Cosmos

A year of woodland carbon dioxide measurements have been translated into a 2 metre high wooden sphere in the heart of the forest. As the makers and technical designers for the piece, millimetre constructed 180 triangular tiles, in tessellating pentagon and hexagon groupings, made from three laminates of douglas fir.

Each tile was cnc-routed with a pattern from the scientific data, plotting the take up and loss of carbon dioxide from the surrounding trees. The sculpture was charred with a blowtorch then waxed, creating a satin black finish. Each individual tile had to be able to expand and contract; otherwise the timber would crack and distort over time. The biggest challenge was to detail each tile and the armature so the sculpture could breathe throughout its lifetime.