Industrial designer Heather Mitchell<\/strong> loves the rain. \u201cIt amplifies sounds. Everything smells really crisp and it brings out a lot of Nature that you don\u2019t get on a hot, sunny day,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

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Heather Mitchell seated on the\u00a0Rain Bench<\/strong><\/p>\n

No surprise then that the former\u00a0Emily Carr University\u00a0<\/strong>student chose to construct a kinetic structure that showcases Vancouver wet stuff as her 4^{th<\/sup>\u00a0year industrial design thesis project. Working in conjunction with various agencies including the David Suzuki Foundation, which paid for most of the materials, and the Vancouver Parks & Culture Board, which offered her a few locations, Mitchell chose to build her creation in an urban park close to the downtown core.<\/p>\n}

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\u201cSo often you go out to a park to do an activity, to play, to visit friends but you don\u2019t really consider what the trees are doing, the grass, the smells, the sounds,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Rain Bench<\/strong> is circular bench covered by a tree-like canopy. As the canopy\u2019s canvas petals fill up with rainwater, the weight of the water forces the petals to swing downwards, spilling the water to the ground. Counterweights return the petals to their original position and the process starts all over again. \u201cIt\u2019s exciting to see the petals come to life with the movement caused by the rain and the breeze,\u201d says Mitchell.<\/p>\n

Check out the video below to see how it works.<\/p>\n