PUFFER PLEATNESS

project : Puffer Pleatness
location : CCA . San Francisco, CA
team : Hart Marlow – Michael Mccune – David Merlin – Luis Quinones

DESCRIPTION:

Collective Pleats is an investigation into the extraction of the behavioral and performative logic of the Puffer fish. The Puffer fish’s stomach is densely pleated. This allows the Puffer fish to intake a large amount of water, thus expanding its pleated stomach like a balloon, when a perceived threat is near. By applying this behavior to a translucent fabric attached to a tensioning system, we were able to modulate various levels of light along a facade system. Through multiple digital and physical prototypes, we studied the specific behaviors of various fabrics in order to create a flexible-but-rigid and translucent-but-opaque system. High torque servos drove an elastic armature that was sewed to a special fabric. When the embedded photo sensors reached low light levels, the servos would un-pleat the fabric allowing more light to enter the room/building. The project was 1 of 3 chosen for exhibition and publication.
Design & Concept by Hart Marlow – Michael Mccune – David Merlin – Luis Quinones