If you thought shape-shifting was for werewolves and Animorphs, think again: a student has created an outdoor laminate that changes its design according to the weather.
Chao Chen, a master's degree candidate in product design at the Royal College of Art in London, drew inspiration for the mighty morphin' laminate when he came across a pinecone in Hyde Park. Chen noticed that when it rained, the pinecone reacted by sealing its outer shell.
Chen's water-reacting architectural surface is fashioned to mimic the pinecone's instinctual survival mechanism. Using a thin film of fabric and veneer, when open the surface laminate resembles a piece of latticework; when closed, it looks like a series of diamond- and rhombus-shaped ridges, like a moving M.C. Escher work.
When the veneer comes in contact with water it elongates, curving the rest of the surface to form a protective covering. So the veneer is open when it is sunny and closes when it rains.
Since completing his first year project, Chen is working on prototypes of three designs using the new veneer, exploring how the material can be made more durable, how it deals with wind and how many times it can get wet.
Watch the laminate in action in the video below.
