LESS

NEW INC | Demo 2023

 

Leela Shanker (The Flint Collective NYC)
B. Sydney, Australia; based New York, NY 

96”’ x 224.24” x 122”
Mycomaterial (Mycelium strains L44 - Lentinus crinitus, LTTX - Lentinus tigrinus atx, CSMX - Coriolopsis polyzona, 40kg Recycled Paper, Wood Chip), Stone Paper, Reused Factory LED pixels, Reused DMX Controllers

This installation is a site-specific lighting intervention demonstrating some of the construction principles of  Less Corp (“Less”), a New York-based developer in the emerging re-construction industry: Less building, more reconstructing; Less virgin material, more remediated waste; Less mining and processing, more harvesting and cultivating.

 
 
 

INVESTIGATING SCALE OF LIGHT

The work was conceived as an exploration of light and material structure that shifts focus from typical architectural emphasis on the production of light to “catching” light through materials with different reflective properties. Designing with luminance metrics as a prime determinant, provides a softer energy and material footprint while proposing the potential for cellular systems that animate the urban environment after sunset.

MATERIAL EXPLORATION

Shanker collaborated with Spawn Lab, a mycomaterial innovation group based in Merida, Mexico to produce cast flutes relating to the existing aluminum structure on-site at Pier 17.

The dark grey metal flutes (a traditional material in the built environment) have relatively low reflectance values to reflect light, compared with lighter-colored materials. Experimenting with the light-colored mycomaterial flutes placed in the base of the structure, adjacent to the related metal flutes, was a demonstration of the human eye’s perception of brightness without additional consumption of energy, simply by considering material choice; the mycomaterial skin provides a more effective light delivery instrument than the legacy aluminum.

 

Phase One installation:

NEW INC Demo Day Festival, 18 June - 2 July, 2023, Pier 17 New York

 
 
 

 
 

Thanks to:

NEW INC and the following people and organizations for making LESS possible.

  • Chris Bocchiario - Lighting Integrator, Technical Expert, Nanometer Lighting, and CK

  • Joel Alonso Trinidad Robles – Chief Creative Officer of Spawn Lab MX

  • Daniel Reyes – Founder and Executive Advisor of Spawn Lab MX

  • Viktoria Barbo - Managing Director, and Noel Hernandez of Matter Workshop

  • Nick DiSordi and Kevin Rose of We-ef

  • Jossiel (“Jay”) Cepeda, Manager, Malibu Farm

  • Elisa, Sarah, Tyler, Dave, Billy, and Fidel at Howard Hughes Corp

  • Salome, Raul, Brian, Lauren, Paul, and Gatch, New Inc

  • Science Sandbox

  • Rob and Rachel Martinez - Third Kind Studio

  • The Flint Collective NYC Production Team - Carl Everett, Marta Casarin, Ana Lucia Ahumada, Anabelle Schneider, Braulio Zenteno, David Smith, Lu Tzuhsin, Tzu-Hao Kuo and Hsin-Ying Huang

  • Rita Zhang - Ritazhang.Design