Temporary Tensegrity Shelters

For millennia, nomads have made mobile shelters from portable renewable materials: cloth, sticks, and rope. Such structures rely on the integrity of tension, an entirely different structural logic from regular buildings (which are based on stacked compression). Tension structures offer unique advantages, being generally simpler, easier to erect, and more resilient.

In this class, we'll cover some basic principles and tactics, and then spend the bulk of the time building, playing, and exploring the possibilities. Expect to never look at a the same way again!

Josho Somine is a sculptor from northern California who has been active in permaculture and natural building nationally and internationally since 1997. He also spent 10 years designing and erecting shade structures at Burning Man. He is passionate about community-scale sustainability, and is currently getting a master's degree in landscape architecture in Seattle.