Air quality is something intangible but essential, something we can all agree on but can rarely quantify in a readily available way. The AirBird is a new interior gadget developed by a team of architects, data scientists and a window manufacturer, bringing three sets of specialisms together to create a device for every environment. Described as an ‘indoor climate sensor,’ the AirBird is driven by tech and data analysis from Danish studio Leapcraft, with a playful form shaped by GXN, the ‘innovation unit’ spin-off of award-winning Danish architects 3XN. Finally, the window specialists VELUX have pitched in their manufacturing expertise.
GXN has a track record of side missions to 3XN’s core projects, which include Copenhagen’s Blue Planet National Aquarium and Olympic House, the headquarters of the IOC in Lausanne, and our very own Hygge Christmas Market Pavilion in Kings Cross in 2016. GXN undertakes designs for digital systems, mapping user behaviour and studying materials, new technologies and the most sustainable approach to shaping and running a new building. AirBird is essentially a C02 sensor, an increasingly useful device that is hooked up to an app and constantly monitors the levels of C02 in your home, office or classroom. Using the grotesquely rudimentary but extremely effective metaphor of the canary in the coalmine, AirBird’s fate is less grim. Sensors detect C02 and humidity, and should either build up to unacceptable levels, the bird will chirp and flash a light, prompting you to open a window. This is no canary, but a rather more elegant and abstract origami-style bird form that’s designed to be wall-mounted or sat on a shelf.
Over the years, GXN’s research points to the fast-expanding role of live data in changing user behaviour. The simple feedback loop created by the AirBird is designed to make all the difference in productivity and general well-being, inspiring and encouraging us to make small but vital improvements to our day to day environment. A classic piece of ‘nudge design’, the arrival of a flock of AirBirds should herald a true breath of fresh air.
The evolution of AirBird
References for AirBird
INFORMATION
gxn.3xn.com
leapcraft.dk
velux.com
getairbird.com
-
‘Beyond Bloomsbury’: the life of Dora CarringtonA new exhibition, ‘Beyond Bloomsbury’, at Pallant House Gallery, UK, explores the life and loves of artist Dora Carrington
-
‘It was a golden age of design’: Adam Štěch on modernism’s enduring allureCzech architectural historian Adam Štěch, whose travelling ‘Elements’ exhibition is at MAK Vienna, on his odyssey to document the world’s modernist marvels, and what's next
-
Raw, refined and dynamic: A-Cold-Wall*’s new Shanghai store is a fresh take on the industrial lookA-Cold-Wall* has a new flagship store in Shanghai, designed by architecture practice Hesselbrand to highlight positive spatial and material tensions
-
Alpange’s high-tech piano makes its New York debut. Does it hit the high notes?We lift the lid on Alpange’s high-tech digital piano, a blend of traditional craft and contemporary modelling technology
-
First look: Leica Cine Play 1 brings premium style and tech to the world of home cinemaLeica compresses its meticulous optic know-how into the ultra-compact Cine Play 1 4K projector
-
The Nothing Phone (2a) Plus Community Edition taps into the brand's creative followersThe unconventional features of Nothing Phone (2a)’s new limited edition come from a community-driven project to reshape the style and ethos of the smartphone
-
Epson’s Mini Laser Projectors with Google TV make light work of home cinemaThe Epson EF-22 is an ultra-compact, highly versatile laser projector that can fill a room with sound and images
-
Aarke has created the ultimate collection for caffeine lovers, the Aarke Coffee SystemThe new Aarke Coffee System consists of three elegant components, part of the Swedish company’s ongoing quest to reshape the world of appliances
-
Huawei’s new MatePad Pro 12.2-inch tablet is a game-changer for digital artistryWith pro-level creative features, from delicate brushwork to myriad surface choices, the Huawei MatePad Pro 12.2-inch makes extraordinary art a possibility and a pleasure
-
All-new Nothing Ear (open) offers up a different kind of listening experienceIf you find traditional earbuds cancel out too much of the outside world, Nothing has got you covered. We get down with the company’s new Ear (open) to experience this transparent new soundscape
-
Lasting impressions: the latest Beoplay H100 headphones from B&O are for keepsBang & Olufsen’s head of design, Tiina Karjalainen Kierysch, talks us through the new Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H100, headphones designed to last a lifetime
