Liquet Wall
2019
Liquet Wall offers the optimum shading for occupants at any time of day. Within the physical construct of a regular brick wall, we will replace masonry bricks with clear glass bricks, housing a balloon inflation system that will inflate and deflate when the sun’s radiation is present. Thus, allowing for optimal shading and occupant comfort at any time of day. Not only does this wall allow for this but it also allows for optimal views in commercial architecture, while still allowing for shading to be achieved and potential new security systems for residential homes. The value of this design could be seen in many existing or future buildings. Not only will this modernize old buildings to push them closer to occupant expectations it will also allow the sustainability of future buildings to be pushed further. The impact of this design will be that of increased occupant comfort and well-being. Occupants will be more thermally comfortable when the sun’s radiation is intense and more mentally/emotionally stable when the shading is contracted to allow for views. On top of this the potential to allow residential families to acquire enhanced safe and comfortably in their homes, with minimal occupant interaction. This design not only challenges our perception of a brick wall, something traditionally heavy and structural, but also pays respect to traditional architecture and buildings.
We designed this to project as it is so that anyone could build it, from the father and son in their garage to the commercial contractor in the field. We utilized a simple mechanical system that consists of:
Small and quiet nebulizer pumps that are hooked up to the balloon in our glass bricks.
3/8” plastic tubing that can be bought at your local hardware store.
Tupperware containers that connect all the tubes at the junction also can be bought at your local hardware or grocery store.
Arduino and breadboard that can be easily ordered from eBay for a low price.
Limited range servo motors can also be ordered from eBay for a low price.
Styrofoam bricks cut from large Styrofoam sheets that can be bought at your local hardware store.
Plexiglass sheets that can be bought and cut at your local hardware store.
Small plastic elbow connections that can be bought at your local hardware store.
Servo motors that can be ordered from eBay. Among these materials, we also used hot glue and super glue. All of these materials can be bought at a low cost and almost anywhere.
This project not only offers new shading methods for existing and future buildings but also offers better thermal efficiency and new home safety options for residential consumers. With the full development of this concept, the respect it pays to classical architecture, and its inherent ingenuity, this project is the clear future of shading and security. The ability for this design to transverse commercial and residential architecture and its simple build-ability allows for it to be obtainable by anyone, anywhere.
Date: Spring 2019
Location: Pullman, WA
Project Partners: Cole Coddington, Ezekiel Nelson, and Jake Monroe
Photo Credit: Cole Coddington, Ezekiel Nelson, and Jake Monroe