Last week I visited Kew Gardens - mainly to see The Hive (the relocated British Pavilion from Milan Expo 2015). However, after walking through the Tropical House, the climate control systems started catching my eye. Systems in place that I could see included:
Mist dispersers
Automated windows
Temperature & humidity sensors
Air-tight doors
Water features
The Alpine House had another system in place - what I assume was a solar shade.
So, that is it. The end of the Final Major Project. Next week we’ll continue setting up the studio for exhibition, and then come Friday 6th @ 16:00, we’ll be done.
Doesn’t mean more problems will not be encountered though. That old chestnut of a lack of space in the studio is rearing its head again, combined with good old Health & Safety regs, my planned installation may need to be altered at the last minute.
Of course, that will be a moot point if the bamboo doesn’t survive. One thing that completely passed me by was the necessity for climate control. Bamboo, like any wood, expands and contracts depending on the temperature and humidity of its surroundings. The studio has central heating, unlike the workshop where the bamboo had been stored for 2-3 weeks, and combine that with the fact that the bamboo is now trapped in the anchors, giving little room for expansion, the tension is causing the bamboo to rupture along their lengths. Classmates of mine have been saying that when these ruptures happen, it sounds like a firecracker going off.
The other problem is one where I only have myself to blame: Book binding. I left it to the last minute to go 3 of the 4, started to bind one book incorrectly on a previous day, ruining the cover. So I had to bin it, and I didn’t have time to etch another so I’ve just got a crappy print-out of the cover for the presentation booklet. Yay. The journal was a bit of a struggle to bind, and doesn’t look brilliant, but at least it looks better than the sketchbook - where the cover is just attached using double-backed wall stickers.
Lets hope no more problems arise next week.