SDA - Architect Magazine R+D Awards
Not every architectural project can fit inside the trunk of a car, but this one can! SDA | Synthesis Design + Architecture won an R+D award from ARCHITECT magazine for their functional and creative design for a pavilion that can power the car that it's showcasing. BuroHappold Engineering and Fabric Images helped develop a frame, fitted together with a neoprene sleeve embedded with photovoltaic panels to fully charge a depleted car battery in 12 hours.
Volvo Car Italia wanted to shocase the V60 car in a way that exhibited the 3 ways the car could be powered - diesel, electric, and hybrid. The fabric membranes were handstitched with 252 flexible solar panels capable of generating 450 watts in optimal sun conditions. These fabric membranes fit over a frame of 24 pre-bent 3 inch diamated aluminum pipes that fit together like tent poles. Envisioning the structure used a combination of complex computer visualization softwares, and physical models made of wire and nylon stockings. The coolest part about the whole thing - it can break down into two suitcase sized cases.
