Archive for April, 2006
Following on from some of the ideas in the previous post Topotransegrity designed by Robert Neumayr explores how a responsive architecture can be introduced in public spaces challenging long-held assumptions about architecture as a passive arrangement It investigates todays networked ways that enable architecture itself to operate as an intelligent interface that connects spaces, users and performance criteria In real time and the impact such spatial configurations have on urban space and urban public life.
Topotransegrity is a kinetic structure, which constantly evaluates Its surroundings and reconfigures according to these changing conditions. It is a generic responsive structural system, which adapts to isolated spatial requirements. The structure is capable of various transformations, which range from small-scale surface articulations to large surface deformations, which can generate temporary enclosures. Such a responsive structure can multiply. Intensify and vary the potential uses of public spaces, which usually rely on external intervention to host new activities. Sensors, input devices and wireless networks are integrated into normally dead building materials to transform architectural space into complex intelligent operating systems.
The programme mode automates the basic functions of the structure. Directly related to the specific event schedule of its environment It drives the generic transformations, initiating and locating the deformations that control the access and the circulation within the public spaces. It also generates small emergent temporary spaces, which host ancillary programmes related to ongoing events. Finally it enables certain tiles of the structure’s sheared surface to pivot and thus allow for temporarily different degrees of transparency within the structures spatial arrangement
The crowd mode responds in real time to the movements and behavioural patterns of the visitors within the structure. It Influences the size, orientation and development of the temporary enclosures, previously established by the programme mode. Finally it affects the orientation of the surface’s tiles, based on the positions and sizes of the visitor crowds.
Finally the memory mode records, on a long-term basis, the paths and motion patterns chosen by Individual users, influencing the surface topography by indicating and levelling the most frequented parts. It defines the actual width of circulation spaces, temporary level connections, entrance areas and thresholds according to the number of visitors at every point in time during the period of use.
These three parallel modes of operation run simultaneously and add up to the structure’s complex, unpredictable user-dependant spatial configuration. The constantly changing three-dimensional space envelope interacts with its visitors in a permanent feedback loop, where the users reactions to spatial adaptation are fed back into the system to in turn update the spatial arrangements and individually customize the built environment to requirements at any given moment for any given pattern of use.
Website
April 12th, 2006
Leisurator designed by by Nilufer Kozikoglu, Marco Pastore, and Valentina Sabatelli, with the consultancy of Arup & Buro Happold, speculate a future reconfigurable architecture that engenders a variety of leisure, sport and improvisational activities. This event space is programmed with a set of variable configurations, the transformations of which offer emergent conditions suggestive of alternate social organization and cultural dimensions of game-like activities.
Website
Video 1 – Video 2 – Presentation
The proposed interactive architecture could respond in two ways to the users. First, the kinetic mechanism will adapt to the existing programs and consider external factors such as weather.
Secondly, the adjacencies and relationship in each of these configurations is to catalyze new way of using surfaces, walls and edges of the field, providing both defined boundaries for existing leisure activities (e.g., tennis, jogging, playground), surfaces for non-formalized games (e.g., skating, casual play, etc.), and zones which allow the occupation of space in a game-like manner.
Although there are some obvious technical difficulties with trying to design a feasible reconfiguring space especially on this scale I think what’s most interesting element in this project is not that the whole space can change shape to cater for various different sports but that it suggests that the shifting boundaries between differing activities could generate new hybrid activities
April 10th, 2006
A potentially new way to build adaptive spaces out of generic robotic forms. Seemingly simple although no doubt devilishly complicated to develop, graceful in their movements and strangely cute considering their sandy brown color. With half a tongue in cheek, I imagine these little robots being the bricks and mortar of the interactive architecture world.
See Video
Developed at the Cornell Computational Synthesis Lab, here’s their explanation of the principles of the project “Self-replication is a fundamental property of many interesting physical, formal and biological systems, such as crystals, waves, automata, and especially forms of natural and artificial life. Despite its importance to many phenomena, self-replication has not been consistently defined or quantified in a rigorous, universal way, nor has it been demonstrated systematically in physical artificial systems. Our research focuses both on a new information-theoretic understanding of self-replication phenomena, and the design and implementation of scalable physical robotic systems where various forms of artificial self replication can occur. Our goal is twofold: To understand principles of self-replication in nature, and to explore the use of these principles to design more robust, self-sustaining and adaptive machines.”
Website
April 7th, 2006
I'm always looking for flexible materials for my kinetic interactive installations. Heres a LED substitute for neon lights with the added property of being able to change shape. Mule Lighting has developed a product that looks like traditional neon but is much more versatile.
PDF The uniform and super-bright light output is achieved through a proprietary optical maximization technique which is completely sealed and impervious to shock and vibration.LED-FLEX is suitable for wet locations and can withstand extreme temperatures. via transmaterial
April 6th, 2006
Visceral Cinema: Chien by Scott Snibbe re-imagines the surrealist masterpiece Un Chien Andalou , by Salvador Dalí and Luis Buñuel. The work combines key moments from the film with viewers’ shadows to form interactive projections. All of the action occurs in silhouette. Initially, viewers see a large video projection of a man pulling a grand piano towards the viewer. When viewers walk between the projector and the projection, their shadows affect the projected man’s actions. If a viewer moves between the man and the piano, the piano is pushed back, causing the man to strain harder and lose ground. If a viewer intersects the man, the man dissolves into ants at their point of intersection, and the ants gradually overtake the entire screen. This application of surrealist techniques to an interactive setting plays with viewers’ sense of image, representation, shadow, body, and self.
April 5th, 2006
Its been a real pleasure while visting Delft to meet some of the students from the HRG and listen to a number of interesting papers over last week but more on that later. In the mean time heres some pictures from the Node.London which I took part in on Saturday showing off my virtual datascape project CLAVE .
Since I’m more interested in building physical interactive spaces it was only developed as virtual testing software for building physically transforming spaces but eventually it gained a life of its own and became a piece in itself. In its current state, I use it as a piece of VJing software.
What was really great was that I was able to use a lot of video footage of the previous acts on before me to help generate my own performance which included the awesome work of Stanza , Lectrolab and the really quite rubbish cyber-wrestling between arcangel vs. subculture DONT ASK.
Cyber-wrestling!… I think I’d have prefered some Hulk Hogan vs Ultimate Warrior.
I’d just like to say a bit thanks to all who helped make the event happen in particular Atty for inviting me to present my work.
April 4th, 2006
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