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Unit Origami

Unit origami, also known as modular origami, is a paper folding technique where multiple, identical (or similar) units are folded from individual sheets of paper and then assembled to create larger, more complex shapes or structures.

(My) Main Options

The two types of unit origami that I do are:

My Google Slides here.

Advantages of Each

First, both units can be used to build beautiful and colorful models.

The Star Building Unit has the advantage (compared to the PHiZZ Unit) for these reasons:

  • Slightly easier to fold and assemble. I’ve done it with middle schoolers through adults.
  • More versatile. More models can be made.
  • Models are easily deconstructed (so the units can be assembled into something different or stored until next year). PHiZZ assemblies are not really designed to be taken apart.

The PHiZZ Unit has the advantage (compared to the Star Building Unit) for these reasons:

  • Mathematical beauty:
    • The two main ‘balls’ are the dodecahedron and the truncated icosahedron (soccer ball). These are classics. (I should say that the PHiZZ units can be used to make a torus (which I have not done), requiring a huge number of units.)
    • If the balls are constructed (correctly 😉 with 3 colors* of PHiZZ units (all 3 colors coming from each vertex), then there is a Hamiltonian circuit (that visits each vertex exactly once) determined by selecting two (of the 3) colors and following that path. Lovely!

Note on the truncated icosahedron: It is the Buckyball. Info here. This has lots of applications. For example, see this article.

*If you want to three-color the edges (of the dodecahedron and the truncated icosahedron) so that the lovely Hamiltonian circuit property holds, you’ll need to follow the color templates found here.

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