They have a FLARE for kinetic movement...

Some of you might know my obsession for the pneumatically actuated installation known as Hyposurface. I can't figure out if it's the flow or limitless functional possibilities that intrigues me more, but I'm fascinated by every color, click and wave.



Recently, a robot junkie peep of mine in San Fransisco pointed me to the water sculptures of William Pye and, for whatever reason, I was reminded more so of the mechanical movement in Hyposurface than the organic, hypnotic movement of Pye's water sculptures.

Call it an obsession with simulated movement, but for whatever reason, I'm more impressed with technological mimicry than its natural brethren. So I decided to go back to the Hyposurface concept and see if there was anything new on the market.

Needless to say, I'm in love with a new piece of technology. Take one part wall curtain, two parts stealth bomber, multiply by peyote and you've got:

FLARE: Kinetic Ambiant Reflection Membrane

FLARE turns the building facade into a penetrable kinetic membrane, breaking with all conventions of the building surface as a static skin. The FLARE system consists of a number of tiltable metal flake bodies supplemented by individually controllable pneumatic cylinders.


Due to the developed pattern, an infinite array of flakes can be mounted on any building or wall surface in a modular system of multiplied FLARE units.

Each metal flake reflects the bright sky or sunlight when in vertical standby position. When the flake is tilted downwards by a computer controlled pneumatic piston, its face is shaded from the sky light and this way appears as a dark pixel.

By reflecting ambient or direct sunlight, the individual flakes of the FLARE system act like pixels formed by natural light. The system is controlled by a computer to form any kind of surface animation. Sensor systems inside and outside the building communicate the buildings activity directly to the FLARE system which acts as the buildings lateral line.

Read more about FLARE Facade HERE.

I need a tarp for my drool...

I have been a HUGE fan of classic camper design for quite some time now (and yet somehow, I managed to land a wife). You've heard me go on and on about my love for the classic American standard, the Airstream. What can I say? Nothing gets my wheels turning like a 36' silver twinkie.

And even though I've yet to do a full-length post about my toy-lust for its brother --the shapely tear drop camper-- I can assure you my toy-lust for this towable is one in the same. For instance, check out this beauty:

How could you resist those lines? I definitely wouldn't kick it out of my camp site...classic whitewalls, beautiful curves, simplicity...ahhh, to dream.

Well, yet another camping icon has done the impossible and improved upon an already brilliant design.

For decades, Deadheads and hippie CEO's have commuted to/from the granola farm in Volkswagen style, whirring and squeaking their loaf-like Westfalias at (almost) the speed of sound (by speed of sound I mean speed limit). Held together by bumper stickers and resin, the v-dub design has lasted the test of time, thus leading to some truly awesome customizations and fabrications.

Like this retro stretch mod with camper top:

Or this crunched version:

Or this stretch mod with pristine paint:

I swear, those fold-out windows make me giddy every time.

Well, Canadian designer Alexandre Verdier is my new best friend. He's taken the iconic hippie-mobile, added a dash of hippie, sprinkled some hippie, and garnished it with hippie dippie.

BEHOLD:

The Verdier Westfalia! It has just about everything. And the everything has just about everything. For instance, this solar/diesel hybrid doesn't employ simple solar tech, but instead uses modern solar-tracking technology that follow the sun's path for maximum exposure. The cooking range swivels so you can get your soy dog on both inside AND outside of the van.

There's also other light touches: a multi-media computer with wireless internet, a maple exterior veneer, a pneumatic suspension for stationary stability (when lowered), an energy consumption dashboard, a passenger seat that turns into a staircase (seriously), and a half door that also turns into stairs:

For his work, Verdier and his team received the Special Prize at the Caravaning Design Award 2006/2007 at the Caravan Salon in Dusseldorf, Germany. The Salon is one of Europe's largest caravan exhibition and trade shows.



Visit his website HERE.

Oh...and another thing...can I borrow $69,000?

UPDATE: My boss sent me this. I can't say I'm a fan (of the slick new appearance, not my boss). How could you throw away all of that classic character? I'd rather they remake the new Westfalia identical to the old Westfalia.

The coolest product in the universe.

Hyperinterior Design? Articulating Media? Fluid Decoration? Visceral Communication Device? Kinetic Advertising Facade?

What in the hell do you call this stuff?

Hold on to your black framed glasses because I'm about to blow your mind. No, seriously.


Hyposurface.

[mind blown]

1000 pneumatic actuators at frequencies of up to 3Hz being fed information at 0.01sec, punching and relaxing sophisticated 3D patterning in real-time (running text/graphics/video images, anything that can be done in relief) using generative algorithmic programs. If you thought your walls were melting in high school when your parents left you home alone, you're really in for a treat.

"Whoa," says Keanu.

The surface (i.e. rows of expensive nacho chips) has the same effect as concert lighting, allowing you to interact with dancers’ or with musicians’ (movement and sound interactivity), with video/sound-recognition systems offering a programmed response to your beats. It also allows direct DJ/VJ operation, a form of visual musical instrument that fulfills the dream of Archimboldo who developed a "colour piano" back in the Renaissance or Brewster’s delirious prophesy of the effect of the kaleidoscope on the kinetic arts. (Yes, the red text was a blatant cut and paste...I wasn't even going to try to pass it off as my own)



The screen surface itself physically bounces and waves, producing precise and high-speed hills and valleys across the surface, thus producing fluid motion - all of which is enabled by high-speed information buses. They're programmable, movable wall pixels!



You can transform Hyposurface as you need, adjusting reflective or LED materials on to the panels, sending your flamboyant curse words (a boy can dream) across the screen surface at up to 60 mph. The images can even peak outward up to 2 feet in length, adding to the ambiance of interaction with the consumer/stoner.

As the technology advances, expect higher resolution (i.e. smaller nacho chips) and quicker response time. Coming to a Super Bowl Half Time Show near you...or the Fiesta Bowl?



But don't expect the designer's embrace. There will no doubt be an upheaval about the immorality of "replacing architecture with virtual installations" and "disrupting natural spaces with immaterial building."

While I understand where they're coming from, I don't agree.

Pishposh.

Two words: Las Vegas.

-or-

My Basement.