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.

Workshop: Social Technologies 2010

During march 43 students from the department of Architecture & Design at Aalborg University has followed the workshop: Social Technologies, organized by Esben Skouboe Poulsen, Mads brath and Sune Petersen.
The workshop contain 4 faces: Concept, Parametric design to production (grasshopper), Dynamic light programming (vvvv) and Synthesis. In the 4 weeks new theoretical as well as practical tools were operationalized and in collaboration with Dolle A/S one project were selected and finalized to be displayed at the Platform 4.

See more information on the project on www.socialtechnologies2010.wordpress.com

Danzer Light exhibition at DAC

The following project is done in collaboration with the studio 3XN and Electrotexture Lab. is doing the lighting design on the project. The following is the vision of the project.

The project’s vision is to design a light installation for 3XN’s spring exhibition at the Danish Architecture Centre. The inspiration for the design will be based on biologically inspired algorithms. The biological principles of the project are based on self-organization in relation to agent-based design, also known as swarming behavior. This system will serve as the spatial form-finding principle which acts as an informed process of spatial design parameters.

This means that the agent system will serve as the direct spatial context, which operate on the measurable variables. This will move the design process away from the typical subjective object-oriented design process. The designer’s role is to design rules, parameters and environments in which the installation can develop and adapt. The project will also be a study of realizing a complex design process in a rational system with defined building components.

Kasper Guldager from GXN and student Thiru Manickam from the institute of Architecture, Design and Media Technology, Aalborg University did the design of the structural configuration. Tobias Thyrrestup and Esben Skouboe Poulsen developed a audio responsive swarm algorithm which extend the component based structure into an dynamic animated expression. Experience the exhibition ad DAC

Pictures of the exhibition: Mind Your Behaviors taken by Adam Mørk

Experimental lighting at DAC

During the last couple of months 3XN & Electrotexture Lab. have explored how structural components can be turned into aresposive mediated pixels. Through an extensive exploration of Danzer tilling and Craig Reynold´s algorithms the team search to discover experimental responsive form that continue the abstract/creative design process into the object. The exhibition is part of 3XN´s exhibition: “Mind your behavior” displayed at DAC the 12th of February 2010. Look forward to see you.

Light paintings at the Utzon Center

In december 2009 we will set up a light installation at the Utzon Center. The installation provide tools to make your own light paint brush. When you find a picture that is interesting enough you save it and it will be placed in a collective collage.

Dome lamp

The Dome lamp utilize simple planar production techniques and by the use of parametric tools the lamp is constructed of 12 horizontal ribs and 12 double curved horisontal ribs.

First PCB layout

This is the first board design of a wave sensing board which controls LEDs.

The board is capable of sensing the movement of waves when placed on water through the use of an accelerometer. The data from the accelerometer defines the color of the LEDs.

CCFL light control test video

This is a test on a design capable of controlling the "running" light amount of the tube. The video shows the CCFL controlled from an Arduino. The Arduino is programmed to fade the light up and down the length of the tube.

CCFL - Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lighting.

Video of Silo3 project

A presentation video of the Silo3 project.

Pictures from Silo3 project

The Silo3 prototype is now documented and we are searching for possibilities to realize the 42 pixel responsive media screen.

Explo

Dichroic filters
Colored acryl
Through series of light experiments we explore the light color of the lamp:

Candala Morph

Adaptive lamp structure, displayed on the Smart Home Conference and NEXT, 2009

Sound Shadows

Responsive light installation displayed at the Utzon Center, 2008