Kinetic Project Examples
Of all the great projects KMD builds, nothing gets us more excited than seeing something set in motion. Kinetics has always been at the heart of Kyle’s work, from his early days of environmentally-activated sculptures to his work with robotic fabrication and performance art pioneers Survival Research Laboratories.
Google - Bayshore
The Google Clyde project (see below) was such a success that when when the team was assigned to a new building the shelving moved with the team and KMD was brought back in to help rework the design for the new space.
To accommodate the new layout, the shelving needed to transform from circular rotation (it’s previous iteration at Clyde) to linear travel (at the new location). KMD designed a custom chain-driven gear case attached to a driveshaft powering all 4 wheels and allowing a single person to move each shelving unit.
Without the central post as bracing the shelving needed ballast to ensure there was no way for it to tip over. Not just a little ballast, 3000lbs per shelving of ballast, which brought each unit to over 16’ long and 4000lbs total. The gear cases included a ~20:1 reduction so that the hand crank could be easily moved by any user, regardless of bicep size.
Levi’s - House of Cards
Longtime KMD patron, Levi’s, asked KMD to build a large-scale display in their headquarters to showcase the transformation of new garments to beloved and well-worn wardrobe staples.
To illustrate the transition, KMD built a wall of rotating plywood “cards”, each constantly churning thanks to a series of electric motors and exposed red leather belt drives.
The entire system needed to be designed in a way that could be securely installed for the duration of the 6-month campaign and then easily removed without any impact to the adjacent surfaces.
Chapel Hill Coffee
A new articulating window allowed Chapel Hill Coffee to both connect the interior space with the streetscape and create an eye-catching identifier for patrons.
The challenge was how to find an economical and fail-safe way to open the massive frame with an asymmetrical load. The first step was to work towards balancing out the load by adding internal lead weights to the lighter side. Next up was finding an affordable ball screw linear actuator capable of handling the remaining load on the existing 120v electrical system. Finally, with the mechanics worked out we could shift our focus to detailing the aesthetic elements of the offset hinge, frame reinforcements, and integration with the existing wall
Google Leadership School - Clyde
KMD was asked by Rapt Studios to help design a novel solution for a multi-purpose space capable of easily reconfiguring a large room into multiple arrangements for different size groups and types of events. The solution was two-fold: rotating shelving and dynamic automated curtains.
The four large rotating shelves with integrated lighting and power provide both functional storage, room boundaries, and perhaps most importantly, an invitation for interaction; despite their massive scale the shelving is perfectly balanced on vertical thrust bearings so that it can easily be turned with a gentle push.
The two curtains were created using theatrical winches and a digital controller system that allows the curtains to open in dynamic and playful ways. Instead of acting as one uniform body, each winch acts independently creating an almost endless array of options and motions.
