Sometimes the smallest differences in conditions can yield widely diverging outcomes, and chaos can arise from the simplest of initial terms. We have always been interested in the beauty of chaos theory, and when we got the opportunity to design a lighting piece for Tractor Foods in the downtown Vancouver Marine Building, we used chaos theory as a starting point.

We decided to create a piece that would be reminiscent of the childhood game Mikado and mimic pick-up sticks tossed up and frozen in mid-air — like a distant memory solidified into a material form. The idea behind the installation was simple: create a structure by repeating a few basic rules and allow it to unfold into a complex, impossible-to-predict final shape. The result is a massive lighting fixture made of wooden dowels and frosted LED lights that spans the width of the restaurant ceiling.