The potential for a lit facade to interact and convey information like never before is being made into reality. In this video you will watch the behind the scenes concepts and design mindset behind an interactive curtain wall building project. (bringing a new spin to interactive façade lighting technology)

During the day, this façade turns solar exposure into energy to then turn this energy into different stages of performance and behavior at night. The designers explain how their video wall gives this building flower-like behavior — by absorbing daily light that later turns into nightly performance energy — manifesting a type of sustainability.

PUSHING THE BOUNDARY

It is nice to see this project pushing certain architectural design boundaries. As the hardware, software and content all come together — it is hard to believe that the façade’s resolution is only one pixel per every three feet. This certainly does make one think twice about how much information is necessary to communicate and interact with spectators and visitors.

I like the designer’s thought about how this project references certain aspects of pointillism where there is a moment when the points blur together or are seen individually.

Much about this project opens up questions for the future evolution of interactive façade lighting technology. As new technologies surface, it is important for designers to understand how this all will affect human perception. I have a feeling that future ideas about launching a video game or using macro photography on this type of façade are only the beginning.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

What other projects like this would you consider innovative — where the designer is thinking in a way that pushes the convention of how we use such technology for human perception? What about that project is unique?

© 2008-2011 Sensing Architecture by Maria Lorena Lehman