flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

Must See: Shape-shifting architecture that responds to heat

Must See: Shape-shifting architecture that responds to heat

Students in Barcelona have created a composite material using shape memory polymers that can deform and return to their original state when activated by cues like heat, humidity, and light.


By BD+C Staff | September 10, 2014
Translated Geometries, shape memory polymer
Translated Geometries, shape memory polymer

Students in Barcelona wanted to explore how physical spaces could someday morph based on various environmental inputs. The result: a material dubbed Translated Geometries, which Wired describes as a composite material using shape memory polymers that can deform and return to their original state when activated by cues like heat, humidity, and light.

The students at the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalunya—Ece Tankal, Efilena Baseta, and Ramin Shambayati—told Wired that the invention is a toward “an architecture that isn’t so rigid, that tries to be more attuned with its environment.”

Wired writer Liz Stinson argues that adaptable modular components could save on material by serving dual purposes.

To learn how this composite works, read the full story on Wired, and watch the video below.

 

?ranslated Geometries from Efilena Baseta on Vimeo.

Related Stories

| Sep 12, 2014

Total immersion: Has virtual reality's time finally come?

The emergence of low-cost VR technology means that anyone with a few hundred bucks and a decent workstation can get in the game. But, as our experts reveal, pulling off VR is not so simple.

| Sep 12, 2014

Will on-site parking remain king in the development world?

In spite of the trend away from multi-car residences, not much has changed with regard to parking spot allocations within apartment buildings and other multi-unit residential developments, writes GS&P's Doug Sharp.

| Sep 11, 2014

5 competing designs unveiled for Presidio Parklands in San Francisco

To turn the underdeveloped area by Chrissy Field into new public space, San Francisco's Presidio Trust unveiled the five designs by five teams they invited earlier this year.

| Sep 11, 2014

Cintas invites public to vote for 'America's best restroom'

For the 13th consecutive year, Cintas Corporation is back with its popular America’s Best Restroom Contest. A team of survey editors once again scanned the country for the most creative and clean public restrooms and produced a crop of nominees sure to please.

| Sep 10, 2014

Ranked: Top transit facility sector AEC firms [2014 Giants 300 Report]

Leo A Daly, URS, and Skanska head BD+C's rankings of the largest transit facility sector design and construction firms, based on the 2014 Giants 300 Report.

| Sep 10, 2014

Lessons for the shore: Bolstering resilience of the built environment

Nearly 32 million people, or 28% of the East Coast's population, live in areas lying within a mile of a shore line. The good news is that municipalities are starting to take action, writes Sasaki Associates. 

| Sep 9, 2014

Using Facebook to transform workplace design

As part of our ongoing studies of how building design influences human behavior in today’s social media-driven world, HOK’s workplace strategists had an idea: Leverage the power of social media to collect data about how people feel about their workplaces and the type of spaces they need to succeed.

| Sep 9, 2014

Ranked: Top religious sector AEC firms [2014 Giants 300 Report]

Brasfield & Gorrie, Gensler, and Jacobs top BD+C's rankings of the nation's largest religious sector design and construction firms, as reported in the 2014 Giants 300 Report.

| Sep 9, 2014

Take a look at the hardhat of the future

A Los Angeles-based startup added augmented reality technology to a hardhat, creating a smart helmet.

| Sep 9, 2014

Frank Lloyd Wright's Annie Pfeiffer Chapel brought back to life using 3D printing

Restoration of the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed chapel was made possible (and affordable) thanks to 3D printing.

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category




halfpage1

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021