Explore other projects →
Explore other projects →
Breathing Facade
Breathing Facade
01.20.2025
01.20.2025
Breathing Facade
Breathing Facade
Breathing Facade
Aging diminishes the body’s ability to adapt to temperature changes, making thermal regulation vital. The Breathing Façade addresses this challenge by integrating hygroscopic wood programmed to adapt to varying humidity levels, ensuring comfort and efficiency. Through its innovative apertures, the system demonstrates a sustainable approach to climate-responsive architecture. Wood, like our skin or hair, responds dynamically to environmental changes, contracting or expanding with shifts in humidity. Leveraging this natural property, researchers have developed hygroscopic wood veneers that morph based on moisture levels. This project applies these responsive veneers to create a climate-adaptive shading system, particularly suited for aging-in-place applications. The design features a thermal-regulating façade constructed using a geometric kirigami pattern, enabling the veneer to adjust sun exposure autonomously in response to humidity levels. This self-regulating system discreetly reacts to environmental changes while maintaining a single cohesive structure.
Aging diminishes the body’s ability to adapt to temperature changes, making thermal regulation vital. The Breathing Façade addresses this challenge by integrating hygroscopic wood programmed to adapt to varying humidity levels, ensuring comfort and efficiency. Through its innovative apertures, the system demonstrates a sustainable approach to climate-responsive architecture. Wood, like our skin or hair, responds dynamically to environmental changes, contracting or expanding with shifts in humidity. Leveraging this natural property, researchers have developed hygroscopic wood veneers that morph based on moisture levels. This project applies these responsive veneers to create a climate-adaptive shading system, particularly suited for aging-in-place applications. The design features a thermal-regulating façade constructed using a geometric kirigami pattern, enabling the veneer to adjust sun exposure autonomously in response to humidity levels. This self-regulating system discreetly reacts to environmental changes while maintaining a single cohesive structure.
Aging diminishes the body’s ability to adapt to temperature changes, making thermal regulation vital. The Breathing Façade addresses this challenge by integrating hygroscopic wood programmed to adapt to varying humidity levels, ensuring comfort and efficiency. Through its innovative apertures, the system demonstrates a sustainable approach to climate-responsive architecture. Wood, like our skin or hair, responds dynamically to environmental changes, contracting or expanding with shifts in humidity. Leveraging this natural property, researchers have developed hygroscopic wood veneers that morph based on moisture levels. This project applies these responsive veneers to create a climate-adaptive shading system, particularly suited for aging-in-place applications. The design features a thermal-regulating façade constructed using a geometric kirigami pattern, enabling the veneer to adjust sun exposure autonomously in response to humidity levels. This self-regulating system discreetly reacts to environmental changes while maintaining a single cohesive structure.
Invision Studio
Partnership :
Process: As the kirigami geometry consisted of double curvature connection points between each curve transition, wood veneer alone was not flexible enough and created weak points in these joint areas. Therefore, a flexible plastic sheet material was introduced as a base layer for the veneer system to mediate the double curvature joints. Additionally, this layer connected individual hygroscopic veneers, allowing individual responses while remaining a uniform system. Various layer systems were explored in the prototyping of the Breathing Façade. The more flexible and thinner the base material was, the more it allowed the wood veneer to curl at higher rates, deforming the overall structure vertically.
Process: As the kirigami geometry consisted of double curvature connection points between each curve transition, wood veneer alone was not flexible enough and created weak points in these joint areas. Therefore, a flexible plastic sheet material was introduced as a base layer for the veneer system to mediate the double curvature joints. Additionally, this layer connected individual hygroscopic veneers, allowing individual responses while remaining a uniform system. Various layer systems were explored in the prototyping of the Breathing Façade. The more flexible and thinner the base material was, the more it allowed the wood veneer to curl at higher rates, deforming the overall structure vertically.
Process: As the kirigami geometry consisted of double curvature connection points between each curve transition, wood veneer alone was not flexible enough and created weak points in these joint areas. Therefore, a flexible plastic sheet material was introduced as a base layer for the veneer system to mediate the double curvature joints. Additionally, this layer connected individual hygroscopic veneers, allowing individual responses while remaining a uniform system. Various layer systems were explored in the prototyping of the Breathing Façade. The more flexible and thinner the base material was, the more it allowed the wood veneer to curl at higher rates, deforming the overall structure vertically.
Outlook: The Breathing Façade explores how hygroscopic wood can passively respond to humidity, offering a dynamic, climate-adaptive surface. While the current prototype uses vapor barrier sheets as a flexible base, future iterations could include fully enclosed systems and integrated mesh to improve air flow and block external elements. The façade’s ability to respond regardless of aperture size allows for a mix of small and large openings—providing filtered light, ventilation, or shading based on user needs. Each wood veneer can also be programmed to activate at different humidity levels, enabling tailored responses by room or orientation. For example, the system could remain closed on solid walls but open near operable windows or follow the sun’s path for optimal comfort. Though the concept is scalable, full-scale applications will require a flexible support structure to manage the material’s movement. This project highlights a sustainable approach to architecture—one that adapts naturally to changing environmental conditions.
Outlook: The Breathing Façade explores how hygroscopic wood can passively respond to humidity, offering a dynamic, climate-adaptive surface. While the current prototype uses vapor barrier sheets as a flexible base, future iterations could include fully enclosed systems and integrated mesh to improve air flow and block external elements. The façade’s ability to respond regardless of aperture size allows for a mix of small and large openings—providing filtered light, ventilation, or shading based on user needs. Each wood veneer can also be programmed to activate at different humidity levels, enabling tailored responses by room or orientation. For example, the system could remain closed on solid walls but open near operable windows or follow the sun’s path for optimal comfort. Though the concept is scalable, full-scale applications will require a flexible support structure to manage the material’s movement. This project highlights a sustainable approach to architecture—one that adapts naturally to changing environmental conditions.
Outlook: The Breathing Façade explores how hygroscopic wood can passively respond to humidity, offering a dynamic, climate-adaptive surface. While the current prototype uses vapor barrier sheets as a flexible base, future iterations could include fully enclosed systems and integrated mesh to improve air flow and block external elements. The façade’s ability to respond regardless of aperture size allows for a mix of small and large openings—providing filtered light, ventilation, or shading based on user needs. Each wood veneer can also be programmed to activate at different humidity levels, enabling tailored responses by room or orientation. For example, the system could remain closed on solid walls but open near operable windows or follow the sun’s path for optimal comfort. Though the concept is scalable, full-scale applications will require a flexible support structure to manage the material’s movement. This project highlights a sustainable approach to architecture—one that adapts naturally to changing environmental conditions.
