rethinking design - Spatial Design@Massey

Dynamic Thermal Wind Wall- Ned KahnWind Veil, Mesa Arts Center, Technorama Façade, Winterthur, SwitzerlandThe Façade becomes a hybrid of sky, light and wind, dissolving the building into the landscape and converting a solidbuilding skin into an amorphous and liquid like substance. Both screens were also designed to reduce solar gain in thelobby of the building. The screens are placed 3Ft (0.9m) from the glass curtain wall to allow natural air currents to coolthe building. As the shingles warm in the sun, they create convective air currents which draw cooling air up against theglass. (see image).As the vertical landscape, these screens explore realm relatively uncontested compared to the ground but increasinglyvalued in dense urban conditions. (Living systems).Envirogrid – Stratify/FluidThree dimensional cellular soil confinement- Envirogrid is a flexible and expandable cellular soil confinement structurethat combines compaction resistance with drainage to provide slope and stream bank erosion control, as well asground and retaining wall stabilization.(Living systems).By testing these issues through a 'low tech' design process – it reflects upon the standard conditions in which retainingwalls are developed, I created these experiment to reflect upon and try to begin to understand exterior constructionand how they might be enhance or altered slightly, by using environmental product that are biodegradable.