The Anderson-Abruzzo Albuquerque International Balloon Museum commissioned the UNM Center for Research in Advance Fabrication Technology to design and fabricate a new long term exhibit for the museum. The exhibit, titled “The Weather Lab”, aims to teach visitors about weather and how it relates to lighter than air craft.

While we designed most of the exhibit, our focus was the design and fabrication of 4 interactive “pods” for learning. The four pods were inspired by 4 different aspects of weather; wind, precipitation, clouds, and the sun. The pods were designed through a Rhinoceros, Grasshopper, and Maya workflow. We had to balance the aesthetic design and modular systems that could be duplicated, made in house, and then assembled on site.

The first team was in charge of the design, documentation, and prototyping of the pods. We also fabricated the Wind Wall along with parts of the Cloud and Precipitation Pod. The second team was responsible for the remaining fabrication and assembly.

The exhibit opened in September 2017 and will remain as part of the museum for 10-15 years