Bio-Lantern
With Zoë Powell, Material Researcher at Materiom, and Mark Ransley, Interactive Light Designer
Bio-Lantern is an eco-conscious pavilion that is intended to be hand built on site in a celebration of craft and the DIY maker movement; from its home-made bioplastic skin to CNC cut timber structure. Through its material research, interactive data display, program of events, and cradle to cradle approach, it aims shine a light on the many environmental challenges facing our sustainable future.
View of Bio-Lantern overlooking the Regent's Canal in Hackney
Interactive Data Display:
By night, the translucent bio-skin is a beacon for raising environmental aware- ness. Its integrated LED lighting displays data visualisations about CO2 emission projections over time. Participants are able to explore various climate future scenarios via an online web-app, and see the related data visualisation effect the pavilions appearance in real time. Participants can also see upcoming events, exchange ideas, and recieve tips on how to reduce their impact via the web app.
Bio-Lantern seen from Regents Canal; it’s skin is derived from abundantly found duckweed covering the canal during summertime.
Bio-Composite Material Research:
Working closely with researchers from Materiom, the rst open-source library of bio-materials, we have developed a special bio-composite used for the skin derived from duckweed; an abundant super-material found in London’s Regents canal during the summertime, usually seen as a pesky weed. We have turned this problem into a useful solution by utilizing local and natural materials that can be made into new bio-composites with application for advanced building materials of the future.
