Laser

Laser cutting is constrained by a shallow thickness of material, usually less than 10mm. Although stereotomy is usually associated with thick materials, folding along specially planned creases transforms a bendable sheet into a stiff volume. This volume, although with limited compression resistance, may be used for light stereotomic constructions, usually temporary pavilions made of cardboard, acrylic, or thin metal sheet. This ephemeral conditions might be overcome by using a more permanent material like concrete. In the PreVault project (Figure 55[b]), customized concrete elements are cast in parametrically customized moulds made of PETG plastic sheet. This plastic sheet was laser cut, scored, and then folded so that it defined an enclosed space in which concrete would set, thus creating the bespoke voussoirs (Dave Pigram, Larsen, and O. E. Pedersen, 2012).