Thermochromic Information Surfaces Interactive Visualization for Architectural Environments

Abstract

In this paper we describe a series of nine prototypes that were constructed to explore the benefits and limitations of thermochromic ink as a material for the design of architectural information surfaces. Among the goals of the project were the identification of inexpensive fabrication methods that could be used to build thermochromic surfaces at the scale of a room. Our primary design concerns were the ability to communicate information about indoor climate, and the integration of the information surfaces in an architectural environment. We propose a method for building thermochromic surfaces based on printed circuit boards (PCB) that is cost-effective, highly precise, and allows the fabrication of large surfaces through tiling.