How a system fits into its environment is often determined by its exterior shell- how open or closed that shell can easily change the system's relationship to the outside world.
Our human skin means that we interact with the environment in one way, while the tree bark will create a different kind of relationship. These membranes separate but also unite us with the world. Our pores absorb and release, our nervous system uses our skin to touch and feel and understand our context. Our skin protects us and filters what enters or doesn’t- it’s flexible and adaptable.
Buildings have the potential to use their facades in similar ways- to strike a balance between protection and connection to allow light and air inside. The photo above I feel demonstrates this in a fairly literal way- because it also exemplifies the malleability and dynamism of a membrane and the variability of its responses. It would allow for “in-betweens” open and closed conditions. Aesthetically, it reminds me of the scales of a lizard.