The Richly Imagined Future

THE RICHLY IMAGINED FUTURE BY: MELIS TOKGOZ

TABLE OF CONTENTS Phase One: Design as Second Nature Values

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What is Nature?

How Do We Create to be Part of Nature?

A New Framework Case Studies Socially Responsible Design The Beddington Zero Energy Development Water Filtration Assistive Technology Assistive Technology: Prosthetics Assistive Technology: Braille Designs Requiring Improvement Fabrication in the Fast Fashion Industry Racial Steering in Urban Planning Opportunities

6 10 15 18 20 21 23 25 27 29 31 32 35 38

Phase Two: The New Relationship Between Individual and Objects

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Socially Responsible Design Plantalรกmparas Better Shelter The Hemafuse Star Apartments Designs Requiring Improvement The Fabrication of Mass-Produced Goods Racial Steering in Urban Planning The Unequal Distribution of Global Health Care

46 48 49 50 51 52 56 61 66

Phase Three: New Consumption Models and Social Responsible Enterprise Models

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New Consumption Models The Internet of Education Living Buildings Responsive Environments Adaptive Products A Truly Global Health Care System Social Responsible Enterprise Models Education Systems Education Systems: A New Model Wearable Assistive Technology Assistive Technology: A New Model Conclusion References

75 77 78 79 80 81 82 84 86 87 90 91 95

PHASE ONE

DESIGN AS SECOND NATURE VALUES

WHAT IS NATURE?

Ultimately, nature is a system that sustains itself. It is a system of organisms and ecosystems, all interacting with one another in a very intentional and coordinated way. Nature incorporates and gives function to all aspects of its design, including waste and disturbances.

Nature understands what every living organism requires to thrive while interacting with other organisms and systems. It takes responsibility for every component of every living system, and does its part in sustaining the environment.

However, many humans have created the notion that the environments and systems we create are not part of nature. These creations are seen as artificial, or man-made.Yet, humankind is part of nature and that can’t be denied. Thus, the things humans create, whether they are tangible products or designed systems, are part of nature as well.

The goal for this exploration is to define a set of values that sees Design as Second Nature. These values will represent a new and ideal framework; a framework in which design takes responsibility for every component of humankind, and systems interact in a way that sustains the planet. Just like nature.

HOW DO WE CREATE TO BE PART OF NATURE?

Responsible design values social progress that addresses the needs and experiences of all people, the effective protection of the environment, and maintaining stable levels of economic growth and development. Responsible design emphasizes justice, equality, sharing, sustainability, as well as recognizing the consequences of decisions and actions. It strives to solve problems through designing products, systems, environments, and futures that bring meaning and positive impact to the world.

Nature knows what an environment needs to thrive; it doesn’t assume. When we design, we can lose sight of what is truly good for our environment. Plastic is economical and interwoven into our current culture, yet is not particularity ecological. On the other hand, recycled paper products are ecological at first glance, but may have high-energy consumption and costs involved in their production (1).

These material choices are based on the assumption that they are good enough, when in fact they could be better. Responsible design understands its materials as well as their impact, and strives to make materials the best for their environment instead of creating based on false assumption.

Nature doesn’t work in isolation; it works within many systems and environments to create impact. Responsible design focuses on designing systems that joins elements of communication, product development, and the environment. Responsible design is a system that encompasses all areas of design, since no single area of design is sufficient enough to drive sustainable social development on its own.

Responsible design may take on any number of forms for intervention, education, or advocacy.

Nature is genuine, it solve problems with intention. It doesn’t use band-aid solutions that only solve problems temporarily. When we design, sometimes sustainability is used half-heartedly. Big corporations use sustainability as a branding tool or for public relations, but don’t really commit to developing an appropriate business model that actually promotes sustainability.Yet, sustainability without systematic change will always be hollow. Design in the interest of humanitarian aid can come from a very short-sighted and privileged place by attempting to solve the world’s most serious problems based on presumptions. Nature isn't presumptuous or hollow in its intentions, and neither is truly responsible design.

A NEW FRAMEWORK

This new, ideal framework aims to make design truly responsible, and address the needs and experiences of all people and the planet. Responsible design works to address the following:

Government

Social Inclusion

Design should create more efficient, responsive, and representative governments. Governments should eliminate any incidences or fear of crime, and ensure safety as well as human rights for all citizens.

Design should eliminate discrimination, social exclusion, and the denial of human rights based on gender, sexuality, race, class, wealth, education, ability, age, etc.

Economy

Community

Design should create economies that can sustain themselves, and don’t advocate or create poverty for any people.

Design should work towards building communities that partake in positive interaction and exchange both within their community, and with other communities.

Ecology

The Individual

Design should eliminate all waste and pollution from the planet. All environmental resources should be used in a way that doesn’t deplete them, and sustains the environment it is coming from.

Design should give all people their freedom, their human rights, and the ability to express themselves.

Design should ensure that no person has the ability to intervene with another person’s human rights.

Health

Education

Design should ensure that all people are given the right to health services, and are ensured safety.

There should be high quality delivery, resources, and patient experience for all health services.

Design should provide high quality education and educational resources to all people. Education should be used to break cycles of poverty, and as a self-improvement tool for everyone.

CASE STUDIES

In order to understand the current state of responsible design, it is important to research the consequences of adopting or not adopting socially responsible design through various case histories.

SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE DESIGN

THE BEDDINGTON ZERO ENERGY DEVELOPMENT The Beddington Zero Energy Development (BedZED) is a carbon emission-free housing and office development located in Hackbridge, London. The development was designed by architect Bill Dunster, and constructed between 2000 and 2002. It was designed to encourage protecting the environment and support a more sustainable lifestyle. Designed to be carbon neutral, it was the first large-scale community to create zero carbon emissions (2). Not only was the embodied energy of building materials and operational energy of residents considered, but the environmental impact from users outside of the building, such as users travelling and using transportation, was taken into consideration as well (3).

The development aims to use 100% renewable energy from sources generated on site, such as solar panels (4), and aims to be water efficient by collecting rainwater. The development sourced low impact materials that are renewable or recycled, and located within 50 miles (80 km) to minimize the energy required for transportation (5). The development also encourages eco-friendly transportation, such as public transportation, cycling, walking (6), and provides spaces for charging electric cars (7). BedZED also has a car-share scheme through a partnership with UK car share operator, City Car Club (4). Overall, the development aims for a high quality of life, with a strong sense of community.

Monitoring conducted in 2003 found that BedZED had achieved significant reductions in comparison to UK averages. Space-heating requirements were 88% less, hot-water consumption was 57% less, and the resident’s car mileage was 65% less. Mains-water consumption has been reduced by 50%, or 67% compared to a power-shower household (8).

The electrical power used, at 3 kilowatt hours per person per day, was 25% less than the UK average; 11% of this was produced by solar panels. (9)

A review of the BedZED development in 2010 drew mainly positive conclusions; residents and neighbours were largely happy. However, a few significant failures were highlighted. The biomass gasifier was no longer in operation, and a gas boiler was used instead due to technical problems. The ‘Living Machine’ water recycling facility was unable to clean wastewater efficiently. Residents were on average still leaving an ecological footprint of 1.7 planets, which is more than the target of 1.0 planet but much less than the UK average of 3 planets (10).

However, any reported failures should be seen as opportunities to further develop and improve sustainable technology. Overall, the project is ambitious, brave, and has been described as “perhaps the most influential of all housing projects this century" (11). The development has triggered more action and conversation on sustainable urban planning. While the development is unique to British climate and lifestyle, it can serve as an interesting model to learn from when designing developments unique to other geographical locations (3).

WATER FILTRATION Water filtration removes impurities from water by means of a physical barrier, a chemical process, or a biological process. Water filtration is an invention that has had huge impact in areas such as agricultural irrigation as well as health, sanitation, and attaining accessible drinking water.

Case Study: LifeStraw Personal and Family Half of the world’s poor suffer from waterborne diseases. Danish company Vestergaard Frandsen designed the LifeStraw to combat such diseases. The LifeStraw Personal is a portable water purifier that works as a straw to transform potentially contaminated water into drinkable water by the time it hits the user’s lips (12).

Following the success of the personal water purifier, the LifeStraw Family system was released.

The LifeStraw Family system provides instant, microbiological, point-of-use, in-home filtration that can produce up to 4,750 gallons (18,000 L) of clean water in its lifetime. On average, the system can produce 2.6 gallons (10 L) of clean water per hour. The LifeStraw Family system kills 99.999% of bacteria, 99.999% of viruses, and 99.999% of parasites. The system works on highly turbid water, which means it can be useful in both rural and dense urban contexts. It also has a high flow rate, uses no batteries or spare parts, is easy to clean, and maintain within the home. At $20 per unit, the system has a low cost compared to other point-of-use products with similar life cycles (12).

The LifeStraw Family system requires a bucket that can be hung up high, a tube that connects to a straw-like filtering tool, an integrated filtration system, pump, and tap to purify. It works by putting dirty water into the bucket, which then goes through the tube into the purification cartridge. Million of pores called capillary membranes then remove contaminants as the water goes through, and clean water flows through the tap. Collected dirt can then be released from the bottom of the cart, by squeezing the bulb after use (12).

A pilot study in the Democratic of Congo tested the LifeStraw Family system with 10 families who had limited access to safe drinking water. After one month of daily usage, the system showed no signs of damage or malfunction, and had flow rates of 0.25 gallon (1 L) in less than 5 minutes. The system was found to be easy to use, clean, maintain, and decreased incidents of diarrhea in families (12).

The Lifestraw Family system was created in alignment with the United Nations Millennium Development Goals for global health and poverty eradication, which aims to halve the number of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water by 2015. Both the LifeStraw Personal and Family demonstrate design for water safety and heath amongst communities in need (12).

ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY Assistive technology is assistive, adaptive, and rehabilitative devices for people with disabilities.

Assistive technology promotes greater independence by enabling people to perform tasks that they were formerly unable to accomplish or had difficulty accomplishing. It does so by providing enhancements to, or changing methods of interacting with, the technology needed to accomplish such tasks.

Case Study: Michael Graves Collection for Drive Medical In 2003, architect and designer Michael Graves was paralyzed from his midchest down after a virus destroyed nerves in his spinal cord. Instead of viewing his disability as debilitating, he saw an opportunity for design. Graves struggled with his own mobility and with the objects that were supposed to assist him, so his objective became to create mobility tools for people with disabilities that eased day-to-day life (12).

Graves partnered with medical equipment industry leader, Drive Medical, in order to create durable medical equipment. The products focus on ease of assembly, durability, intuitive use, and giving the user their privacy and independence. The products are aesthetically pleasing while addressing the medical needs of users. They incorporate details such as colour cues (orange is adjustability, blue is personal care), and focus on ergonomics as well as the user’s ease of motion (12).

The collection includes bath safety devices, walking aids, heating pads, and other tools for daily living. One product example is a collapsible walking stick that folds into a built-in nylon case for easy storage in a bag or purse, addressing the desire for portability and style (12).

Case Study: Enabling Devices Enabling Devices, a company founded by Steven E. Kanor, PhD, is committed to the development and distribution of educational and assistive devices for people with disabilities.

The devices are designed for the needs of those with autism, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, and other emotional and physical impairments to encourage communication, play, and development of motor skills. The devices use electromechanical systems such as capability switches and communicators, which both children and adults can benefit from (12).

The switches allow users to activate reactions such as lights, sounds, or a tactile response.

Activating an immediate effect gives the user the ability to better connect their own actions to consequent results, and a better understanding of their surroundings. People with autism or other physically challenging conditions can better understand cause-and-effect connections by relating their actions to changes in their physical environment. Many of the devices are wirelessly connected to distant receivers, while others are optimized for wheelchair users.

The communicators are assistive devices that can be used in the classroom or in the home.

They serve as creative learning and teaching tools that encourage expressive language and enable the building of cognitive skills. These devices give people who are nonverbal or speech impaired a voice, through buttons that trigger pre-recorded words and phrases, and through nonaural tools. A product example is the Phrase Maker Communicator, where cards depicting a word and image are paired with buttons. Once the user hits a button, a pre-recorded voice says the word. This allows the user to connect visual cues to construct full sentences (12).

Enabling Devices are an important line of products, as they give people with disabilities the chance to communicate, learn, work and play. These devices give users the ability to live more easily, efficiently, and enjoyably.

ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY: PROSTHETICS Prosthesis is an artificial device that replaces a missing body part, which may be lost through trauma, disease, or congenital conditions.

Before the 20th century, there were many improvements and progress in the development of prosthetic technology. However, it was during the 1980’s when socket technology for lower extremity limbs saw a revolution of advancement. John Sabolich C.P.O. invented the Contoured Adducted Trochanteric-Controlled Alignment Method socket, later to evolve into the Sabolich Socket (13). Prior to this, sockets were made in a square shape with no specialized containment for muscular tissue. The Intelligent Prosthesis was the first commercially available microprocessor controlled prosthetic knee. It was released in 1993 by Chas. A. Blatchford & Sons, Ltd., and made walking with the prosthesis feel and look more natural (14).

Case Study: Jaipur Foot The Jaipur Foot is a quick-fit, low-cost prosthesis for landmine victims, amputees, and people with disabilities in the developing world. The Jaipur Foot has been used in dozens of countries, such as Afghanistan, Honduras, India, Nigeria, and Vietnam (12).

Named after the first Indian city it was made in, the Jaipur Foot was designed by Ram Chandra Sharma and orthopaedic surgeon Dr. P.K. Sethi. With the original made in 1968, the Jaipur Foot was re-engineered and improved through multiple iterations and by using modern tools, new materials, biomechanics, and production facilities. The prosthesis is waterproof, flexible among multiple axes, can be worn with or without shoes, and accommodates a range of activities, cultures, and terrains. The form mirrors the form of a foot as closely as possible, and has realistic toes. Combined with the ability to flex, the Jaipur Foot allows for almost every normal foot movement, including dorsiflexion, inversion, eversion, supination, pronation, axil rotation (12).

The manufacturing process employs heated high-density polyethylene pipes for the outer socket, which yields a seamless, strong, inert, nontoxic, and biocompatible foot. The production often uses the craft skills and abilities of small local producers. Jaipur Foot requires minimal mechanical adjustments, and can be manufactured in a matter of hours. The product has a life span of three years, and can be fitted in one doctor’s visit. Jaipur Foot is distributed through a partnership with BMVSS, a social organization dedicated to improving mobility for people with disabilities. The prosthesis is fitted at sites set up temporarily by the organization in areas of need (12).

The Jaipur Foot is a viable and affordable solution for those who have lost mobility, and has helped close to one million amputees in countries affected by landmine problems (12).

ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY: BRAILLE Braille is a tactile writing system that be read with the fingers, and is used by people who are blind or have low vision. Braille is not a language, but rather a code that can be read and written in many languages. Braille symbols are formed within units of space called braille cells, which contain raised dots. The cells can be used to represent letters, numbers, punctuation marks, or even whole words. Braille can be written with the original slate and stylus, or typed on a braillewriter (15). Louis Braille, who lost his eyesight due to a childhood accident, was the inventor of Braille. In 1824, at the age of 15, Braille developed a code for the French alphabet as an improvement on night writing. In 1829, he published his system, which also included musical notation (16).

Today, Braille education remains important for developing reading skills among children and adults who are blind or have low vision. Braille is an invention that creates the opportunity for literacy, intellectual freedom, equal opportunity, employment and personal security.

Case Study: Tack-Tiles Braille System Only about 10% of children who are visually impaired have access to quality literacy education.

The Tack-Tiles Braille System was designed and produced by Kevin Murphy, who has a doctorate in parenting and disability studies, and a son who is blind. Tack-Tiles are Braille-based blocks that teach basic and advanced reading comprehension through tactile, interactive, and progressive learning (12).

The blocks have printed and raised Braille on their surfaces, and are based on the stackable properties of Lego. Each block represents a letter, number, syllable, punctuation mark, or word and is used in combination with other blocks. The blocks are placed atop a special board to create words, sentences, games, equations, musical compositions, and more. There is no right way to use the system, as it is a platform for personalized learning (12).

Tack-Tiles have been used since 1994 to aid students in every level of education, from elementary school to PhD programs. Teachers of students who are blind or visually impaired can use the highly applicable and sophisticated teaching tool. They are available in English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Nemeth Braille Code for mathematics, Braille for music notation, and computer Braille code. In it’s most advanced applications, the system can be used in college level chemistry and math courses to teach complex concepts such as quadratic equations (12).

Accessories such as Tack-Tiles Braille TEASER puzzle and the Tack-Tiles (Computer) KEYPAD for IntelliKeys have been added to the product line, in order to expand the reach of tools across disciplines and technologies (12).

DESIGNS REQUIRING IMPROVEMENT

FABRICATION IN THE FAST FASHION INDUSTRY Fast fashion is an industry where fashion retailers create mass amounts of cheaply produced clothing in order to capture current fashion trends (17). There is huge emphasis on optimizing certain aspects of the supply chain in order for products to be designed and manufactured quickly and inexpensively, allowing the mainstream consumer to buy current clothing styles at a lower price.

Fast fashion developed as a product-driven concept based on a manufacturing model referred to as “quick response”, which developed in the U.S. during the 1980’s (18). From there, it moved to a market-based model of “fast fashion” in the 1990’s and the first part of the 21st century. The nature of fast fashion is seen as disposable clothing produced for the mass-market at low prices. Fast fashion is responsible for many serious issues such as negative environmental impact, pollution, overconsumption, and the exploitation and poor working conditions of garment and factory workers.

Fast fashion persuades consumers to buy more items by using fads and planned obsolescence, which leads to overconsumption. Fast fashion retailers sell clothing that's expected to be disposed of after only being worn a few times (19), meaning old yet still wearable clothes are often thrown out for the sake of new fashion trends. This dramatically shortens the consumer’s buying cycle and the life span of the product. Americans are purchasing five times the amount of clothing than they did in 1980 (20), which means more and more garments are being created each season. The U.S. imports more than 1 billion garments annually from China alone (21), while textile consumption in the UK surged by 37% from 2001 to 2005 (22). The accelerated production rate, quick changing stocks, and extremely low price of fashion goods encourages overconsumption, increasing waste and environmental impact on the planet.

The mass amount of clothing being produced inevitably creates mass amounts of waste as well. In the U.S., the average household produces 70 pounds of textile waste every year (23), and roughly 10.5 million tons of textile waste nationwide. For example, the residents of New York City discard around 193,000 tons of clothing and textiles, which equates to 6% of all the city’s garbage (20). Meanwhile, the European Union generates a total of 5.8 million tons of textiles each year (24). While Americans donate or recycle around 15% of their unwanted clothing, this still means a large portion of textiles are ending up in landfills worldwide (20). As a whole, the textile industry occupies roughly 5% of all landfill space (23). The clothing that is discarded into landfills is often made from synthetic or inorganic materials, which prevents these textiles from being able to degrade properly (25). The accumulation of waste in landfills it is not the only environmental concern that the fast fashion industry creates.

Fast fashion thrives on a business model that pushes environmental boundaries by its mass production. One of the harmful environmental factors is the release of greenhouse gases into the air, due the use of heavy machinery and the global transportation of these products. Along with the release of hazardous gases, various pesticides and dyes are consistently being released into bodies of water (26).

Fast fashion also has a negative impact on the human rights of garment and factory workers due to child labour, low wages, exploitation, and dangerous working conditions. An example of such is the 2013 Rana Plaza collapse, which is considered the deadliest garment-factory accident in history, as well as the deadliest accidental structural failure in modern human history (27). On April 24th 2013, an eight-story commercial building named Rana Plaza collapsed due to a structural failure in the Savar Upazila of Dhaka, Bangladesh. The death toll was 1,130 (28), and approximately 2,500 injured people were rescued from the building alive (29). The building's owners had ignored warnings to avoid using the building after cracks had appeared the day before, and garment workers were ordered to return to work the following day (30).

Garment workers in the fast fashion industry also face the danger of chemical exposure.

Workers are exposed to dyes and chemicals, such as aluminum and copper sulfate, which could irritate skin, cause rashes, allergies or breathing problems. Other chemicals, such as potassium dichromate and tanning acid, are more dangerous and can cause cancer as well as other health problems (31).

There is also the issue of chemicals that linger in clothing. Formaldehyde, perfluorinated chemical (PFC), nonylphenol ethoxylate (NPE), p-Phenylenediamine (PPD), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and dioxin-producing bleach are among some of the chemicals that can be found in clothing, and have been shown to produce serious adverse health effects.

Dangerous chemicals can be found in found in children’s clothing, which is also highly concerning (31).

RACIAL STEERING IN URBAN PLANNING Throughout history, the U.S. has been defined by racially segregated neighborhoods. Up to the 1960’s, urban planning has been documented as one of the causes of racially segregated cities, due to having practiced early forms of racial steering. Urban planners have aided in the development of racially segregated neighborhoods through the establishment of zoning laws between World War I and World War II, and through the use of urban renewal between the 1940’s and 1960’s. After the 1960’s, the Civil Rights Movement played a big part on changing planning efforts to focus more on community development, rather than maintaining segregation. Although planning practices did change, the racial make-up of many neighborhoods did not (32). The cultural, social, and economic consequences of segregation still cause negative impact to communities today.

Another example is in 1898, when Ebenezer Howard observed congestion and pollution problems in London. In response, Howard developed a community model, which he called "garden cities", that would lessen congestion and pollution. These communities would be set up specifically for Caucasian upper-middle-class people, and would have quick railway access to serve as close economic links to other cities. There would also be enough economic activity within the boundaries of the community so that the majority of residents would not have to commute. Howard’s work went on to influence many parts of the United States (33). This sort of urban planning segregates certain classes and races, leaving problems like congestion and pollution to lower-income and minority communities.

Racial segregation from both the past and present create negative impact today. For example, racially segregated minority neighborhoods have been associated with having low academic achievement rates. Students in segregated schools serving minorities or low socioeconomic groups may receive a poor quality of education due to lower funding levels, inexperienced teachers, and reduced levels of resources that contribute to the student’s academic achievement. The peer and teaching interactions, as well as the learning climate of a school, can also be affected by being in a racially segregated neighbourhood. Once a school is experiencing the effects of racial segregation, it is difficult to reverse them (34).

When low-income communities are segregated from the rest of a city, poverty remains in a concentrated area. Thus, all other negative aspects associated with poverty, like crime, are also concentrated (35). By pushing low-income earners out of the community, the city is creating a large segregated area more susceptible to criminal activity. One method of segregation is through ‘gated communities’, which isolates communities with fences, bars, or erecting physical barriers. The spatial isolation of ‘gated’ segregation leads to social isolation, which results in 'ghetto' communities with high criminal activity (36).

Case Study: Racial Segregation in New York City Some of the highest segregation levels are in present-day New York City, where home ownership isn’t easy for minority communities. Manhattan is increasingly an urban center where only the high-income population is able to live, while middle-class and poor are pushed to the outer boroughs of the Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens. In the past, New York City Department of Housing officials have acknowledged routinely steering Black and Hispanic applicants away from largely Caucasian public housing projects. In addition, people of colour are more than three times as likely to hold subprime loans as non-minority communities. One in four homeowners with subprime mortgages are in Crown Heights and Bedford-Stuyvesant, which are predominantly Black neighborhoods in Brooklyn. This pattern of racial segregation in housing lays the groundwork for other forms of discrimination and inequality (37).

New York City has some of worst high school graduate rates in the U.S., with less than half earning a high school diploma. The low graduation rates reflect the disparities in spending on schools, since spending is more likely to go to schools with predominantly Caucasian neighbourhoods. For example, in suburban Manhasset (Long Island), where 80% of the students are Caucasian, the spending is over $20,000 per pupil. In New York City, where only 15% of students are Caucasian, the spending is $10,000 per pupil. While money does not guarantee a quality education, it can and does influence a variety of educational outcomes, like graduation rates and likelihood of going on to college (37).

The negative impact of underfunded education continues into employment opportunities.

Caucasian communities hold nearly 80% of New York City’s highest paying administrative and managerial job positions. The city’s workforce is 37% Black, 16% Latino, and 4% Asian.

However, collectively these communities only account for 19% of the total senior and executive staff of city agencies (37).

OPPORTUNITIES

Looking at the previous case studies, how can we take socially responsible design further to create more positive meaning and impact?

After researching innovations in sustainable urban planning, there are many opportunities to take our buildings and cities even further. What if the buildings we create could fully mimic our natural environments?

What if walls could breathe, and exist as a living organism? What if the floors themselves were natural environments, with growing ecosystems existing within them? What if the ceilings fully imitated the sun, and didn’t require electrical energy at all? What if our built environments could create as much new water as the waster they use? How can we further develop technology to completely eliminate use on non-renewable energy, and use natural resources in a way that doesn’t deplete them and lets the planet thrive?

Education plays an important role in the life of every human being.Yet many groups of people are socially excluded or denied the opportunity for quality education. What if every city, every community, and very person had access to an educational community hub filled with a variety of classes and resources. Every person would have the opportunity to receive education, explore new fields and areas of interests, have access to libraries, and develop job skills. This social and educational hub could serve as an equal opportunity for all people, and as a way out of poverty.

Through this project, various forms of assistive technology have been explored and researched. What if we lived in a world that didn’t require specialized equipment and technologies? Instead, our environments, resources and equipment morphed and shaped to every human being’s physical and emotional needs and preferences?

This would eliminate social exclusion, and give everyone equal opportunity in any given environment.

It is well known that the fast fashion industry creates huge environmental and social consequences. The amount of disposable clothing currently created in our world creates mass amounts of waste. What if the clothes we buy were more than just clothes? What if the clothes we bought were a new form of wearable technology, that could morph, shift, and change based on the ever-changing trends and preferences of the user and their world.

PHASE TWO

THE NEW RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN INDIVIDUAL AND OBJECTS

SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE DESIGN

Through the Design as Second Nature Values, the social responsibility of designs can be better understood. In Phase One, BedZED, water filtration, and various forms of assistive technology were introduced as socially responsible designs.

In Phase Two, socially responsible designs will continue to be recognized. Both the examples introduced in Phase One, and the examples introduced in Phase Two meet socially responsible objectives to a level of excellence.

PLANTALÁMPARAS The Universidad de Ingeniería y Tecnología (UTEC) created Plantalámparas, a lamp that runs on plant power and lights the small village of Nuevo Saposoa. The design was created in response to the pressing issue of geographical areas having no access to electricity. In the Peruvian jungle, approximately 42% of rural areas don't have electricity (38).

During photosynthesis, the plant's waste decomposes in the soil, producing electrons during oxidation. The UTEC team captures these electrons by using electrodes in the soil and storing it in batteries. This process can light LED bulbs for up to two hours (38).

BETTER SHELTER The Better Shelter is a temporary shelter created with refugees in mind, and has a focus on the needs of a family. Each shelter includes a solar panel and a lamp to provide light, and has an expected lifespan of three years. The shelter comes in flat packs, which means aid organizations can transport it efficiently and assemble it without tools (38).

Better Shelter teamed up with the United Nations refugee agency UNHCR and the IKEA Foundation to use the shelters in the countries where refugees need them the most, such as Greece (38).

THE HEMAFUSE In some developing countries, auto transfusions are performed with lacking resources or by using unsanitary methods, as the typical machinery and supplies used for auto transfusions are costly. To address this need, Sisu Global Health designed the Hemafuse, a low-cost, electricity-free product that makes the process of a blood transfusion simpler and more sanitary. The device can be used when patients hemorrhage blood during childbirth, making childbirth safer. It is a sterile method of reusing a patient’s blood during emergency situations (38).

It works like a hand-pump, sucking up blood and then passing it through a valve to a blood bag where it can be transfused. A filter removes clots and other particulates in the blood (38). The process of using the Hemafuse only takes about 10 minutes, and requires one doctor, making it an efficient method as well. The cost and business model of the device was also taken into consideration, so it would be financially sustainable in the developing world (39).

STAR APARTMENTS Star Apartments, located in Los Angeles, is a residential housing complex designed for the needs of people who are homeless. Star Apartments was designed by Michael Maltzan in collaboration with Skid Row Housing Trust, a local nonprofit. Star Apartments aims to avoid the notion of transient shelters. Rather, it functions more as a mini village than single building (40).

Star Apartments has 102 prefabricated studios, which are staggered into four terraced stories.

However, the design offers more than just housing; as there is a ground-floor medical clinic, a garden above that, an outdoor running track, and space for classrooms. The aim of the project was to make the residents, who were chosen by the county department of health services, feel “like they’re part of a dynamic and intimate community” (40). A strategy like this can help people who are struggling with homelessness and substance-abuse issues reestablish stability in their lives.

DESIGNS REQUIRING IMPROVEMENT

By using the Design as Second Nature Values, designed systems will be evaluated by their compatibility with the socially responsible values. This will identify which designed systems need improvement through the new framework. The designed systems that will be evaluated include designs previously introduced in Phase One, as well as new examples.

Each pillar of the framework will be identified with a different colour through the visual maps. The colour coding is as follows:

Government

Social Inclusion

Design should create more efficient, responsive, and representative governments. Governments should eliminate any incidences or fear of crime, and ensure safety as well as human rights for all citizens.

Design should eliminate discrimination, social exclusion, and the denial of human rights based on gender, sexuality, race, class, wealth, education, ability, age, etc.

Economy

Community

Design should create economies that can sustain themselves, and don’t advocate or create poverty for any people.

Design should work towards building communities that partake in positive interaction and exchange both within their community, and with other communities.

Ecology

The Individual

Design should eliminate all waste and pollution from the planet. All environmental resources should be used in a way that doesn’t deplete them, and sustains the environment it is coming from.

Design should give all people their freedom, their human rights, and the ability to express themselves.

Design should ensure that no person has the ability to intervene with another person’s human rights.

Health

Education

Design should ensure that all people are given the right to health services, and are ensured safety.

There should be high quality delivery, resources, and patient experience for all health services.

Design should provide high quality education and educational resources to all people. Education should be used to break cycles of poverty, and as a self-improvement tool for everyone.

THE FABRICATION OF MASS-PRODUCED GOODS In Phase One, the fast-fashion industry was used an example case study demonstrating the negative impact of fabricating mass-produced goods. However, fast-fashion isn’t the only industry that relies on heavy fabrication. Rather, most product manufacturing does. Such heavy fabrication causes detrimental impact both environmentally and socially. Environmental consequences include large amounts of pollution, as we as the extreme use of the planet’s resources. Social consequences include the working conditions of factory workers, and the health concerns of products.

Environmental Consequences

Fabrication Involved in Mass-Production

Social Consequences

Resource Use

Pollution

Environmental Consequences

Fabrication Involved in Mass-Production

Chemicals in Products

Social Consequences

Factory Workers

Planned Obsolescence

Metals Cotton Resource Use

Energy Water Chemicals

Pollution

Greenhouse gases Dyes

Environmental Consequences

Pesticides Fabrication Involved in Mass-Production

Chemicals in Products

Landfills

Consumer safety

Social Consequences

Factory Workers

Poverty Social development Poor policies

Planned Obsolescence

Product durability

Metals Cotton Resource Use

Manufacturing Energy Transportation Water Chemicals

Pollution

Greenhouse gases Dyes

Environmental Consequences

Pesticides Fabrication Involved in Mass-Production

Chemicals in Products

Landfills

Consumer safety

Social Consequences

Human rights Factory Workers

Poverty Dangerous work Social development Child labour Poor policies Chemical exposure

Planned Obsolescence

Product durability

Waste

RACIAL STEERING IN URBAN PLANNING As discussed in Phase One, racial steering in urban planning has been practiced throughout history. While planning practices in many geographical locations may have changed, the cultural, social, and economic consequences of this systematic segregation continue to cause negative impact today. Minority groups and low-income communities have been subjected to living in areas with concentrated poverty, which has led to negative consequences in education, health, crime, and government.

Social Exclusion

Racial Steering in Urban Planning

Concentrated Poverty

Lack of Funding

Community

Racial Steering in Urban Planning

Social Exclusion

Morale

Concentrated Poverty

Concentrated Crime

Lack of Funding

Education System

Health Care

Other communities Community Within community

Racial Steering in Urban Planning

Social Exclusion

Morale

Crime

Concentrated Poverty

Concentrated Crime

Government

Lack of Funding

Education System

Employment

Lack of resources Health Care Lack of practitioners

Other communities Community

Schools Within community Hospitals

Racial Steering in Urban Planning

Social Exclusion

Morale

Crime

Concentrated Poverty

Concentrated Crime

Government

Lack of Funding

Education System

Employment

Lack of resources Health Care Lack of practitioners

Economy

Government

THE UNEQUAL DISTRIBUTION OF GLOBAL HEALTH CARE Inequalities in the resources and delivery of health care drastically scar the world’s health landscape. Unequal development in health care amongst different countries isn’t a socially responsible design, and is a common danger for all of humankind. The 2003 World Health Report revealed that a baby born in Afghanistan is 75 times more likely to die before they are five years old than a child born in Iceland or Singapore. Life expectancy at birth in Sierra Leone is less than half than it is in Japan. The antiviral drugs routinely prescribed to people with HIV/AIDS in higher-income countries have greatly extended and improved life for many.

However, for the estimated 4.1 million people in sub-Saharan Africa in urgent need of such drugs, fewer than 2% have access to them (41).

This is due to many developing countries having inadequate health systems that require large amounts of improvement in order to be effective. They often lack medicines, resources, and practitioners able to treat chronically ill patients; who may require years or decades of treatment. For example, there are only four oncologists in Ethiopia, which is a country of some 97 million people (42). Many of these countries are also lacking health practitioners and professionals in relation to their population. According to the World Health Organization, close to 60 countries currently have less than 23 health workers for every 10,000 people.

Worse yet, 13 developing countries have less than one hospital per million people. These ratios are expected to get even worse in 2045 when the world’s population is projected to exceed 9 billion (43).

Many developing countries face a “dual burden� of disease: they must continue to prevent and control infectious diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS (42), while also addressing the health threats from non-communicable illnesses, such as heart disease, stroke, and injuries (44). Many of these health systems need more focus on non-communicable diseases and injuries, as it is an expanding burden in low-middle income countries (41). There is a need for greater focus on substance abuse disorders (44) and on mental health, as depression is a major factor holding down progress in the developing world (45). These health systems also lack vital health education. Diseases and conditions such as HIV, obesity and malnutrition can be fought in part by simply taking the time to educate people on the importance of self-awareness, safety and proper sanitation (43).

The problem of inadequate health systems arises from various factors. With 1.4 billion people living on $1.25 a day, poverty and poor economies is a major factor in global health (45).

Lacking health systems are clearly not getting the funding required to thrive, compared to the higher-income countries that do. Sub-Saharan Africa alone accounts for 24% of the global disease burden even though only 11% of the world’s population lives there. However, according to World Bank figures, Sub-Saharan Africa receives only 1% of global health expenditures. The World Health Organization estimates that basic health care would cost $35 to $40 per person in Sub-Saharan Africa, yet half of all health care in the region is paid for out-of-pocket by desperately poor patients (45).

Lack of funding is major economic issues. In some places, health care becomes cheap, low-quality, second-rate health services for poor people (41). Some countries, including China, have limited forms of government-run insurance. If countries like these could develop a better social safety net that could protect civilians against illness, the country could begin to support a more vibrant consumer market. Growing consumer spending, in turn, could energize and flourish these economies (45).

The spending on preparedness for infectious diseases and global pandemics is also of concern.

Although the number of pandemic outbreaks such as SARS and Ebola has been increasing, the World Bank projects that less than a third of the $3.4 billion needed to maintain a strong, but not excellent, pandemic preparedness system has been committed. Also, according to the World Health Organization, donor countries have only spent $3 billion of the $6 billion needed to maintain the health of the public globally (43).

Concerns in social development also deter health systems from thriving. Overpopulation and areas with high pollution have a huge impact on the health of a nation. Literacy and education, as well as women’s rights and education also play a huge part in improving health systems.

There are also other social factors and demographic changes, such as an emerging middle class in many countries. This means the demand for health care is expected to rise rapidly in many countries that are not yet prepared to provide a strong health system (45). The lack of a country’s infrastructure affects the delivery and access of health care services. Without roads, power, clean water and basic health care providers, medicines and life-saving treatment simply can't reach patients who need them (45). The issue of armed conflict in some developing countries also acts a barrier from receiving sufficient health care (41).

Hunger also has large impact on a country needing health care, as hunger and disease are intricately connected. It’s estimated that more than 800 million people worldwide still suffer from chronic hunger, and as many as 25,000 die from malnutrition and related diseases every day. Lack of food and water are detrimental. There are also the issues of animals getting diseases and passing into food, and agricultural productivity. With demographic factors like an expected growing population, the pressures on the world’s food supply will continue to intensify. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that global food demand in 2050 will require a 60% increase in agricultural production. According to the World Wildlife Fund, the renewable resources we’re already using each year take 1.5 years to regenerate (46).

Lack of professionals able to treat chronic illnesses

Lack of professionals in relation to population

Lack of medicine

Inadequate or Lacking Health Systems

Lack of resources

Need more focus on mental health, substance abuse, and injuries

Lack of health education

Dual burden of infectious diseases and non-communicable illnesses

Lack of professionals able to treat chronic illnesses

Economics and Poverty

Lack of professionals in relation to population Lack of Infrastructure Lack of medicine

Inadequate or Lacking Health Systems

Lack of resources

Hunger

Need more focus on mental health, substance abuse, and injuries Social Development Lack of health education

Dual burden of infectious diseases and non-communicable illnesses

Armed Conflict

Lack of spending Lack of professionals able to treat chronic illnesses

Economics and Poverty

Cheap, low quality

Lack of roads

Lack of professionals in relation to population

Lack of power Lack of Infrastructure

Lack of medicine

Lack of practitioners Lack of water Close link to disease

Inadequate or Lacking Health Systems

Lack of resources

Hunger

Food production Food safety

Need more focus on mental health, substance abuse, and injuries

Literacy, education Social Development

Health education Women’s rights

Lack of health education

Overpopulation Dual burden of infectious diseases and non-communicable illnesses

Pollution Armed Conflict

Rising population

Lack of professionals able to treat chronic illnesses

Economics and Poverty

Lack of spending

Lack of prepared-

Cheap, low quality

Limited insurance Corporate services

Lack of roads

Lack of professionals in relation to population

Lack of power Lack of Infrastructure

Lack of medicine

Inadequate or Lacking Health Systems

Lack of resources

Lack of practitioners

Can’t reach patients

Lack of water

Hunger

Close link to disease

Issues in energy

Food production

Issues in agriculture

Food safety Need more focus on mental health, substance abuse, and injuries Social Development Lack of health education

Literacy, education

Self awareness

Health education

Safety

Women’s rights

Sanitation

Overpopulation Dual burden of infectious diseases and non-communicable illnesses

Pollution Armed Conflict

Rising population

Economy

PHASE THREE

NEW CONSUMPTION MODELS AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBLE ENTERPRISE MODELS

NEW CONSUMPTION MODELS

Using the Design as Second Nature Values, new consumption models and scenarios can be designed. In this component of the project, design objectives and consumption models have been developed for potential designed systems and consumption scenarios.

THE INTERNET OF EDUCATION Objective To give every city, every community, and every person access to worldwide educational community hubs that are filled with a variety of classes and resources. The aim is to give every human equal opportunity in receiving an education, exploring new fields and areas of interests, access to libraries, and the ability to develop job skills. These centers would be the focus of every community, and serve as tool for eradicating poverty and overall self-improvement in an ideal world.

Model These centers will be government and public funded, and the prime focus of every community.

All data, information, resources and courses will be shared through a virtual database, giving every hub around the world access to a global educational library.

LIVING BUILDINGS Objective To create building materials and methods that allows buildings to be equally part of nature. A true form of biomimicry, these built environments are a part of the natural environments they reside in. These new buildings aim to mimic our natural ecosystems, and act as a part of living organism that produces natural resources. The ideal aim is to create built environments that don’t take from nature; but are a continuation of nature and can sustain themselves.

Model The new materials, technologies, and methods of building will create environments that incorporate lighting completely generated form the sun. All forms of energy will be human, plant, water, or wind powered. The use of water both for building and by the residents would be replenished as the environment itself could create new clean water. These environments could foster living ecosystems, and promote a better sense of community; both between humans as well as improve the relationship between humans and nature.

RESPONSIVE ENVIRONMENTS Objective Rather than an individual having to change to interact with a space, the space morphs to every individual's needs. Environments and the resources/equipment in them morph and shape to every human being that interacts with it. These environments adapt to each human’s physical and emotional needs and preferences. The aim is to avoid making humans feels like they have to change or alter themselves to fit in an environment, and eliminate social exclusion. This gives every human equal opportunity in any given environment.

Model Using future emerging sensory technologies and virtual realties, environments will be built in way that can sense every human being’s body and their needs. Instead of the current method of building, which is rigid and oftentimes requires the user to adapt.

ADAPTIVE PRODUCTS Objective Products change as the user’s preferences and global trends change. The aim is for user to buy less physical products, but rather more complex and meaningful products that have the ability to grow and change.

Model Products will be designed and manufactured using new technologies that makes all products constantly changing and learning, rather than being rigid tangible objects. These self-evolving tools can shift and change as often as the world does. This model could be applied to clothing, furniture, home appliances, and any other product design. The result is the focus on fabrication and manufacturing shifting to the technological and software development of these adapting products.

A TRULY GLOBAL HEALTH CARE SYSTEM Objective A system that addresses global inequalities in health care and lets quality health be accesses by everyone regardless of gender, sexuality, race, wealth, education, ability, age, etc.

Model The model for a truly global health care system follows The Internet of Education model. Hospitals and medical centers would be available in every community. This would be funded through governing bodies as well as communally on a global scale; the information and resources of every hospital would be connected to one another. A digital database would help transport resources and information across hospitals and medical centers worldwide. When doctors are ill equipped to treat rare medical conditions, they would be able to access medical information and resources worldwide. They would be able to compare genes, other similar cases, and essentially revolutionize the treatment of diseases

SOCIAL RESPONSIBLE ENTERPRISE MODELS

In this component of the project, current systems and enterprises will be studied with the objective of measuring the value of their output. From there, new models that produce these values to a level of excellence will be developed and designed.

EDUCATION SYSTEMS Education is vital to humankind. It can be used as a tool for self-improvement, to break the break the cycle of poverty, and to create a sense of stability. However, the world still faces huge illiteracy rates, and large population of people with low reading levels. (47) Education is also important in removing gender exclusion from many societies, and giving equal opportunity to all people. Many initiatives have shown efforts in closing the gender gap in the education system. 10x10 is a social action campaign that includes a feature film, Girl Rising, that uses the power of storytelling and the leverage of strategic partnerships to deliver a single message: “Educating girls in developing nations will change the world.” The campaign was launched by a team of former ABC New journalists in association with The Documentary Group and Paul Allen’s Vulcan Productions, as well being funded primarily by Intel (48).

Another example is Girls Who Code, a project that teaches computer science and coding to high-school girls by matching them up with a female mentor from a tech company. The organization has its vision set on training over 1 million girls by 2020 (48).

Education systems vary from country to country, and it is important to analyze these differences in order to understand the various ideas of what an ideal educational system is.

When it comes to funding and finances, American universities are known for costly fees in tuition and living expenses for a student in a post-secondary institution. On the other hand, countries such as Germany got rid of university fees entirely. Germany’s choice to eliminate fees was to give all Germans, regardless of their financial situation, access to higher education.

While this does mean post-secondary schools in Germany may have fewer luxuries than their U.S. counterparts, equal accessibility to education was deemed more valuable. (47)

During the 1960’s in Northern Europe, the “forest kindergarten” model was popularized. This education model gives young children unstructured playtime in a natural setting, as it is believed that the free play develops young children’s natural curiosity and prepares them for learning better than sitting in a classroom. Recently, forest kindergartens have begun to emerge in the U.S. (47) On the other hand, low pay and low autonomy have long made it difficult for American schools to recruit and keep talented teachers. American schools also favour standardized testing as a means of measuring student success. Finland, on the other hand, has moved towards greater teacher freedom in the past several decades. Highly trained and well-respected teachers are given generous latitude to help their students learn in the way they feel is best. This leads to very little standardized testing and no punishments for failing to meet specific standards. As a result, Finnish schools consistently rank among the best in the world. (47) Some education systems use technology in innovative ways to engage students. At the GEMS Modern Academy in Dubai, classrooms and labs are connected by a super-high-speed fiber optic network and science lessons are delivered on a 3D platform. 3D learning is found to draw student attention, and can help make abstract concepts easier to grasp. (47)

EDUCATION SYSTEMS: A NEW MODEL Ideally, a new model for an education system makes education accessible to everyone regardless of gender, sexuality, race, wealth, education, ability, age, etc. This new system incorporates the hubs mentioned in The Internet of Education model. First and foremost, this education system will not have a fee, as costs create detrimental exclusion from receiving an education. Rather, these centers will be a primal focus in funding, both communally and through government initiatives. When it comes to teaching itself, standardized testing won’t be the only factor for determining success. Any type of student can select through variety of methods of determining their success, whether it be linguistic, logical, mathematical, artistic, musical, intrapersonal, interpersonal, kinetic, or spatial.

By incorporating The Internet of Education model these centers would use a global database of educational resources, promoting a more communal, peer-to-peer sense of teaching and learning. A tool as powerful as this could eradicate poverty by creating more jobs and more people qualified to do them. Essentially, a world with completely accessible, high quality education utilizes the most of human intelligence, and will produce the highest variety of positive innovations and innovators.

This model can also have a positive impact on health care. A global database for resources and information could also connect all hospitals and medical centers, ensuring that everyone on the planet, regardless of where they live, can receive a quality health care.

WEARABLE ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY When assistive technology meets wearable technology, innovations that ease day-to-day life and remove social exclusion can be created. For example, a group of students at the University of Washington created a startup to produce Dot, an affordable Braille smartwatch.

When wearing Dot, users can check the time, read incoming text messages or tweets, and even e-books (49).

The face of the Dot smartwatch consists of four cells with six active dots, which rise and fall to produce the four Braille characters. The rate at which the watch displays new characters can be calibrated to meet the user’s reading speed. Dot is designed to pair with a Bluetooth-enabled phone. When a text message arrives on the phone, the app translates it to Braille and sends it to Dot, which vibrates. Then the pins rise and fall to relay the characters.

When Dot isn't translating text, it presents the time. Other Dot features include an alarm and notifications. Initial tests show Dot should last about five days between charges (49).

According to the World Health Organization, an estimated 285 million people around the world are visually impaired. The National Federation of the Blind reports that only 10% of students who are blind in the United States are learning to read Braille. In an effort to improve literacy, users wearing Dot will also be able to learn to read Braille. The smartwatch will include a phone app that will pronounce a letter, which will appear on the watch in Braille (49).

Daniil Frants designed the Live-Time Closed Captioning System, in order to assist people who are hearing impaired with communicating while many are indeed practiced lip readers, only 30-40% of English can be understood through watching the mouth. Much of spoken English occurs without lip movement, while many sounds, such as ‘b’ and ‘p,’ look identical. This leaves many hearing-impaired people at a loss when communicating with the hearing. The Live-Time Closed Captioning System (LTCCS) instantly turns speech into scrolling text displaying on a tiny screen clipped to a pair of glasses. LTCCS’s founders say it “restores the user's ability to engage in a naturally flowing conversation” (50).

Frants created a system built from existing or modified parts; a Raspberry Pi microcomputer, a voice recognition system and a display adapted from one he spotted on an online technology forum. The user wears a microphone, which is connected to the microcomputer. The microcomputer picks up sounds and translates them to text using the voice recognition software, then sends them up to the display in a pair of glasses (50).

Another example is ReSound LiNX, a made-for-iPhone hearing aid that launched globally at the 2014 Mobile World Congress. It's a Bluetooth-enabled device that allows the wearer to adjust sound settings from his or her smartphone; the hearing aid also records data using the ReSound app. The wearer can personalize his or her experience, such as enabling location-specific volume settings (51).

In 2012, a team of undergrads at Florida International University's Discovery Lab began developing Telebot, a six-foot-tall, 75-pound robotic prototype to eventually help disabled police officers and military personnel serve as patrol officers. Combining telepresence and robotics, an individual uses Oculus Rift, a motion-tracking vest, armbands and motion-sensing gloves to control the Telebot remotely (51).

The variety of innovations in wearable assistive technology is unceasing. Juliano Pinto, a 29-year-old paraplegic man, gave the first kick of the 2014 World Cup with the help of a mind-controlled robotic exoskeleton. Created by a team led by Miguel Nicolelis, a professor at Duke University, the invention uses electrodes to convert brain waves into physical movements. Under the nonprofit Walk Again Project, Nicolelis and the other scientists hope the robotic body suit will allow paralyzed people to eventually forego wheelchairs completely (51).

ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY: A NEW MODEL What if the focus wasn’t on wearable technology, but the environments themselves? The innovations used in wearable assistive technology could instead focus on responsive and adaptive environments. As mentioned in the Responsive Environments model, these environments would aim to address the needs of every user that interacts with the environment. By using future sensory technologies as well as virtual and augmented realities, these built environments will sense a user’s physical and mental needs. This will have great impact socially, as it will eliminate people having to change for or avoid certain environments and experiences.

These responsive environments can also have impact on the environmental and health. Using the ideas mentioned in the Living Buildings model, these new technologies could also mimic the natural ecosystems they reside in through biometric design. They could potentially produce natural resources and sustain themselves, or have health-boosting features embedded into the environments.

CONCLUSION

Overall, the overarching theme of a richly imagined future is connectivity. As mentioned earlier, responsible design has a lot in common with nature. Nature is a system; a community of organisms that understands what it needs to thrive, and acknowledges every part of its design. Its time we designed the same way.

The proposed designs that have emerged from this project are a global database of resources connecting communal institutions such as educational centers and hospitals, as well as built environments that adapt and truly understand the interactions of its users. Through this project, these potential designed systems have been evaluated in terms of their impact on education, health care, the environment, societies, and communities.

Through these big ideas, we can live and interact in an interconnected way that promotes communities who look out for one another. It is important that communities understand what the other needs to thrive, just like nature does. When communities are interconnected and supporting one another, they can become a system that sustains itself and continues to flourish.

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