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Mile Zero, winner of the American Institute of Steel Construction’s 2024 Forge Award, is a conceptual steel sunshade structure inspired by Japanese art and intricate kirigami techniques. Similar to origami, kirigami is a practice that involves folding, but takes the art form a step further and allows for cuts to be made on the paper. Anyone who has studied origami from primary school knows that patience is key, so crafting a steel concept based on a technical approach was certainly an extra challenge.
The Mile Zero team consists of Emily Baker, Vincent Edwards, and Edmund Harriss of the University of Arkansas; Isabel Moreira de Oliveira of Princeton University; Edward Souza of West Virginia University; and Arkansas State University Artist Riley Dickens Hoffman.
Baker, one of the award recipients, coined a term called “spin valence” while in graduate school. It refers to the ability to create spatial structures out of steel, much like cutting paper. After spending countless hours crafting the spin valence idea, Baker was able to create a prototype that ultimately resulted in the metal paradigm.
“once [Baker] “The whole spin-valency concept was described to me and I thought it was very innovative and looked like it could be a very interesting structural piece, but also architectural,” said Tony Diebold, a structural engineer at Hillsdale Fabricators who helps the team A model was developed. Designers continued to cut and pull steel panels to create a modular system that could be combined into a variety of structural designs. The end result is a circular structure that blooms like a tree, providing shade and light.
The conceptualized structure was designed for Arkansas’ Razorback Regional Greenway, a multi-use track spanning 40 miles. The structure will initialize the starting point of the path while also providing a resting place for those who just want to admire the surrounding scenery or take photos. The structure’s park accessibility makes it a great centerpiece as well as a great bookend to the park itself.
“We think this sunshade structure is very innovative because it takes steel and uses it in an interesting way that folds and stacks,” said Forge Prize judge Reed Kroloff.
This innovative concept is perfect for any park across the United States, many of which require shaded structures where busy parents can find respite while their kids are busy. Like paper cutouts, this structure brings peace and whimsy and is a great achievement of steel innovation.
Forge Prize runners-up include an idea for a community center in Boston with a complex structural steel grid facade; Rice University faculty and students designed a modular system for cooling to support irrigation.
Last year the award recognized an innovative concept for electric vehicle charging stations.
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