Kinetic wall : an exploration into dynamic structure

Abstract

The existence and survival of an organism in any given environment is the ability to adapt and change to that environment. Living entities are far more adaptable to a changing environment than anything produced by human design. Buildings exist at a very low level of sophistication when compared to any living organism. Living organisms are able to adapt to a changing environment with the aid of many specialized systems working in conjunction; circulatory system, nervous system, structure system and means of motion. For a building to exhibit this kind of sophistication, the integration and design of such active systems must be investigated. With new advances in the engineering of smart materials, computational control mechanisms, and robotics, this is potentially feasible. My research focuses on the development of one part of such a system; a computer controlled kinetic surface structure or kinetic wall. This system can be adapted to work as an sculptural internal space divider, a facade for an existing building, or a large scale dynamic roof system. The current prototype precedes the development of a fully integrated sensory feedback system, which when added could potentially be a first step towards a truly active building.