Biodatasonification
Room
Boiler House
Level Three
Secondary Space
A multi-sensory design that drives creativity and imagination whilst creating an immersive opportunity to connect and learn about our natural environment.
The biodata sonification room allows users to come and experiment by clipping synthesizers to plants that in return affect the sound and light in the space. This room intends to draw on the concept that new ideas and new ways of thinking can come from engagement with innovative multi-sensory experiences. It also intends to inspire the community to think, experiment and create together.
MATERIALITY
Hover over the circles to reveal information about the material seen in this space
Biodatasonification room animated interior perspective
PROPOSED
MYCELIUM MATERIAL
MATERIAL:
Crushed mycelium mixed with organic binding materials
COLOUR:
Natural colour pigment from mycelium
FORMAT:
Pre-cast flat sheets on cast-in-situ curved panels
SUPPLIER:
Custom made on site
SUSTAINABILITY:
By using organic and natural materials to build up the components of this material, this product is very sustainable. Additionally, the material from mycelium properties, is fire resistant, durable and easy to maintain and clean.
EXISTING
HOPPERS
MATERIAL:
Slightly rusted metal
SUSTAINABILITY:
In allowing the natural materiality and elements of the original building to play an important role physical form of the site, an appreciation and engagement of the buildings heritage items are being created
EXISTING BRICK WALLS
MATERIAL:
Existing brick structure
FINISH:
No colour finished is to be used to embrace original and existing material heritage. However, builders are to shave off any sharp edges/sides for safety
SUSTAINABILITY:
By reusing a long-lasting and durable materiality in a large formate rather than ordering large amounts of a new material to create new walls / wall finished is a sustainable option and allows for the heritage of the building to be appreicated
CUSTOM SEATING
UPHOLSTERYRY
MATERIAL / COLOUR / FORMAT:
Tweed in colour: M361/01 Natural (1440 mm wide)
SUPPLIER:
Mark Alexander (Sydney Based Designer and Business)
SUSTAINABILITY:
High-quality material with high durability - especially for the intention that shoes could be put on this custom furniture.
Handcrafted fabric - supporting a niche profession to be done in Sydney (rather than the alternative of material production overseas). I specifically chose this supplier to support local business.
RECYCLED MIRROR
TERRAZZO
MATERIAL / COLOUR / FORMAT:
White errazzo with recycled mirror aggregate (small-sized aggregate). 20 mm thick terrazzo.
FINISH:
Custom holographic finish created by casting on diffraction sheeting in custom designed pattern to represent Sydney's natural waterways.
SUPPLIER:
Concord terrazzo company (Australian business)
SUSTAINABILITY:
Uses recycled mirror otherwise to be thrown into landfill and reuses it to create a long lasting and durable material.
LED LIGHTING WITH LARGE COTTON SHEET
MATERIAL / COLOUR:
LED lightS (multi-coloured)
with large format white cotton sheet
SUPPLIER:
LED eco lighting (family-owned Australian business)
and Homecraft Textiles (Australian business)
SUSTAINABILITY:
LED eco lighting’s LED are long-lasting, cost-effective and reduce electricity usage (thus reducing greenhouse gas emissions). Using LED also means less maintenance and waste in replacing light bulbs.
Cotton is a renewable resource making it much more environmentally friendly than synthetic materials.
NATURAL PLANTS AND MUSHROOMS
MATERIAL:
A combination of grown on site and grown at home plants from the community to attached to synthesiser
SUSTAINABILITY:
Allows an interactive opportunity for people learn about sustainable food growing practices. With this material being able to be grown, it is a infinite resource and will be used as compost in the on site community vegetable gardens once its use finished in the biodata sonification room.
GLASS
WALL
MATERIAL / COLOUR:
Black tinted glass
SUPPLIER:
Rozelle Glass (Australian owned business)
SUSTAINABILITY:
Company / workshop is located in Rozelle specifically to support local business economy and reduce transportation distance of heavy material.
Material is easily recyclable after use and is made from an abundant natural raw material
WHAT IS BIODATA SONIFICATION?
Biodatasonification is in simplistic form, when you attach two clips to a natural living thing (plants) which is connected to a synthesiser. The clips read the microcurrents on the plants surface and communicate that information to the synthesiser that reads the difference between the two waves collected and converts the difference into MIDI notes and/or colours.
Summarised version of how biodatasonification works
ENGAGING WITH HERITAGE
AT ROOM SCALE
The below animation demonstrates how I have appreciated the existing hoppers to create planter forms that work around and with these heritage items to create an engaging space rather than removing them and their historical value from the site.
OBJECT SCALE - THE COUCH
When designing the couch for this space, I wanted to create something that people could lean back on to 'retreat' and appreciate the ceiling colour/sound display. The dimensions of this couch allow people to lean back and relax. However, the detailing/object scale physical form of this item was specifically designed to continue the overall design language of this space (also used in the design of the planters) in a new format to allow it to be visually harmonious in the space.
Animated axonometric showing physical shape of the couch
NOTE: this is just visualising a section of the couch. The couch extends the full length of the space by repeating these seen forms as seen in plans and sections
Detail perspective of couche edge detail showing how it mimics the form of the planters in a new way
Object scale
section of sensory playground gridi board
Detail scale
detail section of sensory playground board structure and curved table finished allowing for acrylic balls to be security places
CONNECTION TO LAND THROUGH DETAILS
Although in the room-scale design I am addressing heritage preservation, on the small scale I wanted to appreciate the pre-colonial heritage of the site. I have done this through representing forms of the natural land in certain material aspects such as creating a delicate floor finish representing Sydney's natural waterways and the ceiling cloth representing the sky/clouds.
The 'clouds'
In this space, I have designed the ceiling to represent 'cloud' like structures. It is through this detailing with the additional design of my custom couch, that mimics the experience of laying back outside and watching the clouds in the sun. However, in this interior environment, you will be able to see the immersive colour display in conjunction with the music produced by nature.
I have designed a seamless pattern that was inspired by Sydney's natural waterway paths in order to bring a connection to the natural land inside this interior. Diffraction sheeting is where a sheet has minute bumps in it so when something is cast on it and imprints those micro bumps on its own surface, that texture difracts light hitting that materials surface to create a holographic type finish.
Detail axonometric of floor materiality and surface holographic finish detail
Custom made seamless texture inspired by Sydney waterway paths. NOTE: black is where the diffraction finish will be
The 'waterways'
THE OVERALL EXPERIENCE
Below is an animated perspective I have created to show the interactive experience of this space.
Click here for sound! Note: sound it to be a medium / low level for this space.
