Cloud Machine – in collaboration with Mark Richardson
2016 / Prospective
We began looking into self-supporting ‘tensegrity’ structures explored by Buckminster Fuller and researched by Mark Richardson in his PhD. A giant monument of bolts held in tension, however, was going to have a problem with condensation in fluctuating temperatures. We turned this into a feature – a solar-powered module attaches to the end of each bolt which collects the condensation and expels it as humidified mist, turning the whole monument into a responsive cloud-generating machine. The catch is that the cloud generating event is totally dependent on the natural weather cycles – so no one ever knows when it’s going to generate a cloud. Catching a glimpse of this rare event will be surprising and unique.