The Breathing Wall

FOCUS: Mitigating office stress by bringing in nature-like sensory stimulation to rapid workplace passages.

APPROACH: An Arduino-powered mechanical kinetic-wall system featuring proximity sensing, which drives the movement via a gear system, promoting subtle wave motions based on user presence. Material explorations included auxetic structures, kinetic geometries, and surface layers.

CONCEPT: Solitude in Connectedness-evoking the forest's balance between individual stillness and collective life. The wall "breathes" when people pass by, serving as a digital detox and reminding one to pause, observe, and breathe.

OUTCOME: A modular, scalable installation prototype, translating motion into an organic, rippling motion-forming kinetic rhythm in the built environment. The breathing gesture was captivating, yet non-disruptive. The project did a great job of proving that mechanical interactions have the capability to inject emotional well-being and slow moments into demanding workplaces. The work continues with mass production and enhanced responsiveness in terms of motion.