POL-AI Prototyp Presentation
On July 11, 2022, Marie Davidová's team from the Institute for Social Sciences of the University of Stuttgart presented the POL - AI prototype, a responsive wooden insect hotel with its own pollinator garden. The presentation of the facade module was framed by a dance performance of the CLIMAX group and hospitality of the adjacent Maritim Hotel.
Marie Davidová describes the insect hotel, which has been promoting biodiversity in the middle of Stuttgart's city center since July 11, as an "ecosystemic urban intervention." In addition to the pollinator garden and nesting chambers for bees, it also houses all kinds of technical components: Sensors measure humidity and temperature in the environment so that an optimal climate can be created for the plants. Machine learning is used to evaluate the activity of the bees during pollination and thus the success of the project.
Of interest for timber construction are the parametric panels, i.e. the saw veneers arranged in a scale-like manner, which change their shape greatly with the ambient conditions. They were cut out of pine wood with a thickness of only half a centimeter in the longitudinal direction as a secant. If the temperature and humidity now change, the saw veneers can bend so much that they more or less open up the nesting chambers inside. The nest box adapts to weather conditions, creating more comfort for its inhabitants.
Due to the small thickness, such saw veneers cannot be produced in normal sawmills, but must be made by flexible sawmills such as Holzverarbeitung Biekert. Not only the procurement of the sawmill by digitize wood, but also the planning and implementation in cooperation with various institutes of the University of Stuttgart and other institutions contributed to POL - AI becoming a true CoDesign project.
The project team sought advice on ecosystems, digital fabrication, planning tools, construction and CoDesign methods, among others. Last but not least, the openness and support of the Maritim Hotel, as a direct neighbor of the Institute for Social Sciences, contributed to the success of the presentation by hosting the event and hosting the prototype on their facade.
The group CLIMAX transformed the presentation into a special evening with their live dance performance. Tegest Pecht-Guido danced a choreography by Miroslav Kochánek accompanied by Alec de Bruyn on the guitar. The insect hoard formed the backdrop and symbol for Pecht-Guido's tireless circling.
