Interactive architecture

2016

Abstract. In this paper we will present the permeability regimes: concepts conceived to contribute with the understanding of the new roles and necessary skills for the architect and designer to design performative and interactive spaces. This contribution, as will be shown here, is based on theoretical and empirical bases that will address a specific context: the methods for introducing and making tangible the relation between information, human and space for architecture students. Therefore, we will describe the dynamics of an interactive installation developed by undergraduate students, relating it to the permeability regimes.

2007

With the ever growing ability to control and apply dynamic processes in design, the ‘extension’ to literally kinetic built environments is developing fast. Since all the dynamic design processes involve forces, reactions and evolving conditions -in a way simulating natural evolution processes- it is evident that, paraphrasing Darwin, ‘the constructions most fit to survive are those that can respond and adapt to changes’ rather than the ones that just follow the formalistic path. In this direction, in order for a building to acquire the aforementioned qualities, it must become ‘animated.’ One of the most efficient ways to do that is by transforming various or all of its elements, achieving responsiveness and adaptability. The design of transformable spaces is not a novel idea since examples exist from the ancient times. Its widespread application though was impossible, mainly due to lack of the technology required for an easy-to-use and easy-to-maintain application. In the recent years, many technological breakthroughs have opened up the way toward viable solutions for transformable building elements within the built structure. This ability, previously very difficult to perform, is possible now mainly through the research direction of many design studios and research groups, which develop various techniques and produce working paradigms. The requirements for a successful application though do not rest only upon the technical ability to achieve it but also upon the effectiveness in dealing with people’s needs, the environmental conditions and the communicational level between space and people. These requirements seem more important than the technical ones since failure to these objectives render the whole effort useless. A transformable building may easily provide flexibility for a variety of uses and a dynamic absorption of applied forces to its structure but must also keep its occupants happy, safe and un-obscured in performing their tasks. Furthermore, in order to increase the benefits of such an approach and reduce human intervention, the transformable/animated space must act on its own; it must be able to sense and respond to a variety of situations/stimuli immediately with no human implication. In this way it will not only satisfy needs but will also project a behavior through a pseudo-intelligence that would increase the communicative value of space. In this paper, the author presents, in a compact way, the process for a holistic approach in designing transformable spaces, through a methodology that combines: - the mechanical principles of kinetic systems, - the application of smart materials and assemblies, - the integrations of digital control and projection systems, - the type of programming required in order space can respond and project a pseudo-intelligence, - and, finally, the arrangements necessary for achieving an alignment with human spatial cognition requirements for the formulation of a comfortable environment. It will also attempt to make, in a graphic way, juxtapositions between the pros and cons of the methodology in regard to factors that affect its application, such as scale, function, etc. but also to economic, contextual and cultural issues.

Gerber, D., Huang, A. and Sanchez, J., eds., ACADIA 2014 Design Agency Proceedings. Proceedings of the 34th Annual Conference of the Association for Computer Aided Design in Architecture, October 23-25, 2014, Los Angeles, California, pp. 479-486., 2014

In this paper we look at interactive architecture from a design theoretical/methodological point of view. In particular, we aim to outline how principles from agent theory can form a theoretical foundation for conception and following the design of interactive architecture. Interactive architecture is a special case of responsive buildings—buildings that can intelligently react to, or even anticipate, change. Interactive buildings have an internal representation of the user on which basis they reach decisions for the manipulation of the outside world. For the design of responsive and interactive buildings it is necessary to take change into account throughout the whole design process. This requires rethinking our notions about architecture and design processes. We define an agent, and show how it matches for objects, with increasing degrees of responsiveness. Agents by themselves are not enough to design interactive buildings—they also need to have a behavior defined. For this purpose we define attitudes as mode of operation for agents.

Proceedings of the International Conference on GSM4Q: Game Set and Match IV 2019 Qatar connecting people spaces machines, 2019

With rapid advance of new technologies and mediated built space has shifted from a static context of functions serving users to a new participant of social relationships. Interactive abilities and computational power allow built space to become smart, dynamic, and interactive, gaining agency, able to receive information and think, perceive and learn, respond and change behavior in real time. This paper considers architectural components and users as participants of a social network and investigates their agency within this network, modes of interaction and how the components of this system influence each other. Perception of space within or outside of the building body has become a derivative of interaction between the space and the users, and therefore subject to design and programming by architects. The principal goal of this paper is to investigate the new definition of social role of interactive architecture and explain how it communicates with users, investigate the new propert...

2006

There are two current approaches to the realisation of interactive building 'skins': in architecture so called intelligent facades are being designed with an environmental science agenda; while in a parallel line of inquiry, artists are experimenting with media facades. It is proposed here that there is common ground between reactive environmental facades and data driven screens, in that both involve the design of kinetic process. Selected examples from kinetic and generative art provide useful precursors for such an approach and these provide the background to a framework for the design of interactive building skins. The aim is to locate the design parameters for practice where the art / architectural skin is a process based system, rather than a static object.

Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 2010

The research paper exemplifies upon a series of real-time information exchange driven design-research experiments conducted by the Hyperbody research group (HRG), Faculty of Architecture, TU Delft. These interactive spatial prototypes, while successfully integrating the digital with the physical domains, foster multiple usability of space and are appropriately termed as 'The Muscle Projects' based on the pneumatic muscle driven actuation technologies used per project. The interactive nature of the projects is realized through harnessing a synergistic merger between the fields of ambient sensing, control systems, architectural design, pneumatic systems and computation (real-time game design techniques). The prototypes are thus visualized as complex adaptive systems, continually engaged in activities of data-exchange and optimal augmentation of their morphologies in accordance with contextual variations.

International Journal of Architectural Computing, 2011

Contemporary architecture can be seen as a dynamic system that changes in response to its environment and even as a system that can modify itself. Interactive or responsive environments are not totally new to architecture; however, the possibilities in architecture have only begun to be examined.To look at the possibilities in this emerging field experimentation is required and the architect must develop an understanding of the language of sensors, actuators and control systems.This article examines an interdisciplinary design research studio with mechatronic engineers which allowed a wide range of experimentation. It shows that the scope of what can be done with responsive architecture is hard to imagine from where we now stand and that it is only through a broad range of experimentation that we can find the most beneficial uses of this powerful technology.The resulting projects-kinetic architecture on control systems-challenge our understanding of what our built environment could be.

Architectural Design, 2007

Since 2002 and the launch of two benchmark projects – ETH Zurich's Ada and Diller + Scofidio's3 Braincoat – at the Swiss Expo, the promise of a socially engaged interactive architecture has begun to move from the realm of science fiction to reality. How interactive architecture ...

2019

LIVING ARCHITECTURE SYSTEMS GROUP WHITE PAPERS 2016 The design-research experiments developed by Hyperbody, TU Delft, Faculty of Architecture, focus on the domain of Interaction design from a spatial perspective. These interactive spaces demonstrate a fusion between the material, electronic and digital domains, which interface with human behavior and associated dynamic activity patterns. Such spaces are visualized as complex adaptive systems, continually engaged in activities of data-exchange resulting in physical and ambient adaptations of their constituting components in response to contextual variations. Equally critical is the underlying interactive process involved in the creation of such dynamic architectural bodies. A collaborative and strategic co-evolution of technical knowledge between the Industry, Praxis, and Academic research gives shape to these interactive constructs, developing an information bridge between three critical knowledge sectors. Real-time Responsive Spati...

Interactive architecture is a fairly recent phenomenon enabled through new materials and technologies. Through experimentation architects are coping with questions of changeability, adaptability, and interaction. However, there are no comprehensive design methods to support this type of architecture. In this paper we aim to bring together methods that can support the design of interactive architecture. The methods are ordered in a methodological framework that provides an overview of possible approaches.