This thesis explores the potential of responsive architectural surfaces to modulate light within spaces in order to accommodate flexibility of use and enhance durability of the built structure. Towards that aim, a Hyper Plenum is proposed that responds to inhabitants’ needs and adapts to varying environmental factors such as sunlight. The intervention consists of an actuated adaptive surface that captures daylight from outside, embodies it within the plenum and re-distributes it where needed. This technology seeks to retrofit spaces that have deep floor plates with inadequate daylight penetration or where windows alone are not able to provide sufficient light quality. The Hyper Plenum also aims to present a conceptual framework for future metabolic architectures that act as an extension of the human body and its functions.
