Photographer: Brandon ShigetaA Responsive Architectural SkinA sun-tracking instrument indexing time and temperature, Bloom stitches together material experimentation, structural innovation, and computational fabrication into an environmentally responsive canopy. A lamination of two alloys of metal with different coefficients of expansion, thermobimetal automatically curls when heated by sun or ambient temperature. The result is a highly differentiated skin system that can smartly shade or ventilate specific areas under the canopy without additional power or controls. With today's digital technology and driving interest in sustainable design, this simple material can transcend its currently limited role as a mechanical actuating device to a dynamic building surface material to establish a new paradigm shift for building materials. It's a game changer.The main goal of this canopy is to demonstrate the efficacy of thermobimetal as an exterior building surface with two functions. The first involves the bimetal's potential as a sun-shading device that dynamically increases the amount of shade as the outdoor temperature rises. The size, shape and orientation of the tiles are positioned strategically to perform optimally to the angle of the sun. The second function for the bimetal is to ventilate unwanted hot air. By optimizing the contortion of individual bimetal tiles, any captured heat would trigger the surface tiles to curl and passively ventilate the space below. Composed of 414 hypar-shaped panels, the self-supporting structure challenges the capability of the materials to perform as a shell in a completely innovative structure. The panels combine a double-ruled surface of bimetal tiles with an interlocking, folded aluminum frame system. In some areas of Bloom, the hypar-shaped panels are made stiffer by increasing the number of riveted connections, while, in other areas, the peaks and valleys are made deeper to increase structural capability. The final monocoque form is lightweight and flexible.

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BLOOM: Making Building Skins Responsive with Thermally Smart Materials

BLOOM: Making Building Skins Responsive with Thermally Smart Materials

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