[R]ed[U]x Lab Returns to Grop-Op with Terrena

Though the winter of the New Year puts the planting of the spring far from our minds, this April the [R]ed[U]x Lab will once again return to the Gladstone Hotel to exhibit Terrena at the 2016 Grow Op event. Always experimenting with new media and unconventional ideas, Terrena proposes an installation that hovers in the middle of a room whereby users can see the often hidden (but nonetheless intricate) network of roots from below. If it were easy, it would not be worth doing.

In the words of the team:

"The project will be installed as a part of the 2016 Gladstone Hotel GrowOp exhibition that celebrates landscape, gardens, art, and placemaking. Terrena’s surface is a manmade landscape made of modular plants that takes precedent from the topography of the historical Toronto Ravines. Our installation, Terrena, creates a unique experience for visitors through procession, as the installation will be placed above, underneath and at eyelevel to the visitor as they process. In addition, the installation reveals the underside of the plants, exposing the root systems to the visitors. Visitors can physically and visually experience the underlying system that allows nature to prevail over and through manmade landscapes. The installation celebrates the rootal systems that are usually unseen. 

The project will give insight to visitors about the complexity of the root system as well as the persistence and prevalence of nature over our manmade landscapes. The overgrowth and overarching of the plants over the infrastructure will exemplify the idea that nature cannot be controlled despite our efforts. The venue is the alcove/lobby space of the 2nd floor at the Gladstone Hotel. The installation will consist of modular pieces put together to create a whole. The installation will be selfsupporting with light supporting elements to appear as if it is floating."

CUTMR 2019: FRAKTUR meets Gladstone

As the school year is coming to an end, the deadline’s continue… Submissions for the Gladstone Hotel’s annual Come Up To My Room exhibition are making way. #CUTMR2019 is all about exploring interactive design that stimulates creativity and imagination. This year the [R]ed[U]x team made a proposal to represent Ryerson for one of the small rooms of the hotel.

Exploring the means of expansion and contraction through kinetic design, FRAKTUR intends on making the static room feel alive. It breathes life into an otherwise dark and confined space. Akin to the mechanics of organic beings, FRAKTUR will create the sensation of breathing that is naturally associated with life and its reaction to humans. It may evoke fear, claustrophobia, curiosity, or maybe even comfort as visitors enter the room. As soon it senses the presence of a wanderer, it reacts defensively. The walls begin to breathe and expand, occupying a greater amount of space. Glowing cracks are revealed in its once uniform jet-black skin as it attempts to interact eerily with the foreign entity. One may feel as if they had entered into the belly of a beast as the pulsating walls close in...

Terrena at the Gladstone: Complete

Here are a few images of Terrena at the 2016 Grow Op exhibition at the Gladstone hotel.

FLUX at Come Up To My Room 2016

January continues to be a busy month for the [R]ed[U]x Lab. While nearly simultaneously working on Flummox for TODO 2016, another [R]ed[U]x Lab team was working on Flux at the Gladstone's 2016 Come Up To My Room Exhibit.

Here are some of the shots of the CUTMR Flux installation serving as the central bar venue on the second floor of the Gladstone. As seen in the photos, the efforts of the team were appreciated by everyone and the work was quite a tactile and visually engaging project.

The Most Important Part of [R]ed[U]x Lab - Our Team

This project could not have been made possible had it not been for the tireless efforts of the core project team:

Left to Right: Jason Ramelson, Sam Ghantous, Jordan So, Dadin Duldul, Vincent Hui (not pictured)

The fabrication and production teams drawn from volunteers from Ryerson University's Department of Architectural Science also served as a testament to the school's sense of community and dedication to design excellence. Without their commitment and hard work, the [R]ed[U]x Lab submission for this year's Come Up To My Room would not have come together in such a quick and organized manner. We genuinely appreciate the efforts of Christine Leu, Marcin Chmura, Michael Stock, Margot De Man, Sarah Ives, Naveed Khan, Ariel Cooke, Ailsa Craigen, Rachel Law, Rachel Hooshley, Joanne Gust, Antonio Cunha, and Wasif Ahmed.

And yes... we take care of our team and feed them well...

The lighting elements within the room were also designed and installed by:
Harry Han, Charmaine Lam, Scott Townsend, Jason Ramelson, Adrian Luk, Bonnie Nokham, Nevin Nacpil, Betty Vuong, Liz Tse, Mary Solidum, Rachel Hooshley, and Joanne Gust.

And last, but certainly not least, we could not have put together the resources without the incredible infrastructure and service support programs that Ryerson University, its Department of Architectural Science, and organizations such as PFACS have offered [R]ed[U]x Lab in this installation.  The assistance of Blaine Evans and Frank Bowen were exceptionally invaluable as the installation assembly came to the Gladstone Hotel. We are fortunate to have such great institutional support as mounting such a project would have quite onerous and expensive if done at another institution.

[R]ed[U]x Lab at Come Up To My Room 2016: FLUX

Returning once again to the Gladstone Hotel, a [R]ed[U]x Lab team led by Jessica and Robyn have been awarded the public bar space at the upcoming 2016 Come Up To My Room design showcase. These ladies have decided to use this installation as a vehicle to showcase their investigations into smart materials - specifically photo- and thermochromic pigments (changing colour with light and heat respectively). An excerpt from their project description states:

The use of photochromic pigments on the skin of the structure will create an environment that is constantly changing - from white (perhaps at midday with full sun exposure) to a burnt sunset (at night when in the presence of solely artificial lighting), Thermochromic pigment will also be used on the bar, the back of the seating, and body-level areas, generating surprise and user interaction. 

The second floor balcony alcove was highlighted as a promising site for this sculptural installation due to its enclosed nature and southern exposure (for maximum UV presence). Structurally the design is formed by a CNC-ed wood lattice which would slot together on site and form the framework for the interactive "skin" or vacuum formed modules. 

Though the work will be assembled for January 2016, we will keep on posting updates and prototypes as the team develops their work from design imagery to built reality.

FLUX Under Construction

Let's not forget all the work, effort, and manpower required to make Flux come together. Here is a snapshot on how the students from the Department of Architectural Science make these types of projects happen. Given the situation, the team was pretty much nomadic and occupied the DFZ, Gladstone, and even another program's shop.