RESPONSIVE LIGHTING is a group project developed during Test Unit Summer School in Glasgow.
We worked with Jason Bruges Studio to develop a light strategy for the Civic House facade. The building used to function as a printing press and is now used as a new learning space for progressive forms of city development and acts as a hub for the Glasgow Canal area.
We wanted to introduce the concept of play, so we asked the following questions:
- What is play?
- How can play be introduced to an urban environment?
- How can we use light to initiate play?
Using five bold colours, a series of motion sensors and an Arduino computer we decided to transform the facade of the building into a canvas. Spread around the site on the main pathways there are a series of coloured circles that communicate with the windows of Civic House.
By stepping on the coloured circles the facade is going to respond by turning on a window with the same colour. The more people are present, the more windows are lit.
Although initially just a prototype for the duration of Summer School, the installation has been acquired by Civic House and is permanently up for play.
Test night
Fully lit facade
Interior mood
Arduino programming
Post lamp covers -- prototypes
Prototype in action