Portal

A circular window built into the wall of the courtyard displaying a magnified photograph of a maple leaf transports the natural world into the built environment of the community centre. Illuminated from within, the window’s light box is powered directly by a solar panel installed on the roof. The leaf image visually echoes the cells of the solar panel, collecting light from the sun’s rays—a symbol of energy production, connection, exchange and growth. At an extreme 200x magnification, the veined structure of the leaf begins to resemble aerial landscape photography or a circulatory system, furthering the artist’s concepts of interconnectedness and energy exchange. I serves to stimulate discussion of sustainable architecture and communities.