Invitation: Perceptual Ecologies

Dear all you are very welcome to the opening of the art installation: Perceptual Ecologies

Follow the project on perceptualecologies.com

RED PAVILION

The introduction of parametric design software into architectural projects allows for a smooth flow of data between the design world and the realm of computer-aided manufacturing (CAM). Combined with the utilization of scripting languages architects and designers can generate, and manipulate, with more and more complex building structures, thereby allowing for the exploration of new forms, assembly techniques and production methods. These new tools are changing the way we think, conceptualize, draw, and build architectural form.

The Red Pavilion project was developed by the authors in cooperation with four students from Digital Design at the department of Architecture, Design & Media Technology, Aalborg University, Denmark. The purpose of the Red Pavilion was to define an intimate event space for the annual Culture Night taking place in the city of Aalborg. To create such a temporal urban space the final design for the pavilion consisted of two grid shell structures covered with pyramid components, as well as a small stage, four illuminated benches, and two video projectors that were to illuminate and animate the surface of the two shells.

Acknowledgements:

Client: Aalborg Municipality

Production Facilities: Platform 4

Design Team and production:

Electrotexture Lab

together with:

Thiru Manickam, Jens Jakob Møller Pedersen, Kenn Clausen, Aste Ploug Henriksen, all BSc. in Digital Design at Architecture, Design and Media Technology.

Sune Petersen, Video Artist.

Jesper Simensen, Graphical Artist.

Christian Skjødt, Musical program

Sponsors: Barco, Migatronic, AV Centeret

LIQUID FACADE

Electrotexture has started the project Liquid facade:

Liquid Façade is an experimental project inspired by the concept of morphology we all know from the window shelf, where plant slowly turns toward the sun, the tulip in the garden which closes its flower to protect the vulnerable pollen at night or the plant which is able to close it fangs to catch insects. At all times, plants are trying to optimize their shape and adapt to the changes in the environment they occupy. However, plants do not rely on muscles, but chemical reactions causing changes in the fluid pressure the plants cells.

What if a building also could have some of these abilities, and optimize the different properties and shape to match the current environment. What if windows were able to attract and repel heat on demand? Or what if windows could become lamps at night, when darkness makes them redundant?

This project explores the use of fluid to change the properties of a traditional window, which might be the first step in changing what we expect from windows. This will be explored through an art installation, which will have the shape of a window, placed in a dark room. In the window, chemicals will be mixed to create illuminated bubbles, and pumps will provide the bubbles with motion. We aim to create waves, patterns and possibly different colors. The choice of using chemicals is inspired by nature, where algae, plants, fish and insects (among others), use chemically produced light to provide defense, attraction or camouflage. We hope to give the audience an experience of illuminated organic patterns.

The Project is done by Electrotexture Lab. in collaboration with: Lars Knudsen & Anežka Marie Sokol, og Mikkel Stokholm-Bjerregaar

BUILDING RED PAVILLON

Electrotexture Lab. is now in the process of building Red Pavillon to the Aalborg Harbor Front.

The project is developed in collaboration with Architecture and Design students: Thiru ManickamJens Pedersen, Kenn Clausen & Aste Ploug.

Light experiments for the tile

Structural test with double layered grid.

Congratulation to 74 new Architecture and Designers

Esben is opening the Final project Exhibition at the Utzon Center, Aalborg,

Congratulation!

Workshop: Steamed Wood Structures

Three days hard work in the workshop, playing with steamed wood and grasshopper.

In the workshop Steamed Wood Structures students from the department of Archtiecture and Design, AAU developed experimental organic wood structures, pushing the material to its very limit.

The aim was to explore how to produce parametric structures informed by the constraints of material properties. Through analytical and physical hands-on experiments the students developed an understanding of the behavior of wood; how much it can bend and twist with different sized cross sections. This information was subsequently stored in a scheme containing material properties and constraints, ex data about maxium bending and twisting of steamed Ask wood, with the profiles: 4x4, 4x7, 4x9, 4x12 and 6x6, 8x8, 12x12.

Evaluation of curvature using grasshopper

Digital sketching usind grasshopper as tectonic

evaluation tool.

Sections fabricated on a laser cutter.

Sections

Perceptual Ecologies; in the constructiuon

During the last weeks Electrotexture Lab. has developed several prototypes for the project Perceptual Ecologies. On the pictures you se the latest latex loudspeaker.

and on the video clip below the first prototype of a car ventilator and 12 volt halogen in action.

project web. www.perceptualecologies.com