Chandler Ahrens
CATOPTRIC SURFACE
DESIGNER
Open Source Architecture LOCATION
St. Louis
Catoptric Surface harvests daylight by reflecting it through a building envelope to form an image-based pattern of light. The result produces visual effects and practical applications directing daylight in precise locations, with the potential to replace artificial light in a building. Its adaptability is based on its ability to rotate each mirror independently, controlled
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by a computer and electric motors. In this way, each mirror produces a pixel of daylight whose target location is determined by analyzing a raster-based image. As each mirror rotates to reflect daylight onto a chosen location, it contributes to the creation of a very low resolution version of the input image.
A R C H I T E C T U R A L
L I G H T I N G — I N D O O R