Article:

We present a study of how parametric design can be linked to field experimentswhere ready-made plug-ins are not available for performative modelling. Thestudy centres on prototyping `Singing Cans' - an experimental wind instrumentmade with an assembly of drinking cans that can produce sounds in recognizablepitches by interacting with airflows. We describe how field experimentsconducted in a fluid flow lab can generate performative resources linkable toparametric design modelling. In Singing Cans, we focus on how to get airflowthrough a hole made on drinking can to make sounds. The prototyping processinvolved a lab-based calibration process to establish the relationship between theair volume of a can, measured by water-filling, and the pitch produced, measuredby the Tuner Lite by Piascore. The field experiments resulted in a datasetcapturing a can's sound-making behaviour in terms of water volumes and pitches.A parametric model that can take in wind data generated by a CFD package andoutput a 3D frame for site-specific cans installation is presented.