The Challenge

Many streets in America, especially in the suburban sprawl, are not accessible without a car. A lot of these streets don't even have side walks. Walkable cities are more equitable and the Brighton Boulevard development project addressed that by adding both bike lanes and pedestrian pathway alongside outdoor seating and landscaping. We wanted to create an enjoyable walking and biking experience for both pedestrians and bikers which was the inspiration behind Blue Print.

The Solution

Blue Print is an attempt to bring attention to walkable cities, where pedestrian activity is encouraged and highlighted through interactivity. Blue Print is a series of four permanent interactive installations along Brighton Boulevard in Denver, Colorado. The sculptural forms for the project are inspired by the Colorado Rockies. The shape of the perforations are inspired by the Blue Columbine flower and displayed in various stages of bloom. The intention is to create a project which has sculptural beauty during the daytime that transforms into an interactive lighting experience during the evening. The embedded LEDs are illuminated through the floral pattern and respond to bike and pedestrian activity by animating and creating an imprint or impression of the passerby, hence the name Blue Print.

The Technical Details

All four pieces are created using two layers of perforated hot rolled metal sheets. An acrylic enclosure that houses the LED strips is sandwiched between the metal sheets. The base of each piece is embedded with infrared sensors that detects pedestrian and bike activity on the sidewalk and bike lane. This information is relayed to the LEDs that animate providing an interactive experience for the pedestrians and commuters alike.

Partnerships & Community

Blue Print could not have been possible without the contribution of a wide varieties of partners with varied expertise. The project was design engineered and fabricated by the design-built architecture firm Raw Creative. Interaction, lighting design and fabrication was handled by Dispersion.