twirling tyvek

i decided to investigate different methods of tyvek operability.

first i experimented with weaving and braiding. i thought that the chinese finger trap could be an option to explore, thinking that the magnitude of force would correlate to the volume of the trap. this could be interesting to explore on a larger scale.

here is an image of tyvek braided. it is not really stronger in tension (tyvek is already really strong this way) but it is slightly better in compression. and, it also seems more springy and stretchy.

i also played around with creating a structure to hold the tyvek in tension, so i made the whirly bird. it also allows the tyvek to vary in volume and therefore shade. but of course, this is very small and to imagine an aggregate of this seems wasteful and expensive because of the hardware.

first i made a version with the tyvek in strips - this works the best with this twirling sub-structure.

but this does not necessarily use some of the more intriguing properties of tyvek, such as its ability to be crumpled or not easily torn. so i tried to use the same whirly structure with a full sheet of crumpled/folded tyvek, hoping it would still spring into shape. not as successful. it twists too much near the fastener, causing it to move, therefore not allowing the tyvek to twist. rather that twist, perhaps this should push in and out like an umbrella, or maybe there are strategic points near the fastener that would benefit from holes or slits.

and a link http://sofiaadolfsson.com/index.php?/paperworks/lamp/