“Unfold a New Chapter”

by Kai Suto (Nature Architects)

At Milan Design Week 2023, the prototype of the “TYPE-V Nature Architects Project” was unveiled and this spring, it is set to launch in global markets. Created by a design program using metamaterials and Steam Stretch, from this unprecedented technological combination, what kind of innovations and possibilities can emerge? Origami and pleats, algorithms bridging humans and machines. A conversation with Nature Architects CEO Kai Suto has undoubtedly opened the door to a new era of craftsmanship.

Steam Stretch is a unique manufacturing method developed by A-POC ABLE ISSEY MIYAKE (hereafter A-POC ABLE), where heat and steam are used to fold specific parts of fabric, creating pleated elasticity. This is made possible by designing fabric structures that incorporate thermoplastic threads in precise arrangements, controlled through jacquard weaving. Since its inception around ten years ago, the engineering team has accumulated experience and data, refining its accuracy and exploring its expansion. Products such as TYPE-O, TYPE-S, and TYPE-W are fruits of this technological maturity.

Nature Architects is a University of Tokyo-based start-up that offers innovative designs with unique functionalities and characteristics using metamaterials and origami-based design algorithms. Their designs often defy conventional expectations and exhibit characteristics that are unparalleled in the natural world. These extraordinary materials, known as “metamaterials”, transcend traditional material features. The company has implemented a reverse engineering approach, starting from desired functions to develop corresponding shapes, something traditionally challenging in product development.

When the unique technologies of both sides were combined, the result was a single piece of fabric that transformed into an intended three-dimensional form. Using Nature Architects’ algorithms, clothing or structural forms modeled in 3D were analyzed. Then based on data accumulated from Steam Stretch, shrinkage patterns of the fabric were calculated, generating extremely intricate pleating patterns. These patterns were woven into fabric using a jacquard loom, and when heat and steam were applied, the fabric transformed into the intended 3D form just as it was modeled.

Because this is an entirely new endeavour, it may be difficult to visualize the actual manufacturing process. However, one thing is certain: this project has produced jackets that are not only comfortable to wear but also possess a sculptural beauty. Furthermore, it holds the potential to revolutionize manufacturing itself. After all, fabric that transforms into a three-dimensional shape at will is no ordinary accomplishment. The dialogue between Nature Architects and A-POC ABLE began with their shared connection to “origami.”

──It seems that A-POC ABLE has been researching origami for quite some time. I heard that some of the prototypes on this table are part of that research.

Yoshiyuki Miyamae (“Miyamae” below): That’s correct. We place great importance on physically engaging with materials to understand their principles. With origami, too, we first move our hands to explore what it means to fold. We’ve been working on this for a long time, and now younger members of the engineering team are at the forefront, tirelessly researching various folding techniques. The key for us is to explore folding without setting fixed goals or objectives, leaving room for imagination.

For example, we might think, “This folding technique could be applicable here”, or, “If we extend this folding pattern as a structure, it might lead to a new way of expressing pleats”. Folding paper, in this sense, serves as one of the initial sparks of inspiration for us. Have you discovered anything interesting through this research?

Masahiro Okamoto: Until I joined the A-POC ABLE engineering team, I had never worked with origami as deeply as I have now. At first, I aimed to go beyond the existing diagrams created by past pioneers and find folding techniques unique to myself, but I couldn’t at all. My hands would often get stuck because the folds wouldn’t align neatly, or the creases wouldn’t interlock properly.

As I continued the research, I realized that origami has fundamental lines. By combining these lines vertically, horizontally, or diagonally, they expand infinitely, advancing the process of creating shapes and patterns. Right now, I am focusing thoroughly on studying these basic lines.

──I see. So by combining these fundamental lines, origami unfolds into a vast array of possibilities. This perspective seems connected to pleats in some way. Does Nature Architects also engage in origami? Suto san, you specialized in origami engineering during university, correct?

Kai Suto (“Suto” below): Origami is a personal hobby of mine, but as a company, we don’t often physically fold paper. Of course we do incorporate folding as a fundamental practice by using computers to create folds in 3D CAD. We then use 3D printers to construct the shapes, and to study and observe how they behave by physically handling them.

In this sense, working with our hands is indispensable to us, not only in a physical space but also in a virtual space. For instance, when simulating a shape designed in 3D, we calculate how much stiffness develops when it bends or how much vibration occurs in different parts when it oscillates, almost as if we’re “touching” it within the computer. By parameterizing and analyzing this data, we can uncover correlations between shape, structure and function.

Alternatively, we may create new frameworks through trial and error in 3D CAD, combining these structures while exploring specific functionalities. In this way, our approach is perhaps similar to A-POC ABLE’s exploration of origami.

Miyamae: One thing that Nature Architects and A-POC ABLE have in common is that we both view origami as a function. When we initially started focusing on origami, we didn’t see it this way. We were instead considering it as a new way to express stretchable materials. However, as our research progressed, the structural and functional aspects of origami became more apparent. When you think about it, the same can be said for pleats. It’s not just the uniqueness of their shapes but also their functionality that opens up a range of possibilities. Engaging with origami has expanded the potential of textiles even further.

──Suto-san, what initially captivated you about origami?

Suto: It all started when I was in elementary school and saw a television program about origami. The guest was Satoshi Kamiya, a renowned origami artist. To me, he’s like a legend. Kamiya-san designs his own shapes and folds them into creations: imaginary creatures like dragons, animals like horses, and intricate insects with delicate legs and antennae. He would create incredibly life-like forms from a single square sheet of paper without cutting it. Seeing that for the first time left a deep impression on me.

Miyamae: Why do you think it inspired you? Was it the creativity of making something entirely new?

Suto: I think it was curiosity. The idea that such realistic and complex forms could emerge from a flat square of paper, simply through the act of folding, fascinated me. It’s an extraordinary leap and I found it deeply stimulating. What really intrigued me wasn’t the final form itself but the process of transformation from a flat surface into a three-dimensional object.

As I researched deeper into origami, I discovered the methodologies developed by those who came before. For instance, if you wanted to fold a three-dimensional hand, you’d conceptualize it as five branches growing out of a single trunk. From a single sheet of paper, you’d designate five circular regions of varying sizes to create the fingers and ensure there is enough space for connecting them with a band-like area around the edges.

There are so many structural elements and methodologies involved. Earlier Okamoto-san mentioned the concept of fundamental lines, and the more I learned about these principles, the more ways I found to express myself through origami. Moreover, I could add my own innovations to create new forms of expression. What drew me in was the combination of precision and freedom inherent in the process of creating these shapes.

──Would you say that there is not only logic but also a creative openness in the leap from two dimensions to three?

Suto: For instance, to design a structure like the hand I mentioned earlier, Robert Lang, an American physicist and origami artist, developed a system called “Tree Maker” before the 1990s. Origami, in this way, has been a subject of logical, academic research like design theory.

On the other hand, even if you fold paper randomly, you might see something that vaguely resembles a bird’s silhouette or a person’s profile. This has roots in the Japanese cultural concept of “mitate”, or imaginative perception, which is also crucial in origami. In fact, in the realm of creative origami, it’s not necessarily better for a piece to be as detailed and precise as possible.

What matters is capturing the essence of a shape and skillfully simplifying it: this is “imitate”. Furthermore, you must balance the overall form while embracing the inherent beauty of the paper itself. When all of these aspects are in harmony, that’s when an origami work becomes truly moving.

──Did your interest in computers also develop through your connection with origami?

Suto: Yes, it did. To create an origami blueprint, you need to break down the subject into its components, arrange the required flat surfaces on a sheet of paper, and ensure geometric consistency. Professor Jun Mitani from The University of Tsukuba developed software for this purpose, and I began using it to draft designs on my PC when I was in junior high school.

Miyamae: It sounds like the possibilities expand dramatically when origami and computers intersect.

Suto: Exactly. Professor Mitani’s software, ORIPA: Origami Pattern Editor, allows you to draw origami crease patterns and simulate whether the pattern can be folded flat. This means you can experiment virtually to see if a pattern will work and then fold it in reality to confirm.

There are also many other researchers in the field of origami, each with their unique approaches, but collectively they form a remarkably distinct design theory. The challenge is to create something precise and beautiful within the constraints of a single sheet of paper, and the process involves solving this problem efficiently and rationally. It’s very similar to the mechanical design work we’re doing now.

──The design approach of Nature Architects is characterized by “reverse-engineering forms from functions”, reflecting the concept of “metamaterials”, which possess functions and characteristics not found in existing materials. In this sense, folding is also seen as a function. How did you come to focus on this perspective?

Suto: I began to seriously consider this perspective after joining Professor Tomohiro Tachi’s lab at The University of Tokyo. Before that, origami was just an extension of a hobby for me. However, under Professor Tachi’s guidance, I learned that origami could become a research subject, a source of industrial applications, and a medium with incredible potential.

When we consider origami as a function, it offers three engineering advantages. The first is “lightweight yet rigid structures”. A single sheet of paper is light and flimsy, but introducing folds gives it strength and rigidity. Origami structures can leverage these characteristics.

The second advantage is “movement”. For example, hinges used for doors or folding chairs move only in a single direction. But geometrically repetitive folds like “origami tessellations” enable much more complex, multi-dimensional movements. Among origami researchers, this is often described as being “hard yet flexible.” Origami patterns are supple in the intended direction of movement but extremely rigid in unintended directions. Accordion-like folds, for instance, open and close smoothly but resist bending inward, showcasing a dynamic mechanism of rigidity and flexibility.

The third advantage is “compactness”. This is perhaps the most straightforward benefit, folding reduces surface area. A well-known example is the “Miura-ori” fold used in solar panels for satellites.

──So Nature Architects designs shapes that utilize the engineering characteristics and functions of origami?

Suto: Exactly. While our design approach isn’t limited to origami engineering, it is one of the critical technical foundations for us. We focus on controlling and designing the functions and characteristics that origami can provide. Achieving this goes beyond human calculation or simply repurposing existing methodologies: we harness algorithms.

We frame questions like, “What folding patterns meet these specific conditions?” and then let the computer solve them. With properly defined parameters, even highly complex designs can be generated as blueprints. For this project we developed a new algorithm that automatically generates flat patterns that transform into the intended 3D shape. This process is supported by the technology and data of Steam Stretch, which involves “folding fabric”.

Through this project, I learned a great deal, but what amazed me the most was the precision of Steam Stretch. For origami researchers, a technology that automatically folds using heat and steam is like a dream come true.

Miyamae: We were also amazed. The precision of Nature Architects’ designs was exceptional. Only two prototypes were needed to achieve success. When heat and steam were applied, the fabric shrank into a 3D shape exactly as modeled in the data.

Suto: It’s worth emphasizing that there hasn’t been a method as precise and automatic as Steam Stretch. In the field of origami engineering, any shape could theoretically be created on a computer, but the only way to materialize it was by folding it manually.

For instance, Professor Tachi developed the first program capable of generating patterns for folding 3D shapes from flat surfaces. However, even with this innovation, it still took 10 hours of meticulous hand-folding to bring those designs to life in 3D. In contrast, Steam Stretch eliminates the need for such labor and time, seamlessly transforming fabric from flat to 3D with the application of steam.

This is possible thanks to the technology developed by the A-POC ABLE team, which has been researching and developing it even before the brand officially launched. The exciting aspect of this collaboration is how our algorithm and Steam Stretch combined to create an entirely new method for generating 3D shapes. It’s like starting with a blank canvas, anything can be drawn from here.

──After receiving such feedback, how do you reflect it in the algorithm?

Kawasaki: As we go along, the key points that we need to control in the technology have become clearer. So we have adjusted the parameters to prevent certain things from being generated. But then new mistakes or unexpected transitions emerged. What was fascinating about this project was how A-POC ABLE approached and evaluated those unimaginable lines generated by the algorithm.

Normally, the process follows a set goal, like “We want these specific designs or seam placements, so please generate patterns for that”. But this time, the specialists in clothing design were willing to accept the algorithm's outputs and think, “Maybe this interpretation could work”. That was a hugely different experience and I think it was a very new attempt.

──It almost feels like you are intentionally taking a detour together with the algorithm to explore possibilities.

Kawasaki: Exactly. This project wasn’t about creating a precise, no-waste jacket. It was more about exploring what kinds of pattern possibilities exist. The process was about generating a lot, thinking together, having conversations, and providing feedback.

Miyamae: When we met recently, I think we talked about mountain climbing. It felt similar to that. Even with the same mountain, there are different paths. For example, Nakatani and Takahashi have their own design methodologies based on their knowledge, experience, and intuition, like “It’s faster to go this way”. But sometimes it is okay to explore a different path. It is in those moments that new perspectives and possibilities emerge.

Takahashi: I found it very interesting. For example, the way the shoulder was seamed or the collar was stitched, things that no typical pattern maker would think of. We were often thinking, “How are we supposed to sew this?” but I think it was important to bring those ideas forward. Also the ability to simulate millions of possibilities is something we (humans) don’t have, and I think that’s a real strength.

── It’s clear how compelling Steam Stretch technology is for computational origami researchers. This is due to the meticulous methodologies and data cultivated within A-POC ABLE regarding how weaving specific threads allows precise folding of fabric.

Miyamae: One of the key developments behind Steam Stretch was the dramatic upgrade in the computer systems controlling Jacquard looms. In the early 2000s, when A-POC started, data for looms was input via floppy disks, making it almost impossible to achieve the complexity seen in today’s weaving. Even if we’d known about intricate tessellated origami patterns back then, it would have been difficult to translate them into fabric.

In fact, when computer-controlled Jacquard looms began evolving rapidly, we were also exploring how to create innovative pleats. Around that time, we encountered origami through Professor Tachi at the University of Tokyo, whose lab Suto-san was a part of. Looking back, it feels like a fateful convergence.

As Steam Stretch was developed into a viable technology, we envisioned possibilities that traditional pleats couldn’t achieve. Our exploration was focused on creating systematic pleated patterns on flat planes. Through the Paris Collections, where we presented new pleated designs each season, we were able to produce complex curves and multifaceted folds. Yet the garment-making process itself didn’t change significantly. We still constructed pieces from multiple parts and sewed them into three-dimensional forms to fit the body.

This project, however, is entirely different. We can now transform a single piece of fabric into a targeted 3D form. It all began with Suto-san’s proposal to create a 3D model in advance, design it algorithmically, and develop the patterns into flat surfaces. This was something we couldn’t achieve on our own, and I immediately realized its groundbreaking potential. The process was entirely new, and from here onwards, the question becomes how can we further express and create using this approach.

Suto: The biggest advantage of incorporating computers and algorithms into manufacturing is the significant reduction in time and effort required for trial and error. If the desired shape or function is clearly defined, we can create a pattern via the shortest route. For example, we only needed two prototypes to perfect the jacket for this project.

Nanae Takahashi (“Takahashi” below): That’s right. The efficiency and speed were astonishing. At first, we prototyped using square-based patterns, but the result wasn’t quite right as a garment. We then switched to triangular patterns and the outcome was excellent, forming the base of the jacket design. The precision was remarkable. When Nakatani applied steam to the fabric, it took on exactly the intended shape.

Miyamae: The process was indeed streamlined. In creating a completely new product, you must solve individual issues one by one. But Nature Architects' programs efficiently resolved each challenge for this project without unnecessary trial and error.

Manabu Nakatani (“Nakatani” below): When the desired material and shape are clear, this method allows us to achieve results in the shortest amount of time. This experience and technological evolution have become a valuable asset to our craft. Nature Architects’ program not only calculated the optimal pleating and stretching processes, but also eliminated errors that used to manifest in the fabric. Additionally, the time required for data processing at the fabric factory was drastically reduced.

In other words, the overall production process improved dramatically in both speed and quality. By utilizing this program effectively, the range of possibilities will only continue to expand. That said, it remains essential to consider how people feel when they wear these garments in everyday life. No matter how complex the folds, the beauty of simple shapes and folds—or, as Suto-san puts it, how they are “reimagined”—remains just as important.

Suto: Throughout this project, I’ve often thought about what a vocational role like mine, as a “computational origami designer,” can bring to a team like A-POC ABLE, which is both a professional clothing manufacturer and the developer of Steam Stretch technology.

What I’ve realized is the importance of the systematization and algorithmization of the manufacturing process they’ve built so uniquely. By doing this, repeated errors can be avoided, compressing non-creative tasks and maximizing time for creative work. This, I believe, is how algorithms and programs should function in manufacturing.

During our meetings, we identified several areas that could be algorithmized. These didn’t require overly complex programming, but could be addressed through modular, straightforward rule-based programs. By combining these modules, processes can be significantly sped up. This approach allows for the experimentation of methods that were previously too labour-intensive or time-consuming to consider.