See the wind

My big idea for this project, or, at least what I'd really like to accomplish, is to design a structure that uses steel's inherent rigidity to allow it to respond kinematically to an external stimulus, namely: wind.  I had originally thought to make a bridge that would cover-up or increase its tension in windy weather, but given the constant variability of wind intensity and vector that idea fizzled.  Instead I chose to pursue the same idea of wind driven kinematics but with a different structure at a different site. 

Site: Tor Bay Provincial Park, Nova Scotia

sandy beaches (notice the grass blowing in the wind)

and rocky shores.

This is a popular beach during the summer, and a good site for my project because it is known for its strong winds.  My intervention on this site will be a combination lookout/shelter structure as an extension of the existing boardwalk around the area.  It will be a cantilever structure anchored above the high water mark but spanning over the beach with a tensile component to provide shade. 

Scheme post discussion with Vince 

The connection to tensile membrane note on the detail drawing is the location where the wind motion will be transfered to the membrane.  That connection will cause the motion of the wind catching element to change the shading characteristics of the tensile structure.  The ripples in the membrane caused by the wind become analogous to the wind blowing in the grass.

So far the kinetic connections seem pretty simple, but I expect that will change as this develops.