Stained Glass “t”
This multi-material lighting sculpture was created for Lily's Prototyping Lab at Utrecht University. Installed above the lab entrance as the letter "t" in “Proto,” the piece combines upcycled electronics, stained glass-inspired design, and custom dynamic lighting. It highlights themes of reuse, precision fabrication, and layered visual design.
More images and files can be found here.
Project Overview
The sculpture reuses components from discarded electronics, embedding them in epoxy resin tiles arranged in a hexagonal grid. Inspired by stained glass windows and sustainability, the piece is both decorative and functional, housing custom-programmed LEDs that produce constantly shifting color patterns.
Build Process
Tile Design: Old circuit boards and components were embedded into hexagonal epoxy tiles. Molds were created by vacuum forming over 3D printed blanks.
Structure: A honeycomb-patterned front face and solid back panel were laser cut from sandblasted plexiglass. Custom-sized tile edge pieces were cut to fit precisely.
Lighting: The interior holds two zones of RGB LED strips (12V), spaced between tiles. These are controlled by a Seeed Studio XIAO SAMD21 board running an Arduino sketch that randomly changes brightness and timing per channel, producing an ever-changing array of colors.
Assembly: Tiles were glued to the back panel, and the sides were formed with bent plexiglass strips. A removable top piece is secured with 3D printed clips for access to the electronics.
Mounting: The sculpture mounts to the wall via offset hangers, also 3D printed from translucent PLA.
