Paper Shingle Testing

Sometimes it is refreshing and satisfying to go back to basics and make models by hand... though laser cutters, CNC routers, and 3D printing certainly make life easier, recalling the toil and inherent eccentricities of handmade models is a way of keeping the hands and mind busy... or it just makes us all appreciate just how much we rely on fabrication technologies!

Flux: Additional Thermochromic Pigment Testing

Here are a few more tests of the textured photochromic pigments used by the Flux team for the 2016 Come Up To My Room installation. The team has determined a quality in the texture of the material through their vacuum form tests - now it looks like they are investigating the colour palette and ensuring that it has the most impact when seen... even by colourblind members.

Flux Panel Prototypes

Here are a few images of the Flux team developing a prototype of the bar for their 2016 Come Up To My Room installation. Ever the resourceful students, the team used cardboard and paper to get a sense of the structure and panels given the entire portfolio of workshops in the university are currently unavailable.

Trichotomy: Initial Sketches

Here are some early sketches that the Trichotomy team developed for the DME Wall proposal. As with other [R]ed[U]x Lab projects, we look forward to seeing how the final work manifests itself relative to these initial ideas.

Structural Prototype

Given that the Flux installation for the 2016 Come Up To My Room is in the high-traffic second floor bar area, the team had to also examine the structural limits and design of the project. Despite the lack of an operable CNC router (long story...) the team was resourceful (and patient) in making a mockup with cardboard.

 

Flux: Surface Texture Testing

Once the Flux team developed and validated that the photochromatic properties of the components worked, they began focusing on developing the texture on the surface of the piece. Using the vacuum former and experimenting with various materials and forms, the team developed a texture that would be both engaging to visitors while retaining efficacy in the heat transfer for a noticeable change.

Thermochromic Testing

Here are a series of tests the Flux team developed to verify and validate appropriate types of materials, thicknesses, and textures. Not one to shy away from experimentation, the Flux team sought to enhance the thermochromic performance by adding texture to the tessellation of panels thereby encouraging additional body contact.

...And no, we did not enlist hand models for this...

Vivak Tests



Tyvek Tests



Textile Tests



Bristol Test



1mm Acrylic Test

Additional Initial Sketches of FLUX

It is always a great exercise to compare and contrast what the initial ideas are relative to what the final outcomes are, especially in the realm of design and fabrication. Here are some initial concept sketches that the Flux team developed for their submission to the 2016 Come Up To My Room. Let's hope the team is able to translate their ideas into built reality with a high level of fidelity!

[R]ed[U]x Lab Design Explorations for the Digital Media Experience Lab

Thanks to the coordinated efforts of the management of Ryerson University's Digital Media Experience Lab (Namir Ahmed and Fangmin Wang) and the Master of Digital Media program (Michael Carter), another [R]ed[U]x Lab team led by Cathy have proposed a design of some storage within a feature wall for one of the Student Learning Centre's most prominent spaces. The design concept entitled "Trichotomy". Given the popularity and steady activity of the space, the design will have to be broken into two phases to ensure the primary storage is installed followed by the accent features of the overhead display areas. The team is currently looking to refine the design and explore materials that would complement the newest addition to the Ryerson University campus.

More to come as this design unfolds!

[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.