet at intervals along the line that was to be broken, we were able to pass galvanized bolts through the brake die, the sheet and the brake punch, binding them into a unified and perfectly aligned whole. By tightening the bolts in series, we were able to generate enough force to break the steel. As the sheet began to respond to the brake, the free end was manually lifted and pushed towards the pivot point, one step at a time. After each step, more pressure was applied to the bolts. This process was repeated progressively until the sheet was fully transformed. In all three applications, the resulting assemblage of vaulted forms shares the juxtaposition of straight line and graceful curve, an effect that is further enhanced by the lustrous surfaces of stainless steel. As a result, many further applications of One Fold seem to be conceivable. (John Patkau, Patricia Patkau)