advanced construction

etfe responsive skin

2013 masters studio

with julia chang + jan casimir

Three layers of recycled ETFE (ethylene tetrafluoroethylene) create two distinct air chambers; artificial fog (nitrogen and oil) is pumped into one chamber while filtered air is introduced into the other. Each of the skin’s vertical cushions automatically responds to its environment by means of sensors to inflate and deflate changing the level of transparency, light penetration and insulation. It may become rigid or soft allowing the wind to alter its form and emphasizing the minimalism of the envelope, while the rest of the structure is left naked to the elements.

Ultimately, a physical model (100cm x 100cm x 20cm) was built using a fan, a light sensor and an Arduino programmed to demonstrate the design strategy.