A group of high school students approached Fold Theory to produce a cardboard trade show stand, and they had already designed it. Well, the overall shape at least.
“Can cardboard do curves?” came one of the first questions. With an answer in the affirmative, they sent through a full 3D model, complete with graphic layout for printing.
Translating their forms into cardboard came with plenty of challenges, and resolving the complex intersecting curves was just one. Another was logistical: the event was in Abu Dhabi, so the entire stand had to fold down to fit into a suitcase and be reassembled in under an hour.
The stand was built at Yas Marina Circuit for the F1 in Schools World Finals. F1 in Schools (now rebranded as STEM Racing) is a global Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics competition for students aged 9–19. Teams of 3–6 work like real F1 outfits, designing, manufacturing, branding, and racing miniature CO₂-powered cars on a 20 m track, while also preparing portfolios and delivering presentations to industry judges. Team Surge, a combined team from Blue Mountains Grammar School and Korowa Anglican Girls’ School, placed 8th overall (out of 55 global teams), took out Fastest Australian Car, and earned a spot in the Komatsu – Williams Engineering Academy.
Congratulations team!
Client: Team Surge, Blue Mountains Grammar School and Korowa Anglican Girls’ School
Location: Yas Marina Circuit Abu Dhabi
Date: 2024
Photography: Tobias Horrocks, and courtesy Finn Snedden