Former Minneapolitan Joshua Walton is a “New Media Lead” at the R&D Lab for the New York-based Rockwell Group, which has been doing some very interesting work in the public sphere.

In 2008, Rockwell Group, in collaboration with Jones + Kroloff, had the prestious assignment to design the entrance installation to “Out There: Architecture Beyond Building,” the main exhibition for the 11th annual Venice Architecture Biennale, an immersive and interactive environment constructed from iconic films.

I was particularly interested in their “Mauboussin Kaleidoscope,” for which they created an algorithmic kaleidoscope generator using live video of the boutique’s jewels, rear-projected on the 2nd and 3rd story windows of the building.

Mauboussin Kaleidoscope from labatrockwell on Vimeo.

Also of interest is their prototype installation at the Toronoto Sheraton, which involved three elements: a reactive frieze tryptich, a reactive mirror and digital ticker.

On a very different scale, Rockwell Lab created a totally knit environment for the Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS 2008 Dining By Design program.

Looking forward to see what the Lab works on in 2009.

“The Lab represents Rockwell Group’s mission of making. It is a mixing chamber of ideas encompassing digital interaction design, the material and image library, modeling and prototyping resources. The Lab provides a space for the 250 designers at Rockwell Group – who are also artists, sculptors, chefs, opera singers, architects, playwrights, and set designers – to collaborate to create a cross-disciplinary approach to design, and generate a cross-pollination of ideas. The ambition of Lab is to explore and promote understanding of the relationship between human interaction with technology, and its effect on experience. This activity includes: science and technology consultation, in house design and creation of interactive environments/objects, and maintaining networks of technology solution providers.”