Refining the Opticianado Installation

Here are some additional developmental images of the [R]ed[U]x Lab team's work on the Opticianado installation for the 2014 Toronto Design Offsite festival. The team is eager to assemble the work as a great deal of the fabrication has already been completed. As the event draws closer, the team will be posting more images of the assembly, electronic work, and site work.

Devising Separators and Surfaces

From the dusty depths of some dingy Research Office, here's an update with regard to the macro scale inhabitants for the room installation.

If you'll recall, the membrane that occupies the room defines the seperation between the subterranean and terrestrial world that the lamps (that the digital tools students are producing!) will occupy.

Gen_4

The triangulated configuration of the arms versus their respective bodies in this iteration allowed the membrane to be populated more consistently rather than the quad-configuration in the earlier permutations. Flexibility in rotation was retained through this model, and the locking ability of the arms into their respective slots helped keep all the pieces secure. Detail level understanding as well as tension component and membrane had yet to be addressed at this point.

Attempting to understand a potential relationship with fabric and light

Orange textile was dreamy....

Gen_5

This iteration was exciting to have finally proposed a relationsihp with the textile membrane that we had wished to incorporate. Some detail level refinements were still needed and so was the need for a a better understanding of what textile options were available and would be most suitable for the project and our budget!

Condition of membrane looking from above- clipping pins were originally for another intent, but ended up being an appropriate fastener.

View from below

Gen_6

Security, flexibility, and a much more resolved detail level configuration are very reassuring with this model. Textile has been decided on and is very robust. Tension components are working rather well. Variation in components are being considered in order to further modulate the textile membrane in its relationship with the acrylic components. Now, how do we deal with "special" conditions of the membrane?

Understanding the relationship the membrane has with light is fascinating.

And with this we capture to the true effect that the "organisms" will have with the terrestrial boundary. As anticipated, even from below the shadows are picked up from the lamp above.

View from above.

Team 2 is working on the development of the wall surface components. 1/3 scale is being tested in anticipation of some CNC mock ups. Detail level refinements about how these will stand up are being explored. The organic quality of the surfaces when paired with light are still captivating!