Self formation and innovation

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Authors
Klasz, Walter
Bacher, Michael
Woodruffe, Paul
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Date
2015-09-27
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Journal Article
Ngā Upoko Tukutuku (Māori subject headings)
Keyword
Cloud for Fresh Snow (Design project)
snow making
sustainable design
energy conservation
artificial snow
Citation
Klasz, W., Bacher, M., & Woodruffe, P. (2015). Self formation and innovation. Esempi Di Architettura : International Journal of Architecture and Engineering, 2035-7982, 2(2), pp.75 - 82.
Abstract
Contemporary architecture and product design is confronted with a rapidly increasing offer of new materials and technologies. At the same time a growing consciousness can be observed that some established solutions need a fundamental change in regard to sustainability. This paper discusses self-formation as a method for sustainable innovation on the basis of three projects that have been recently realized: A Cloud for Fresh Snow – a commissioned research lab to produce artificial snow, the production of kayaks and the art project Baetsch in the City. A Cloud for Fresh Snow is a collaborative project at the interface of engineering research, economic innovation and architectural design. As climate is about to change and average temperatures appear to increase most skiing areas invest a lot of money to artificially produce snow to guarantee winter tourism. Hence, the economy of skiing regions strongly dependents on the technology for snow making. As the current technology requires a lot of energy and water, fundamentally new approaches are investigated – as done by Michael Bacher, CEO of www.Neuschnee.co.at. In collaboration with Walter Klasz a cloud for fresh snow was developed - an invention, that not only produces perfect powder snow, but also presents a groundbreaking sustainable design. A self-formed lightweight construction provides space in which snowflakes can emerge, form and grow bigger. Compared to classical technologies only a reduced amount of energy is needed to provide the boundary conditions for the creation of a natural cloud, allowing the formation of real ice crystals (dendrites). The construction of the cloud itself is based on bended wood in a self-found equilibrium with minimal surface membranes. This self-found equilibrium, the self-formation process, can be used as a general design method, which is shown as well in the two other projects presented in this paper.
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EdA International Journal
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Copyright. EdA International Journal allows the authors to retain publishing rights and the copyright without restrictions.
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 New Zealand
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