Metals that "Breathe"


Doris Kim Sung was a biology student who became an architect. She focused on the relationship between the human skin and the skin of buildings to create a new smart material. Her thermo-bimetals take characteristics of human skin, dynamically responding to shade a sun-filled room or to self-ventilate and cool off a room.

In November 2011, Sung displayed her creation "Bloom" in Silver Lake, Los Angeles. The installation is 20 feet tall and made with 14,000 completely unique pieces of thermo-bimetal that curl and unfold as temperatures change, giving the illusion that the sculpture is breathing.

Do you see applications beyond architecture for this material?