[ SPARC ] AD Futures #4

SPARC is a team of international architects at the MIT based in Boston, MA, with a multidisciplinary background at the MIT´s Media Lab.This has resulted on a continuous research on smart/responsiveenvironments applied to the world of architecture, design, urbanism andlandscape architecture. 

This new relation between technologies and built spaces has opened awide array of possibilities, that we are just starting to see. Andthat´s why I choose this practice for this week´s AD Futures.

Profile

SPARC, a team of architects at MIT, is a Boston based researchpractice dedicated to exploring the world of architecture,design, urbanism and landscape architecture through investigations ofdesign techniques and material technologies with regard to their affecton global culture. We explore the relationships between the body andspace through performative designs. SPARC’s commitment to designinnovation has its foundation in the accumulative experience of itsfounders: 

Sergio Araya, Architect, MIT 
Orkan Telhan, Media Artist, MIT 
Duks Koschitz, Architect, MIT 
Alexandros Tsamis Architect, MIT 

We work on projects at different scales ranging from object designto landscapes. We often collaborate with artists, designers andinnovative consultants in the development of inventive solutionsfor multifaceted projects. 

Research

SPARC’s research investigates methods to design and fabricatearchitecture with different levels of “embedded behavior” orresponsiveness by combining different physical material properties ofnew designed “smarter” composites. This investigation is part of thefundamental interest of SPARC in exploring the relations betweenbody and space through performative design, where designed materialbecomes an active interface between people and the built environment. 

The process for distributing material properties is applied toexplore the possibilities of embedding smart behaviors for builtcomponents. Aesthetics and function are implicated by thisreorganization. SPARC contributes to the professional discourse and theindustry, by providing a repertoire of design and building techniques.

HiDrone

1st Prize Awarded London Architecture Gallery International Competition 2008
HiDrone is an adaptable architecture gallery made of hydraulicallyoperating pistons that are virtually and literally reconfigurable,filling and releasing water recycled from the Thames River. HiDrone hastwo states. When closed, it acts as a 3D screen. When open, it createsoccupiable space. The piston operates distinctly at various scalesranging from display unit and furniture, all the way to enclosed,occupiable space. These pistons are pre-stressed with springs, which,when filled with water, assume a closed position. By controlling theamount of water released from the units, the volume of the objectacquires different configurations.

In a closed state, the fiber optic light emitters act as voxelsprogrammed to produce visual effects and 3D images for the city ofLondon. In an open state, the pistons form floors, ceilings, andfurniture depending on their configuration, creating variable spaces: acafe, gallery, amphitheater, etc. Depending on the programmatic andclimatic needs, the HiDrone is reconfigurable and reprogrammablethroughout the course of the year, generating ephemeral public activityas it docks along the river’s edge.

Cutting Edge

1st Prize Awarded Gillette Landmark International Design Competition, 2009

Soft shapes emerge as a result of the moire effect created byrepetition, and change their appearance when viewed from differentvantage points. The repetitive use of “blades” is similar to the wayGillette has used the idea of repetition as a main part of its brandidentity.

The proposed structure is made of laser-cut, polished stainless steelplates. Each plate is bent to its shape, polished and stacked in placeusing spacers made of cylindrical bolt assemblies. The cutting patternswill be generated by flattening the 3d geometry and will be provided byus to the executive party.