The basic shape of a cactus results from the module of an extruded triangle, which is multiplied around a center. The apex of the triangles is curved either outwards or inwards, thus creating a stable construction by repeating the same geometry.
The areoles, the points where the thorns grow, are interpreted as control points of the geometry. They make it possible to influence the volume of the cactus at different points.




By applying a reference surface, the parameterized cactus can now be mapped to any object with the use of digital tools like Rhino and Grasshopper. Consequently, there are no simply repeated areas, but a wide variety of clearances with the same underlying principle.


Wall, dome, free form, context?
The surface, as a freely adaptable and combinable module, can be adapted to a wide variety of forms. The combination with forms, similar to the geometry of the cactus, is particularly interesting. A planar module on a curved surface.


Research project, UdK Berlin, 2019
Universal Fabricator, Lehrstuhl Palz