RESEARCH, 2015
THIS PROJECT CONTINUES MY INVESTIGATIONS INTO NEW GENERATION OF SHADING SYSTEMS. ON THE SAME PRINCIPLE OF PREVIOUS ONES,, IT IS BASED ON VARIATIONS IN LIGHT LEVELS, WHICH ARE BEING SENSED BY PHOTOCELL TO DRIVE THE MOTORS’ MOVEMENT. ALTHOUGH IN THIS PROTOTYPE THE LIMIT OF MATERIAL AND FRAME’S FLEXIBILITY WAS TESTED AND EXPLORED. THE STRETCHABLE FABRIC WAS SEWED ONTO TWO TYPES OF FRAMES:
ONE IS THE BENDABLE CONTOUR MADE FROM TWO STRIPES OF POLYCARBONATE GLUED TOGETHER TO PROVIDE LAMINAR FLEXIBILITY, AND ANOTHER ONE IS RIGID ACRYLIC OUTER FRAME TO BE DRIVEN BY MOTORS. THE FRAMES’ MOVEMENT IS SYNCHRONIZED IN ORDER TO PROVIDE SIMULTANEOUS CONTRACTION OR UNFOLDING OF THE ELEMENT. DURING HIGH SUN HOURS, IT IS IN ITS MAXIMUM DEPLOYED POSITION WHEN INSIDE OPENING STILL ALLOWS SOME LIGHT TO PENETRATE. DURING LOW SUN AND DARK HOURS, IT IS CONTRACTED TO ITS FOLDED STATE WITH INSIDE OPENING AT ITS MAXIMUM APERTURE. THE GOAL WAS TO CONVEY A FACADE ELEMENT THAT CAN ALSO BE EXPRESSIVE RATHER THAN BEING A SIMPLY FUNCTIONAL APPLICATION TO MANAGE DAYLIGHT.
SUCH FACADE ELEMENT CAN BE USED AS PART OF A STRATEGY FOR ADVANCED CURTAIN WALL OF A CULTURAL OR OFFICE BUILDING. THE NEXT STEP IN THE RESEARCH WOULD BE TO MINIMIZE AMOUNT OF MECHANICAL PARTS AND MOTORS, IDEALLY BY UTILIZING SPRINGS AND LINEAR ACTUATORS LOCATED IN SPECIFIC POINTS ALONG THE ELEMENTS’ ARRAY .