In Tokyo, overlapping events of Hanami (viewing of the cherry blossom) and Kafunsho (hay fever) produce zones of contradiction: being under the cherry blossom and exposed to pollen—bringing to question how to negotiate the outdoor environment in order to maximize certain qualities while suppressing others, without resulting in a glass box.

The proposal is an artificial forest that emerges with the season and can be adapted to any site. By networking a field of prototypes (artificial trees) with local environmental data, sensors measure wind speed, temperature, humidity and airborne particles which in turn activate misters in an orchestrated real-time response.

Liza López and John Doel are currently PhD candidates at Sma Lab at the University of Tokyo, where they also completed their Master’s degree. They have been awarded the Monbukagakusho scholarship.

Doel received a Bachelor of Arts and Master’s of Architecture from the European University of Madrid and Hadin a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture from UCLA. Their research currently examines the potential relationships between humans and computational tools in the fabrication process.

“However, Unlike The Static And Impermeable, Air Can Be Penetrated And Manipulated, Suggesting That It Can Also Be Designed.”

In Tokyo, overlapping events of Hanami (viewing of the cherry blossom) and Kafunsho (hay fever) produce zones of contradiction: being under the cherry blossom and exposed to pollen—bringing to question how to negotiate the outdoor environment in order to maximize certain qualities while suppressing others, without resulting in a glass box.

Ivanka Young
AIA Partner

Robert Hutsch
Chief

Adam F. Spielmann
Founding Partner