OSNI.1 – UNIDENTIFIED SCENTED OBJECT, CARTIER, PARIS, OCT 2017. Le Nuage Parfumé is launched:
We work with renowned architects and artists and are inspired by campaigns like this because as climate engineers, we enjoy the challenge of creating spaces that resonate with human senses. Typically, we aim to create a sense of comfort, but sometimes we aim to create interesting perceptions. We always prefer solutions that do no harm, or even better, that create positive change. So why now a fragrant cloud?
In our work designing comfortable environments, we have learned to control temperature and moisture distribution in rooms; light, air, heat and cold are our daily business. But what about smell? Indoor air quality is usually measured by technical parameters such as amount of fresh air or levels of pollutants, but the perception of quality is a human one and is immeasurable. How is the perceptible scent distributed and how do you control it? This was new territory for us, and became an important and instructive experiment.
The installation brings the visitors into a purposefully designed environment to experience a new quality of space. We hope that it awakens the visitors’ curiosity about how the built environment influences his personal comfort. Comfort is why we build buildings, so how do we create comfort without harming the world? It is not about abstinence, but about making different decisions and, sometimes, about being a pioneer.
The cloud in a cube is a sensual experience of our environment, this time specifically designed as an installation. It is about quality and thoughtful design, it is about working with material and climate and not delegating performance to machines and energy. We want to expand this knowledge and inspire our professional community to design for people and comfort.
Acknowledgements
Transsolar wishes to thank Cartier for the opportunity to collaborate. The cube was designed, build and installed by Bulle, Paris.
Transsolar was delighted to work with Alexandre, Maël and their professional team.