As part of the Tree Studio, this research focuses on the mapping of tree skins as a medium for form generation. In my project, I examine the spatial qualities emerging from the translations between the surfaces of trees, rocks, and paper. Through a series of cuts and folds, I repeatedly unfolded the rock's geometry in an effort to trace and capture its inner and outer surfaces. Subsequently, I applied molds derived from tree to rock surfaces to generate form
The research unfolds in three acts:
Act 1: Creating a Surface on a Tree
This phase involves wrapping paper tape around the body of a tree. During this process, the paper wrinkled, folded, and occasionally tore. The knots, folds, bumps, and scars on the tree’s surface were imprinted onto the paper, resulting in a geometrically partial and biased impression of the tree. The outcomes were wavy, wrinkled strips of paper that can be interpreted as a secondary geometry derived from the tree's skin.
act 1: rubbing the tree with paper tape, 3D scanning the mapping, generating 30 stripes of the mapped tree skins.
Act 2: Creating a Surface on a Rock
Focusing on New York City's parks, this phase centers on the rocky terrain of Inwood Hill Park. Specifically, my site is located on the "C Rock.” The research investigates the interaction between trees and rocks, emphasizing the gripping tectonics where these elements merge. The project seeks to explore the intertwined geological and arboreal relationships particularly at points of fusion and entanglement. Through this exploration, the project proposes “surfaces on surfaces" as a conceptual framework for studying these connections.
the creation of inner surfaces within the rock by carving passages and unfolding them.
a collection of molds derived from tree surface mappings, capturing their textures, folds and geometries. These molds serve as a toolkit for generating new spatial and material explorations.
Act 3: Engaging with a Mold
In the final act, the molds derived from tree skins are utilized to disrupt and transform flat surfaces. The flatness of the "C Rock” is reimagined by inflating, puncturing, and filling its
niches, thereby introducing voids and cavities. These interventions envision the transformation of the uninhabitable rock—not only due to its solidity but also its unyielding flatness—into a habitable space. By incorporating these voids, the rock is reconceptualized as a park-like
environment, offering passages for both humans and light
niches, thereby introducing voids and cavities. These interventions envision the transformation of the uninhabitable rock—not only due to its solidity but also its unyielding flatness—into a habitable space. By incorporating these voids, the rock is reconceptualized as a park-like
environment, offering passages for both humans and light
The molds, informed by the tree's surfaces, further inflate, wrinkle, and occasionally tear the paper. These disruptions serve as a means of reimagining surface and space, pushing the boundaries of materiality and habitation.
act 3 : applying papers on molds
a series of cuts and folds to reveal the rock's surfaces, exposing its inner and outer geometries
the cross-section of the C Rock