Image: treehouse1977 | Flickr

Within architectural design, the notion of “building surface” and “building skin” are increasing in importance and are, thus, becoming elements which you as an architect can leverage to bring greater sensitivity to your built environments.

In fact, research is underway to develop new electric skins that are so pressure sensitive to touch that they are actually rivaling, and surpassing, human skin’s sensitivity to touch. And by using such pressure-sensitive electric skin in architecture, more meaningful ways for occupants to interact are likely to arise, where building installations become increasingly in tune with not only occupants’ needs, but also with the dynamic fluctuations of the environment which surrounds the building. Hence, building skin could serve as a bridge, sensing the touch “frequencies” between both occupants and the surrounding environment.

What Can a Building Do with Skin Data?

As more sensitive skin and installations become part of a larger architectural dynamic system, it brings with it greater ability to sense even the most subtle fluctuations in the environment, like wind, water or debris. And how might a building benefit by increasing its level of sensitivity to pressure in this manner? Well, it would move Read more

Full scale architectural kinetic forms can appear to almost take off, float or flex in the most unexpected and beautiful ways.

Thus, it is no surprise that as an architect, you can use kinetic design to manipulate form in time, to give you a certain freedom to inspire and reconnect your building occupant with their surrounding space.

Kinetic form can do so much for your design when used in just the right ways. To get you thinking creatively about kinetics you can see the following video of a prize-winning art installation, where simple metal balls rise and fall smoothly and in a mesmerizing fashion.

To see for yourself, watch this video (It gets even more creative after the 1st minute.) Read more