‘(murmur)’ is an encapsulation of the subtle methods of calls and responses between organisms both biotic and manmade. Murmurs are soft indistinct sounds made by groups to communicate while also being discreet. It is inspired by the form and movement found in nature from the fluttering of petals to the expansion and contraction of marine organisms floating in the deep sea. Like a beacon in abyssal darkness, the creatures signal each other with blinks of luminescence as if communicating in morse as they slowly drift up and down in an entropic trance. In the long cold winter nights, the installation acts akin to a lighthouse calling sailors home, beckoning the people passing by to enter, placing the store as the ‘Port Haven’ of a community collective. As people come closer to the installation, ‘(murmur)’ begins to murmur, the collective begins to become active and alive, agitated from the presence of a foreign entity. In this way ‘(murmur)’ becomes a measure of life in the store, drawing energy and spirit from its curious viewers and projecting it out into the city.

F_RMlab is a design and research collective engaged in advanced computational design tools in support of new paradigms of public space where dynamic interaction, social responsiveness, regenerative materials and systemic resilience are integral goals in building. F_RMlab promotes computational discourse and media through the University of Waterloo School of Architecture.