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Calgary 9 Block Project
Discipline : Student
Categories : Student work / Student - Architecture
In 2020, the City of Calgary partnered with the University of Calgary to develop a temporary, experimental installation specifically tailored to improve the perceived sense of safety and vibrancy in the city’s downtown core. Under the supervision of Prof, Mauricio Soto-Rubio, a team of 4 architecture students designed and fabricated a wooden canopy equipped with unique fully interactive lighting fixtures. This fall, the project was installed along the façade of the City Building Design Lab in downtown Calgary.
The 70-feet-long wooden canopy was developed following a strict zero-waste policy where forms were always mirrored and nested together resulting in no material left over. The canopy was also equipped with special fixtures that improve the level of lighting in the area and provide it with a unique character. These colorful, fully interactive, LED lights were equipped with sensors that respond to pedestrians walking underneath. The pieces were 3D printed by students using PLA plastic: a biodegradable, recyclable material that does not emit toxic emissions.
The canopy is part of a year-long study aimed at identifying the potential of fast-tracked, low-cost, architectural interventions to strategically improve the perceived sense of safety in urban settings. Because of the temporary nature of the project, the team also developed an innovative friction-based anchoring system that allowed the canopy to be installed without permanently modifying the façade in any way.
Collaboration
University of Calgary. School of Architecture
Other : University of Calgary. School of Architecture
Other : CMLC
Engineering : Entuitive
