USC Architect First to Use Zero

Local Link Up - Contentys Ltd In architect Doris Kim Sung's ideal future, buildings will automatically reply to changes in the environment. "We have to rethink the way we build, and what we build with. With "Bloom," a 20-foot tall undulating installation in Silver Lake, Los Angeles, Sung has made these ideas a reality. "When I first got a sample of thermobimetal from the manufacturer, I felt like a kid. "Being a researcher in smart materials and architecture right now is tremendously exciting. "This would not have been possible a few years ago. At first, Sung explored mechanical building movement, like sliding walls and levered floors. Commonly used for the coil in a thermostat, "thermobimetal" is made of two sheets of metal laminated together. "I could not believe there was no energy required. Thermobimetal is only available in 6-inch or 12-inch wide sheets, so the large "Bloom" structure had to be made of 14,000 small pieces, each one completely unique. Sung is now working on ways to integrate thermobimetal with standard building components. She's also working on bricks with tiny thermobimetal vents to let the breeze through, inspired by biological systems like insect spiracle and trachea systems. But the possibilities for buildings are even broader, especially since thermobimetal is not just completely zero-energy but actually reacts to changing environmental conditions. This is the time we're going to change our future. Local Link Up - Contentys Ltd Trade News selected by Local Linkup on 10/02/2012