Interfacing Interactive Architecture

“Our architecture will learn

 Our architecture will get bored

 Our architecture will interact”

-Minimaforms

In the cybernetics era, visionaries approached interaction, flexibility, and automation as central architectural principles. Projects from Cedric Price, Gordon Pask, and Architecture Machine Group are still a great inspiration for many people working with interactive art installations and dynamic architectures. Ideas like the Price’s Fun Palace introduce new playful, aesthetical dimensions into architecture.

Looking at contemporary examples of obsolescent smart homes and automated ventilation, this promise remains unfulfilled. Mainstream examples, which focus on automation or environmental sustainability, offer limited application areas and mostly lack human input. Diverse artistic projects provide interesting insights into spatial interactions. The question remains, how these artistic experiments can be translated to a more general architectural setting.

During the semester, we examined intelligent and interactive environments in the context of historical developments, architectural theories, and their connections to current practices. After creating a conceptual framework, we move on to interactive prototyping as proof of concept.

Interaction Methodologies

Starting from key concepts and references, such as interactive/adaptive/responsive architecture, cybernetics, and conversation theory, we delved into their historical significance and current implementations. Through speculative model-making, we explored  and discussed interaction techniques, including their material and human entanglements. In the end, we transfered these ideas into the next phase through paper prototypes.

Contextualizing the Framework

During this phase, we contextualized the prototypes by examining their relation to the location, usage, and inhabitants’ needs. While getting familiarized with the technological possibilities through programming workshops, we worked on implementation strategies. Finally, we concretized the concepts of architectural interfaces and interaction methodologies.

Materializing and Prototyping

Through hands-on approaches with software, digital media, and interfaces, we refined the material dimensions, interactions, and technical aspects of our concept. With the help of the software workshops on microcontrollers, programming, and visualization, we created 1/1 prototypes to demonstrate our ideas.