The truncated octahedron is an Archimedean solid, characterized by a mix of hexagonal and square faces, and it has a very symmetrical and regular structure. Buckminster Fuller called this solid “Mecon”. The truncation process includes the cutting the edges of a polyhedron. We do this by dividing every edge of the polyhedron into 1/3s. Then, we carefully re-connect these division points to generate new, planar polygons. In the case of a truncated octahedron, we transform the 8 regular triangular faces into 8 regular hexagons and 6 squares. In this short tutorial video, I am showing this process of modeling and unrolling the mecon in Rhinoceros software. This is a beginner exercise in the basic modeling and transformation commands.

This video series showcases various in-class exercises I conducted in a freshman-year Architectural Geometry course. Using Rhinoceros software, we explore Euclidean constructions, basic drawing and transformation commands, fundamental fractals, regular and semi-regular tessellations, patterns, and modeling techniques, including unrolling polyhedra. These short drawing exercises are also beneficial for junior-level architects, interior designers, industrial designers, and enthusiasts from other disciplines. I will be publishing exercises each week on my blog and other platforms. So, here is today’s exercise on modeling and unrolling Mecon.

The software used in this course is Rhinoceros 3d (www.rhino3d.com). However, if you want to find out more and see the whole list of this video series, you can check my YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/@designcodingnet and my blog at: www.designcoding.net/. You can also check my Instagram page at www.instagram.com/designcodingnet/. The music of this video is ‘Luminance’ by Scott Buckley (CC-BY 4.0). www.scottbuckley.com.au