2024 - Sensitive Shell

People’s emotions are easily influenced by the weather.

Natural resources like water, sunlight, wind, air (pressure), and soil are essential for sustainability, forming interconnected cycles. To utilize them sustainably and ensure mutual benefits, we must engage with them interactively. How can we consciously recognize and appreciate these resources in our lives?

Building type
”Bu Deng Apartments” are four to five-story walk-up residential buildings without elevators, originating from the modernist social housing of the 1920s. Mostly constructed in the 1960s and 1970s, they became the most common urban housing type in Taiwan.

The concept emerged from observing issues within Taiwan’s housing estates. Surrounding buildings often exhibited chaotic modifications, such as iron fences, sheets, and clapboards, to enhance privacy, protect against rain, and expand window space. The project aimed to provide a universal solution and foster harmonious interactions with the environment, thereby addressing spatial disorder.

Bionic Reference
”Pine cones respond well to weather changes. When the air is moist or it’s raining, the second layer of scales absorbs water, expanding to protect the seeds inside. Once the air dries, the cone opens where it was, allowing wind to disperse the seeds. Additionally, the scales exhibit an intriguing pattern based on Fibonacci numbers, positioned every 137.5 degrees. This arrangement optimizes space usage, as the closed scales fit snugly together. Remarkably, this pattern also creates an optical illusion.”

Panel System
Introducing reflective materials, light can penetrate throughout the day. By bending panels to create concave and convex surfaces, we adjust angles magnetically and enable automatic response to wind. Each panel bends independently yet connects seamlessly, preserving privacy while offering scenic views.

Thickness control
Taking a closer look at the scales’ cells, we can observe two distinct layers. At the top are stiff fibers, maintaining a consistent length regardless of conditions, while the bottom consists of stretchy cells that absorb moisture and expand, bending alongside the stiff fibers.

When considering thickness, thicker layers result in greater rigidity, while thinner layers yield softer properties. Each panel system comprises three layers capable of automatically adjusting bending amplitudes in response to environmental conditions.

Material-stainless steel
Using panels as a home weather forecast, we can observe clear reflections when sunlight is direct and strong, with reflections becoming vaguer as energy weakens.