Image Credit: seier+seier | Flickr

Image Credit: seier+seier | Flickr

Building skin has the power to hide and protect while also serving to display and reveal. And in particular, building skin that is transient takes on the ability to do all of these things. For example, the Danish Radio Concert Hall in Copenhagen maintains a skin that uses screens which change their display dependent upon time of day and seasons. Such a versatile building skin makes for a building that is more adaptive — able to brighten dark days, and able to further “broadcast” inner productions.

Building skin must often accomplish so much, from energy efficiency to aesthetic appeal. And there is more that can be done. For instance, what happens when a building skin can appear and disappear in time? Suddenly, the interior becomes public as the building skin makes itself invisible. The building becomes chameleon-like, able to transform itself to changing exterior or interior conditions.

But what may be best is for a building skin to respond to people. Perhaps based on what goes on in its neighboring exterior or in-use interior. What if a building skin could change according to occupant activity within? Or what if it could change according to the social activities occurring within its outdoor adjacent plaza? Building skin can use triggers put forth by the way people engage with the spaces which it divides or unites. After all, skin can be a boundary which breathes.

All in all, don’t forget that a building skin provides you with great opportunity — to communicate a message, to invite people in, to light up a community, or to protect that which goes on inside. So, as you design, think of all of the functions which your building skin should provide, including its aesthetic appeal. Your building design will be stronger, make a bigger positive difference for occupants, and will likely stand as a more unique work of architecture.

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© 2008-2011 Sensing Architecture by Maria Lorena Lehman

Image: rox sm | Flickr

The experience of mobile architecture can be quite a powerful thing. Take for instance the BMW Guggenheim Laboratory that was constructed in New York — there, on a rather small lot, this lab was assembled to serve as think-tank and community center. And the beauty of this is that such architecture does a lot to uplift an area.

To explain further as to why this is the case, the following are seven reasons why mobile architecture can be a good thing for a local community:

Top 7 Reasons Why Mobile Architecture Can Leave a Permanent Positive Mark

1. Mobile architecture can revitalize an area, turning an abandoned or difficult-to-use space into a notable place that sparks community pride. Plus, depending on its function, mobile architecture can be set up for events that also help to boost community participation and spirit.
2. Mobile architecture can be transformed. Thus, there is a changeability factor that comes into place when considering mobile architecture. With some prescience it becomes possible to provide for a variety of functions within a given area over a period of time. Again, events can be more truly celebrated.
3. Mobile architecture can be built quickly, and as such it can be transported to different parts of the world. Thus, a place (or an event) can become global — giving multiple cultures a chance to experience a particular idea of place.
4. Mobile architecture doesn’t have to follow all of architecture’s rules. In other words, it can be assembled and disassembled repeatedly — something more traditional architecture doesn’t do. This means that mobile architecture can fit into unique space, can be constructed at unique times, and can be used in unique ways.
5. Mobile architecture can create “spirit of place”. Because mobile architecture can be tied to events so easily, it can quite inherently take on a “spirit of place” as a community gathers around its intended functions. Just because an architecture is mobile does not mean that it makes less of an impact because of its impermanence. Instead, it has the power to launch both individual and collective experiences of curiosity, pride, memory, and so on.
6. Mobile architecture can test new ideas. Because mobile architecture is less permanent and can travel, it is a great way to test new ideas within architecture. Almost like a portable laboratory, mobile architecture is a great way to see how different people (even of different cultures) react to given architectural compositions.
7. Mobile architecture can be timelier. Because mobile architecture can be erected quickly and can travel, it has the ability to react in a timelier fashion to current events within a community. Thus, it can smooth-over a difficult time, or it can conjure up great excitement for an area. Mobile architecture has this advantage of being able to respond more quickly.

Thus, I will leave you with a time-lapse video of the BMW Guggenheim Laboratory that went up in New York. Think about the latter seven benefits of mobile architecture the next time you are presented with an opportunity to design such a structure.

Here’s the video:

© 2008-2011 Sensing Architecture by Maria Lorena Lehman

Image: nate steiner | Flickr

Samsung has come out with a transparent smart window, and I think it will be interesting to see how this impacts architectural design. You see, such a smart window provides much added functionality — particularly if certain apps get created for this particular “window-type” smart use.

Now, before I go on, I’d like to show you what these transparent smart windows look like. Here’s the video:

So, will such a smart window do much to improve architectural design? Or could it destroy an architectural design if not integrated correctly? Well, I think it can do both, depending on how it’s used.

I think the placement of such smart windows will be paramount, as will attention to making sure technology isn’t getting in the way. You see, such a smart window is really all about what is going on inside of a room. But I question — what will happen if the window begins to use apps that also take into account what is going on in the nearby exterior? What if the window becomes more truly interactive?

Suddenly, this transparent smart window will act as a communication portal that connects the interior with the exterior in new ways. Already, checking your Twitter account is an “exterior”, but what about your immediate surrounding context?

In order for the smart window to be truly innovative (where it is more than just a computer slapped onto a window), it needs to go-between what a window does and what a computer does. In other words, I think with appropriate app development, some pretty amazing things can be achieved with such a transparent smart window.

For instance, the window succeeds in tying “window” with “computer” as it provides weather information. While simple in theory, looking out of this window will give you more weather information than looking out of a non-smart window. Suddenly, you can not only see the sunshine outside through the window, but you can also see the forecast which calls for rain later in the day. Thus, looking out of this window provides “bigger eyes” — allowing you to delve deeper.

The main point with all of this is to make sure that if you use such a window in your design, it is not fragmenting functionalities for occupants. In other words, make sure that it is uniting functionalities, where associations are more streamlined and congruent. Thus, this smart window can really serve to improve your architectural design if you are conscientious about where and how it will be used. Placement within a home, office, or school could make or break its success.

Place it in the wrong location and this smart window could be a wasted opportunity where it gets in the way. I am also curious as to how finger-prints are dealt with which may obstruct any views.

The key here is to not see this window as simply a boundary between interior and exterior, but as a portal which could also connect two interior spaces. The notion of a “transparent smart surface” will likely manifest into better architectural design uses, as that opens up the potential for more creativity in getting this “window” used in new and more truly innovative ways.

So, all in all, I’d say this is a great step forward — but now it’s up to designers to figure out how best to incorporate such a technology so it’s not in the way, but instead shows the way. Perhaps the magic will reside in the apps that get uploaded to this window; thus, its functionality will provide for better architectural experiences where not only eyes become “bigger”, but the other senses do as well.

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© 2008-2011 Sensing Architecture by Maria Lorena Lehman

Image Credit: rox sm | Flickr

Architecture surrounds occupants, it engages them, and it guides them. A well designed work can make an experience brighter, livelier, happier, and more meaningful. So, why are so many buildings today designed at the status quo, where they are there to meet the bare essentials? Perhaps it is because many architects today do not think in terms of holistic design thinking.

You see, holistic design is a work that considers all of the senses. It is a place where aspects like attention, focus, learning, and memory have been addressed. Holistically designed places can be soothing, comfortable, inspirational, and even beautiful.

The main idea is to not get rid of function in hopes of amplifying aesthetics. No. The main strategy is instead, to further unify function with aesthetics — where each is designed consciously from the perspective of all the senses. In doing this, an architectural design will be richer and more universal, being able to meet the needs of both the individual and the collective.

So, I invite you to think in terms of a holistic design perspective. Understand that this is the true language of how humans perceive, and that is the language which you should use to best communicate with your building occupants. After all, that is how you will make a positive difference in their life, by designing to meet their needs in a way that contributes proactively to the very aspects of life they wish to experience.

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I would really like to get your feedback on my post today, so please leave me a comment in the form below. And if you enjoyed it, make sure you share it with your Twitter and Facebook followers by clicking on the “re-tweet” and “like” button at the beginning of this page.

© 2008-2011 Sensing Architecture by Maria Lorena Lehman

Image Credit: szeke | Flickr

Did you know that there is memory bias? That is, memory can be changed, boosted, or impaired. So, if this is the case: What makes building occupants form stronger architectural memories than others?

Well, according to a Memory Bias article in Science Daily, there are many ways that memory bias can occur – but there are three main aspects. They are humor, positivity, and self-generated memories. Each of these latter aspects can boost memory in people. So, with this, I wonder how these play a role in architectural design.

After all, there are times where a design can be funny (or fun). There are times when a design can accentuate the positive over the negative. And there are times when a design can help an occupant self-generate information to remember through the act of engaging with them more interactively. So, does it then become safe to assume that architecture that does these things will be more memorable? And memorable at the exact moment where these memory boosters occur?

As you design, you should ask yourself how your occupants are likely to remember your building and their experiences there after they have left. Are there places within your building where it is fun? Positive? Or engaging?

Thus, to design and build a memorable building you may want to strive for those three goals: a design that is fun, positive, and engaging. Your building will likely be more enjoyable to experience, will function better, and will leave a longer lasting impression on your occupants. And of course, a great reason to be concerned with leaving an impression upon your occupants is that it can be one of value, that brings them benefit well after they have left your building.

So, remember: Fun + Positive + Engaging = Memory Boost

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I would really like to get your feedback on my post today, so please leave me a comment in the form below. And if you enjoyed it, make sure you share it with your Twitter and Facebook followers by clicking on the “re-tweet” and “like” button at the beginning of this page.

© 2008-2011 Sensing Architecture by Maria Lorena Lehman

Image Credit: Wolfgang Staudt | Flickr

A recent study was done, mentioned in The Economist article entitled Pricing and the Brain: Hitting the Spot, where actual changes within the brain occur that substantiate this: If told something is more valuable, then a person actually enjoys it more. As the article explains, there may be something to this involving expectation. So how does this relate to architectural design?

Well, what if upon entering a building, someone told you that it was designed by a very famous and prestigious architect? Do you think you would enjoy your experience within that building more than if you didn’t know this fact? Perhaps you would pay more attention to the building, its details, and engage with it more than if you had never known about its renowned creator. Would you take extra time while within the building to savor it? My guess is that the average person probably would.

But the implication of this notion of heightened perceived value affecting architectural enjoyment doesn’t end there.

What about the exterior of your building? Do you think this might have an effect upon how well-received and enjoyable your architecture is for occupants? Just as when proper marketing can boost product enjoyment, as explained in The Economist article, perhaps the way you “guide” your occupants into your building plays a role in their enjoyment of it once inside.

Within this way of thinking, your building exterior becomes ever more important as it sets the stage — and your occupants’ expectations about their impending experience. An exterior that is well designed will automatically send triggers to your occupant which let them know that what awaits them on the inside will be of equal or higher value for them. And since you would be setting this high expectation, it is important to get the design of the interior right — so as to not fall short of reaching their expectations.

So, the important thing for you to remember here is that you are always setting or meeting expectations for your occupants as they travel about your building. You’re setting them up for value, and your goal is to reach that value for them with your design. Thus, as you design, you should always think about what you are showing your occupants about the perceived value of your building. And I’m not talking just about the actual cost of the building, but also the design attention given to details that indicate it is a building design of high quality: a one-of-a-kind and valuable architectural experience.

Additionally, your clients will like this way of thinking as well, since they often want to promote some sort of experiential enjoyment within their buildings. The key is to understand how to design your work so that it communicates value to occupants early-on in their experience. This will help to ensure that their experience will be one of enjoyment, if their expectations are met by your design.

Please Tell Me What You Think

I would really like to get your feedback on my post today, so please leave me a comment in the form below. And if you enjoyed it, make sure you share it with your Twitter and Facebook followers by clicking on the “re-tweet” and “like” button at the beginning of this page.

© 2008-2011 Sensing Architecture by Maria Lorena Lehman

There is a point where architecture works hand-in-hand with the objects within it: such as in a museum which houses artifacts in exhibits or in a home which makes way for different technological installations like phones, televisions, and computers. That is where we are today, but what about tomorrow?

What will happen to architecture when the objects within it gain these mega-functions? How will that architecture change from where we are today?

For starters, buildings will gain a more advanced “nervous system”. They will be better connected, and because of that — they will be better communicators. Buildings will pull information from objects to help occupants live better, healthier lives. And interactivity between architecture and its occupants will be more meaningful and personalized.

After all, just think about what architecture could do if the objects which its occupants use everyday could tell it more about how to help its occupants. Interactions would be better between buildings and people, and between person-to-person interfaces.

In the end, a better communication between architecture and its objects, assuming those objects gained mega-functionality, would lead to buildings that could lead the way toward prevention, quick treatment response, and highly tailored in-progress assistance for occupants.

So, keep an eye on those everyday objects which your building occupants use. There is a wealth of information in them that can make your building better.

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I would really like to get your feedback on my post today, so please leave me a comment in the form below. And if you enjoyed it, make sure you share it with your Twitter and Facebook followers by clicking on the “re-tweet” and “like” button at the beginning of this page.

© 2008-2011 Sensing Architecture by Maria Lorena Lehman

Technology is embedding itself everywhere. Within environments, it is becoming smaller and can be found in more and more everyday objects as well as in the fabric that makes up the environment itself. So, the main question becomes: what should we do with all of the information that such technology gathers?

Within smart environments such everywhere technology might be in the form of sensors and actuators that gather important data that gets fedback into a system to optimize a particular environmental function. Such sensors and actuators could live within everyday occupant objects or within the environment itself — again, to use the information gathered toward a given purpose. But, for what?

The following are:

7 Ways Ubiquitous Technology Can Be Used Within Smart Environments

1. Measure individual or collective occupant temperature through clothing to automatically adjust climate controlled building zones.
2. Measure individual or collective occupant stress (heart rate, perspiration, blood pressure) through clothing or wrist-worn devices to trigger environmental stimuli to reduce occupant stress points.
3. Gather data about green occupant behaviors within a given environment to then have environment feedback more green behavior change interventions.
4. Use data to observe excersice and mobility of occupants to then feedback interventions targeting better health toward exercise and mobility.
5. Gather information from social media sites (occupants often carry mobile phones) and feedback this information into environment to further engage occupants with their space and with each other.
6. Gather work pattern behavior data to feedback into system for environmental interventions that help occupants with productivity and/or creativity.
7. Pull data beteen multiple buildings to allow occupants to be more aware and to be in more control of their environments. For instance, pulling data about an occupant’s home and transmitting that data to them at work, at the hospital, or to their hotel would give them a new type of connectedness.

The latter 7 examples of what to do with data that is collected from ubiquitous technology within environments serves to get you thinking about how you might use such information to make your architectural design projects better.

To do this, simply think about what change or improvement you would like to make for your occupants in real-time. Then, think about what information you would need to gather in order to make that change a reality.

Ubiquitous technology is becoming more widespread. Perhaps you can take advantage of what it can do.

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I would really like to get your feedback on my post today, so please leave me a comment in the form below. And if you enjoyed it, make sure you share it with your Twitter and Facebook followers by clicking on the “re-tweet” and “like” button at the beginning of this page.

© 2008-2011 Sensing Architecture by Maria Lorena Lehman

Advancements involving architecture are most always a great thing. But what happens when such advancements like technology detract from an architectural design? I think the answer to this lies in the hands of the individual architect for that given project —specifically regarding what aspects of technology they choose to make visible versus invisible.

You see, technology for architecture can bring much value to a project — giving it new kinds of capabilities. But there are also times when a given technology exudes “side-effects” which conflict and/or detract from a design. An example of this “foe” relationship between architecture and technology can be seen in all sorts of building types ranging from retail stores to hospitals.

Take, for instance, the lighting in a clothing store. If not specified correctly, flourescent lighting in the dressing rooms may detract from the very purpose of the store: to sell clothes. The painful lighting makes those trying on clothes look worse, not better. Conversely, well specified lighting would be semi- invisible technology as it would make the occupant benefit from great lighting, without thought of where it is coming from. It would simply become a seamless part of the shopping experience.

In hospitals, medical technology helps to save lives, makes the building more efficient, and serves to assist patients in pain. There exists a “friend” relationship between architecture and technology until…those side-effects surface. From lighting to the aural environment, hospitals could stand to be better. After all, painful lighting from overhead and stressful sounds coming from surrounding machines detract from the healing atmosphere which the medical team and architecture try to create for patients. Again, semi- invisible technology would still save lives — but would do so in a less overwhelming and abrasive way.

In the end, architecture and technology can yield a very strong relationship where each brings value to the other. But what is the factor that makes this possible — tuurning them from “foes” into “friends”?

Perhaps it is the notion of having an invisible technology where functions are elevated within architecture because of it — but where side-effects and trade-offs are non-existant. To accomplish this, a holistic sensory design mindset is necessary, where you as a designer factor for a multitude of senses within your design. In this way, you will be aware of when technology issues a trade-off, and you will be able to correct it.

So, back to the question: Are architecture and technology “friends” of “foes”?

I would say “friends”, if the architect designing for them takes advantage of an invisible technology mindset, thus obliterating technological side-effects and trade-offs. It’s a way to get to the benefit of technology without any of the obstacles or risks.

Please Tell Me What You Think

I would really like to get your feedback on my post today, so please leave me a comment in the form below. And if you enjoyed it, make sure you share it with your Twitter and Facebook followers by clicking on the “re-tweet” and “like” button at the beginning of this page.

© 2008-2011 Sensing Architecture by Maria Lorena Lehman

Featured Image Takeaway Design Strategy:

When your occupants look upward, what do they feel? A sense of awe? Amazement? A yearning to continue on their journey through your building? Designing a ceiling is of critical importance — and not just because this is from where much of the lighting may come. A ceiling can be sculpted to reveal masses and voids which complement what goes on below. Wonderful domes often connect occupants to the heavens, and lower ceilings often create great spaces of intimacy. I urge you to think creatively about your ceiling designs as they are more than a “topping” — rather, they are expressions that help your architectural design sections to come alive.

To Apply This Strategy, Ask Yourself:

© 2008-2011 Sensing Architecture by Maria Lorena Lehman