Hygrosensitive Shape-Shifting Facade

Hygrosensitive Shape-Shifting Facade

Hygrosensitive Shape-Shifting Facade

This research project presents a meteorosensitive kinetic façade system that passively responds to environmental Relative Humidity (RH) fluctuation by employing wood's natural hygroscopic behavior.
This research project entails five key stages: (1) material system research; (2) development of a computational tool for simulation and iterations; (3) development and examination of joinery system; (4) prototyping with the maple-spruce bilayer in different scales; and (5) the final development and fabrication of a mesoscale hygrosensitive façade.
The conceptual basis of the project is the adaptive kinetic façade system. We aim to develop a façade prototype that is sustainable and can enhance the architectural experiences. Most of the existing adaptive façade systems are active systems such as the façade of the Al Bahar Towers. These active systems require mechanic actuation to respond to the changes of environmental factors. This presented project is a passive system that its adaptive process requires no energy consumption. The inherited material property is incorporated to achieve the responsiveness performance of this shape-shifting façade.
As a hygroscopic material, wood exhibits dimensional changes when it absorbs moisture from the environment or loses its moisture content. In our project, the maple-spruce bilayer composite is used as the actuator that responds to the relative humidity changes. The bilayer curls when relative humidity increases and flattens in the opposite conditions. The joinery system connects these bilayers and transfers these local deformations to a global shape-shifting performance of the whole system. This passive packing and unpacking enable the responsive shading ability of the façade.
This façade system performs as a vertical shading device that can respond to the relative humidity fluctuation. It unpacks on sunny days to provide shading and packs in rain days to bring in sunlight. Digital simulations were conducted to predict the curvature conditions and global performance. Grain orientation and moisture content are set as two major parameters to control the width between two rows.

This research project presents a meteorosensitive kinetic façade system that passively responds to environmental Relative Humidity (RH) fluctuation by employing wood's natural hygroscopic behavior.
This research project entails five key stages: (1) material system research; (2) development of a computational tool for simulation and iterations; (3) development and examination of joinery system; (4) prototyping with the maple-spruce bilayer in different scales; and (5) the final development and fabrication of a mesoscale hygrosensitive façade.
The conceptual basis of the project is the adaptive kinetic façade system. We aim to develop a façade prototype that is sustainable and can enhance the architectural experiences. Most of the existing adaptive façade systems are active systems such as the façade of the Al Bahar Towers. These active systems require mechanic actuation to respond to the changes of environmental factors. This presented project is a passive system that its adaptive process requires no energy consumption. The inherited material property is incorporated to achieve the responsiveness performance of this shape-shifting façade.
As a hygroscopic material, wood exhibits dimensional changes when it absorbs moisture from the environment or loses its moisture content. In our project, the maple-spruce bilayer composite is used as the actuator that responds to the relative humidity changes. The bilayer curls when relative humidity increases and flattens in the opposite conditions. The joinery system connects these bilayers and transfers these local deformations to a global shape-shifting performance of the whole system. This passive packing and unpacking enable the responsive shading ability of the façade.
This façade system performs as a vertical shading device that can respond to the relative humidity fluctuation. It unpacks on sunny days to provide shading and packs in rain days to bring in sunlight. Digital simulations were conducted to predict the curvature conditions and global performance. Grain orientation and moisture content are set as two major parameters to control the width between two rows.

The dimension of our final installation is 10 inches in length and 67 inches in height before shape-shifting, is 46 inches in length and 49 inches in height in the extreme condition during shape-shifting.
The material we use is maple-spruce bilayer (1/4’’ maple and 1/42’’ spruce).

The dimension of our final installation is 10 inches in length and 67 inches in height before shape-shifting, is 46 inches in length and 49 inches in height in the extreme condition during shape-shifting.
The material we use is maple-spruce bilayer (1/4’’ maple and 1/42’’ spruce).

https://vimeo.com/474050704

https://www.facebook.com/zhenfang.chen.311/

Mingyue Nan, Zhenfang Chen, Liwei Liu: Designer
Ehsan Baharlou: Advisor

Pittsburgh, United States