Kinetic Climate built on a grant from Jisc to investigate new uses for LoRaWAN networks and the internet of things (IoT). We were interested in how these new, long range, low energy technologies might be used to promote a more sustainable built environment, and in particular how the data they collect and receive might be made visible as a stimulus to inspire sustainable behaviours. We turned to kinetic art, and the work of artists like Alexander Calder and Jean Tinguely for inspiration, and designed a one-week workshop to give young people the opportunity to design and build their own kinetic art installations using IoT technology to measure and respond to the energy-related aspects of the environment. We collaborated with the National Saturday Club, led by University of Westminster Chancellor, Lady Sorrell, and so attracted 16-17 year old participants for the project from across London and the UK.

This was possible thanks to the Realising Sustainability research project that sought to create and embed a network of IoT environmental sensors throughout the School of Architecture + Cities building. Tutors worked with students through the week-long workshop to speculate, iterate and build reactive and kinetic sculptures that conveyed changing interior environmental conditions and the associated energy use from regulating internal building conditions. This brought attention to more macroscopic environmental concerns and taught A-level students fundamental coding, creative and physical computing skills.