Intern Research – Interactive Façades and Temporary Art: Kinetic Push Walls

Tibetan Buddhist Sand Mandala/Graffiti

One of my first loves is the art of graffiti. I picked up this art during high school while attending North Side High School. This art led me to new friendships and newfound appreciation for calligraphy and letter structure. More importantly, graffiti taught me that nothing is permanent and that the world is always changing.

Tibetan Buddhist sand mandalas also communicate a similar idea. Buddhist monks take days to complete elaborate sand mandalas only to wipe away the art leaving only a memory. This art form illustrates the fleetingness of life and the unimportance of material possessions. The idea that nothing lasting forever or the world constantly changing can seem dark and gloomy on the surface. Once you accept these facts, these truths can feel quite liberating. Temporary art lives within graffiti and sand mandalas as does it with this Kinetic Push Wall project.

Image Source: Instagram Photos and Videos – @geser3a

Image Source: Emory University – Sand Mandala Closing Ceremony

Full Façade Render

This was a first pass at modeling and rendering an exterior façade Kinetic Push Wall. At this point, the Kinetic Push Wall was simply meant to separate the indoors from the outdoors while allowing for temporary art and facilitating play. A problem I ran into was that there were more holes in the glass than there was glass, which presented a structural problem. This problem is addressed in later iterations.

Interior Residential Application

This is an interior solution to the Kinetic Push Wall that solves quite a few problems and creates new opportunities. At its most basic level this form of art separates space while still allowing partial visibility. It also serves as a constantly changing storage device and light diffuser, while creating opportunities for temporary art and play. It is important that we remember to play no matter our age to keep those little moments of joy in our lives.

Exterior Commercial Application

This render displays an exterior commercial use for the Kinetic Push Wall. It facilitates interactions between people on the inside of a building and those passing by on the outside. It also provides a moment to pause, appreciate, and play.