Design for Impact

Festival 2015

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The RMIT Design Research Institute (DRI)

aims to build the role of design research as

a ‘solution finder’ towards the challenges of

Urbanisation and the Cities of the Future.

DRI is a unique location for transdiciplinary

research collaboration. We understand that

many of the complex issues facing our

communities and industry require more

than one area of expertise and discipline to

solve their complex social, environmental

and industrial challenges. A transdisciplinary

approach to project based research ensures a

range of knowledge, expertise, creativity and

innovative ideas that are focused on a topic.

DRI brings over 200 RMIT researchers and

their industry, government and community

partners together to access a broad spectrum of

design thinking. Researchers from architecture,

fashion, aeronautical and chemical engineering,

business, industrial design, art, games,

communication design, and new media, form

teams around significant projects.

DRI’s research projects are speculative and

practical, applicable to the ways we live and

work, create culture and communities, plan and

navigate our world.

To read more visit:

www.designresearch.rmit.edu.au

© Copyright

All rights reserved. No part of this publication

may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval

system or transmitted, in any form or by any

means electronic, photocopying, recording or

otherwise, without the prior written permission

of the copyright owner. Enquiries should be

made to RMIT University Design Research

Institute.

Report Editor: Kylie Wickham

Graphic Design: Simone Steel

Printed by Madman Printing

Front cover: Radiant Soil, Philip Beesley Architect Inc. photograph by Tobias Titz.Back cover: RMIT Photo Imaging Graduate in Residence Exhibition, photograph by Emma Murray.

The Design for Impact festival, led by the RMIT Design Research Institute (DRI) in collaboration with stakeholders across the university, showcased RMIT’s design and technology research, innovation and entrepreneurship.

18 days

38 events

20 Schools, Centres and Labs

2,500 visitors to Smart Flexibility Exhibition

Over 1,600 RMIT and Industry participants

Design for ImpactSmart Flexibility: Advanced Materials and Technologies, Opening Night,

Photograph by Tobias Titz.

Design for Impact, a festival of 38 events showcasing RMIT’s design and technology research, innovation and entrepreneurship.

22 July to 9 August, 2015

The festival engaged with researchers and students across the university, industry, government and the public, with the aim to build RMIT’s collaborative opportunities for high impact research. The festival aims to be an important annual event on the RMIT industry engagement calendar.

The festival was privileged to be included with Open House Melbourne 2015, ShapeRMIT, Founders Day and RMIT Open Day programs with the inclusion of the international touring exhibition ‘Smart Flexibility: Advanced Technologies and Materials’ by Materfad, Barcelona.

Design: Looking Forward, Looking Back

Design Futures Lab: 10x10 Symosium Launch,Photograph by Sandra Mateus.

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Design Futures Lab: 10x10 Symposium Launch

Host

Design Futures Lab

Guest Speakers

Professor Martyn Hook, Dean School of Media and Communication, RMIT

Associate Professor Brad Haylock, Leader, Design Futures Lab, RMIT

Professor Harriet Edquist, Director, RMIT Design Archives, RMIT

Ewan McEoin, Design Curator, NGV

The Design Futures Lab 10x10 Symposium is an online symposium that imagines the future of design. Design researchers of diverse persuasions reflect upon the last ten years in their respective fields, and they imagine the changes that might be seen in the next ten.

These 3-5 minute videos capture designerly vignettes of the near future from a global perspective. The presentations are pitched to a non-expert and inquiring audience. The online symposium captures the insights of design researchers globally.

Current releases include presentations by DFL researchers including Yoko Akama, Stephen Banham, Martyn Hook, Laurene Vaughan and Jeremy Yuille.

Presentations also include key design leaders such as Paul Dourish (University of California, Irvine), Pelle Ehn (Malmo University, Sweden), Lisa Grocott (Parsons School of Design, New York), Ann Light (University of Sussex) and Andrew

Morrison (Oslo School of Architecture and Design, Norway), to name a few. Stay tuned to Design Futures Lab for future releases.

Project website 10x10.designfutureslab.org

Design Futures Lab websitehttp://www.designfutureslab.org/

Image: Design Futures Lab: 10x10 Symposium, video stills.

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Launch of Automotive Historians Australia (AHA)

Host

Professor Harriet Edquist, Director, RMIT Design Archives, RMIT, and Foundation President AHA.

VIP Guest

Martin Foley MP, Minister for Creative Industries, Victoria

Motoring, Design and Engineering enthusiasts gathered to celebrate the launch of the Automotive Historians Australia Inc. (AHA) organisation. The AHA emerged from the ‘Shifting Gear: Design, Innovation and the Australian Car’ exhibition curated by Harriet Edquist for the NGV at the Ian Potter Centre, Federation Square Melbourne earlier this year.

The AHA was established to promote research, education, archival collection and dissemination of knowledge about the history of the Australian automotive industry. The organisation recognises the significant contribution of Australian designers and engineers have made, and continue to make, to the car industry through specialist design capacity and expert knowledge.

AHA websitewww.autohistoriansaustralia.org

Launch of Automotive Historians Australia, RMIT Design Archives Photograph by Georgina Matherson.

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Photograph by Georgina Matherson.

Gamification

Dr Sarah Jane Pell, Bending Horizons, Centre for Game Design Research Launch,Photograph by Tobias Titz.

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Centre for Game Design Research Launch

Host

School of Media and Communication

Speakers

Professor Paul Gough, RMIT Pro Vice-Chancellor & Vice-President, College of Design and Social Context

Professor Martyn Hook, RMIT Dean of School of Media and Communication

Astrid Scott, Senior Producer and Strategist for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation R & D Division

Associate Professor Stefan Greuter, RMIT Centre for Game Design Research Director

Established in late 2014, the Centre for Game Design Research is an interdisciplinary centre for the research and creation of games and playful design interventions based in the School of Media and Communication at RMIT University, Australia. The Games Centre brings together scholars, artists, designers, engineers and students across RMIT Schools and Research Centres, as well as participants from other Universities and Industry.

The launch showcased research projects by academic leaders and PhD researchers and provided an opportunity to network, play and discuss the future opportunities for game design research.

Centre Websitehttp://gamedesignresearch.net

caption

L-R: Professor Martyn Hook, Associate Professor Stefan Greuter, Astrid Scott, Professor Paul Gough, Centre for Game Design Research Launch, Photograph by Tobias Titz.

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Centre for Game Design Research Launch, Photograph by Tobias Titz.

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The Gameful World Book Launch

Host

Games and Experimental Entertainment Laboratory (GEElab), Centre for Game Design Research

Moderator

Amelia King, Creative Victoria

Gameful World Contributors

Mark Pesce, futurist, inventor, book author

Pete Williams, Chief Edge Officer at Deloitte Centre for the Edge Australia

Jussi Holopainen, Co-Director of the GEElab Europe in Germany

Sebastian Deterding (via Skype), Co-editor, The Gameful World and Assistant Professor at Northeastern University in Boston, MA

Associate Professor Steffen Walz, Co-editor, The Gameful World and Founder-Director of GEElab.

What if our whole life were turned into a game? What sounds like the premise of a science fiction novel is today becoming reality as “gamification.” As more and more organisations, practices, products, and services are infused with elements from games and play to make them more engaging, we are witnessing a veritable ludification of culture.

Celebrating the publication of the book edition The Gameful World (MIT Press) earlier this year, GEElab hosted an evening of casual discussion about play, games and gamification, and their impacts on us, the citizens.

The Gameful World, GEElab Websitehttp://www.geelab.rmit.edu.au/content/gameful-world

L-R: Jussi Holipainen, Mark Pesce, Sebastian Deterding (screen), Associate Professor Steffen Walz, The Gameful World book launch,

Photograph by Tobias Titz.

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BRAIN WAVES Symposium: Art, Play, Game Design and the Mind

Host

Creative Interventions Art and Rehabilitative Technology Lab (CiART)

Presenters

Professor Swee Mak, Director, Design Research Institute

Vicki Sowry, Director, Australian Network for Art and Technology (ANAT)

Professor Peter Wilson, Australian Catholic University

Dr Jonathan Duckworth, Director, CiART

Dr James Hullick, Composer, Sound Artist, Producer

Dr Trish Adams, Artist and Arts Researcher

Dr Jane Sewell, Communications and Education Manager of the HEARing CRC

Professor Karen Caeyenberghs

Dr Tanya Petrovich, Business Development Manager, Learning and Development, Alzheimer’s Australia VIC

Professor Marc Cohen, RMIT School of Science, Engineering and Health

BRAINWAVES explored the intersection of game design, artistic practice and health science with a particular focus on personal wellbeing. The symposium drew on a wealth of interdisciplinary, creative collaborations to discuss game design, new media art and its potential to have significant impact on the lives of those living with neurological impairment and disability.

The TEDx style event featured experts in the area of neurological impairment and disability, discussing industry

collaboration and reflecting on how their designs create impact, followed by a Q & A moderated by Vicki Sowry from Australian Network for Art and Technology (ANAT).

Symposium Topics

Synapse initiative – creative partnerships between artists and scientists (ANAT)

Interactive projects for rehabilitation

Music and participation

HEARnow – raising awareness about hearing impairment

Memory enhancement through games

Alzheimers Australia Carer’s app

The future of Big Data

CiART Webpagehttp://gamedesignresearch.net/?page_id=11

Elements, image provided by Dr Johnathon Duckworth, CiART

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Service Design and Visualisation in the Age of Big Data

Host

Dr Lisa Dethridge, Centre for Game Design Research (CGDR), RMIT

Speakers and Panellists

Rita Arrigo, Collaboration Specialist

Dr Lisa Dethridge, Senior Lecturer, School of Media and Communication, RMIT

Johnathan Gardner, Senior Geospatial Consultant, SMS Management and Technology

Professor Dimitrios Georgakopoulos, Computer Science and IT, RMIT

Murray James, CEO, Snobal (3D virtual, social shopping platform)

Dr Flora Salim, Australian Research Council awardee, Computer Science and IT, RMIT

Iain Sandercock, Enterprise Architect, Business Architecture Practice Lead, ITS, RMIT

Arthur Shelley, Graduate School of Business and Law, RMIT

Ann Templeman-Jones, Director, APN News and Media: Director, Cuscal (Australian authorised Deposit-taking Institution)

Lucas Williamson, Chief ICT Architect and Deputy Director of Enterprise Architecture, ITS, RMIT

The workshop focused on the rise of the service sectors coupled with digitisation of the global economy to both inform and challenge our creation of the rapidly evolving world. Technological disruption provides significant opportunities and challenges for industry.

The rise and rise of service sectors, coupled with digitisation of the global economy was the focus for this workshop which aimed to both inform and challenge our creation of the rapidly evolving future world.

CDGR Websitehttp://gamedesignresearch.net

Audience members at Service Design and Visualisation in the Age of Big Data, Photograph by Deshia Fitrina.

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Designing for Social Impact

Participants at Designing for Social Innovation and Sustainability workshop, Photograph by Bonnie XinYuan.

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Design for Social Innovation and Sustainability

Host

Design for Social Innovation and Sustainability (DESIS) Lab Melbourne

Facilitators

Yoko Akama, DESIS-Lab Leader

Idil Gaziulusoy - Imagining futures

Jessica Bird - Provoking possibilities

Simon Lockrey - Discovering insights

Carolyn Barnes - Capturing stories

Tania Ivanka - Mapping complexity

DESIS Lab aims to ‘de-mystify’ design that is often perceived as an elitist, aesthetic object / technology-oriented discipline, or, as a field that attempts to provide resolutions, or ‘sell more stuff’. The workshop was geared towards those who may have tried or are keen on using design methods in their own field for engaging stakeholders.

For DESIS-Lab, Designing for Impact means to enable ways for people to participate in tackling problems together. The workshop format assisted in knowledge sharing and generation, enabling the participants to gain understanding of methods by hands-on-learning, thereby further facilitating the impact of the event.

DESIS Labwww.desis-lab.org

Above: Participants at Designing for Social Innovation and Sustainability workshop,

Photograph by Bonnie XinYuan.

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Disaster, Design and Development: Learning From Nepal and Other Recent Disaster Scenarios

Host

Associate Professor Esther Charlesworth, HARB, RMIT

Panellists

Alison Cleary, Australian Institute of Architects

Peter Lawther, Australian Red Cross

Brett Moore, World Vision International

Suresh Pokharel, Plan International

Paul Pholeros, Health Habitat

The symposium aimed to consolidate the networks of the Humanitarian Architecture Research Bureau (HARB) non-profit humanitarian agencies. It drew on existing links and sought to build new links particularly with organisations

which implement shelter programs after natural disasters such as the recent earthquakes in Nepal and typhoons in the Philippines.

The first part of the symposium introduced the work of HARB and its partners, leading to a discussion on strengthening and building partnerships. How HARB might be able to play a role and support current and future initiatives in post-disaster shelter in recent disaster sites will be explored.

HARB Websitewww.harbureau.org

Straw Bale Build, Photograph by Skip Baumhower

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Design for Regional Transitions

Host

Professor Peter Fairbrother, Director, Global Cities Research Institute and Director of Centre for Sustainable Organisations and Work

Panellists

Richard Elkington, Chair, Regional Development Australia, Gippsland

Bruce Wilson, Professor and Director of the EU Centre, RMIT University

Jennifer Wolcott, Executive Director, Policy & Planning, Regional Development Victoria

There is much debate about the dynamics and drivers of socio-economic change in regions, whether rural or metropolitan. When considering these themes it is necessary to note that each region is uniquely different, thus standard ‘one-size-fits-all’ policies are not appropriate. Hence, it is important that research and policy development focus on regions’ strengths and weaknesses, opportunities and barriers, and an analysis of the embedded character of regional development and change.

The panel discussed:

a) Who should be involved in the policy formulation and development of approaches to regional change and development?

b) What are the conditions for the design of regional change and development strategies? And what inhibits such development?

c) Why is regional development and change important?

Sexual Wellbeing and Aging: Co-design Workshop

Host

Judith Glover, Lecturer, School of Architecture and Design, RMIT

This co-design workshop brought together some of Melbourne’s expert academics in Aging and Sexual Wellbeing.

Design academics and practitioners explored the role design may play in helping define and develop new products and services for an aging population, particularly a new type of client - the baby boomer. The workshop explored the possibilities of utilising a cross-disciplinary approach to issues of aging and sexual wellbeing, drawing together Social Sciences and Social Work experts with Design practitioners and researchers.

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Art and Public Spaces

RMIT Photoimaging Graduate in Residence Exhibition, Photograph by Emma Murray.

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Public Lecture: Placemaking Approaches and Their Impact

Lecture

Professor Paul Carter, Professor of Design-Urbanism (DRI), School of Architecture and Design, RMIT

In the context of planned urban redevelopment, a progressive approach to place making might be one that makes place for things to happen. ‘Minor’, rather than ‘master’, planning is encouraged, an art of placing rather than placement. Paul Carter described a methodology to meet these aspirations: the ‘creative template’, which mediates between design, program and communications in order to keep open the possibility of autopoietic social and cultural growth, of interest to a number of government planning agencies in Australia (in which context it can be said to have ‘impact’).

One current ‘creative template’ initiative (Scarborough Redevelopment Area, Perth) focuses on an iconic surfing beach and its communities. In surfing parlance, the ‘impact zone’ is where the wave breaks. However, waves break differently, according to local refractive and reflective conditions. In this presentation, and in the light of the experience of the ‘creative template’ being increasingly adopted by planning authorities, Paul Carter offered a constructive critique of current conceptualisations of impact as a measure of research’s societal relevance.

Material Thinking Websitehttp://www.materialthinking.com.au

Nearamnew, Federation Square, Melbourne, Photograph by Paul Carter.

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Transition: Opening Night and Public Work

Artist

Yandell Walton

Curator

Fiona Hillary, Centre for Art, Society and Transformation (CAST)

‘Transition’ is a site specific projection work created by Yandell Walton as a part of the Urban Laboratory, a joint project between the City of Melbourne and RMIT University in Hosier and Rutledge Lanes.

The work was an ethereal projection back into the laneway of the user groups that frequented the spaces during the Urban Laboratory, a project which investigated safety issues through creative engagement and artistic interventions.

Transition was shown nightly in Hosier lane for the duration of the Design for Impact Festival, 22 July until 9 August, 2015.

Urban Laboratory Bloghttp://urbanlaboratory.tumblr.com

The Social Response: A Dialogue Around Art and Social Engagement

Host

Dr Geoff Hogg, Director, Centre for Art Society and Transformation (CAST)

Art and social engagement is a key part of contemporary art practice.

Artists around the world are increasingly engaging with challenging social issues,

from climate change to war and the refugee crisis. Participate in a dialogue to explore these issues.

The symposium engaged with questions of art and social change comprising three panels from academia and industry:

a) Dialogues, responding to inter-cultural practice both within Australia and internationally

b) Environments, responding to questions of art, sustainability and urban infrastructure

c) Transformations, responding to questions of art and community engagement

CAST Websitehttps://www.rmit.edu.au/research/re-search-institutes-centres-and-groups/research-centres/centre-for-art-socie-ty-and-transformation

Transition, Hosier Lane Melbourne, Photograph by Lauren Dunn.

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RMIT Photo Imaging Graduate in Residence Exhibition

Host

Clare Renner, Deputy Dean, Vocational Education, School of Media and Communication

Team

Rob Gale

Jessie di Blasi

Industry Sponsors

Fitzroy Stretches and CPL Digital

Works exhibited from the RMIT Photo Imaging Graduates in Residence program, which provide a 12-month residency to graduates of the Diploma of Photo Imaging.

An industry panel assessed proposals on the quality of concept, design and potential for application in learning and teaching. Graduates in Residence are given access to facilities, support from teachers and mentoring from industry. In return, they demonstrate their work, give lectures and share their practice with current students.

At the conclusion of the residency, an exhibition sponsored by industry partners is held. Promoted widely, this exhibition celebrates the success of this program and the work of the recipients. Adrian Grasso, a 2014 graduate, was also able to produce his first solo exhibition with generous support from industry.

Many of the students volunteered their time to document various Design for Impact festival events as featured in this publication.

RMIT Photography Instagramhttps://instagram.com/rmitphotography

RMIT Photo Imaging Graduate In Residence, Photograph by Mike Read.

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Fashion and Textiles

Image courtesy of RMIT Fashion and Textiles.

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Group Exchange Symposium

Host

School of Fashion and Textiles

Facilitator

Celia Heffer, Curator of the current 2nd Tamworth Textile Triennial

Guest Panel Members

Emma Lynas, Lecturer and PhD candidate, RMIT

Debbie Pryor: Gallery Curator, Craft Victoria

Katie Somerville: Senoir Curator, Fashion and Textiles, National Gallery of Victoria

Guest Triennial Artists

Ilka White

Kim McKechnie

Dr Belinda von Mengersen

The Group Exchange Symposium explored the cultural and social impact of contemporary textiles by opening up a dialogue around new ways of experiencing, thinking and extending textile practice.

Selected artists from the Tamworth Textile Triennial presented their conceptual approach and the process behind their work to a guest panel of professionals outside traditional notions of textile practice.

2nd Tamworth Textile Triennialwww.2ndtamworthtextiletriennial.com

Fashion and Textiles Industry Symposium: Collaboration for Impact

Host:

The Centre for Advanced Materials and Performance Textiles (CAMPT)

The Fashion and Textiles Industry Symposium showcased current research within the Centre, demonstrated the importance of industry and university collaboration, and highlighted the current innovative research occurring within technology and design. The symposium program also included a short tour of the CAMPT facilities.

RMIT Fashion and Textileshttp://www.rmit.edu.au/about/our-education/academic-schools/fashion-and-textiles

Collaboration for Impact Industry Symposium, Image courtesy of RMIT Fashion and Textiles.

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Design in Industry

Design Led Manufacturing Breakfast, image courtesy of Milan Brandt.

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Design Led Manufacturing Breakfast

Hosts

Professor Adrian Mouritz, Head of School, School of Aerospace, Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering

Professor Milan Brandt, Technical Director, Advanced Manufacturing Precinct (AMP)

Professor Calum Drummond, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research and Innovation, and Vice-President

Guest Speakers

Peter Freedman, Managing Director, RØDE Microphones

Professor Peter Coloe, Pro Vice-Chancellor Science, Engineering and Health and Vice President

Special Guests

Martin Foley MP, Minister for Creative Victoria

Martin Bean CBE, Vice Chancellor and President RMIT

RMIT’s world class capabilities in advanced manufacturing and industry partnerships was on full display in this breakfast event which was also attended by Victoria’s Minister for Creative Industries, Martin Foley MP and Vice Chancellor Martin Bean CBE.

The audience of senior industry figures and RMIT academics were also captivated by the story of RØDE microphones and the entrepreneurial journey of its founder Peter Freedman. The global success achieved by RØDE serves as an example of how industry-University collaboration can assist in helping companies innovate and compete in the global market, and the impact of design in manufacturing and engineering.

Innovation by Design: Improving Business Competitiveness for Growth

Host:

KPMG

Facilitator

Bill Petreski, KPMG

Panel

Alpesh Mistry, Rotman School of Management

Swee Mak, Director, Design Research Institute, RMIT

Paul Taylor, Design + Industry Pty. Ltd.

Professor Ian Palmer, RMIT Pro Vice Chancellor Business

Innovation can help business remain competitive, particularly in the age of rapid technological disruption. Companies that innovate are shown to outperform those that do not innovate. Yet many businesses remain mystified by what innovation means and are often either reluctant or unsure of how to approach innovation.

The audience which comprised mainly senior representatives from innovative SMEs were provided with a broad overview of how design thinking techniques help speed up innovation cycles, the use of design as a strategic tool, the importance of understanding user needs and behaviours in design, and the importance of collaborative partnerships in design led innovation.

Teams Made in Heaven: How to Design Effective Innovation Teams in an Era of Disruption

Host

College of Business and Startup Victoria

Co-Convenors

Gerda Gemser, Professor of Design and Business, RMIT

Marina Paronetto, founder Powerhouse HQ and Innovation Manager, PwC Digital

How to design effective innovation teams in an era of disruption was an interactive workshop mapping personality strengths, focusing in particular on individuals’ approach to innovation - creative, intuitive, futuristic and exploratory, or conformist rational and driven by the past?

The workshop was convened by Gerda and Marina in the RMIT Design Hub.

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Smart Flexibility: Advanced Materials and Technologies

Opening Night, Smart Flexibility Exhibition, Photograph by Tobias Titz.

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Smart Flexibility: Advanced Materials and Technologies Exhibition

Materfad Curators

Valérie Bergeron

Javier Peña

Exhibition Design

Cate Hall

Graphic Design

Sean Hogan, Trampoline

Project Director

Michele Azzopardi

Producer

Kylie Wickham

Exhibition Assistants

Simone Steel

Kaushali Seneviratne

Sponsored by

Professor Swee Mak

Materials Consultant

Barbara Marshall

Design Hub Curatorial Team

Fleur Watson

Kate Rhodes

Nella Themelios

Audrey Thomas-Hayes

Kate Riggs

Erik North

Tim McLeod

Michael Wilson

Tom Muratore

Marcin Wojcik

Sam Fagan

Smart Flexibility: Advanced Materials and Technologies, an international touring exhibition developed by Materfad, Barcelona’s materials centre, was bought to the RMIT Design Hub by the RMIT Design Research Institute.

The exhibition presented international projects developed by universities and firms from ten countries, including three research projects from a selection of RMIT’s design research leaders. The exhibition seeks to explore the current capabilities of structures and materials designed to raise awareness of and adapt architecture to its environment.

These contemporary works and projects involving materials, sensitive systems and articulated supports enable us to imagine the functionalities an intelligent and flexible architecture may provide. The harvesting of wind and solar power, electrical and thermal energy generation, perception and adaptation to climatic conditions, to acoustics and lighting environment, user detection and modification of spaces through movement or even emotion, are the challenges of tomorrow’s spaces and are the drivers of the exhibition.

The Smart Flexibility exhibition was excited to be included in the Open House Melbourne, 2015 program.

Smart Flexibility, RMIT Design Hubhttp://www.designhub.rmit.edu.au/exhibi-tions-programs/smart-flexibility

Opening Night, Smart Flexibility Exhibition,

Photograph by Tobias Titz.

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All images: Opening Night, Smart Flexibility Exhibition, Photograph by Tobias Titz.

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RMIT Projects:

Penumbra

Lead Designers

Professor Richard Blythe

Associate Professor Paul Minifie

Prototyping and Detailed Design Lead

Nick Williams

Detailed Design Consultation

Associate Professor Jane Burry

Dr Jan van Schaik

Electronic Design and Actuation Control

Dr Scott Mitchell

Daniel Prohasky

Research Assistants

Amaury Thomas

Joshua Salisbury-Carter

Brendan Knife

Wenjin Lai

Todd Dawson

Guangshan Pan

Project funding from the Design Research Institute at RMIT University

Material sponsorship and support from SwitchGlass.

Penumbra explores the design and fabrication of an active building skin system. The system is composed of a collection of variable components, which together operate as structural enclosure and a highly articulated surface to meditate environment and light. At the centre of each component is an aperture, which can switch between

transparent and opaque. This aperture is programmable, containing microscopic particles controlled by an electric charge. This tiny manipulation of matter enables major visual and environmental effects.

This building skin system modulates light between interior and exterior. Daylight can be controlled to provide solar shading while simultaneously evoking other effects such as the dappled and dynamic lighting within a forest. At night, through the manipulation of interior light, it works as a pixelated, luminous screen to create shadow images, which can move over the surface of a building.

The prototype extends a concept proposed by Richard Blythe, Paul Minifie and Jan van Schaik in their architectural competition entry for the ‘House of Fairytales’ for a site in Denmark. It develops this concept to application targeting a range of large buildings such as airports and institutions.

Penumbra, SIALwww.sial.rmit.edu.au/portfolio/penumbra

Penumbra, Smart Flexibility Exhibition, Photograph by Tobias Titz.

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Aesthetics of Air: Visualising the Invisible

Dr Malte Wagenfeld

Malte Wagenfeld is an industrial designer, academic, researcher and artist whose explorative installations, designs and writings have been exhibited and published internationally. Recent projects have seen a shift towards the exploration of interior and exterior atmospheres and experiential environments.

At the centre of this investigation sits his current project ‘Aesthetics of Air’; a phenomenological investigation into sensual and perceptual atmospheric encounters; sound, light, air, breezes, smells, humidity and temperature.

Aesthetics of Air Project Videoshttps://vimeo.com/user7165278

Dr Malte Wagenfeld and Martin Bean, CBE, Aesthetics of Air, Smart Flexibility Exhibition,

Photograph by Tobias Titz.

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Lumina: A Luminous Cloud

Dr Chin Koi Khoo

Instead of adopting highly intricate and expensive materials, this research project is explored through accessible and off-the-shelf materials to form a responsive material system, called ‘Lumina’. Lumina is implemented as an architectural installation called ‘Luminous Cloud’ that serves as a morphing architectural skin.

Luminous Cloud revitalises an existing, underused, dark, interior corridor through its physically responsive morphing and luminous effects. These effects are achieved through three responsive capacities: sensing, form

changing and illumination. Instead of serving as a typical architectural lighting feature, Luminous Cloud performs a different role by offering an alternative animated lighting aesthetic with shadow play and responsive ambient illumination.

These luminous effects create a mutable and malleable architectural lighting aesthetic that transforms the atmosphere of the existing interior space to induce a greater degree of social interaction.

. Lumina Project Videohttps://vimeo.com/89060180

Lumina: A Luminous Cloud, Dr Chin Koi Khoo, Image courtesy of Chin Koi Khoo.

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Sketcha Kucha: Smart Flexibility

Convenors

Phil Ayres, Centre for Information Technology and Architecture, Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Copenhagen (CITA)

Associate Professor Jane Burry, Director, Spatial Information Architecture Laboratory (SIAL), RMIT

Sketcha Kucha Presenters

Valérie Bergeron, Director/Curator Materfad Barcelona

Dr Malte Wagenfeld, RMIT

Nicholas Williams, RMIT

Dr Chin Koi Khoo, Deakin University

Can a system achieve intelligence by combining the control of a flexible structure with the properties of an active material?

Materfad Director Valerie Bergeron and CITA based exhibitor Phil Ayres introduced the travelling Smart Flexibility exhibition, conceived to answer this question by Materfad and first shown in the new Design Hub in Barcelona.

A series of short Pecha Kucha style presentations were made by exhibitors, including locally selected RMIT exhibits. This was followed by a round table on the potential functionalities of intelligent and flexible architecture.

Public Lecture: Familiar Materials – New Material Thinking

Lecture by Phil Ayres, Centre for Information, Technology and Architecture (CITA), Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts.

Phil Ayres is an architect, researcher and educator. He joined the ranks at CITA in 2009 after a decade of teaching and research at the Bartlett School of Architecture in London, and completing his PhD in Denmark at the Aarhus School of Architecture. He has also been a partner of the architectural research and fabrication practice sixteen*(makers) since 1998.

His research explores the potentials that lie at the intersection between digital and material practice, with a particular focus on developing supporting digital design environments that reconsider familiar relations between representations, models and physical artefact. Much of his research has been exhibited and published internationally.

Phil’s teaching roles at the Academy are focused at Masters and PhD level. He is Head of the Masters Programme CITAstudio: Computation in Architecture.

Phil is also the editor of the title Persistent Modelling – extending the role of architectural representation published by Routledge in 2012.

Foreground, Persistant Model #3, Phil Ayres, Smart Flexibility Exhibition, Photograph by Tobias Titz.

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Thanks To Design For Impact Participants

College of Design and Social Context

School of Architecture and Design

School of Fashion and Textiles

School of Media and Communications

School of Art

School of Property, Construction and Project Management

School of Media and Communication (Vocational Education)

College of Science, Engineering and Health

School of Aerospace, Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering

Advanced Manufacturing Precinct

School of Computer Science and Information Technology

College of Business

School of Management

School of Economics, Finance and Marketing

Graduate School of Business and Law

Research and Innovation

Design Research Institute

Global Cities Research Institute

Research Integrity, Governance & Systems

Research Development

Design Hub Curatorial Team

Design Archives

Centres

Art, Society and Transformation (CAST)

Business Education Research (CBER)

Integrated Project Solutions (CIPS)

Design and Society

Games Design Research (CGDR)

Labs and Groups

Spatial Information Architecture Laboratory (SIAL)

Design Futures Lab (DFL)

Design for Social Innovation & Sustainability Lab (DESIS)

Humanitarian Architecture Research Bureau (HARB)

Creative Intervention and Art (CiART)

Games Experimental Entertainment Lab (GEELab)

RMIT Service Groups and Departments

Industry Engagement

Marketing

Human Resources

Information Technology Services

Events

Special Thanks

Martin Bean, CBE, Vice Chancellor and President RMIT University, Prof. Calum Drummond, Deputy Vice Chancellor Research &I; Prof. Paul Gough, Pro Vice Chancellor Design and Social Context; Prof. Peter Coloe, Pro Vice Chancellor Science, Health and Engineering; Prof. Ian Palmer, Pro Vice Chancellor Business; all participating Heads of Schools, Departments, the Design Hub Curatorial team, Associate Prof. Jane Burry and all event convenors and coordinators.

Design for Impact and DRI Team

Swee Mak, Michele Azzopardi, Dr Lisa Dethridge, Kylie Wickham, Mark Robbins, Simone Steel, Kaushali Seneviratne, Kati Kuusisto and Mel Lau.

Vocational Education Graduate Photo Imaging Students, School of Media and Communication

Bonnie XinYuan, Brett Clarke,Deshia Fitrina, Eleanor Landford, Emma Murray, Felix Trinh, Han Cao, Hua Geng, Ken Foletta, Rhiannon Hampson, Riccardo Raiti, Rosemary Rossi, Sandra Mateus, Storm Moore, Timothy Treasure, Yaowalak Jarmcharoen, Jaydon Knoblock.

Design for Impact

Festival 2015

Design Hub

RMIT University

Building 100

Corner Victoria and Swanston Street

Carlton VIC 3053

Postal Address

Design Research Institute

RMIT University

GPO Box 2476v

Melbourne 3001

Australia

Telephone: (+61 3) 9925 4621

design.research.institute@rmit.edu.au

www.designresearch.rmit.edu.au

Photo Archive www.flickr.com/photos/designforimpact/albums

Video Archivehttps://vimeo.com/user43630664