Archive for April, 2006
With the upcoming Mechanoid Elephant performance in London of ‘The Sultan’s Elephant’ by Royal de Luxe, I was reminded of the work of Charles Ribart. In 1758, he planned an addition to the Champs-Élysées in Paris, to be constructed where the Arc de Triomphe now stands. It consisted of three levels, to be built in the shape of an elephant, with entry via a spiral staircase in the underbelly. The building was to have a form of air conditioning, and furniture that folded into the walls. A drainage system was to be incorporated into the elephant’s trunk. The French Government, however, was not amused and turned him down. What a shame!
April 29th, 2006
The Sultan’s Elephant is a fairy-tale for adults and children alike, and features a vast, moving, wooden elephant, 42 tons in weight, and the height of a three-storey house. The mechanoid elephant will make slow but steady progress around Westminster’s streets for four days in May.
The spectacle is the work of French company Royal de Luxe and will appear on the streets of London as the biggest piece of free theatre ever staged in the capital. Royal de Luxe has performed all over the world and are particularly known for a series of extraordinary shows involving gigantic, moving figures up to forty feet high.
more images
April 28th, 2006
RESPONSIVE ARCHITECTURES: Subtle Technologies 2006 Festival
Here is the opportunity to hear scientific talks in the context of those who draw metaphors from and interpret science. For Responsive Architectures 2006, we are proud to cover topics from dynamic cell structure, migration and cancer, brain development, nanotechnology, material science, fluid mechanics, heat and mass transfer.
June 1-4, 2006: Subtle Technologies Symposium
“We invite artists, architects, designers, engineers, scientists, and the general public to join us in this dialogue. Research presentations and artist talks will be complemented by exhibitions and workshops. The Symposium is preceded by the Canadian Design Research Network Parametric Design Workshop.” Angella Mackey, Toronto, Canada
April 27th, 2006
Airbus A350 will unveil its new A350 twinjet at the Aircraft Interiors Expo 2006 exhibition in Hamburg that will feature opulent interiors by BMW. Airbus has linked with BMW Group Designworks to design a new interior on the A350. Chief engineer Dougie Hunter said, “We can project onto the ceiling whatever is appropriate for the mood required – for example the night sky or clouds etc.” Hunter says that, “a concept around the door two area has a bar area and seating for economy while the entrance area will feature a dome to give the feeling of spaciousness or openness in the cabin.
via gizmodo
April 26th, 2006
3D mouse in a virtual environment (left)
mouse in a real-life environment (right)
I’ve reported on some interesting proposals for kinetic interactive architecture using constantly shifting topologies actuated by pistons and a flexible skin over the past two weeks. The Mixed Reality Lab in Singapore are experimenting with using these techniques to create mixed reality games between pets and their owners.
“Computerized movements in Mice Arena are mapped to and from the real world, where an actual predator (your hamster) gives chase to a digital avatar (you) by pursuing a real piece of bait. The avatar’s movements in the virtual environment direct the bait around a small tank fitted with actuators that mold and twist an elastic latex floor into the changing terrain of the game map.”
More Images on Wired , via rebang , via we-make-money-not-art
April 25th, 2006
Phil Ayres a member of sixteen *( makers ) and tutor of the Bartlett Interactive Architecture Workshop spoke last week at Podnet (post-digital architecture network) about sixteen* (makers) research and development.
Through a series of projects they have explored design methodologies which use the complimentary technologies of CAD and CAM . He spoke about how their recent projects were exploiting real world data to start to develop adaptive and local specific artifacts from initially generic starting points.
Phil describes the ability of a structure whether to biologically or artificially redefine and modify itself as being adaptive. ‘An adaptive system requires attributes of behavior, sensing and memory and then mechanisms of feedback allowing for these adaptive systems to construct themselves specifically for their environment increasing their local specificity over time.’
What was of most interest to me was how they built an iterative loop into this process so that rather than the design and construction being a linear process, it was a system of reiterations based on observations which as the cycles of the loops progressed created the possibility to build artifacts that were specific to local conditions of a site. Their most recent project is situated in the rich and varied landscape of Keilder (UK), containing a vast forest and the largest man made lake in Europe . Their research question – ‘The computer allows us to simulate living systems and their environments over time. With a bridge constructed between the worlds of the digital and physical through CAD/CAM, could notions of growth and adaptation act as mechanisms to drive the design, manufacture and life cycle of fragments or larger parts of the built environment.’
They have developed initally environmental drivers using temperture variation accross diurnal/nocturnal/seasonal cycles. These values are able to build up data sets of locally specific microclimates. They have examined these climates under 2 found conditions, exposed and under mature canopy and 1 introduced condition, glass enclosed spaces placed in exposed areas. ‘The results vary dramatically, suggesting possible investigations exploring a range of differing strategies to exploit or inhibit the influence of local conditions through architectonic means.’
They are currently developing the first iteration of the described cycle and have generic prototypes fabricated and awaiting installation on site early this spring. During this time they will be ’speculating and testing associations between design drivers and design attributes, and possible goal states of the construct in relation to specific site conditions. It is here that the design challenge presents itself in that too prescriptive a definition of rules will result in predictable outcomes, denying the opportunity for the designer to experience surprise and delight.’
April 24th, 2006
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