Looks like nothing...
...but put them together...
The Danish folding school has come up with new ideas. One idea is to look at proto-folds or elementary
folds which they could also be called. If only a few folds is put into a piece of paper, it usually
looks like nothing. But put them together as building pieces and it suddenly looks like something. In
the example to the left three simple folds are each nothing. But together they look like a fox with four
legs, large tail, and a pointed head and body. See the instructions.
The simplicity of the protofolds means that anybody may fold them. The options in joining them together
means that anybody may make complex models. In particular if we also allow some pragmatic glue, as has
been used in some of the examples to the right.
The simplicity also implies that they are well suited for cardboard and other stiff paper. That increases
the robustness. The models on this page have been made in red, white, and black cardboard which
emphasizes a clear, graphical expression.
The discipline has a number of relatives. Within origami one relative is the modular folds. The modules
are usually characterized by a great uniformity: a lot of alike modules put together in larger, often
complex, constructions. The modules correspond to the protofolds. However, the protofolds are more
non-uniform.
Another relative is the teabag folds where many simple folds (in each their paper) are put together into
a larger, often very decorative, model. Usually 2D where the protofolds are "born" 3D.
Right outside origami we find cut-out models in cardboard and paper, put together using glue, staples
etc. One example is the book "Fold en trold" (Pape 2003)
which is again close to kirigami, "cut and fold".
The potential in boardbend is there. We think you e.g. could design are repertoire of protofolds in
"construction sets", like Lego boxes, and distribute as "boardoflexi" ("protofolder", "papbuk",
"boardoflexi" and "kartoflexi" commercial copyright 2008 Den danske foldeskole by Simon og Hans ;-).
Design and folding on this page: Simon Andersen, 2008.