Core77

Sign In / Join Now

Topics
- Product Design
- Process
- Technology
- Lifestyle
- Business
- News
- Furniture
- Tools
- Transportation
- Education
- Impact
- Reference
- Video
Sign Up For Our Newsletter
Subscribe
Features
- Features
- Designing Women
- Getting Hired
- Design Files
- True I.D. Stories
- Sex-tacular
- In the Details
- Photo Galleries
- Bizarre Inventions
- Questionnaire
- Materials
- Footwear
- Hand Tool School
- Tools & Craft
Awards
Careers
- Careers
- Design Jobs;
- Talent Search;
- Design Salaries;
Firms
- Firms
- Search Firms;
- Firm Projects
Forums
- Forums
- General Discussion
- Students & Schools
- Design Employment
- Sketching
- Software & Technology
- All Forums
More...
- About Us
- Contact Us
- Advertise
- About
- Terms of Use
My Account
- My Account
- Sign In / Join Now
Follow Us
- )
- m
- Y
- '
- S
Search
e

Object Culture

Water-walled house

By Rain Noe - August 13, 2007

An MIT-led team of architects and engineers has developed the "Digital Water Pavilion," a building with walls made of flowing water. Upon the approach of a person, a sensor detects their path and parts the water in that area, creating a sort of instant doorway that can then close behind you. "You could throw a ball at the wall, and then see an open circle drop down to meet it precisely where and when its trajectory intersected the water surface," says William J. Mitchell, head of MITâ€™s Design Laboratory.

Practical applications for the technology have not yet been addressed; but the building will be on display at next summer's 2008 Expo Zaragoza in Zaragoza, Spain.

via science mode and dumptrumpet

Object Culture

Rain Noe

Rain Noe is a writer and industrial designer based in New York City.

2 Comments

Scott

11 years ago

Z

Z

Reply

@Justin
The "big waste of water" could lead to other discoveries. It changes concepts about boundaries and insulation, and causes people to think about new things. Sure, it may never come to something streamlined and efficient by itself, but the point is to innovate. That itself helps open new areas of exploration.

If people didn't do this, you wouldn't have most of your modern luxuries. Like the wheel.
!Report as spam
Justin

12 years ago

Z

Z

Reply

Looks like a big waste of water, why don't the "geniuses" at MIT make something useful other than a water wall and a alarm clock that rolls away.
!Report as spam