RoBoGo
Fully customizable 3D printed media facade elements

Media facades are often associated with giant LED screens and animated, illuminated advertisements in tourist attractions such as Times Square in New York, The Strip in Las Vegas or Asian metropolises like Shanghai and Hong Kong. The facade itself is hidden behind a huge advertising medium for sending messages, with the electronic hardware suspended from an existing facade and essentially ignored.

In recent decades, only a few projects have been realized that attempt to combine the permanent architectural and architectural function of a facade (exterior) or wall (interior) with the dynamic, communicative power of media facades. These custom projects require a lot of coordination between different disciplines: interactive media, architecture, electronics, software and maintenance. These types of solutions are used relatively little because they lead to greater risks and high design and realization costs. In addition, the programming of these walls is not a core task of a property manager, which means that many projects only show the same content, show wear and tear or are even turned off over time.

Prototype of a RoBoGo wall with integrated controlable lights

RoBoGo is a joint R&D project by RNDR with architecture studio RAP, that focuses on high-quality integration of media in buildings, as part of an integrated design, planning, implementation and maintenance process, through modular media wall elements that offer new possibilities for visionary design while at the same time have an aesthetic quality. MMF combines the architectural function of a facade or wall with the dynamic, communicative power of media facades.

We achieve this by offering high-quality integration of media in buildings, as part of an integrated design, planning, implementation and maintenance process, while always keeping the aesthetic quality in mind.

Some of the use cases for RoBoGo

The choice for a process means that continuous development can take place, in contrast to a product that is already finished because every situation and context is different and there is no single solution.

Our design and integration process can be tailored to many needs through mass-customization, that focuses on flexibility and personalization of tailor-made products, combined with relative low costs per unit. In our software you can create any pattern you want and it gets automattically converted to the RoBoGo blocks, as easy as making a drawing. 

The possibilities of digital design techniques and computer-controlled production methods are increasingly embraced in the creative sector and in architecture. The possibilities to realize expressive, non-standard façades with this are fully expressed in distinct façades, but have not yet expanded into the domain of the media façade. In the Netherlands, media facades and walls are mainly found in interior applications, because the historic inner cities in particular do not lend themselves to the often bombastic application of LED screens and light. Our ambition is precisely to provide (industrial) designers with the tools to make products that can be applied within these architectural historical areas. In an international context, the rapidly growing metropolitan areas are particularly interesting where the media facade is used to distinguish the building. Lighting design is an integral part of the design of large (public) buildings, where dynamic or interactive lighting is used, to distinguish the building from its surroundings. 

Via the RoBoGo Media Control Center app you have full control over the media content of your facade. Change, create and control themes from anywhere in the world, in an instance, 24/7.

Date
2021
Media design
Architectural design
Oracle
Visual design system and cover generator for 150.000 TU Delft publications
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OPENRNDR
Open source framework for creative coding
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Air Pollution in Europe
Interactive installation at the Clean Air Forum
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Growth maps of Amsterdam
150 meters long wall graphics for a new underwater bike parking
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Panartis conference
Identity for an online conference on authentication in art
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NOWHERE
Imagining The Global City
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Studio

RNDR is a design studio for interactive media that develops ‘tools’ that are only finished by how they are used.

To achieve this, we develop processes, create structures, design visualisations, code programs, and create interactions. The end result can manifest itself across different media, ranging from interactive installations, data visualisations, generative identities, prints and everything in between – often real-time. We are triggered by how information and technology transforms networks, cultures, societies, relationships, behaviours, and interactions between people. Our work explores and engages with hybrid space as it embraces both digital and physical realms.

RNDR was founded in 2017 in The Hague, (NL). Its main members have years of experience as partners, computer scientists, designers, art directors and developers at LUST and LUSTlab.

One of our core projects, and basis for most of our projects, is OPENRNDR, an open source framework for creative coding –written in Kotlin for the JVM– with over 13 years of development. OPENRNDR simplifies writing real-time audio-visual interactive software. OPENRNDR is fundamental for the capacity of RNDR as a studio, as it allows us to realize complex interactive works. OPENRNDR was awarded the Dutch Design Award 2019

Fields of work
Interactive design (ui/ux), data visualisation, information systems, software tools, interactive installations, media architecture, immersive experiences, interface design, visual identities, generative video, creative coding, exhibition design, graphic design systems, hybrid spaces and platforms, machine learning and artificial intelligence (ai), code and design workshops.

People
Jeroen Barendse (NL), partner. Design and art direction. Former partner of LUST and LUSTlab. Awarded BNO Piet Zwart Oeuvre Prize 2017
Edwin Jakobs (NL), partner. Computer scientist, creative coder and visual artist. Creator of OPENRNDR
Boyd Rotgans (NL), partner. Creative coder & interaction designer
Viola Bernacchi (IT). Design & data visualisation
Els van Dijk (NL), office manager
Marco Dell'Abate (IT), Royal Academy for the Arts, The Hague, Creative coder, 2023
Nike Kuschick (DE), Munich University of Applied Sciences, Interaction Designer, intern, 2024
Previously at RNDR
Thomas McElmeel (US), College for Creative Studies, Detroit, intern, 2023
Marco Dell'Abate (IT), Royal Academy for the Arts, The Hague, intern, 2021
Rein van der Woerd (NL), Data Art Technology Arnhem, Artez, intern, 2021
Derrek Chow (CA), University of Waterloo, Waterloo, intern, 2021
Jon Packles (USA), Parsons School of Design | The New School, intern and freelance, 2021
Jasper Kamphuis (NL), Willem de Kooning Academy, Rotterdam, intern, 2020
Ferdinand Sorg (DE), Hochschule für Gestaltung Schwäbisch Gmünd, intern , 2020
Jaekook Han (KR), Graduate Interactive Telecommunications Program, NYC, intern
Gábor Kerekes (HU), developer
Amir Houieh (IR), developer
Łukasz Gula (PL), Royal Academy of Art, The Hague, intern
Noemi Biro (RO), Willem de Kooning Academy, Rotterdam, intern
Selection of exhibitions
Oracle unfolded @Highlight Delft Festival, 2023
Perpetual Beta; Encounters in open space, The Grey Space, The Hague, 2021
Open Highway, Raum, Utrecht, 2018
Typojanchi Typography Biennale Seoul, main exhibitor (as LUST), 2017
Cartographies of Rest, interactive installation at Mile End Art Pavilion in London (as LUST), 2016
Hyperlocator, What’s next, Future Tomorrow, 38CC Delft (as LUST), 2016
Type/Dynamics exhibition, Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam (as LUST), 2014
Selection of lectures
Creative Coding With Kotlin and OPENRNDR, online presentation for Jetbrains, 2023
Cloud Salon presentation at Parsons Design & Technology, New York
Experimental Data Visualization for Master of Arts in Interaction Design, SUPSI, Mendrisio, 2022
Lecture Information Design masters. Design Academy Eindhoven, 2021
Talk for Graphic Days Turin, Eyes on the Netherlands (IT), 2021
Lecture for TAAALKS conference, Munich, 2020
Presentation at GitHub Satellite, 2020
Lecture at Britisch Library for Central Saint Martins' Form, Reform, Perform: futures of writing, 2019
MiXit conference, Lyon, 2019
Google Span conference, presentation and demo, Helsinki, 2018
JFuture conference, Minsk, 2018
Creative Coding Utrecht, Launch of OPENRNDR, 2018
Selection of workshops
Workshop OPENRNDR for Graphic Days, Turin (IT), 2021
OPENRDNR workshop for Digital Society School, Amsterdam, 2020
Weeklong workshop OPENRNDR @Politecnico di Milano, 2020
OPENRNDR x Machine Learning workshop @ KABK during Tech Week, 2020
Two week OPENRNDR workshop at Tumo, Armenia, 2019
Workshop OPENRNDR at Artez Interaction Design, Arnhem, 2019
Processing Community Day 2019, CCU and Sensorlab, Utrecht, 2019
Royal Academy of Art (KABK), Techweek, The Hague, 2019
Utrecht School for the Arts (HKU), OPENRNDR workshop, 2018
La Scuola Open Source, 1-week workshop, Bari, Italy, 2018
Two-week workshop at TUMO foundation, Yerevan, Armenia, 2019
OPENRNDR x Machine learning workshop @SUPSI, Mendrisio, CH, 2022
Teaching
Information Design, Master program Geo Design, Design Academy Eindhoven, 2023
Creative coding, Master Non-linear Narrative, KABK, The Hague, 2023
Interaction Design, Design Art Technology Arnhem, Artez, 2008
Generative Design, Bachelor Man and Communication, Design Academy Eindhoven, 2019

Contact

RNDR

Paviljoensgracht 20
2512 BP, The Hague
+31 (0)70.3635776

info@rndr.studio


INTERNSHIPS

We are mostly looking for interns that have a background in interactive design. Some experience in coding is preferred. 

interns@rndr.studio

OPENRNDR
Open source framework for creative coding that simplifies writing real-time interactive software

info@openrndr.org
openrndr.org