bettyWALL
NEW YORK, NY

The bettyWALL, named after the client, is a series of folding partitions installed in the East Village District of Manhattan. The design focused on two aspects of the project: 1. Understanding the daily life of the client and develop a multi-use, operable wall system that can be folded and unfolded into variously closed or open positions and 2. Focus on economy, methods, functionality and materiality as a way to engage the requirements of the program. BettyWALL is composed of several panels that were modeled and (de/in)-formed through design operations that reflect the need to fold, open, push, pull, access switches and re-orient the pieces. The wall creates the capacity for the owner to develop individual space over time thus allowing both a spatial and temporal operability. The wall was built using the original digital model that went through a series of iterative simulations designed to create the most efficient use of material and construction techniques. The digital files were sent to a Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) production facility to cut over 600 individual pieces from 1" Styrofoam sheets. Each piece was indexed numerically as well as being encoded with information that not only helped during the assembly into the four panel pieces, but also was used as a secondary support for each panel. The assembled panels were used as a mold for the fiberglass and resin that would become the primary structural skin. Once the fiberglass skin was complete, the panels were taken to an auto body shop and applied with 1976 Ford Mustang white color car paint with clear coat finish. The finished panels are not only extremely light weight and maneuverable but were also easily assembled in less than one hour on site. The project was fabricated and installed by POD DESIGN+MEDIA LLC with the help of JW Building Solutions in six months and had a budget of $3,500.