AI
BUI
Stacking
Glass
The design of this module caters to three main objectives: insulation, daylighting, and self-support. Simple chemical mechanisms of water (such as prism-like light reflection) and of air (such as insulation), as well as a multi-directional interlocking system, allow for all three listed objectives. The primary design concept is a 16x5x12in modular unit, consisting of two airtight, transparent layers: a water-based solution, and static air.
WHAT
Personal Project
WHERE
MIT Design Fabrication Lab - International Design Center
WHEN
May 2018 - present
The frame of each prototype module is 3D printed in black resin, while the front, back, and middle planes are laser-cut acrylic. The frame has ledges which provide support for the acrylic panels, better adhesion in final assembly stages, and structural integrity as well as insulation capability of the tile. The independent variables of the researched concept are the panel’s colors and/or materials, the solver(s) added to the aqueous solution, and the frame’s colors and/or materials.
The tiles are designed to interlock both horizontally and vertically, resulting in minimal adjustments needed between tiles along edges, corners, and in the center of a facade. This assembly system also nulls the need for any additional support structure. Prototypes at 1/6th-scale of one wall have been made and could withstand water pressure, both in liquid and solid forms. To prevent pressure built-up at the bottom of each construction, each row is wider than the one above, resulting in a gradual width expansion towards the bottom. The degree of variations in the width of each row gives way to not only stability but possibilities of curvatures and arcs, while maintaining structural solidity as a whole.