Digital Matter | Intelligent Constructions

The Digital Matter | Intelligent Constructions Research Studio, led by Areti Markopoulou, with Faculty assistant Alexandre Dubor and Computational Assistant Carlos Bausá, had their final presentations on Wednesday the 17th of June 2015. The presentations were discussed with an all star jury international guests Irene Gallou (Foster+Partners Specialist Modelling Group), Ilker Bayer (Instituto Italiano di Tecnologia Smart Materials Group), and Carles Sala (Sala Ferusic); as well as in house members, Silvia Brandi (IAAC Academic Coordinator), Manuel Gausa (IAAC Dean), Maite Bravo (Theory Faculty), Eduard Cabay (Introductory Studio Faculty), Javier Peña (Design with Nature Faculty), and Aldo Sollazzo (IAAC Alumni & Noumena). Manuel Kreutzer (ETH Zurich, Materiability) was also invited but could not attend, although he managed to connect for a video review of the 8 projects!

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The 8 project proposals tackle questions regarding Material Intelligence. Smart materials such as shape-memory materials, piezoelectric, thermoelectric or bio-materials able to adjust their properties to different environmental conditions, allow to programme buildings at a nanoscale, and open up a series of applications on an architectural scale and industrial applications. Furthermore, new composite materials that present preset combinations of mechanical properties or multi-functional properties of non-homogeneous materials in shape and composition across a wide range of scales bring forth the exploration of a shift in design culture, taking us to a new level of material awareness. Material Intelligence in combination with Artificial and Computational Intelligence, simulations, sensors, actuators, as well as with bio-mimetic innovations provide revolutionary ideas on growth, adaptability, repair, sensitivity, replication and energy savings in architecture.

Self-Adaptive Membrane – Shreyas More, and Nohelia Gonzalez – proposes a totally passive and kinetic system that allows the expansion on a geometry that automatically responds to the natural increase of heat of the environment.

Colourmorph – Devika Chandrababu, Fathimah Sujna Shakir, and Ninada Kashyap – developing a pixel that changes colour in response to environmental changes and exercises control over this colour change through remote interfaces.

PneuHertz – Mansi Jasmin Radadia, Ryal Sequiera, and Silasalin Krisanarungkhun – an air supported structure that inhales to assume a predetermined form and acoustic quality to match its user requirement. It exhales to leave a folded footprint of fabric.

Hydromembrane – Luisa Roth – a humidity sensitive composite system which can be introduced to different potential applications, at a macro- or a micro-scale, reacting to moisture as the input and responding with aperture deformations as a primer output, as well as water absorption and evaporation.

FABRIcFLATION – Dafni Arnellou, Nina Papakonstantinou, and Yota Sarantinoudi – investigates textile tension and its ability to transform into self-supporting and self-adapting surfaces, when a system of patterns from different materials is embedded on it.

InSand – Anusha Arunkumar, Kunaljit Chadha, and Yessica Gabriela Mendez Sierra – focused on nano scale understanding of material behaviour to shape-control-design landforms, through deposition of a binder into an abundant natural material, letting nature’s forces to take over to present and fade away landforms.

Soft Skin – Farah Alayeli, Lubna Alayeli, Nina Jotanovic, and Ceren Temel –  investigates possibilities of using airinflation in architecture, as an active response to constantly changing parameters in environment responding to real time data of wind and light.

Remembrane – Josep Alcover, Ji Won Jun, and Matteo Silverio – allows us to envision a shift in the future of architectural approach in which spaces, buildings and entire cities will be able to move and adapt autonomously to perform in the most optimal way.