DOPPELGÄNGER is an investigation into ‘soft structure’ through the use of carbon fibre. Given the material’s high strength to weight ratio, it was explored for its potential to react to weather conditions and its corresponding optical effects. Through this synergy, DOPPELGÄNGER created a space that can transform for both the individual and the collective; from an intimate private arrangement, to a larger open and social space.

DOPPELGÄNGER is constructed using two identical ring modules whose mechanism shifts from a rested form to a deployed structure. In its rested form, DOPPELGÄNGER divides the space while in its deployed state, the structure is lifted to form a small canopy, creating an inclusive social space. This change activates public space, fostering interaction.

DOPPELGÄNGER’s motion relies upon a synthesis of soft structure and a moveable ‘skin’, which are no longer treated as separate entities. This fusion allows the surface to expand and contract, responding to the forces of the changing weather. The skin’s interior, a reflective material, blurs interior and exterior atmospheres. Its double curvature surface produces a netting of individual apertures, each functioning as a window in and of itself. When combined, it creates a broad field of vision, distorting optical perception and personal experience, reflecting the inside out and outside in.

Winner of the 2016 Australian Institute of Architects (AIA) , NSW Graduates Awards  |  Structural Innovation in Architecture Awards