Patterned Deformation: Form Through Casting

This thesis investigates plastic membrane formwork as a system for making precast modular concrete units. At the brink of a plastic waste crisis, the project seeks to transform the discarded material from an environmental burden to an architectural medium. Beyond the development of a specific forming technique, the thesis frames recycled plastic as a component within a circular material logic. Plastic waste is not simply diverted from landfill but temporarily reactivated as a tool for shaping durable architectural elements. In doing so, the project reconsiders how low-value waste materials can participate in the production of long-lasting building components. While the prototypes use commercially available LDPE sheets for consistency and control, the system is designed to incorporate recycled plastic waste streams, particularly plastic bags, as a readily available, globally distributed resource.

The research proposes using a hybrid membrane formwork system made of thin low-density polyethylene (LDPE) sheets that are cut, patterned, and heat-seamed in a flat state. By heat-welding seams and patterned assembly, plastic sheets transform into a malleable mold used to pour volumetric concrete structures. The units don't fully take form until the casting process, when the pressure, tension, and gravity of the liquid concrete activate the membrane. In this process, both the mold and the material work together to produce a form, and deformation is no longer considered a flaw to be fixed; instead, it becomes a design parameter. In this system, seams and stress patterns become controlled design tools that guide the formation of surface articulation and structural depth.

Unlike rigid formwork, which sets the geometry in advance, this system uses the way flexible membranes behave to create variation, articulation, and localized thickening within each cast element. Seam locations, weld patterns, and boundary constraints are all things that affect how well a structure works and how it looks.
The project will conclude with the development of a series of repeatable modular units that can be assembled together to make lightweight architectural assemblies, like screens, partitions, and porous wall systems. This thesis proposes an alternate fabrication process that combines circular material reuse, developable surface logic, and membrane-based casting, so that waste-derived materials contribute to the development of durable architectural form.