Chuck Hoberman: Transformable Design — Building Structures that Change Themselves

Abstract

Physical transformation is constant and ubiquitous. Yet architectural design remains focused on structures that are essentially static. How can we understand transformation itself as a design parameter that can be shaped, crafted, and optimized?

Inventor Chuck Hoberman will share his pioneering work in Transformable Design, tracing the journey from inventive concept through engineering and fabrication. He will reveal techniques for creating objects that controllably change in size, shape, and surface, and show how these methods offer broader insights into the very process of innovation.

This lecture is part of the Design Tech Public Lecture Series.

Biography

Chuck Hoberman

Nowhere do the disciplines of art, architecture, and engineering fuse as seamlessly as in the work of inventor Chuck Hoberman, internationally known for his “transformable structures.” Through his products, patents, and structures, Hoberman demonstrates how objects can be foldable, retractable, or shape-shifting.

Hoberman is the founder of Hoberman Associates, a multidisciplinary practice that utilizes transformable principles for a wide range of applications, including dynamic architecture, transformable stage sets, consumer products, deployable shelters, and structures for aerospace.