lsmontal.bsky.social
Assistant Professor @ Northwestern University Civil and Environmental Engineering | Adaptive Structures Lab | Shape-shifting mechanics + life-like cities | adaptivestructureslab.com | instagram.com/adaptivestructures_nu
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Team: Lucia Stein-Montalvo (Adaptive Structures Lab, Northwestern University), Sigrid Adriaenssens (Form Finding Lab, Princeton University), Elie Bou-Zeid (TUNE Lab, Princeton University), and Hypersonic (Brooklyn, NY). We are grateful for generous support from Princeton University.
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You can learn more about Kirigami d’Aria here: sites.northwestern.edu/kirigamidaria/ and about the exhibition here: timespaceexistence.com
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💨 Designed for urban canyons, courtyards, or park pavilions, Kirigami d’Aria integrates with existing structures, and demonstrates how climate-responsive architecture can be scalable and accessible.
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✂️ Inspired by kirigami, the Japanese art of paper cutting, the pavilion’s canopy takes a wavy, porous form that stretches open and closed, modulating wind and sunlight simultaneously. Its shimmering, dichroic surface emphasizes its fluid-like movement while the structure breathes.
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About the project: As cities grow denser and hotter, the built environment remains largely static, trapping heat and contaminants. In response, Kirigami d’Aria envisions urban architecture as adaptive, self-regulating, and life-like. 🌇
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Thanks once again to support from Princeton University: the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, the School of Engineering and Science Project X Fund, and the Presidential Postdoctoral Research Fellowship.
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Team: Lucia Stein-Montalvo (Adaptive Structures Lab, Northwestern University), Sigrid Adriaenssens (Form Finding Lab, Princeton University), Elie Bou-Zeid (TUNE Lab, Princeton University), and Hypersonic (Brooklyn, NY)
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Kirigami d’Aria is a kinetic pavilion inspired by kirigami (“cut paper”). As it stretches open and closed, the perforated canopy breathes – inviting breeze to pass through, while casting vibrant, shifting patterns of shade.
More here: sites.northwestern.edu/kirigamidaria
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👩⚕️ Team: Lucia Stein-Montalvo (Adaptive Structures Lab, Northwestern), Sigrid Adriaenssens (Form Finding Lab, Princeton), Elie Bou-Zeid (TUNE Lab, Princeton), and Hypersonic (Brooklyn, NY).
🙏 Support: Princeton CEE, SEAS Project X Fund, & the Presidential Postdoctoral Research Fellowship.
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Our contribution is possible thanks to generous support from Princeton University: the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, the School of Engineering and Science Project X Fund, and the Presidential Postdoctoral Research Fellowship.
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Collaborators: Lucia Stein-Montalvo (Adaptive Structures Lab, Northwestern University), Sigrid Adriaenssens (Form Finding Lab, Princeton University), Elie Bou-Zeid (TUNE Lab, Princeton University), and Hypersonic (Brooklyn, NY)
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The exhibition will take place in Venice, Italy, between May 10 and Nov 23, 2025. Kirigami d’Aria has shipped to Venice, and will be featured on the mezzanine terrace of Palazzo Mora.
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Our installation is possible thanks to generous support from Princeton University: the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, the School of Engineering and Science Project X Fund, and the Presidential Postdoctoral Research Fellowship.
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Team: Lucia Stein-Montalvo (Adaptive Structures Lab, Northwestern University), Sigrid Adriaenssens (Form Finding Lab, Princeton University), Elie Bou-Zeid (TUNE Lab, Princeton University), and Hypersonic (Brooklyn, NY)
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In response to the largely static built environment that struggles to adapt to the effects of climate change, Kirigami d’Aria envisions architecture as fluid, responsive, and self-regulating.
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I'd love to be added, please! :)