Beyond the Basket Case: a principled approach to the modelling of Kagome weave patterns for the fabrication of interlaced lattice structures using straight strips

This paper explores how computational methods of representation can support and extend kagome handcraft towards the fabrication of interlaced lattice structures in an expanded set of domains, beyond basket making. Through reference to the literature and state of the art, we argue that the instrumentalisation of kagome principles into computational design methods is both timely and relevant; it addresses a growing interest in such structures across design and engineering communities; it also fills a current gap in tools that facilitate design and fabrication investigation across a spectrum of expertise, from the novice to the expert. The paper describes the underlying topological and geometrical principles of kagome weave, and demonstrates the direct compatibility of these principles to properties of computational triangular meshes and their duals. We employ the known Medial Construction method to generate the weave pattern, edge 'walking' methods to consolidate geometry into individual strips, physics based relaxation to achieve a materially informed final geometry and projection to generate fabrication information. Our principle contribution is the combination of these methods to produce a principled workflow that supports design investigation of kagome weave patterns with the constraint of being made using straight strips of material. We evaluate the computational workflow through comparison to physical artefacts constructed ex-ante and ex-post.