I’m in the process of trying to catch up on all I’ve missed while I was “enjoying’ my annual Summer cold and laryngitis fest.  As i’ve been plowing through an amazing backlog of design websites, I thought I would share with you one of the trends that really seems to be taking hold – metal origami.

image via Yanko Design

Combining the green design communities love for the efficient use of materials with the energy savings of flatpack design, these three dimensional pieces made of a single sheet of recyclable metal are all the rage.

Here we see the Qbik steel lamp, designed by Enrico Zanolla and Andrea Di FIlippo for Miniforms Spa.  With its boxy form and heat releasing perforated top, this lamp has a very modern industrial feel.  But folded metal can also look a bit softer…

Somehow, Los Angeles based designer Brooke Woosley has taken a single sheet of aluminum, and given it lightness of form that belies its heavier nature.  Inspired by origami, the Oru table has a glossy white auto finish top, with a matte blue underside.  The folds are created using a water jet to cut perforated lines along which to bend the metal.

A similar technique of perforation was used to make the folds for the Noshi Stool by Designloop, although here the material is laser cut steel.  Unlike the previous pieces however, this one is in production and available for purchase ($243).  Cute, handy, and very, very durable, the Noshi also comes in grey and black.