Stack this, Baukit!

I'm not sure if this system counts as an example since its more of a technological design than an actual building example but I think it's a very interesting design with many applications still to be discovered. The real breakthrough is the geometry that allows a panel to fold up and then open to support itself structurally.

It's called QuaDror designed by Dror Benshetrit. What I find interesting is that it's a system that allows flat packing for transportation like the Baukit panel but it can be used with many different materials. The way it opens up means the panels themselves become smaller for shipping and then take up more space when deployed. I think it's a great example of More for Less.

Kemper Arena

Hi Everyone,

This one's a bit dated but it's a very transparent design that shows the ability of steel frames to free up space in a building. It's the Kemper Arena by Helmut Jahn. The building is a stadium which was designed to be held up from the outside by three enormous steel trusses. This allowed the inside of the arena to be unobstructed by unsightly structural systems and allows the audience to see only the game inside. This way of using steel on the outside to support the structure takes Mies' idea for the IIT campus in Chicago and refines it to be used on a larger level. The Kemper Arena shares this common ancestor with Marina's example of the "Absolute Box". While incredibly simple, the design shows the steel frame being used in service of the program instead of merely making a system from the inside as is usually the case.

Ruth's post reminded me of this modular student residence by H Arquitectos

What's most interesting to me is the way in which the modules plug into the water, electricity etc in a clever and quick way