Interfacing Interactive Architecture
Projekt im Sommersemester 2024
Tutors: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Frank Petzold, İlayda Memiş M.A., Nick Förster M.A., Dr.-Ing. Ivan Bratoev
“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.
Breathe & Bounce
Ruoxi Yang, Yuan Zhang
Within the broader context of sentient architecture, we aim to use the changing rhythms and intensities of balloon inflation to visualize the dynamic changes in the indoor atmosphere, which are fundamentally driven by the emotional changes of the people active in the space.
Therefore, we proposed a design concept of a responsive balloon ceiling. The balloon ceiling enhances the pleasure of dancing and socializing and provides users with an immersive experience. This installation is primarily intended for nightclubs or dance parties. As people continue to dance and become more excited on a specific stage, sensors underneath the stage will detect these changes and cause the entire architectural space to respond. The changing breathing patterns, sizes, and colors of the balloons symbolize the fluctuations in dancers' emotions and the transformation of the indoor atmosphere.
AmbiPlant
Natalie Judkowsky, Sebastian Zitzmann
The AmbiPlant is a cybernetic interface shaped like a common monstera plant, designed to assist humans in managing and regulating indoor conditions, like light, temperature, and humidity. Instead of direct alerts or alarms, the AmbiPlant communicates changes in environmental conditions through visual cues like altering its posture (erect or wilted) or variations in the color of emitted light. This not only provides a visual and interactive representation of indoor conditions but also acts as a continuous reminder of the need for a metabolic exchange between indoor and outdoor environments. The choice of a mechanical plant as the physical interface is both symbolic and practical. In indoor environments plants are often used as ambiance inducers, introducing elements of nature that are otherwise missing in highly controlled indoor spaces. By mimicking the form of a houseplant, the AmbiPlant leverages a familiar aesthetic to blend into home environments while providing critical feedback about indoor conditions. Plants, much like humans, suffer from inadequate indoor conditions, showing signs of distress when lacking sufficient light, water, or warmth. The AmbiPlant, however, is designed to thrive by serving the inhabitants, requiring minimal care and providing maximum utility
North Sun
Fritz Schulz, Bénédict Bettermann
As students, we often come in touch with low-value apartments in housing blocks. Those on the north side, perhaps on the first floor, with a view of a dark courtyard and 14 meters of facade above. The brightest moment in these rooms is when the opposite facade is bathed in sunlight, reminding you of the joy that natural light can bring. We realized that this issue will only increase in the future considering the rising density in cities and the strong trend of urbanization.
We decided to employ an array of heliostatic mirrors that shine sunlight directly into the apartments of the inhabitants. They are situated on the eave level of the building, since shadows are minimal are this level, thus allowing for the largest sunlight exploitation. We confirmed this in a sunlight study in Rhino Grasshopper Ladybug. Users can interface with their mirror with an app. Within their apartment, they can choose to enlighten one of their windows and set alarms to be awakened by the sunlight.
