Glow Globs 照明裝置 by Virginia Melnyk is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2021 A' Design Award 銅獎 in 照明產品及燈具設計 Competition Category.

銅照明· 2021

Glow Globs 照明裝置

by Virginia Melnyk

Client: Virginia Melnyk Designs

A' Design Award 銅獎 Winner in 照明 Category

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Colors

The Design

About Glow Globs 照明裝置

《光球》係一件充氣式照明裝置,以白色尼龍布、鼓風機同LED燈製成。呢件裝置由三個抽象形態組成,每個喺各方向嘅尺寸介乎2.5米至3米之間。呢啲形狀係運用三維建模技術設計,靈感源自煙霧同氣流嘅流動形態。每個形態由80至100塊縫合布片拼接而成。LED燈懸掛喺內部,令變色燈光透過布料柔和地擴散出嚟。當鼓風機關閉時,呢啲形態會塌陷收縮,方便裝置移動同喺其他地點重新展示。

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award 銅獎

Glow Globs 照明裝置是 A' Design Award 銅獎得主，這是授予以創造力、獨創性和敏銳見長的傑出設計的極具聲望的認可。銅獎得主是技藝嫻熟、創意驚人的作品，印證了其設計師豐富的經驗、想像力與機智。預計Glow Globs 照明裝置將成為一件備受推崇、令人欽佩且被珍愛的物品，兼具顯著的專業性與創新性。這件贏得 A' Design Award 銅獎的設計融入藝術、科學、設計和技術領域的最佳實踐，並因注重細節而出類拔萃。Glow Globs 照明裝置出色地滿足需求，觸動渴望，迷住情感，並吸引好奇心。

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: Glow Globs is an inflatable lighting installation, its unique design is deployable as the light fabric collapse with the fan is off. The Design is abstract shapes to spark curiosity and imagination. The shapes at night are illuminated with color changing LED lights. The lights penetrate through the Nylon material giving them a soft glow.
Dimensions & Packaging: The design consisted of three unique inflatables. Each design was between 3 meters and 2.5 meters in each direction.
Tags: LED, Inflatable, Lighting, Installation, Deployable, PopUp
Production Technology: The design was created in the computer using 3d modeling. Patterns much like those used to make a dress or piece of clothing were generated and sewn together on a home sewing machine. Each inflatable was made up of between 80 - 100 panels. Consisting of over 400 edges to be sewn together. Each peices was numbered and labeled to be able to stich them to the correct pieces. The inflatables were designed to attach to a special air blower fan used for inflatable sculptures. Led Lights were threaded through the interior of the inflated structure and suspended so to diffuse the light before it is emitted out of the fabric.
Design Challenge: Because the installation is pneumatic, it is important to understand how flat pieces of fabric will inflate. The fans blow in a lot of air and it is important to make sure that all the seams are sewn tightly. And that there are no leaks. At the same point the inflatable is under pressure and if the distribution of forces is uneven large amounts of force on one place may cause issues of pressure and seams to rip or tear. Studies done in Clo3D and Kangaroo for grasshopper, were able to give estimated simulations of where extra strain might occur when pressure is applied.
Research: My research is focused on sewing and three dimensional designs. i am interested in approaches to combine sewn forms into the built environment. Often engaging traditional and computation design making methodologies. In this case sewing large scale inflatables with large numbers of pieces methods from parametric computational architecture were adapted. As for the sewing methods from quilting, and dress making were adapted. the combination of making techniques and process of construction resulted in a unique design.
Inspiration: This project was inspired by the character inflatable lawn ornaments so commonly display in many front lawns of American homes during the holidays. But in contrast to the Santa Claus and Frankenstein that we see during the holidays. Glow Globs aspired to create an abstract organic form that would inspire imagination and creative thinking. The design was created in the computer using 3d modeling. Because it is inflated with air the designs were inspired by smoke and animations of airflow.
Project Duration: The installation is traveling. It was first installed for 3 days at Blink Art Festival in Cincinnati 2019, but can continue to be deployed at other locations and events.
Operation Flow: The installation was located in the landscaping in front of the Cincinnati Central Library. Here at night people would engage with the lights and play in the shadows of the colored illuminations.
Team Members: Virginia Melnyk
Image Credits: Photo Credits: Virginia Melnyk