DOSU Studio Architecture: dosu-arch.com
RESPONSIVE, SURFACE, TECHNOLOGY
A sun-tracking instrument indexing time and temperature, with a shape alluding to a woman s Victorian-era under garment, “Bloom” stitches together material experimentation, structural innovation, and computational form and pattern-making into an environmentally responsive form. Made primarily out of a “smart” thermobimetal, a sheet metal that curls when heated (no controls, no energy), the form s responsive surface shades and ventilates specific areas under the shell as the temperature rises. When used on a building’s surface, it will reduce the absurd dependency on costly air conditioning and retard the ai???heat island effectai???. Adding dynamic thermobimetal to the facade may seem trivial in the big picture of building technology, but the effect on our cultural will be tremendous. The increased complexities of building envelope design with new, smart and dynamic materials will bear careful consideration in the new era of facade aesthetics and urban meaning.
Composed of 414 hyperbolic paraboloid-shaped stacked panels, the self-supporting structure also challenges the capability of the materials to perform as a shell. The panels combine a double-ruled surface of bimetal tiles with an interlocking, folded aluminum frame system. The final monocoque structure, lightweight and flexible, is dependent on the overall geometry and combination of materials to provide comprehensive stability. In some areas of “Bloom”, the hypar panels are made stiffer by increasing the number of riveted connections, while, in other areas, the panels are deeper to increase structural capability. Simultaneously, Sung is further developing bris-soleil systems and curtain-wall panels that combine responsive thermobimetal with glass into a passive shading systems.
CREDITS
Principal Investigator: Doris Kim Sung (Principal, DOSU Studio Architecture, and Assistant Professor, USC)
Consultants: Ingalill Wahlroos-Ritter, Glass Consultant (Principal, WROAD and Chair, Woodbury University), Matthew Melnyk, Structural Engineer (Principal, Nous Engineering)
Design Team: Dylan Wood (Project Coordinator), Kristi Butterworth, Ali Chen, Renata Ganis, Derek Greene, Julia Michalski, Sayo Morinaga, Evan Shieh
Construction Team: Dylan Wood, Garrett Helm, Derek Greene, Kelly Wong (Core Contributors), Manual Alcala, Eric Arm, Lily Bakhshi, Amr Basuony, Olivia Burke, Kristi Butterworth, Jesus Cabildo , Shu Cai, Ali Chen, Taylor Cornelson, Erin Cuevas, Matt Evans, Chris Flynn, Renata Ganis, Bryn Garrett, Ana Gharakh, Oliver Hess, David Hoffman, Alice Hovsepian, Casey Hughes, Ross Jeffries, Justin Kang, Syd Kato, Andrew Kim, Glen Kinoshita, Ingrid Lao, Jennifer MacLeod, Max Miller, Mark Montiel, Laura Ng, Robbie Nock, Raynald Pelletier, Elizabeth Perikli, Nelly Paz, Evan Shieh Hector Solis, Raven Weng, Leon Wood, Tyler Zalmanzig
Date: 2011
Location: Materials&Application Gallery, 1619 Silver Lake Blvd, Los Angeles, CA,
Funding was generously provided by: AIA Upjohn Research Initiative, Arnold W. Brunner Award, Graham Foundation Grant, USC Advancing Scholarship in the Humanities and Social Sciences Program, USC Undergraduate Research Associates Program, Woodbury Faculty Development Grant, and in-kind donations from Engineered Materials Solutions.