Francis Bitonti will be participating in this years "Input_Output: Adaptive Materials And Mediated Environments Symposium And Exhibition " at Temple University.
Multi-Pede Chair::
Francis Bitonti1
1 Pratt Institute School or Architecture, Brooklyn NY
Abstract::
This project explores how specific functions and applications can be designed into objects that are infinitely reconfigurable. Multi-Pede chair is an adjustable chair with no mechanical parts. The seat is designed around an electronically activated shape memory polymer (SMP) core. The use of this smart material allows for the elimination of complex mechanical systems while still creating an object that is continuously adjustable. Shape Memory Polymers and other smart materials can potentially bring about a class of objects wherein function is undefined or varied. This project is an exploration into how we can embed specific applications and uses into materials with ambiguous or fluctuating properties.
OPENHOUSE::
Francis Bitonti1, Brian Osborn2
1 Pratt Institute School or Architecture, Brooklyn NY
2 Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey School of Environmental & Biological Sciences
Abstract::
The project questions the finite state of common material assemblages by proposing a universal building block capable of iterative adaptation based on changes in social behaviors. Adjustment of the architectural form is enabled through the integration of code into building materials. This new construction methodology hybridizes software and hardware toward the creation of a new tectonic. The material assembly is designed to allow for reprogramming such that code becomes a medium for communication between the architecture and the user. Through serial revision the architecture becomes an ecology where organisms relate and respond to each other to create a working environment.
