The Synergy Between Design and Technology

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The Synergy between

Design and Techn ology;

Beckon ing for Engagement_______________________

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In researching the modern design movement I have encountered Interactive Architecture in Architectural-Review

The Big Rethink: Farewell to Modernism and Modernity Too (2012) and

IDN Shedding New Light on the Art of the Impossible. (2013)

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TheSynergybetweenDesig

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BeckoingforEngagement|


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Contents:ABSTRACT: ............................................................................................................................................ 3

ESSAY: ................................................................................................................................................... 4

REFERENCE:........................................................................................................................................ 11


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Abstract:

The evolution of technology has consistently pushed design into a new era of infinite

boundaries, where designers are able to manipulate individual human responses. Known

as interactive architecture, viewers are invited and encouraged to participate within a

designed environment. This thread subsequently allows the designer to create a

mesmerizingly ephemeral and transient experience between both entities through an

assemblage of modern day technology, graphic design, sound and visionary aesthetics.

This paper titled The Synergy between Design and Technology; Beckoning for

Engagement, investigates the semiotics behind interactive architecture and its ground

breaking development throughout history which has revolutionized the 21st century. The

information, which has been embedded within this essay, has been sourced through a

variety of primary, secondary and tertiary resources, which evocatively discuss the

possibilities of interactive architecture. The main source referenced in this essay is a

journal article produced by IDN magazine titled Shedding New Light on the Art of the

Impossible and novel Interactive Architecture by Michael Fox and Miles Kemp. Both of

these sources discuss a variety of ground-breaking technological advances in digital

computing, motion sensors interfaces and programming; which have allowed designers

to create astonishing interactive environments which are not only visually engaging butalso enable memories and a sense of community to be developed within their audience.

The following paper correspondingly dissects the contextual upbringing of architecture,

by assessing the philosophical characteristics of the traditional methodical and utopian

characteristics of modernist architecture during 1890 to 1940 and compares it to the

ideologies of post modernism (1940 to today). In doing so, this essay highlights how post

modernism in design challenged the pre-existing rules of architecture, subsequently

allowing digital technologies, sensory imagery and virtual spatiality to grow in the form of

Interactive Architecture.

Furthermore, this essay concludes by evaluating Michael Mozers Adaptive Home and

Microsofts groundbreaking Microsoft Home. Both of these designers use ground

breaking technology to create interactive architectural environments outside of a gallery

context in public areas and embody the characteristics of contemporary postmodernism.


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Essay:

Described as anobject with a roof and walls for human habitation, buildings eminently

communicate with human beings. Buildings describe and define the types of people we

become, they build our environment and internally affect our experiences and

environmental upbringing. This essay provides a detailed analysis and review into the

changes, which have occurred since the 1920s modernist architecture movement to

today. Conveying a juxtaposition of the cold harsh barren landscape and charisma of the

international style to the warm welcoming community building aesthetics of the

postmodernist contemporary architecture. Discussing the notable Villa Sovoye created by

Le Corbusier and Minoru Yamasakis Pruitt-Igoe buildings, which collectively epitomize

the plain functionality, geometric aesthetics and regimented rules and principles of the

modernist movement. Both of these buildings emblematically accentuate how modernism

in architecture failed to positively fulfill the utopian dream of society during the 1920s and

30s. The downfall and urban failure which these two buildings caused is compared to the

rising technological advances and growth in architectural designs of today which

evocatively create interactive and adaptive environments for their occupants to enjoy.

After the chaos and disparity of World

war two, at least 15% of urban Europeanpopulations were left poverty stricken, living

in urban slums. The realities of these dark,

isolating prisons subsequently caused many

architects to develop an idea of a utopian

dream. This booming concept,

communicated that through urban planning

and designing architects could create

desirable living conditions, which would

internally aid working conditions and

availability to public health. Modernistarchitects evoked that this improvement

could simply be made through the power of

sunlight and fresh air in European buildings.

Nederlands architect Jacobus Oud ruled A

fundamental starting point. Is to situate the

houses in relation to the sun. (Jacobus Oud, 1932.Turton, International Style, page 17.)

Figure 1.

Large windows and outdoor areas at VillaSovoye

Source: Architectural Review, Peter

Buchanan, 2012.


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Figure 2.

Rust stained balconies at the

Bauhaus School

Source: Kahn, 1998.

Some modernists, like Le Corbusiers went as far to say that th rough the incorporation of

sun balconies and terraces one could discover theantidote to the diseases of the modern city,

tuberculosis and rickets. (Jacobus Oud,1932.

Turton, International Style, page 17.) As seen in

Figure 1. This obsessive fixation with the curative

powers of the sun resulted in many modernist

architects featuring too much glass in their

designs, which when put into practice caused the

interior of the building to become over heated.

Similarly the popular feature of concrete roof

terraces, caused issues in winter, as they wereunable to be used. This mle of man vs. nature

ultimately caused the modernist architectural

dream buildings to become undesirable dis-

coloured and rust stained eyesores within society

as seen in Figure 1. of The Bauhaus School. Thus

overall the ambition of this dream failed to consider

and cater for the social dynamics of humanity and

interactions.

Villa Soyage created by Le Corbusiers prominently conveys how the modernist

dream within architecture ultimately failed. 1918, Le Corbusiers developed the theory of

Purism which sought to refine and simplified architectural design by forbidding

unnecessary ornamentation, which in his view ultimately prevented the pure form of

constructive materials to be viewed. In doing so, Corbusier created an algorithm of strict

rules and principles, which allowed architectural buildings to be created with factory and

industry precision and efficiency through the application of glass, steel and concrete. This

concept of Purism is undoubting conveyed in Corbusiers groundbreaking book titled

Vers une Architecture(1923.) which passionately intones his ideal view ofa house as amachine for living in.(Le Corbusier, 1927.) Preaching that society could be standardized

and come back from the horrible effects of world war two. By removing traditional

domestic architectural features of ornamentation, modernist buildings were left

unprotected and exposed against the temperamental wilds of the weather. Villa Soyage

was notoriously known for its negative climatic features which prevented its residents

from comfortably living within their house. Removing creature comforts from the domestic


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interior of Villa Soyage Corbusier effectively disabled himself from truly igniting a home

which communicated with the residents and allowed them to create a comfortable

environment.

This failure is typified through Corbusiers

addiction and thorough abidance to his five

points towards new architecture in the

amalgamation of Villa Sovaye. For instance

due to the poor construction of the house

and complex flat roof terraces and balconies,

Villa Sovoye experience many leaks. As

explained by Madame Sovaye It is raining in

the hall, its raining on the ramp and the wall

of the garage is absolutely soaked [.] itsstill raining in my bathroom, which floods in

bad weather. (Media Culture Journal, Vol.

12, No. 4 'Climate'.) The house was overall

damp, cold and isolating due to large

openness of the rooms, large glazed windows and the poor quality materials used to

construct the ceilings and walls. Corbusiers lack of foresight into how the natural

environment would interact with his design and building material selections negatively

impacted on the overall ambiance and comfort of the house. In fact the outcome of these

living conditions were far from Le Corbusiers ultimately utopian dream and urban

planning scheme which seeked to improve public health conditions and clearly brought

inadequate amounts of sunshine and fresh air. As Van Doesburh states Le Corbusiers

architecture disrupted the wall and in doing so destroyed the division between inside and

outside(Van Doesburh, 192, H.N. Abrams. New York: 1971. Pg. 187) inhibiting it from

performing its duty roles as a home which in Corbusiers own words is suppose to

provide shelter against heat, cold and rain; a receptacle for light and sun; and provide a

certain number of cell appropriate to cooking, work and personal life. (Le Corbusier in

De Boton, 2006:57.)

Figure 3.

Leaking Bathroom is Villa Sovoye

Source: Andrea Gaffney, 2008.


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Figure 5.

Pruitt-Igoe Slums

Source: Pruitt-Igoe Myth Documentary,

2011

Another prime example of modernistarchitectures inability to create positively

welcoming environments is conveyed through

the history and effects of Minoru Yamasakis

Pruitt-Igoe public housing scheme in 1950.

Based on Le Corbusiers principles Pruitt-Igoe

today disreputably marks the death of the

modernist dream, after being demolished in

1971. Pruitt-Igoe consisted of thirty-three

eleven-story high-rise blocks made up of

small individual apartments. Yamasaki placedmultiple large corridors, outdoor balconies,

communal rooms (e.g. Laundromat) and

elevators within his design to increase social

interaction between the communities of

residents. However due to low socio-

economic patterns and poverty, which existed

within the community of St Louis, Pruitt-Igoe

became synopsis for crime. These corridors,

which attempted to encourage residents to

interact with each other, contrastingly

provided a perfect opportunity for muggings

and offences to occur. The architectural hubris

became stripped of its residents, vandalized

and segregated within society. (Figure 4 and

5.) As identified by Architectural Forum in 1951 which described the building as a

ramshackle houses jammed with peopleand rats and vertical neighborhoods for poor

people. ("Slum Surgery in St. Louis," Architectural Forum 1951: page 128-136.) Pruitt-

Igoe significantly exposes how Modernists architects fixation with purism and rationalism

disabled them from appropriately designing an environment and building which suited the

needs and facilities of the society it was being placed within.

Figure 4.Pruitt-Igoe Vandalised

Source: Pruitt-Igoe Myth Documentary,

2011


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Figure 6.

The Adaptive House

Source:http://www.cs.colorado.edu , 1990.

Figure 7.

The Adaptive House sensory panel

Source:http://www.cs.colorado.edu , 1997.

Through the evolution of technology and sociology, architecture has made

groundbreaking developments, where designers are able to manipulate and create

interactive human environments, which send a positive atmosphere to its inhabitants. By

looking to the fails of modernism, post modernism came to life, identifiably understanding

the need for human interaction within architecture. Interactive architecture creates avariety of dynamic environments and objects which are able to communicate a certain

message or emotion amongst its viewers, through pragmatic and humanistic features.

These complex motions and connections have been made conceivable through

contemporary architects ability to adapt a postmodern mindset, evaluating their

agenda/audience and understanding the extensive ability of computation, which exists

today. This computation technology fundamentally allows architectural designs to create

virtual and physical models, using sensor and kinetic technology. Through interactive

architecture, designers internally reshape communities and allow a platform for positive

connections between people and their environment to occur.

Purchased in 1991 by Associate Professor

Michael Mozer, The Adaptive House, in

Boulder, Colorado influentially stands as a

prime example of how technology and

automation within architecture has

revolutionized the living environments and

interactions of people today. The Adaptive

House is a full-scale building, which has over

seventy five sensors and five miles of

conductors installed, which essentially allow

the house to program itself by observing its

inhabitants as they live their lives (Michael

Mozer, 1997.) Thus learning how to best

accommodate for the needs of its tenants.

For instance, these sensors have the ability

to continuously monitor the climatic

temperature of the interior rooms within the

home; turning on thermostats and coolers,

tracks ambient light; opening doors and

windows when appropriate, tracks he sound

and motion of its occupants and finally takes
http://www.cs.colorado.edu/http://www.cs.colorado.edu/http://www.cs.colorado.edu/http://www.cs.colorado.edu/http://www.cs.colorado.edu/http://www.cs.colorado.edu/http://www.cs.colorado.edu/http://www.cs.colorado.edu/


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Figure 9.

The Mircosoft Home, personalised teen

bedroom.

Source:http://www.networkworld.com, Ms.

Smith, 2011.

note of hot water usage. Figure 7. shows an examples of a sensory panel which has

been installed within the home, the left side of this sensor monitors temperature, ambient

light and sound, whilst the right side of the sensor is a speaker which allows the house to

talk to its inhabitants. The system also has the ability to predict the behavior and

movement of its occupants, evaluating when/which rooms will be used and when itsowners will leave and return home. By doing so, unlike Le Corbusiers Villa Sovaye, The

Adaptive House is fundamentally able to anticipated and carry out the desires of its

inhabitants, providing maximum comfort and also anticipates energy consumption.

This growth and advancement in

technology within architecture is evident

within the design of the Microsoft Home.

Built in 1994, it continues to push the

boundaries and possibilities of interactive

architecture today. The Microsoft home

harmonizes the ability of technology and

the intuition of man, allowing its inhabitants

to control and adjust all corners of their

home providing an insight into the future of

design. The home essentially runs on a

central network together, using radio

frequency identification data to create

virtually interactive environments. Forexample inhabits are able to use their

mobile phone device as a universal remote

control, allowing them to tangibly control

room lighting, temperature and electrical

devices from the palm of their hand.

Grace, the Microsoft Home Computer

system has the ability to verbally

communicate with its inhabitants, updating

them with their daily appointments, emails

and messages, provide information about

weather and current traffic circulation.

Grace even goes one step further,

allowing the inhabitants to check the

inventory of their fridge or pantry using

their mobile phone, and has a highly

interactive touch sensitive kitchen counter

Figure 8.

The Microsoft home, kitchen interface.

Source:http://www.networkworld.com, Ms.

Smith, 2011.
http://www.networkworld.com/http://www.networkworld.com/http://www.networkworld.com/http://www.networkworld.com/http://www.networkworld.com/http://www.networkworld.com/http://www.networkworld.com/http://www.networkworld.com/


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top which is able to recognize ingredients placed on the counter, suggesting appropriate

recipes and instructions which suit this food group (Figure 8). The interactively design

teenage bedroom also using high-resolution projection software, to ignite four

surrounding walls to provide a platform of social interaction. The teenager is able to

change the projected image to suit their mood and interests, check social media and playtheir favorite music (Figure 9). The Microsoft Home exemplifies how through postmodern

architecture and design, technology can positively impact the type of people we become,

our environments, experiences and the way we socialize.

By providing a detailed analysis into the disparity of the modern and postmodern

design movements, one can clearly identify the importance between the synergy of

design and technology and the major role it plays within architecture today. It is evident

that modernist beliefs and values of rationalism and purism inhabited, architects like Le

Corbusier and Minoru Yamasaki from creating desirable environments, which engagedand interacted with their residents of Pruitt-Igoe and Villa Sovoye. Today architects look

to problems which modernist architecture encountered and identify the importance of

utilizing technology within design to build and manipulate experiences and memories.

This is identifiably shown through the Microsoft House and the Adaptive House, which

build a foundational relationship with its owners

2039 WORDS


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The Synergy Between Design and Technology