#LANDSCAPING AND URBAN PLANNING PROJECTS
design lab workshop's solar bytes pavilion reacts to solar exposure
Charging during the day and glowing at night, the solar powered pavilion reflects sun exposure over the course of a day
the ‘solar bytes pavilion’ by design lab workshop during ingenuity fest in cleveland, ohio is an experimental project that highlights a potential for architecture, where buildings are fabricated using new techniques (3D printing), incorporate smart technologies (light sensors, photovoltaics), and are powered by renewable energy sources (solar power).the pavilion is constructed out of 94 unique modules or ‘bytes’ (digitally designed and fabricated building blocks) that each have an integrated solar powered LED. the units were shaped with translucent plastic, allowing the structure to filter sunlight during the day and create a uniform glow at night. the effect is enhanced by the use of interlocking, snap-fit joints that reduce the visual division between each module and allow the arch to be self-supporting.the overall form follows the path of the sun, spanning from east to west to maximize solar exposure. each cell acts independently, capturing and storing energy, as well as sensing ambience levels for each individual fixture. this creates a recording of the sun’s exposure over the course of the day that is then reflected at night as the brightness of the LEDs increases. ‘for example, if it is cloudy in the morning and clear in the afternoon, the pavilion’s east side will be illuminated for a shorter period of time than the west side, reflecting those environmental conditions,’ the studio elaborates.the work was physically realized using 6-axis robot arm in the robotic fabrication lab at in the college of architecture and environmental design at kent state university. a dohle hand welding extruder, the mini CS, was attached to the arm and used as the 3D print head using a FDM style printing process. the pavilion is a follow up to the award-winning project building bytes that was initiated by assistant professor brian peters and was the first series of 3D printed ceramic bricks.
