House Swarming

Lead artists Jenna Didier and Oliver Hess, of Materials & Applications, invited me to participate on their House Swarming project with Marcos Lutyens. My role was to do 3D CAD modeling for the vacuum formed art. The installation's 2-story lighting system respond to air quality.

“During the day, the “swarm” of green ambiguous forms, both biomorphic and geometric, accentuates the South Campus’s main entry. At twilight, the swarm comes to life, telling visitors and passersby about the current air quality around the building. Electronic sensors perceive air contaminants – such as tobacco, benzene, carbon monoxide, even perfume – and separately inform the outside and inside swarms, which sets off signals. These signals are interpreted as changes to the natural rhythm that the network has established based on the number and distribution of nodes connected to the cable net. Flashing cells on the exterior facade indicate air quality inside the building. Conversely, pulsating effects in the interior entry inform visitors about the outside air quality. The flashing lights become indicators of the environment like dramatic clouds at sunset that forewarnings of storms at night.”

This project was installed at the Art Center College of Design, South Campus, Pasadena, California, 2007.