Knit architecture : low tech fabrication techniques in modern design : thesis

This thesis aims to bring the handicraft of knitting into the realm of architecture as a low-tech means of fabrication in a world of high-tech design. This thesis attempts to break knitting down into its most essential components and use these to build a catalog of basic forms which can be generated through knitting. These basic forms will act as building blocks which can be combined to generate more complex geometries. It will be seen that virtually any form can be generated using knitting as a means of production. Furthermore, this thesis will explore the idea of composites in knitting. It contains a catalog of traditional knitting augmented by structural additives, and it speculates as to the repercussions of adding performative elements into the working fiber. Finally, this thesis addresses the approachability of knitting by exploring crowd-sourcing. It postulates that using knitting as a means of fabrication will allow people to actively intervene in their communities, giving them a way to construct solutions to problems in their own neighborhoods.

Department dc:contributor.department

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Architecture.

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2012

Author dc:creator

• Mennel, Kimberly I. (Kimberly Irene)

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Sarah Hirschman.

• Architecture.

Statement dc:rights

• M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/72835

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/72835