Roland Graf’s Studio 3-D Class Featured

The first assignment for Stamps Assistant Professor Roland Graf’s Studio 3‑D class — creating a geodesic dome large enough to fit the entire class, and built with rolled-up newspapers — is featured in a Michigan Daily article.

Monday morning in the courtyard of the Art and Architecture Building, Art & Design Prof. Roland Graf’s Studio 3‑D class completed their ​“Michigan Daily Habitat Project.” The goal of the project was to build an 11-foot-6-inch geodesic dome big enough to fit the entire class, using The Michigan Daily newspapers as their main supply.

…In constructing the dome, the class used 42 copies of The Michigan Daily. Each copy equaled six 24×21 sheets, with two sheets per strut for 250 struts total. They also used 91 brass fasteners. Graf said he only gave students a handout of the objective and they took it from there.

“They had to figure out how to organize it themselves in task forces,” he said. ​“It was really impressive actually. I’m happy with how the students took initiative.”

The structure overall was small, but large enough to fit the entire class.

“There are 18 students and they all fit in,” Graf said. ​“One of them said the dome is bigger than her dorm.”

3D art class builds life-size dome out of newspaper | The Michigan Daily