Inhabiting Adaptive Architecture Workshop
at the International Adaptive Architecture Conference
The Building Centre, London
March 05 2011
Call for Submissions (Number 2): Call for Workshop Participants
Deadline for submissions: 21 January
Announcement of Acceptance: 31 January
Chairs: Holger Schnädelbach, Jonathan Hale
Buildings are no longer static objects. More and more frequently, they adapt to their environments with the aim of being more sustainable and of providing more comfortable conditions for their inhabitants. They can adapt to their users to make spaces more convenient, information rich and more useful in different circumstances. They adapt to the presence of objects and are responsive to their own emergent data streams. This is typically achieved through the combination of ubiquitous computing technologies [5] and a flexible building fabric and it finds widespread interest under various banners [1, 2, 4] - whether it is in eco houses, smart homes, office buildings or media facades.
Adaptive Architecture represents an expansive, multi-disciplinary and exciting research field, but despite delivering clear benefits and novel types of architecture, individual inhabitants often find adaptive buildings counter-intuitive, illegible and frustrating, an issue most clearly seen in the extensively researched smart homes sector [3]. In addition, organisations (as inhabitants) often find Adaptive Architecture difficult to operate, to maintain and to keep relevant to their needs over the life-span of a building,
To discuss the challenges that are faced in this regard, this workshop will focus on inhabitants (individuals, groups & organisations) of Adaptive Architecture, as the key drivers of adaptations and as those who are directly affected by adaptations.
The following topics are of key interest:
- Personal data in the context of adaptive buildings
- Methodologies to understand inhabitation
- Organisational concerns and requirements in Adaptive Architecture
- Adaptive architectural designs and prototypes
- Facility management of adaptive buildings
- The view of the individual in this context
- Varying time scales of adaptation from immediately reactive to long-term changes
- Design for various scales from light switches to urban spaces
- Challenges in construction and systems engineering
(The above is a non-exclusive list and related topics will be considered)
Submission requirements:
Please submit a one-page A4 document to include a brief bio and a position statement (of no more than 500 words), reflecting on what it means to you to inhabit Adaptive Architecture. Participants will be selected from all submission based on peer-review.
Submission should be formatted as MSoft Word document, 12 point Arial, singled spaced. It should also include five key words (normal type), your name, institution, qualifications, role, contact address, contact e-mail address, telephone number at top of document (bold type).
Who might we expect to attend?
• Architects
• Engineers
• Social Scientists
• Artists
• Urban Designers
• Inhabitants (individuals that can speak on behalf of inhabitants, and organisations)
• Building Management System experts
• Designers
• Human Computer Interaction experts
• Media Facades experts
References
1. Bullivant, L. (ed.), 4dspace: Interactive Architecture. Wiley-Academy, 2005.
2. Fox, M.A. and Kemp, M. Interactive architecture. Princeton Architectural Press, New York, 2009.
3. Harper, R. Inside the smart home. Springer, London ; New York, 2003.
4. Kronenburg, R. Flexible : architecture that responds to change. Laurence King, London, 2007.
5. Weiser, M. The Computer for the Twenty-First Century. Scientific American, 265 (3). 94-104.
WORKSHOP COORDINATED BY:
Mixed Reality Lab, School of Computer Sciences
Architectural Humanities Research Group, University of Nottingham
CONFERENCE ORGANISERS:
The Building Centre and The Architecture & Tectonics Research Group of the University of Nottingham
SPONSORS:
Adaptive Buildings Initiative and Buro Happold