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

Abstract

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.