About
About Curvahedra
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rvahedra is a construction puzzle system consisting of sets of identical cut pieces which link together in an ingenious way, without the aid of glue or tape, to build a variety of 3D structures; many different balls, cones and even more complex three dimensional tilings can all be made.
Curvahedra is suitable for all ages and works particularly well as a creative activity uniting young and mature. A variety of colors is available, enhancing the beauty of the shapes as well as making them more satisfying. Exploring the system encourages curiosity and confidence to create, communicate, and construct ideas. A variety of Curvahedra designs are available (by varying the number of branches on each piece and how they link up), unlocking a repertoire of ideas to explore.
Curvahedra has successfully been used in a variety of educational and recreational settings with creative learners and puzzle lovers of all ages. Curvahedra opens up an avenue for creative learning, both independent and collaborative, without the need for prior knowledge or the pressure of formal learning outcomes.
Curvahedra History
Curvahedra is the brainchild of British Mathematician and University of Arkansas Math Professor Edmund Harriss. After inheriting a small sum of money in 2006 Edmund decided to spend the money on a small laser cutter allowing him to produce interesting geometrical shapes. Not only did this give him the ability to explore his love of geometry but he was also able to create new ways for people to engage in creative thinking through puzzle and design.
In 2016, Edmund decided to bring his creations to a larger audience by creating the brand Curvahedra and launching a Kickstarter campaign in order to raise funds progressing Curvahedra's development. With 385 enthusiastic backers and nearly $18,000 in funds raised, Edmund did exactly that.
Along with establishing a loyal following of Curvahedra fans, the campaign also caught the eye of several journalists. Curvahedra was featured in The Guardian, with an article from Alex Bellos, around Edmund's passion and the mathematics behind the designs. Mathematics educators Christopher Danielson and Sam Shah also wrote about Curvahedra on their blogs, and Joe Schwartz wrote about his experience with the prototypes.
Additional press for CURVAHEDRA include an interview with Edmund by Christian Perfect of The Aperiodical, an mention in Forbes about top Math Kickstarter projects, and a blogpost by Brent of Math Less Traveled. Various fellow math enthusiasts across the globe have also helped spread the word of the Curvahedra through social media and various other channels.
After the Kickstarter campaign in 2017 Edmund caught the eye of two local entrepreneurs (independent of each other) who immediately fell in love with Curvahedra and offered to bring their expertise to the product. Over the next nearly two years Edmund, Jason Kohrig and Brad Harvey worked to fine tune Curvahedra's brand, connector system and raw materials. This work has resulted in a new patented connector, stronger more reliable materials for the puzzle pieces and a rebrand which reflects the high standards of the company and the beauty of what you can create.
Edmund, Jason and Brad believe Curvahedra is more than just a fun and interesting new style of puzzle. Curvahedra allows people to create beautiful and creative pieces of art that everyone can enjoy resulting in their new tag line "Art + Puzzle".
With art being a major aspect of Curvahedra the team dreamed of one day seeing their products sold in the top art museums around the world. In late July 2018 Curvahedra was approach by one such museum, the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, and was asked to participate in their Artinfusion Summer Fling event on August 18, 2018. After picking themselves up off the floor the team knew this was an opportunity Curvahedra could not pass up and would also be the perfect time to introduce the world to what the team affectionately calls "Curvahedra 2.0".
Working with a fantastic local partner Just-Us Printing, the team kicked it into high gear working countless hours, engaging the help of friends and family and a whole lot of final testing and refining the team was able to launch the new and improved Curvahedra on August 18th 2018.
From our humble beginnings in Edmund's garage and many "business" meetings at Puritan Coffee and Beer we are very proud to bring you the new Curvahedra! All the best aspects of the original Curvahedra line but with the best mylar constructed pieces, a new patented connector system, amazing new colors/shapes and new branding and packaging.
Please join us in our journey as we bring Curvahedra to creative thinkers, puzzle lovers, makers, art lovers, kids and adults alike. An maybe, in a small way, we can all make the world a more joyous and beautiful place.