About Me
RESUME
Work
I am an Industrial Designer and Design Researcher specializing in the digital fabrication of physical form and space. I received my Bachelors degree in Industrial Design from Victoria University of Wellington New Zealand in 2007 and a Masters of Design in 2011. As an industrial designer, I have a broad range of skills that can be applied for the design of one-off installations or the development of products for manufacture. As a design researcher, I have been involved in several projects with the School of Design at Victoria University and HitLabNZ at Canterbury University. My research work spans a wide range of design technologies including extensive work with rapid prototyping machines, CNC digital fabrication, 3D scanners, 3D stereoscopic projection and augmented reality systems. I was a co-author for papers submitted to Siggraph Asia in Singapore (2008) and Vrap in Lisbon, Portugal (2009). My more recent work focuses on the opportunities of using ‘un/folding’ as design technique to mediate between 3D modeling software and the making of physical structures.
After having moved to the US in September 2011, I spent 1 month in New York City and later 2 Months in Miami working with TheVeryMany as part of the Lead Assembly Team for a digitally fabricated sculpture. I returned to Miami in Feburary 2012 to begin my professional career in the Design and Architectural Field. I currently work at Cabin Fever, a small company designing and building small prefabricated homes and structures. In my free time, I continue my research and development of complex surface geometries for output as manufactured products, architectural spaces and art installations.
Research Interests
• Design for Limited Run and Mass Manufacture
• Digital Fabrication Methodologies
• Form, Surface, Structure and Space Research
• Transformative, Adaptive and Reactive Designs
• Flexible ‘Skins’ for Mechanical Objects
• Architecture as a Product of Living
• Temporary Structures and Deployable Shelters
• Folding Solutions for Flat-Packing Designs
• Manufacturing, Construction and Assembly
• Economy of Materials and Processes
• The Impact of Information Technologies on Design
• 3D CAD Modelling Techniques
• Computational Form and Generative Modelling
• Interaction Design and 3D Visualization Technologies
• 3D Stereoscopic Immersion
• Bio Mimicry + Form
• Organic, Modular Design Tessellations
• Sustainability in Design
• Design Conceptualization and Theory
• Business Marketing and Branding
• Strategic Thinking and Planning
• Futurism, Fashionable Design and Trends
Travel
I was born in Pago Pago, American Samoa in 1985, and moved to Wellington, New Zealand when I was 3. At the age of 5 we moved to Bonn Germany for 4 years. Because my parents enjoyed traveling, (Mom is a Diplomat and Dad is a Development Planner) I had the unique fortune of traveling throughout much of Europe and abroad.
Europe was also a lot closer to the US than New Zealand, so we would travel to see Dads side of the family in Ohio. At age 9 we then moved to Apia, Samoa. I spent 4 years there before returning to New Zealand for High School. My Parents moved away again 3 years later and I stayed to finish school and attend University. More recently I had the chance to spend 6 weeks traveling in northern India, 1 week in Bangkok, Thailand, 3 weeks in Nanjing and 1 week in Shanghai, China. Since moving to the US, I’ve tackled American Highways for the first time when driving across country from Ohio through DC and down to Miami. I enjoy traveling a lot, and hope to do much more of it in the future.
Kris Henning 