Let There Be Light
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| GERSH, A. (2011) FRONTLINE: BLACKOUT POWERLINES AT SUNRISE [Online] Available from: http://gershpost.com/?attachment_id=210.[Accessed: 20th February 2015]. |
One of the current main issues that South Africans face today is the problem of load shedding. This is caused by the poor conditions of the Eskom infrastrusture as reported by the ENCA (2015).
Due to the on-going electrical supply interruptions throughout the country, it leaves buildings and streets unlit and sinister; waiting for something to happen in the shadows. In my concept I want to address this crisis on a small scale by illuminating the darkened streets in Jeppestown with the use of stored energy. A model which introduces alternative means of electrical light application that doesn't rely on the city's electrical power supply. All forms of electrical features producing light in my design concept will be powered by a solar power system using photo voltaic cells.
Motion LED light sensors will also be installed into the street lamps for further energy efficiency. The sensor will be placed on the previous street light so that the pathway will be illuminated ahead of its user, increasing the sense of security within that corridor.
Due to the on-going electrical supply interruptions throughout the country, it leaves buildings and streets unlit and sinister; waiting for something to happen in the shadows. In my concept I want to address this crisis on a small scale by illuminating the darkened streets in Jeppestown with the use of stored energy. A model which introduces alternative means of electrical light application that doesn't rely on the city's electrical power supply. All forms of electrical features producing light in my design concept will be powered by a solar power system using photo voltaic cells.
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| An illustration of materials that might be used in my concept as well as solutions to Load Shedding on the streets. |
On A Rainy Day
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| PAVEGEN. (2014) Technology [Online] Available from: http://www.pavegen.com/technology. [Accessed: 20th February 2015]. |
Another setback in the design is how to cater for days where there is insufficient sunlight to power these artificially lit corridors at night. The solution is harvesting kinetic energy into electrical energy from an individual's footsteps and store that energy for later use. This invention has already been put into use overseas and is seen as the way forward in green technology as stated by Pavegen CEO, Laurence Kemball, at the TedxRio Talk in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (2013).
Follow the link below to watch the presentation held at TedxRio:
Follow the link below to read up more on the Pavegen product:
Follow the link below to watch a short presentation on how the product's battery management system:
Interactive Elements
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BRONWELL, B. (2009) Lightfader [Online] Available from: http://transmaterial.net/lightfader/. [Accessed: 20th February 2015].
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In my design, I want to incorporate interactive elements using artificial light in order to draw the public into a social, relaxing and enjoyable environment outdoors.
Apart from introducing the Pavegen product onto the pavement's facade, there will be an equivalent weight distribution product but in the form of electrical light. This interactive feature possesses semi-transparent photo voltaic cells so that LED light can be transmitted from underneath the system and will leave an eye-catching trail behind the individual using it.
Another interactive feature will be placed on the walls within the concept design using LED lights that are activated using any damp surface. The intention of this element is to give individuals a space where they can be creative without the notion of permanently vandalizing a space. In relation to the Jeppestown site, this interactive facade's intent is to celebrate the existing graffiti artwork that is exhibited in and around the neighbourhood. Antonio Fourneau's Water Light Graffiti project was held in a public space in France and produced an incredible result of artwork styles. He constructed a sheet with thousands of LED lights which lit up every time a person came into contact with it with damp hands or with water, from a paintbrush or sponge to throwing a bucket of water over the panel (ARTLAB, 2012).
Follow the link below to watch a short film about the Water Light Graffiti product:
https://vimeo.com/47095462
Apart from introducing the Pavegen product onto the pavement's facade, there will be an equivalent weight distribution product but in the form of electrical light. This interactive feature possesses semi-transparent photo voltaic cells so that LED light can be transmitted from underneath the system and will leave an eye-catching trail behind the individual using it.
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ARTLAB. (2012) Water Light Graffiti, created by Antonin Fourneau in the Artlab [Online] Available from: http://www.digitalarti.com/wlg. [Accessed: 20th February 2015].
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Another interactive feature will be placed on the walls within the concept design using LED lights that are activated using any damp surface. The intention of this element is to give individuals a space where they can be creative without the notion of permanently vandalizing a space. In relation to the Jeppestown site, this interactive facade's intent is to celebrate the existing graffiti artwork that is exhibited in and around the neighbourhood. Antonio Fourneau's Water Light Graffiti project was held in a public space in France and produced an incredible result of artwork styles. He constructed a sheet with thousands of LED lights which lit up every time a person came into contact with it with damp hands or with water, from a paintbrush or sponge to throwing a bucket of water over the panel (ARTLAB, 2012).
Follow the link below to watch a short film about the Water Light Graffiti product:
https://vimeo.com/47095462
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| ILLUMIN. (2015) Volume IX Issue IV [Online] Available from: http://illumin.usc.edu/165/motion-sensors/. [Accessed: 20th February 2015]. |
Conceptual Design Sketches
Final Concept
The aim of this pathway is to connect different nodes within a neighbourhood in order to invite the community as well as visitors at a social public level. This design could be implemented not only in Jeppestown but also at a global scale. By creating these pathway corridors, it will potentially upgrade the infrastructure and lifestyle around these corridors as seen in the precedent studies in my earlier blog post.
Resources:
GERSH, A. (2011) FRONTLINE: BLACKOUT POWERLINES AT SUNRISE [Online] Available from: http://gershpost.com/?attachment_id=210.[Accessed: 20th February 2015].
ENCA. (2015) Get your load-shedding schedule here [Online] Available from: http://www.enca.com/south-africa/get-your-load-shedding-schedule-here. [Accessed: 20th February 2015].
PAVEGEN. (2014) Introducing the new Pavegen. [Online] Available from: http://www.pavegen.com/technology/mk18. [Accessed: 20th February 2015].
ENCA. (2015) Get your load-shedding schedule here [Online] Available from: http://www.enca.com/south-africa/get-your-load-shedding-schedule-here. [Accessed: 20th February 2015].
PAVEGEN. (2014) Introducing the new Pavegen. [Online] Available from: http://www.pavegen.com/technology/mk18. [Accessed: 20th February 2015].
VIMEO. (2013) Pavegen CEO TedxRio Talk [Online] Available from: https://vimeo.com/44078683. [Accessed: 20th February 2015].
PAVEGEN. (2014) Technology [Online] Available from: http://www.pavegen.com/technology. [Accessed: 20th February 2015].
VIMEO. (2014) Smart Power Technology - Battery Management System [Online] Available from: https://vimeo.com/89541812. [Accessed: 20th February 2015].
ARTLAB. (2012) Water Light Graffiti, created by Antonin Fourneau in the Artlab [Online] Available from: http://www.digitalarti.com/wlg. [Accessed: 20th February 2015].
BRONWELL, B. (2009) Lightfader [Online] Available from: http://transmaterial.net/lightfader/. [Accessed: 20th February 2015].
VIMEO. (2014) Smart Power Technology - Battery Management System [Online] Available from: https://vimeo.com/89541812. [Accessed: 20th February 2015].
ARTLAB. (2012) Water Light Graffiti, created by Antonin Fourneau in the Artlab [Online] Available from: http://www.digitalarti.com/wlg. [Accessed: 20th February 2015].
BRONWELL, B. (2009) Lightfader [Online] Available from: http://transmaterial.net/lightfader/. [Accessed: 20th February 2015].
ARTLAB. (2013) Water Light Graffiti by Antonin Fourneau, created in the Digitalarti Artlab [Online] Available from: https://vimeo.com/47095462. [Accessed: 20th February 2015].
ILLUMIN. (2015) Volume IX Issue IV [Online] Available from: http://illumin.usc.edu/165/motion-sensors/. [Accessed: 20th February 2015].
ILLUMIN. (2015) Volume IX Issue IV [Online] Available from: http://illumin.usc.edu/165/motion-sensors/. [Accessed: 20th February 2015].
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