Caridea
Developed in collaboration with John Umphlett and the Production of Unconventional Spaces class at Bennington College, Caridea is an expanding pneumatic structure designed for play. Tether points allow the structure to change shape, altering acoustics, visual depth, and air pressure.
Light is slightly altered when passing through the LDPE plastic membrane. Daylight shifts purple, artificial light appears warmer.
Caridea's reinforced 20mil LDPE can hold a lot of pressure. Enough pressure to allow Becca to levitate from a tether attached to the upper wall.
Caridea's tether points allow it to change form. However, it takes a lot of strength to wrestle against the air pressure.
Spatial character changes drastically throughout inflation.
Caridea's pleat structure allows it to form a smooth spiraling shape when inflated while keeping a simple blueprint. Only two triangles and one rectangle are used to create the entire structure.
John Umphlett sketching through scale models for Caridea
Students weld Caridea's pleated side panels to the main backbone.
L: Caridea's panels are heat welded together with clothes irons and phenolic rails.
R: Caridea's final components move into position.
R: Caridea's final components move into position.
Developed in collaboration with John Umphlett for the Production of Unconventional Spaces class at Bennington College.