Toronto Design Offsite 2016: 325 Church Street: SOMNIUM

Somnium is a dynamic, reactive display whereby the light, movement, and texture of a single fluid unit becomes tributary to the beauty of the whole. To an observer, the floor to ceiling spires initially appear still and dimly lit, as if asleep. But upon approach, the fabric sheath is drawn upwards, and a soft inner light kindles into brightness. Together the spires awaken as if from a dream. Here the expressiveness of fabric is explored through the use of pleats, folds, and layers, while mechanical movement parallels the lighting effects therein. The result is a mesmerizing installation that is just as effective with a few users as it is with many, and the experience is never quite the same each time.

Snow Cone: Structural Play

No matter how incredible a design might be, if you cannot build it, then you are just an illustrator. Students from Ryerson University's Architectural Science Department are taught from the first day they enter the program. If you design it, you can build it. As seen here, the [R]ed[U]x Lab team is ironing out the geometry and connections of the Snow Cone project in a full scale mock-up in the Department of Architectural Science.

Here we see the team figure out the conduit structure and connections to support all the Snow Cone petals.