Hamadrys: Breathing Trees of the City

Hamadrys is an interactive audiovisual installation that transforms real-time air quality data into breathing tree forms and generative soundscapes. This repository contains the working prototype.

• video demo: https://youtu.be/zJB9eDWm9mI

Getting Started

The patch is ready to use. Follow these steps:

1. Clone or download the repository to your computer.
2. Ensure the following files are in the same folder:
   • hamadrys.toe (TouchDesigner file)
   • tree.obj (3D tree model)
3. Open the software:
   • Open hamadrys.scd in SuperCollider.
   • Open hamadrys.toe in TouchDesigner.
4. Fix the sample path in SuperCollider:
   • Locate cpac.wav inside hamadrys.scd.
   • Update the path to match your local location of the sample.
5. Fix the tree path in Touchdesigner:
   • Locate treelungs.obj.
   • Update the path to match your local location of the object.
6. Run the patch:
   • Start the SuperCollider code.
   • Launch TouchDesigner.
   • Audio and visuals will respond in real-time via OSC.

Requirements

• TouchDesigner (for visuals and L-system trees)
• SuperCollider (for sound synthesis)
• Python (for OSC communication and optional API integration)
• Optional: OpenAI API key for generative text messages

Notes

• The prototype currently uses air quality data from the Regione Lombardia API (Milan) but can be adapted to other APIs.
• Only hamadrys.toe and tree.obj must be in the same folder. The SuperCollider sample path is the only manual adjustment required.

Credits

• Riccardo Corà
• Riccardo Moschen
• Stefano Polimeno

Links

• Demo video: [(https://youtu.be/zJB9eDWm9mI)]
• Presentation slides: https://linktopresentation.com