Origami from Sky and Space

U.F.O. (Flying Saucer)

2006
This model is a companion to the rocket ship, and is similar in technique as well as in theme.

Crease pattern for Flying Saucer

Rocket Ship

2005
This model represents a new design approach, in part a result of the to work I've been doing exploring polyhedra. I've been getting more and more into curved surfaces and approaches for modeling them, and at the same time looking for something more representational to explore as subject matter. The rocket is fully three-dimensional and the surface is made up of a facets which approximate a curved surface.

Crease pattern for Rocket Ship

Hot Air Balloon

2007
Take ride in the sky and you may see a herd of wild elephants or even a Baluchitherium. Complete with a gondola, this model extends the Origami From Space approach to terrestrial curvy flying objects. A stand can be made from an Easter egg dipper or the wire cage from a champagne bottle. Placing a marble or small stone in the basket will give it a lot more weight to keep it stable in the stand.

Diagramed in: Origami Worldwide
Diagramed in: Zing Origami

Zeppelin

2010
This model completes the series (at least until I think of another), and a lot of experimentation went into the design. It uses a modified approach to the polar symmetry layout. Only 2/3 of the paper is used in the main airship hull, the rest is for the gondola.

Crease pattern for Zeppelin

Origami Architecture

Castle (Armory)

2009
After I designed my origami tower I realized I could combine several towers on one sheet to form a castle. I came up with a bunch of prototypes with several successful layouts. The Armory is a square configuration with a large tower in each corner.

Castle Explorations

2009
The cool thing about using a tessellation as a base is that it basically gives you a small square in the middle of your main square. The number, size and position of the small square can be manipulated, so it is very flexible. The first is the Grand Castle. It features a large central tower surrounded by a wall with four smaller towers at the corners. Once I started folding it I realized that I would also have a tower in the center of each edge wall, resulting in a total of nine towers. A second version, called the Armory is a single block of a building with four towers in the corners and no central tower. The third, the Castle Keep, consists of six towers in two groups. In the front is a gatehouse flanked by two small guard. In the back is a a large tower with a hall on each side. In between is a central courtyard. Iím thinking I can combine the castle technology with some ideas from the Origami from Space series to create all kinds of domes and spires, and virtually any kind of architectural structure.

Tower

2009
I had the idea for some time to make an origami War Elephant, basically an elephant with a castle on its back, and maybe some bigger tougher tusks and other scary-looking armaments. The tower I had in mind had crenulated battlements ringing the top, and something resembling arches on the sides. I had tried a few other approaches to the tower but none of them was very good. This time I started with just the simple base, and it worked out really well. In this simple tower all the edges of the paper are along the bottom edge, so it should be fairly straightforward to embed it in a larger square.

Dollar Sphinx and Pyramid

2009
I was hanging out with Won Park and came up with this as dollar challenge.

Objects from the World

Adirondack Canoe

2008
Cutting through the waters of a Northern lake, almost silently, just the slight splash of the oars. Around the next bend you might spot a loon or a turtle. This canoe features a realistic, sculptural design and even has a little bench.

Diagramed in: Zing Origami

Adirondack Chair

2008
Nothing beats relaxing out on a deck or by the side of a lake, watching the butterflies and lizards glide on by. This model took a fair amount of experimentation with the proportions and with the detail on the backrest.

Diagramed in: Zing Origami

Flora

Fivefold Rose

2002
A rose that features fivefold symmetry for a more natural appearance. The golden ratio is replete in many natural plant forms and the rose is no exception. The method for developing the pentagon is approximate but very accurate. The center of the pentagon is at the center of the paper.

Diagramed in: Zing Origami
Free Bonus: Diagram for Pentagon Base