KONA is an interactive installation designed by third-year students Avery Ross and Megan Sobkowich at the University of Waterloo, School of Architecture.
Developed through computer prototyping and physical modeling, KONA draws from natural systems to explore modularity, movement, and light. Inspired by the biological behaviours of the pinecone, the installation integrates abstracted kinetic opening and closing methods and radial organization into a modular and responsive architectural structure.
KONA consists of an eight-foot CNC-milled circular frame with a series of internal plywood hinges. Lightweight iridescent vinyl modules are attached to the hinges and fold in response to their movement, enhancing lighting effects and visual depth.

Finally, integrated LED lights on the frame animate the installation, producing shifting visual effects that emphasize dynamism, material translucency, and spatial layering.

Overall, KONA demonstrates how computational design can be used to abstract natural systems into adaptable, architectural installations. The project combines prototyping, digital fabrication, and analog crafting methods to produce an interactive installation that brings light to Cambridge’s Gaslight District.

KONA is funded in part by the Forum at Fabrik, which establishes an annual student design-build competition developed in collaboration with the University of Waterloo School of Architecture. The competition brings architectural education, public art, and community engagement into a highly visible urban setting through the design and realization of a site-specific installation within a public exhibition space in the heart of the Gaslight District.

Through the partnership, the Waterloo School of Architecture provided critical academic, technical, and fabrication support—enabling students to move from concept to construction with access to institutional resources and faculty guidance.

Each cycle culminates in a juried selection and the construction of one installation, exhibited for several months during the district’s most active season, ensuring sustained public visibility and engagement.