Responsive Kinematics

New Movie

This is an architectural design project that began through conversations with Ron Resch in December 2008 regarding kinetic and kinematic structural systems. The goal was to create a mutable structural surface out of rigid bodies that can be controlled to adapt to changing conditions and parameters. Unlike much parametric design that is pre-adapted to a given desire, this system offers the potential for continual adjustment. While much kinetic architecture relies on elastic membranes to provide for deformation between bodies, Responsive Kinematics can maintain a constant seal throughout its transformation due to its geometric integrity. For this reason it is an ideal modular system of form, order and control with many architectural and construction process capacities.

Prototyping commenced at the California College of the Arts in Virginia San Fratello's "Digital Poetics" class in the spring of 2009. Then the idea was to create an adaptive concrete formwork that could be morphed between castings. The prescriptive yet variable concept was focused on the surface as a tool to produce complex architectural assemblies. It was seen as a means create static parametric forms through accretion. The project revealed that more control over the hinging surface was needed.

Development continued and actuation was realized in Jason Johnson's "Robotic Ecologies" class at CCA in the fall of 2009. Arduino provided the control interface. At this point with the addition of control to the surface, and the construction of a servo and acrylic prototype model, considerations of a broad range of application scale ensued. Sensor arrays and computational input can be applied to inform surface morphology. The surface can scale up and envelop an interior environment as a dynamic dome or variable vault. The structure can be augmented with triangulated space trusses and four-bar or tensegrity linkages. It will adapt to shifts in environmental and occupational parameters. It can be scaled down as a system to mottle light as fenestration and shading. At its current scale it can serve as a formwork for composite lay-ups in the production of variable modular panels. It can be re-fabricated with a wide variety of sheet materials and control mechanisms to serve multiple needs. The geometric pattern can be altered to integrate other panel shapes and symmetries. Solar and piezoelectric power production can also be coupled to the system.

This movie was produced in the spring of 2010 by John Hobart Culleton and Anthony Diaz. Using footage of our fall 2009 prototypes created a the California College of the Arts.

This is a tribute to Ron Resch.