This year I have been focusing on how fabric can be reinterpreted and implemented into architectural design. The connection is quite remarkable, fashion and architecture, both responding to the user and with the help of fabric can create an ambiance that no other material can simulate.
Then I started looking at the sustainable aspects of fabric, what are the benefits of using this in design outside of fashion? In the process I stumbled on the work of Sheila Kennedy, a designer part of Kennedy & Violich Architecture, that uses the power of solar paneling within the fibers of fabric.The fabric in her designs sucks up energy from the sun during the day and then illuminates during the night.
The image above is just one of the great examples from her website, it's a clever reference to curtains in a cutting edge manner.
One of my favorite projects of KVA's is the seven ferry landings along Manhattan’s Harlem and East River waterfronts. The architects adapted marine-buoy lighting technology, which uses energy-conserving LEDs, photo-sensors, and photovoltaic cells, into the street furniture (below).
In general these ground breaking solar fabrics have become the major aspects of my latest projects, from illuminating outdoor theaters in a cultural center in Nigeria, to a tool to retrofit parking structures in Cleveland, OH. I can't wait to see how far I can push this idea and if some day I will be able to use it in my professional practice.
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