Tent Shades, 2009

The Tent Shades are a series of lamps that allow users to feel a direct connection
to the effects they trigger through a simple gesture. They help restore a physical
link between people and the increasingly automated and impersonal objects that surround
them. Inspired by the structures of tents, Mandalas, and kites, the Tent Shades’ collapsible
mechanism is based on a simple tension construction. This system allows both a flat structure
and three-dimensional form to be generated from one simple motion. The action of switching
a light on and off is mirrored by the shade’s form, thereby creating a direct link
between gesture and light.