An environmentally responsive installation was recently displayed at the Materials and Application Gallery in Los Angeles. It was designed as a sun-tracking instrument that indexes time and temperature. Made of 14,000 laser-cut pieces of temperature sensitive sheet metal, the surface manifests dramatic variations in shape and function. The metal plates are deformed by heat- they curl and allow air to enter the structure and ventilate the space.
As it responds to the environment, the Bloom installation is expected to reach optimal performance on the 20th of March, the day of the Spring Equinox. Like the metal plates, the frame of the structure is also designed to adjust itself to different environmental circumstances. The final form is lightweight and flexible, and it is composed of 414 hyperbolic paraboloid-shaped panels. Some of the metal panels are made stiffer by increasing a number of riveted connections while others are thicker, providing additional interior structural support. The whole structure achieves stability through a synergetic relationship between the frame and the surface material.
DO|SU Studio Architecture are further developing this project, combining responsive thermobimetal material with glass to create a passive shading system.
