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.

Toronto Design Offsite 2016: 325 Church Street: WHISPER

Whisper is an installation that allows people to share their secrets. The design is inspired by the candlestick telephone that features a transmitter and a receiver in the shape of a bell. Many bells hang from the ceiling to form the whole installation. Some bells contain a speaker, sensor and microphone.
The installation functions through motion sensors at variety of distances to either record or play recordings. When an object appears within 10 cm of the sensor, the microphone begins recording a short message. When someone is within 1 meter of the sensor, the speaker is activated.

Toronto Design Offsite 2016: 325 Church Street: NOVA

NOVA is an installation inspired by the natural phenomenon itself. A star that suddenly increases in brightness and then slowly returns to its natural state over time. The hanging structure proposed increases in brightness as people approach it; the closer the person is, the brighter the structure becomes. The use becomes engulfed by a bright space, surrounded by tessellating tetrahedrons. Each surface of the tessellation contains a reflective surface, the closest of which is an infinity mirror that resonates the bright space. These mirrors reflect all of the light on the structure infinitely, providing the experience of being in the cosmos themselves.

Toronto Design Offsite 2016: 325 Church Street: RAINMAKER

The cylindrical form insulates the installation from outside noises and visual interference. In doing so the interactor can become fully immersed in the dense soundscape, and remove themselves from the urban context, embracing the audio rainscape created.

Toronto Design Offsite 2016: 325 Church Street: CLOUD

Cloud demonstrates the generation off a monolithic form through the collective mass of a single unit. The varying lengths of each rod suggest a continuous, undulating surface - simulating the presence of a hovering mass from above. Cloud combines simple materials with custom fabrication methods to create a light-filled, monumental experience.

Toronto Design Offsite 2016: 325 Church Street: STRATATONE

Society has become defined by webs of communication. Never before has a message been as widely distributed as has recently been allowed by modern technology. With this distribution comes distortion. A message becomes more abstracted the more people pass it along; an inevitable case of broken telephone. Stratatone replicates this concept. A pattern (the message) should be simple to repeat, yet as the commotion of those around it increases it becomes distorted; moving, growing, shrinking.

The project consists of two stepper motors per drawing surface. A base code runs the pattern which in a perfectly silent space would remain constant. As people traverse the surrounding area, noise peaks amplify the form and create a unique image over the course of time.

Toronto Design Offsite 2016: Digital Tools Prototypes at 325 Church Street

Here are some samples of this year's upcoming Digital Tools prototypes that will be on display in the Architecture Building at 325 Church Street. This sampling is particularly impressive given that the students had access to fabrication resources for all of FOUR days.