Second Sky

In an era of active material investigation, light has become an increasingly important ingredient in the pursuit of optimal and unforeseen material effects. One notable trend has been the adoption of fiber optic principles of bending and extending light to a variety of materials--such as light pipes, acrylic tubes, and mirror ducts. These principles have been harnessed to produce responsive material effects at the scale of a detail, as well as smart day lighting and energy optimization strategies at the scale of a building. This four-day intensive design + research catalyst introduced examples of light behavior and material integration, in addition to methods for developing physical structures that utilize light as a primary ingredient. Participants designed and constructed multivalent lenses and surfaces that filter, modify, and channel light emitted by a mirror duct system called the 3M Light Guide that is being installed in the second-floor south studio space in Rapson Hall.