{"id":490627,"date":"2026-03-23T08:44:13","date_gmt":"2026-03-23T08:44:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/490627\/"},"modified":"2026-03-23T08:44:13","modified_gmt":"2026-03-23T08:44:13","slug":"interlocking-star-modules-build-a-porous-timber-installation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/490627\/","title":{"rendered":"interlocking star modules build a porous timber installation"},"content":{"rendered":"

Star-Shaped Units Form a Self-Supporting Timber Structure<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Astral Ascent is a site-specific installation<\/a> that explores the relationship between geometry, structure, and spatial perception through a modular<\/a> construction system. The project, designed by Yue Fei Zheng, draws on traditional timber<\/a> joinery principles, reinterpreting mortise-tenon logic within a contemporary framework based on repetition and interlocking components.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

The installation is composed of more than 700 star-shaped modules fabricated from sustainable panels. Each unit is designed to function both as an individual geometric element and as a structural connector within the larger system. Using an adapted mortise-tenon approach, the components interlock without mechanical fasteners, forming a self-supporting assembly. This method extends the principles of traditional sunmao joinery into a multi-directional, modular configuration.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Assembled in layers, the units create a vertical structure that transitions from dense aggregation at the base to a more open configuration toward the top. This gradation establishes a spatial and visual shift from solidity to porosity, allowing the structure to be read as both mass and framework.<\/p>\n

\"hundreds
all images courtesy of Yue Fei Zheng<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Shifting Light Reveals the Geometry of Solid and Void<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

The installation\u2019s spatial experience is defined by the relationship between solid elements and voids. The star-shaped modules form the primary mass, while the spaces between them generate a secondary system of negative form. These voids vary in scale and orientation, changing in appearance as the viewer moves through and around the structure.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Light plays a key role in articulating this relationship. Sunlight passes through the openings, projecting shadows that register the geometry of the voids onto surrounding surfaces. This interaction introduces a temporal dimension, as shifting light conditions alter the perception of form throughout the day.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Materially, the project by designer<\/a> Yue Fei Zheng emphasizes the natural qualities of its components. The use of sustainable panels with visible grain, cut marks, and exposed edges highlights the fabrication process. The installation also responds to site conditions, including light, airflow, and surrounding vegetation, integrating environmental factors into its spatial performance.<\/p>\n

\"hundreds
star-shaped modules assemble into a vertical spatial system<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Through the combination of modular geometry, interlocking construction, and material expression, Astral Ascent examines how traditional building logic can be adapted into a contemporary system that operates without additional fasteners while maintaining structural and spatial coherence.<\/p>\n

\"hundreds
over 700 units form a self-supporting structure without fasteners<\/p>\n

\"hundreds
interlocking components reinterpret traditional mortise-tenon joinery<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Star-Shaped Units Form a Self-Supporting Timber Structure \u00a0 Astral Ascent is a site-specific installation that explores the relationship…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":490628,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[6225,6485,6486,1120,96,9143,24244,56,54,55,18001],"class_list":["post-490627","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-arts-and-design","tag-arts","tag-arts-and-design","tag-artsanddesign","tag-design","tag-entertainment","tag-interactive-installation","tag-modular-design","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom","tag-wood-and-timber-architecture-and-design"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/490627","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=490627"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/490627\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/490628"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=490627"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=490627"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=490627"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}