Either we “play dead,” and become inanimate like our surroundings, or we animate those surroundings, and make them like ourselves” - Neil Leach
neuromorphic architecture ashley biren
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issue In an emerging wireless era, humans are in con-
stant flux and require unanticipated spaces that can respond to our changing needs dynamically.
position >>>>>>>>>>>
Architecture today is the death of change: architects design buildings as static objects that fail to respond to the users’ needs and desires, while humans favor for an infrastructure to perceive, adapt, and change in relation to each person’s idiosyncrasies.
neuromorphic When buildings are no longer objects but living or-
ganisms that can perceive, adapt and change in relation to the inhabitant. As an architect, how do we begin to design these ‘living organisms’?
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position
in context with education
Architectural Response - Designing for Students’ Environmental Preference
John Dewey Philosophy
“The school’s walls simply enclose the student’s world, constricting and thinning (rather than ‘expanding’ and ‘thickening’) the sphere of experience to the point of near-irrelevance.” - Neil Gislason
Current Positions
Openness, transparency, variability, and flexibility are the prime requirements placed on school buildings of the future. - Reino Tapaninen Chief Architect of the Finnish National Board of Education
Student-centered approaches to learning require a physical space that adapts to learner demands. - Stern Neill, Rebecca Etheridge California Polytechnic State University There is no standard blueprint for the ideal learning space; each space should meet the needs of the learning community. Flexibility is the key design principle. - Australian Institute of Architects
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project scenario School for Visual Arts
Client: Sketch Project-based initiative working with ‘street-involved’ small groups of youth in visual arts
Need: A dynamic learning environment for young artists.
= building adapts to user
user adapts to building
=
=
Where? Art & Design District on Queen Street
=
in Fenn reet gs St
0
2
5
10m
t Wes treet S n uee
Q
0
2
5
10m
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10m
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2
Strategy#1 - The Empathetic Building
The building must be designed as a living organism, one that adapts to its users and enhances their spatial experience and wellbeing through empathy.
Tactic #1 - Shape Changing The building will change shape in correspondence to the inhabitant’s current physiological and psychological needs including adaptability for inspiration, focus and collaboration. Expansion occurs during collaborative work Result = inspiring space that creates a stimulus Contraction occurs during individual work Result = a space that enables the user to focus How? Sensing Technology - Directional Stereo Vision Sensors that detect the number of people within a space.
The kinetic architecture embodies an ever-changing narrative of arriving and departing from stillness.
Strategy#1 - The Empathetic Building
The building must be designed as a living organism, one that adapts to its users and enhances their spatial experience and wellbeing through empathy.
individual work spaces
scattered
Tactic #2 - Material Tactility The building will vary in material tactility in correspondence to the inhabitant’s current physiological and psychological state with the intention of stimulating the senses and inducing a healthier mind and body. Variation in form creates a stimulus through touch and vision. Inspiring large groups and individual work spaces. How? Detecting Body Temperature - Infrared Sensor
Tactic #3 - Light Intensity The building will vary in light intensity in correspondence to the inhabitant’s current physiological and psychological state with the intention of stimulating the senses and inducing a healthier mind and body. Variation in the skin’s texture enables controlled lighting in one’s environment. How? Expansion allows material translucency and light to transfer through.
group work/gathering spaces
Strategy#2 - The Utilitarian Building
Relaxing/Inspiring
Collaborative Work
Individual Work
Socializing
Store
Exhibition
The building must be ever-changing in program and adapt to the user’s functional needs, as opposed to being predefined by a single application.
Tactic #1 The building will re-configure itself into multiple uses for individual work, collaborative work, exhibition, relaxation and socializing. How? 1. Cloud-enabled applications 2. Microcontroller 3. Pneumatic Actuator 3. Elastic Surface
Tactic #2 The building will re-configure itself to provide surfaces for the artist to work and relax. one ng Z
reet gs St
Second Floor Level 4. Collaborative Work 5. Relax 6. Individual Work - Open Individual Work - Closed
in Fenn
reet gs St
in Fenn
Ground Floor Level 1. Exhibition 2. Store 3. Washrooms
i Load
3. 1. 2.
1.
6. 6.
5. 4.
1.
2.
5. 4.
2. 4.
Note: All spaces are interchangeable aside from the washrooms, stairs and elevator.
st t We tree
S ueen
Q
Ground Floor Level
00 2 1
N
st t We tree
S ueen
Q 5 2
10m 5m
Second Floor Level
00 2 1
N
5 2
10m 5m
Strategy#3 - The Neuroplastic Building
The building will learn from the inhabitant and evolve accordingly over periods of time; eliciting the user’s stimulus through building variations and thus establishing dishabituation.
Tactic #1
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The building would be comprised of neuromorphic control systems that would be able to learn from the occupant and evolve in real-time.
BUILDING SKIN [acknlowedge user]
[low]
- BODY TEMP.
[high]
+ BODY TEMP.
[perceive’s need] [adapt]
EXPANSION
CONTRACTION
[occupant result]
+ STIMULUS
- STIMULUS
BUILDING STRUCTURE GROUPS
INDIVIDUAL
[perceive’s need] [adapt]
EXPANSION
CONTRACTION
[occupant result]
+ STIMULUS
- STIMULUS
[acknlowedge user]
Details
4.
4.
structure adjustable frames
hinge joint connection contraction
fibre-glass based fabric
hinge joint connection expansion 1.
‘foot’ hinge joint connection
2.
1.
3.
2.
second floor level
3.
ground floor level
1. structure - adjustable frames 2. double skin fibre-glass based fabric 3. ‘foot’ hinge joint 4. hinge joint exploded axonometric
Perspective Looking North-West
Perspective Looking North-East