Squama Window

Squama Window

Squama Window is an innovative interactive architectural element that represents a significant advancement in programmable physical architecture, featuring independently controlled transparent cells that dynamically adjust their opacity. This sophisticated window system, designed by Jun Rekimoto and Akihito Kinoshita, consists of modular square cells measuring 45mm x 45mm, arranged in configurations ranging from 540mm x 1620mm to 4320mm x 1620mm. The design employs Transmart LCD material with custom control circuitry to achieve its remarkable functionality, enabling precise control over transparency levels across its surface. This groundbreaking window system simultaneously addresses the competing demands of openness and privacy while offering unprecedented control over natural light transmission and shadow creation through its programmable cells. The system's innovative approach to environmental adaptation draws inspiration from natural phenomena, such as the color-changing capabilities of chameleons, translating this biological concept into architectural functionality. The window's sophisticated control system allows for various applications, including ambient information display through low-resolution patterns and animations, privacy control through human position detection, and advanced lighting management through calculated sunlight direction analysis. This revolutionary design, which earned the Silver A' Design Award in the Building Materials and Construction Components Design category, represents a significant step forward in smart architecture, offering a sophisticated solution for modern building design that seamlessly integrates technology with architectural functionality. The system's ability to create programmable shadows while maintaining external visibility demonstrates its sophisticated approach to environmental control and user comfort, marking a significant advancement in interactive architectural elements.

architectural innovation, programmable transparency, smart window technology, interactive architecture, dynamic privacy control, adaptive building materials

— Adam Dawson

CITATION : "Adam Dawson. 'Squama Window.' Design+Encyclopedia. https://design-encyclopedia.com/define/squama-window?E=445092 (Accessed on October 13, 2026)"