Thermochromic Articulations

Abstract

The ongoing research presented in this paper lies on the threshold between computational design and digital fabrication with a strong focus on emergent techniques for environmental design. The main hypothesis is, that with an increasing granularity of thermal comfort - observing a trend towards more heterogeneous indoor microclimates – new design challenges arise. Architectural fabrics will be required to communicate indoor climate conditions to the inhabitants, to maintain high levels of thermal comfort locally but specifically. This research investigates a novel generative design methodology, which links computational fluid dynamics simulations, robotic fabrication and material-inert performances. The resulting environmentally active panels respond to climatic conditions and by this communicate parameters of thermal comfort, such as temperature, airflow, and humidity, to the inhabitants. This paper presents a digital design workflow, a prototype for a thermochromic panel, and speculates on potential development. Communicating invisible parameters of thermal comfort to users is a crucial requirement when designing large continuous indoor volumes, when blurring the dichotomous duality of inside and outside and when designing highly porous architecture.