As climate change intensifies, cities face paradoxical weather patterns of extreme heat and rainfall. Rain + Shine is a vertical canopy inspired by Venice’s native pine trees that demonstrates how natural intelligence can merge with advanced material science to address these challenges. Engineered to reflect heat, harness water, and cool its surroundings, it unites traditional passive strategies with advanced textile processes. The material composition responds dynamically to moisture levels. During rainfall, the textile automatically provides protection while collecting water in its cellulose fibres. This stored water later enables evaporative cooling through wind, demonstrating how traditional passive technologies can be reimagined through modern fabrication methods.
Participants
AGNES PARKER, London, UK, 1997. Lives and works in Cambridge, USA.
Technical Collaborators
Eerika Yli-Rahko, TextielLab | TextielMuseum; Sasha McKinlay, Self-Assembly Lab, MIT; Niklas Hagemann, MIT; Lavender Tessmer, Clemson University; Skylar Tibbits, MIT
WORK CONCEIVED AND PRODUCED THANKS TO THE PROGRAMME BIENNALE COLLEGE ARCHITETTURA , LA BIENNALE DI VENEZIA
