Today, the spectrum between a part and its subparts can be vast and rather static, yet already, there are prototypes for architectural systems that can adapt to triggers to self-perpetuate their own form — and blur the boundaries between where their sub-parts begin and end. Such is the character of adaptive design.

As adaptive architecture evolves, systems will become more seamless and their behaviors will stream more fluidly. The idea of nesting, fusing and embedding behaviors into a design’s systems and sub-systems will require that you consider the in-between states of your form — slowing down real-time behavioral movements and speeding up that which appears to be standing still.

Of course, if you don’t have it already, this all will require a mindset shift from you, the designer; thus, calling upon you to think of responsive architecture in terms of kinetic “fields” — playing upon “layers” or “extensions”.

For this reason, the following video presents novel concepts behind how to design “kinetic fields”, and their solutions are quite intriguing. By integrating a seamless way of having systems and sub-systems relate to one another it is possible to achieve not only behavioral motion, but also renewed behavioral functions.

Take a look at the following car concepts and you will see a great illustration of what forms this type of design thinking can take. Also, in watching the following prototypes you can see how the boundaries we typically default to today can blur — suddenly location, size and function become dynamic variables inherent within a system and its materials.

Hence, as architects, we develop a greater focus upon behavior, stemming from things like location, size and function by also adding anew the variable of time.

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© 2008-2011 Sensing Architecture by Maria Lorena Lehman