LATITUDE SCREEN
2011
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The Latitude Lamps can be assembled into a variety of screen types that can function as roofs or facades, or used on their own in outdoor spaces. Their geometry and orientation is based on environmental rhythms of the sun, views, wind and temperature. The screen/planter modulates light, shadow and wind during the day and lights up at night from the power collected by the integrated solar panels.Incorporated as an integral element of the design, the photovoltaic modules act as filters that block off the unwanted but energy-rich portion of the incoming sunlight. Screens are more open or closed depending on geographic location in order to ensure thermal pleasure. A screen in a southern climate, for example, will have a relatively closed pattern for shading.By letting in the sun's radiation according to the desired amount depending on the degree of transparency, the PV modules contribute to visual and thermal comfort. Also, they contain planters that engage sense of smell, and when the wind picks up, the lights brighten, so that the senses of sound, touch and vision reinforce one another in the act of perception. One version of the screen/planter absorbs sound from the passing trains to protect a waterfront park while another blocks the wind from an exposed terrace.