Yes, I often write that you should think about the senses, materiality and so on. But I would like to emphasize that as an architect you are a “director” of sorts. It is important to learn how to synchronize and orchestrate all of those architectural elements to create the experience you intend.

As an architect, once you get a good grasp on how the human senses really work and really develop a high design skillset, you should always be concerned with synergy and orchestration.

Here is what I mean…

Lighting + Material = Redefined Form

The equation I just made up above is an example of how powerful (and simple) this idea can be. Take a building like the Torre Agbar in Barcelona (image shown above) and you will get a notion of what I am talking about.

Using technologies to enhance, minimize or morph your architectural elements can be a very effective technique. Most architects today simply “add-on” new technologies to their design. Kind of like the architect said “I’ll include this because I can.” The result is that it is not well integrated and does not do much for the design. In some cases, it actually makes the design worst.

SOME DESIGN TIPS

Take the simple equation that I wrote above and get this to challenge and push the way you think when you are designing a building. Ask yourself about what …[Read Full Article]…

We all know that computer technology has done a lot to advance not only the way the design process can work, but also to improve the constructed outcome of that design process.

That’s why I think it’s important to shed some light on what “aural renderings” can do. (1) You, as an architect, can actually listen to a designed space as built to the parameters of your three dimensional CAD model. Here is a detailed description of the process that goes into creating such an aural rendering: …[Read Full Article]…

BEING CREATIVE

The question you should be asking yourself as you design architectural lighting is this — “How can I enhance the message, meaning and essence that this architecture conveys?”

The lighting design in an architectural project is very important. With today’s emerging technologies so much can now be accomplished by lighting a building in creative and unique ways. Integrate lighting into your building design process — it’s all about the true merger between architecture and technology through design.

WHAT IS YOUR LIGHTING APPROACH?

“Incorporate the play of light as seen in nature,” says Sabedra. “Buildings have activity inside. The façade lighting should let that come outward. (1)

Lighting is an integral part of exterior architectural design — especially as night falls. According to the article Façade Lighting: A Fork in the Road, lighting design generally falls into two categories, one biased toward …[Read Full Article]…

Have you heard about translucent or ductal concrete?

Here’s the latest on concrete materials…

Kinder, Stronger Concrete

It’s not just opaque anymore. Glass fibers can be added to the mix, for fortification and translucency. That’s just one of the innovations in the cement-mortar marriage. Another one is Ductal concrete, designed to be 6 to 8 times more resistant to abrasion, pollution and scratching than its conventional cousin. How do engineers do it? Ductal concrete contains metal fibers that make it ductile, or transformable. Those fibers give the tough stuff more give, making it flexible and stronger. Its manufacturer, Lafarge, says Ductal concrete (also known as ultra-high performance, fiber-reinforced concrete) can stand up to bending and breaking far better than traditional concrete because it has 5 to 10 times the compressive strength of conventional concrete, without any added weight. (1)

Although traditional concrete is used rather successfully in some designs, these advances involving concrete materials will allow for some creative design solutions. Concrete gaining light, strength and flexibility should bring about a few changes — perhaps architects will find some renewed ways for concrete to feed the senses.

(1) Silver, Laura. Hot to Trot. Popular Science. February 24, 2009.

Here’s the description to an interesting idea – an energy producing dance floor. I guess dance club designers are getting savvy:

Fancy Footing

Harnessing human energy doesn’t have to be hard work. A sustainable dance floor at Club WATT in Rotterdam, the Netherlands makes boogieing down synonymous with powering up. Dancers strut their stuff on a sustainable dance floor made of electronics with embedded software components, which move up to a centimeter as feet fall on them. An electric motor converts these movements into electric power. The energy generated lights up the dancing surface, indicating just how “hot” the night is. The technology is available for rentals in the United States. (1)

Such innovations make good use of human energy without making it seem like hard work for occupants. Ideas like these can be a fun way to make more energy efficient and interactive designs. (…just imagine an energy producing gym)

(1) Silver, Laura. Hot to Trot. Popular Science. February 24, 2009.

TAKING BETTER CARE OF YOUR HEALTH

Where is the middle-ground between going to the doctor’s office and taking care of your healthcare needs once going about your daily life? New technologies are surfacing to help you out – and once such technologies work out their kinks, it will be possible to merge architecture with a monitoring system to help you take better care of your health.

Such emerging technologies are currently being created for those suffering from chronic illnesses, according to an article entitled Personal Medical Monitoring by Emily Singer. Such services as the online “Health Vault” which allows for home medical devices to record, archive and chart patterns as you take daily medical tests to manage your health. (1) What I find interesting is the fact that such technologies may be ultimately used …[Read Full Article]…

As lighting technology continues to develop, architectural designers will be able to move beyond fluorescent lighting – toward the LED Light Bulb. Architectural lighting design is benefiting from awareness about energy consumption and health benefits of past, current and new lighting technologies. It’s about time that lighting undergo the next step in the revolution that can make lighting integration more cost effective, energy efficient and health conscious.

We are at the advent of a better lighting solution as LEDs gain more and more popularity. As such technology …[Read Full Article]…

Libraries have been undergoing the need for a facelift ever since the introduction of the computing revolution. This type of institution is providing for more than simply the borrowing of books. New functions are defining how libraries serve their communities as they continue to emerge. Computer terminals with internet access and digital book inventory access are quickly becoming things of the past as even newer library programs surface. Libraries are evolving and surrounding communities are benefiting.

Nowadays, libraries are focusing on youth as they continue to refine their market beyond information sharing. Cutting-edge libraries are fostering fun activities that provide place for youth to go – a hang-out of sorts. According to the article Libraries Tap Pop Culture to Reach Teenagers in the Boston Globe, libraries are becoming a place where kids can go to do homework, check email, hang out or even play Wii. Thus, library design becomes more than an institution for sharing information. It is evolving more and more by integrating latest technologies to interact with surrounding community culture.

Hopefully, by targeting youth, libraries are becoming fun places that foster a learning culture. Some programs discussed in the article involve origami workshops and gingerbread house making. Perhaps libraries will be able to make information sharing a more interactive, hands on experience.

It is nice to see how libraries are finding there place in modern-day society. With the advent of the internet, libraries were thought by some to eventually disappear as they were predicted to fade into the background. How do you think libraries will continue to evolve? Will they continue to cater to information sharing by hosting more and more computer terminals and interactive applications? …or will libraries evolve into community center type schools where learning is the key function? Perhaps the merger of the two scenarios is best.

It is my hope that libraries continue to evolve, finding their own proper place in community and society. Perhaps as new technologies unfold, libraries may specialize in a type of data mining where information is not only available but can be intelligently searched and sorted for users. As the quantity of information grows and grows, libraries may find their niche by continuing as research and learning centers that integrate advanced technologies.

There is no doubt that libraries can be fun learning centers. As technology continues to integrate into library functions, we will most likely see new and creative way to research, learn and interact within a community. Undoubtedly, libraries will continue to find their path as societies and communities advance. The key is for libraries to not shut out developing technologies. As a whole, this institution type must embrace them as they target youth and adults alike.

Finding purpose in going to a library is crucial. Social interaction in learning is great for all ages and research assistance makes for meaningful practice. Libraries as social, research and learning institutions will continue onward. We just have to convince financial stakeholders to update them for modern-day and future use. Yes, libraries can continue to be social learning community hubs. They just have to know how to embrace change through their design as they grow evermore technologically interactive.

As architectural technology tries to solve one problem it often creates another. For example, as lighting illuminates it often also emits heat; therefore, making the HVAC system work harder. The systems seem out of balance as one trades off side-effects with another.

It appears that architectural technology is not yet highly efficient. Systems do not work together and as a result, occupants are deprived their optimal sensory experience. Take a hospital for instance: Often, patients must recover in spite of the hospital environment which surrounds them – from a sensory perception point of view. Buildings can be cold, intimidating and uninviting as architectural technology is installed onto architecture in an additive manner.

To help solve this dilemma, it becomes necessary for architectural technology to become more flexible. What if its physical appearance and functionality could change dependent on occupant needs in real-time? The key is integration – physically, acoustically, aesthetically and so on.

Architectural technology should become a positive part of occupant environments in any building type. Its appearance, its sounds and its functions should all contribute to the occupant experience in a positive way. If they do not, then that architectural technology is hindering the environment from doing its job – functionally and aesthetically.

Today we have what you might refer to as information overload. We have information coming in from every angle. And because of this, the Institute for the Future states that we will eventually enter an age of “sensemaking”. It is interesting to think of how this will apply to architecture.

In my opinion, I think that architecture should be at the cutting edge of this era. Architecture could make use of incoming information, via sensors and rule-based systems. It could interact with its occupants through architecture technology that is programmed to assemble information for the public good. In doing so, more meaningful connections would take place between people and their surroundings.

Perhaps architecture could find new ways to influence occupant behavior. For example, a person might be persuaded to wait before their walk home based on heartbeat, medical history and a short predicted rainfall. Architecture could tie information together to form smart assumptions that inform occupants that might otherwise not know.

But how would architecture convey this meaning? Perhaps visualizations, sounds and other augmented reality features could work together to convey meaningful messages. Some would be simple to convey, while others would need more sophisticated synchronization. In the age of “sensemaking”, architecture would become dynamic in its behavior and aesthetically beautiful in its evolving and helpful forms.