DME Lab Locker Room Production

A great deal of production can be accommodated in the architecture studio when students are not working on deadlines. Fortunately the [R]ed[U]x Lab team working on the DME Lab project were able to utilize the studio space to assemble and prepare their components. Keeping track of components, laying out joinery, and applying finishes require a great deal of work space. Sometimes it seems as though the team was having too much fun...

This past year has been quite intense despite the dearth of updates and posts. With the end of the academic year, the [R]ed[U]x Lab has been literally building up a few projects that continue to attest to the Department of Architectural Science's commitment to provide students experiential learning opportunities and make connections to the greater community. This summer will be quite busy with two notable projects right off the start: the Bata Shoe Museum window celebrating Canada's 150th anniversary and the City of Toronto's Parklet project.

It's that time of year - let the fabrication and building begin!

The Completed Cumulus Cloud

After a few late nights and quite an exhaustive series of inflation sessions, the [R]ed[U]x Lab team responsible for assembling Cumulus Cloud completed the work for the 2016 Chang School Talks in the Vari Engineering Building.

[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.

Going to and Working On Site

The intrepid [R]ed[U]x Lab team managed to get all the full scale mock-up disassembled and brought on to the site at the Beeches. Once on site, the team had to prep the area and start assembling... in near record-setting temperatures. The team braved the freezing temperatures by the water's edge with no refuge from the unforgiving winds. To say that this team was focused and devoted to the task is an understatement. How the team managed to not only assemble the precise elements but also keep smiles (or was that because their faces were frozen?) is an incredible feat.