Process
Each tunnel needed to be safe for constant public interaction while still producing a clear, visible airflow effect, so the build focused on housing the fan and ducting system inside a sturdy, museum-grade enclosure built to handle years of daily use from school groups and visitors. We fabricated the tunnels to fit Space Center Houston’s existing exhibit specifications, then finished the exterior to match the surrounding gallery.
Results
The three tunnels are now part of Space Center Houston’s permanent exhibit floor, giving visitors an interactive way to see airflow behavior instead of just reading about it on a placard — the kind of hands-on science exhibit we like building because it has to hold up to real daily use, not just look good on install day.
Overview
Smash Design partnered with Space Center Houston to design and build three custom 13-foot wind tunnels for the museum’s exhibit floor, giving visitors a hands-on way to see how air moves around different shaped objects in real time.
Process
Each tunnel needed to be safe for constant public interaction while still producing a clear, visible airflow effect, so the build focused on housing the fan and ducting system inside a sturdy, museum-grade enclosure built to handle years of daily use from school groups and visitors. We fabricated the tunnels to fit Space Center Houston’s existing exhibit specifications, then finished the exterior to match the surrounding gallery.
Results
The three tunnels are now part of Space Center Houston’s permanent exhibit floor, giving visitors an interactive way to see airflow behavior instead of just reading about it on a placard — the kind of hands-on science exhibit we like building because it has to hold up to real daily use, not just look good on install day.