SOFT KINETIC GRID

| Design Research | 2011-2013| Supported by University of Calgary Seed Grant |Calgary, Alberta | Published in Project Catalog of the 31st Annual Conference of the Association for Computer Aided Design in Architecture (ACADIA) | Exhibited at 2011 ACADIA Conference Exhibition |

This project is driven by an interest in adaptive systems in nature and a desire to explore the capacity of built spaces to respond dynamically and adapt to changes in the external and internal environment.  The Soft Kinetic Grid project examines the capacity of the shape memory alloy (SMA) to act as a point source actuator of the grid. The ‘V’ shaped SMA joints are embedded into a silicon tubing diagrid in order to test the extent and the nature of the grid movement. To better understand the gradient of movement of the actuated grid, the grid was restricted by anchoring joint points to a flat surface in a variety of configurations. Depending on the configuration, the behaviour ranged from expanding cells to vertical movements of the grid’s regions. The Soft Kinetic Grid provided an important groundwork for the development of the SKiN project.

| Design Research | 2011-2013| Supported by University of Calgary Seed Grant |Calgary, Alberta | Published in Project Catalog of the 31st Annual Conference of the Association for Computer Aided Design in Architecture (ACADIA) | Exhibited at 2011 ACADIA Conference Exhibition |

| PI and Design Principal: Vera Parlac |

Research Assistants:  Richart Cotter, Todd Freeborn and Adam Onulov|