2024-05-06T11:13:41-04:00 https://archinect.com/news/article/150291697/joseph-choma-explores-foldable-shelters-with-his-students-at-clemson-university Josh Niland 2021-12-20T14:24:00-05:00 >2024-03-15T01:45:58-04:00 <img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/30/30aeb0534059ac748003446dd2be9c7b.jpeg?fit=crop&auto=compress%2Cformat&enlarge=true&w=1200" border="0" /><p>Taking as the focus the possibility of his <a href="https://patents.google.com/patent/US10994468B2/en" target="_blank">patented</a>, foldable fiberglass technique for use in resiliency design efforts, <a href="https://archinect.com/designtopology" target="_blank">Design Topology Lab</a> founder <a href="https://archinect.com/news/tag/86774/joseph-choma" target="_blank">Joseph Choma</a> is once again breaking the mold on a typology that has become increasingly relevant in the era of intensifying natural disasters born out of climate change.</p> <p>Choma is currently teaching a studio at <a href="https://archinect.com/clemson" target="_blank">Clemson</a> that explores the potential of fully deployable shelters for disaster relief with foldable composites.</p> <figure><p><a href="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/51/517595a589e0118d5a2feda42ddfb4af.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&amp;w=1028" target="_blank"><img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/51/517595a589e0118d5a2feda42ddfb4af.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&amp;w=514"></a></p><figcaption>The Cone crease pattern. Image courtesy of Joseph Choma, Clemson University.</figcaption></figure><p>The studio was split into four parts. The first segment included analyzing the current state of deployable shelters for disaster relief, uncovering what he calls a significant gap between lightweight tents and more permanent dwellings made from prefabricated components. This gap resulted in people usually living in tents a great deal longer than originally anticipated. The challenge for his students then became to answer the question of how flat-p...</p>