Follow the sun

Like many office spaces, Random Studio is based in the heart of the city. Their (previous) studio space was located in a courtyard within a housing block, meaning the space didn't get much direct sunlight in winter. Using this problem as a tool in our research into interactive space, we started to think about how we could connect their physical space to the outdoors in order to bring it back to life during the winter months. By creating custom, inverted ceiling-based light rails with individually addressable power-LED pixels along with a custom application that could follow the path of the sun through a particular season, it allowed the studio to feel a bit less gloomy in the winter months. Cloud simulations could also be created, allowing for the "sunny" days to reveal the sensation of clouds passing overhead, creating a much more realistic experience.

Initial project and execution: Random Studio and Arnout Meijer Technical direction, additional integration and programming, connection to space management systems: Mark Hinch