Embedded Movement Responsive Shape-changing Surfaces

When it comes to designing surfaces with responsive kinetic properties two focal points always emerge for me. This is on the one hand, the technical development of such systems. Regardless of whether these surfaces are to serve as adaptive façade elements or as interfaces for tangible interaction, my emphasis is on how kinetic movement can be designed as an integral part of the surface. By integrating smart/transformative materials and hereby eliminating large supporting and movement-generating structures and frameworks, surface systems can be created that can be produced, installed and used in a resource-saving way.

On the other hand, my interest lies on the behavior of materials and surfaces. The question of how the character of a movement and reaction patterns of a surface influence our perception, guides my research. Hereby the focus is not on directly imitating examples found in the animal and plant world, but on demonstrating analogue interaction possibilities and types of movement.

Hands-on material experiments, the realization and evaluation of functional prototypes as well as computer aided design form the foundation of my investigations in both areas. Within the development of strategies for motion generation, intensive and precise studies of material properties and an iterative design processes are necessary. When investigating how different performative behaviors can be programmed into the materials, the initial approach is explorative and intuitively. Within Embedded Movement, these findings are analyzed in more detail by elaborating and comparing movement studies.