Kinetic/origami-inspired facade system for mixed-use twin-tower complex in Venice

This thesis investigates a dual-mode building envelope strategy for a mixed-use twin-tower complex in Mestre, Venice. The research combines (1) an origami-inspired kinetic façade module intended for daytime solar regulation and daylight modulation, and (2) an independent LED back-layer at podium levels to support night-time urban identity and perceived safety. The architectural base project includes selective volumetric subtractions (voids) that create spatial discontinuities and influence daylight access, spatial expression, and façade differentiation. The thesis adopts a research-by-design methodology integrating precedent extraction, parametric modelling, and the development of a Grasshopper-based façade control framework. The study focuses on defining a repeatable four-faced kinetic module, its behavioural logic, and its architectural integration within the twin-tower proposal. Due to time limitations, solar and energy simulations were not fully completed within the scope of the thesis and are therefore positioned as future stages of validation. At the urban scale, the plaza platform is conceived as an anti-dead-zone device that concentrates public-facing programs and uses light as public infrastructure. The manuscript is structured so that final drawings, parametric workflow diagrams, façade logic studies, structural calculations, and future environmental simulation outputs can be integrated within the indicated sections. Due to time limitations, the environmental simulations were not fully completed within the scope of this thesis. The study therefore focuses on the conceptual development of the kinetic façade system and its parametric definition, while detailed solar and energy simulations are proposed as future research stages.