CloudHouse is a project developed with the City of Cambridge’s Community Development Department in response to the city’s “Resilient Cambridge” plan which works towards climate equity by recommending shade structures in lower income neighborhoods that have a deficit of tree canopy coverage. The specifics of the geometric and material constraints were integral in addressing the social and environmental impact of this structure while simultaneously advancing disciplinary practices in construction and form-making. The primary goal was to develop a design process that could create dynamic structural forms without producing any material waste.

The pavilion deploys curved-crease folding, a technique that creates rigid structural surfaces out of low-cost, readily available sheet material—in this case, HDPE, a recyclable UV-treated lightweight plastic. Its translucency creates a membrane that is simultaneously protective and illuminated.

The technique proposes a strategy for the economical use of material and streamlines the design and construction processes. The individual flat modules use the entirety of the most common stock sheet (measuring 4’x8’); the simple 2D rectangular sheets are scored with curves, and bent into complex 3D forms on site. Installation required limited skilled labor and took three days to install. The undulating forms of the bent cylinders suggest new geometric and spatial typologies; in this case, the fusion of a barrel vault and gable.

The site in The Port neighborhood has the highest diversity index in the city and has historically received fewer resources for essential public infrastructure. Public housing residents, nearby daycare centers, and elementary schools have benefited from the pavilion as an outdoor reading, resting, and gathering space during the hot (or rainy) summer months. Local volunteer and activist groups used CloudHouse as a venue to host Earth Day activities in April 2022, specifically for educational events about urban heat islands and sustainable shade structure design for schoolchildren.

Project Installation Team: Rayshad Dorsey, Pietro Mendonca, Jack Raymond, Audrey Watkins, JNJ Sacca Contractors.

Structural Consultants: Simpson Gumpertz & Heger

Photographer: Sam Balukonis

Fabrication: PolyFab, Burton LeGeyt