Paper Origami

I started my research into origami by looking at existing patterns for boxes and cubes as these are the classic kinds of containers and I also initially wanted the boxes to be able to fit within each other, like Russian dolls.  Above are a few of the more successful designs I made, they all differ in the amount of squares of paper they were folded from and how they would fit together. These are also the strongest and most rigid box designs I tested so if I made them in a softer material they would be harder to break or squash. 

I am also interested in the way that the boxes are opened, having two halves is the most common way for a box to be opened but I wanted to look at the way it could be made more interesting and interactive for the user. I made a couple of cubes but my favourite was fixed together by slotting the sides into each other, this makes it the least collapsible as each side is supporting another and are folded so many times that they are relatively thick. I'd like to look into a way to make the cube into a usable box so I will need to look into ways to seal the sides and make them stronger.

The aesthetic of the folded cube could be affected if dipped into a hardener like resin as you would no longer be able to feel the texture of the folds, which I feel is a fundamental part to the origami shapes as they always appear as if they could still be unfolded into a flat piece of paper. Porcelain could enhance the feel of the origami though it would then become extremely brittle and too many coats could again spoil the surfaces.

I feel that the best route to continue on with the origami would be to look at different materials, possibly metals or different types of paper, to try to retain and enhance the aesthetic of the origami.