The ATLAS Institute, in which I completed my M.S. and B.S. degrees, is a wonderful environment full of many creative disciplines. However, the research labs, makerspace, classrooms and studio spaces are split across many floors of the building, leaving a large disjoint between students with different specialties. To unite the building under a common thematic, I manufactured 15 tetrahedral lanterns to serve as indicators of the most heavily trafficked areas within the building. Using motion detectors to react to the appearance of people who pass by, these lanterns come to life with a warm glow that transforms into a colorful aura the longer they remain. Using a Wi-Fi network, these lanterns communicate with each other to spread the warmth of people’s presence all throughout the ATLAS Institute.

 

It is impossible to capture the dispersion of these lanterns with a single picture, but this collection represents the ideal of bringing together the multidisciplinary facets of the ATLAS program that inspired their creation.