TONY POWERS DESIGN
← Selected work

Minimal Surfaces / Experimental Structure

Morphology Studies

Collaborative studies with peers in Robinson Strong’s studioAcademic research · Pratt InstituteGeometry & Physical Model Studies

Physical experiments in minimal surfaces and natural form. Studies inspired by batwing and manta-ray geometries explore how complex surfaces can be understood through material, structural behavior, and model making.

Surface study — additive fabrication
01 / Morphology

Surface & curvature

Squircle studies examine a curved surface and its underlying geometric divisions.

Squircle curvature analysis
02 / Morphology

From surface to pattern

Unrolling translates three-dimensional geometry into flat patterns. The sequence moves from a grid and cut lines to a physical cube, alongside tetrahedron and octahedron studies.

Unrolling, grid pattern, cutout, and cube
Tetrahedron and octahedron pattern development
03 / Morphology

Final composition

Color-coded geometric units form a connected, porous surface. The rendered views test the composition against a wall and a human scale reference.

Final composition — geometric assembly
Final composition — rendered spatial studies
04 / Morphology

Fabrication & installation

Workshop photographs document material preparation, forming, and the suspended installation.

Fabrication and suspended installation — original documentation
View the two complete drawing sheets
Complete self-shaping and pattern sheet
Complete final composition sheet

Proposal / Tony Powers

Manta ray & strip morphologies

Studies from my Morphology Project Proposal examine a minimal surface through strip assembly, framing, and fabrication tests. Developable strips translate a curved surface into pieces that can be assembled into a three-dimensional form.

Manta ray minimal surface
Strip morphology — physical model
Framing study
Robotic wire-cut study
Filament study
View the Grasshopper definition
Grasshopper definition from the Morphology Project Proposal

Studio research / Shared context

Self-shaping textiles

Related research in Robinson Strong’s Center for Experimental Structures studio explores 3D printing on stretched fabric to produce self-shaping forms. These selected images document the work of Emerald Liang and Ivy Yu, as credited in the supplied research publication. They provide studio research context alongside my morphology studies.

Self-shaping textile pattern collection — Emerald Liang and Ivy Yu; faculty: Robinson Strong
Self-shaping textile form — Emerald Liang and Ivy Yu; faculty: Robinson Strong
Printed textile pattern — Emerald Liang and Ivy Yu; faculty: Robinson Strong

Portfolio spreads

Next project →DuSable Statue Competition