PNEUMATIC PLEATS

Pneumatic Pleats investigates how dressmaking techniques can shape inflatable architectural forms. Darts, pleats, tucks, and gathers are traditionally used to fit flat fabric around the curves of the body. Here, those same techniques turn simple fabric panels into three-dimensional volumes. The seams shape the inflated surface while making its folds, tension, and texture visible.

Three prototypes test different approaches: one uses darts, another uses pleats and tucks, and the third uses gathers. The forms were designed and simulated in CLO 3D, then translated into cutting patterns and sewn by hand. Comparing the inflated prototypes with their digital simulations reveals how fabric and stitching affect the final geometry.

The research brings the practical knowledge of garment making into architectural design. It proposes sewing as a method of form finding, in which the qualities of the material contribute to the design rather than being concealed.

Project details

• Category: Research

• Year: 2020

• Materials and methods: Nylon fabric, thread, sewing, and inflation equipment

• Related publication: Virginia Ellyn Melnyk, “Dressmaking Techniques for Pneumatic Forms”