Nearchou George

RLD George Nearchou

“New Media create new spaces; new spaces in turn create new architecture” Douglas Tong Hsu, 2001

Acknowledgements

I am sincerely and heartily grateful to my supervisor, Toby Shew, for the invaluable support and guidance he offered me throughout this academic year. The realisation of this study would have not been possible without his endless influential creativity. Moreover, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Professor Igea Troiani who has always been supportive and inspirational to me.

What is more, I am obliged to my colleagues, Ileana Liaskovitis, Eleftherios Kanakaris and Francesco Miniati for their support, the endless discussions and productive criticism regarding my study.

Moreover, I would like to thank my parents and my sister - Andreas Savvas, Niki Savva Melathniou and Elena Nearchou - for supporting every decision I have made and helping me through every phase of my life.

Last but not least, I would like to express my appreciation to my girlfriend, Antia Pericleous, for all her support and understanding, and for helping me being motivated and focused on what I do.

Preface

This book is a product of research for the needs of the Research Led Design specialisation (part of MArchD Applied Design in Architecture) at Oxford Brookes University, during the academic year 2011/2012. For the implementation of this study, the research problem has been approached intellectually as well as through design, in order to attain the best possible outcome.

The purpose of this book is to provide the reader with a clear understanding of the potentials and possibilities that will unravel when Mixed Reality is applied in architecture, as well as how Mixed Reality can be used as an additional tool or service that can enhance the experience of an architectural space. What is more, a demonstration of how Mixed Reality can become an additional layer of architecture is available; this can be considered as an initial approach to the research problem, which can be used as a starting point or as an inspiration for further development.

This book provides a holistic multidisciplinary approach to the topic, so that it can be read by architects, designers, and amateur enthusiasts that are interested in the impact of architecture by contemporary digitally driven technologies without any prior knowledge or experience in the field of Mixed Reality.

In the first section of this book - namely ‘Introduction’ - the reader is provided with some introductory text, in order to comprehend the approach of this study towards the research problem. Moreover, the research problem and the perspective of the author, as well as the methodology used for the research, will thoroughly be delineated.

In the second section, a literature review, which identifies findings from other researchers, is available. This section also informs the reader about the up-to-date general background, on which this study relies.

Following is a section, whereby the author attempts to create correlations and critically approach matters, such as experience, Experiential Design, Mixed Reality, real and virtual, and Mixed Reality in architecture. Finally, the design, which has been developed through and informed by this research, will be demonstrated, analysed and justified.

A

era

Moving to the new era of reality

At the beginning of the virtual revolution, the virtual world had been considered as a reality that existed in parallel with real life, but with the two having no connection to one other. It was perceived as another space, which could be entered using only the appropriate technologies. That virtual world was called Cyberspace (William Gibson, 1982).Thirteen years later, Dunne and Raby(1995 :61) challenged Gibson’s Cyberspace with the idea of a reality that exists in real life, and which allows for exploration of new situations arising in physical space; instead of a reality you can inhabit, and which exists as abstract digital ‘space’(Dunne and Raby 1995:61).

“Dunne and Raby’s article seemed to challenge the Gibsonian dematerialised cyberspace by attempting to make the invisible electromagnetic climates of digital technology tangible in real physical spaces, reversing the idea that cyberspace was something ‘out there’ or part of another world and reminding the reader of their embodied existence” Dade-Robertson (2011:84)

Introduction

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After this dramatic change of perspective regarding Cyberspace, the virtual world has become a ‘reality’ that complements the physical world and in more recent times, augmenting digital information in the physical world. In 1996(155), William Mitchell foresaw that “physical settings and virtual venues will function interdependently, and will mostly complement each other within transformed patterns of urban life rather than substitute within existing ones”, while in 2003 (129) he suggested that, “...physical space and cyberspace had actually become locked in an intricate, mutually transforming embrace, with functions shifting and dividing between the two in complex ways.” Also, because of the change of perspective regarding cyberspace as something complementing the physical world, “by the early 2000, bits had returned from cyberspace. They had gone on location in the material world”, as witnessed by Dade-Robertson (2011). Through these major changes regarding the perception of the virtual world, it is apparent that the ‘virtual’ is joining the real, complementing or even clashing with it.

As a result of this shift regarding the boundary between real and virtual, materials in the physical world are being enriched with information from the virtual world. For example, a wall painted white can be perceived as a brick wall, after the appropriate augmentation has been applied on it. Moreover, the phenomenology of physical spaces is altered by the introduction of virtual elements in the real physical space. As a result, these alterations on the physical space can be considered as an architectural issue, which must be addressed when designing a physical space that would utilise Mixed Reality.

fig. 2 - snapshots taken from the video: “Microstoft Vision Office Labs 2019”

Introduction

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vision

Reality based on Microsoft’s vision 2019

Microsoft has recently published a series of videos demonstrating their technological vision for the near future (2019). In these videos, technological advancements allow the everyday user to have superimposed real-time information regarding his/her surroundings, as well as other useful information.

Such examples include: surfaces, which convey digital information, and which interact with the user as well as allow the user to communicate with other people, and holograms and three dimensional augmentations of objects, which introduce new possibilities from the virtual world in the real world.

Microsoft’s vision is to bridge the gap between the real world and the virtual world, which will result in the benefits of sharing information, as well as the interaction among people and objects, despite the distance that may separate them.

Taking into consideration the Microsoft Vision for 2019, and assuming that those technologies to support Mixed Reality will be available by that time, it is rather unlikely that the built environment will not be affected by them. Moreover, not only Microsoft has this Vision, but similar goals have been set by other leading technological companies as well. Additionally, several technological innovations, which can

(Mixed Reality Environments).

As already mentioned, the achievement of such technologies will have an impact on the built environment; therefore, the role of the architect will change, and in effect, Architects will have to find the way to exploit other realities along with the “real” reality.

So, in the present study, these realities will be approached from an architectural perspective rather than a technological one.

fig. 3 - snapshots taken from the video: “Microstoft Vision Productivity 2019”.

already contribute to the implementation of Mixed Environments, have appeared

future

The invasion of the Virtual

Year 2019_Architectural space has become ‘alive’! It can interact with the user, respond to climate changes, respond to user movement, etc. Architectural Space can now be experienced in a more dynamic and synchronous way than it had ever been experienced before. The boundaries between real and virtual have become blurred; they have almost disappeared.

fig. 4 - Tron Legacy. City concept. by Shelest (2009)

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Conventional materials now have different properties, different meanings and different uses. They can create different emotions and a different sense of space from what they used to, for thousands of years.

Holograms interact with the real environment; ‘smart’ surfaces allow you to experience other realities synchronously and interactively; ‘smart’ materials respond to your needs and learn from you while you are interacting with them.

Nothing can be taken for granted anymore; new elements have invaded conventional space; virtual objects are being manipulated as if they were real, while real objects are becoming responsive in another reality.

Time is no longer an unmanageable dimension; time can be paused. Navigation of time now is available, in some realities… What is considered real is not only the ‘real reality’, but rather, all realities carry truths and lies in their own respects.

The introduction of Mixed Reality has significantly changed the field of Architecture; not only the way we define or perceive architecture, but also the way Architects design.

Moreover, architectural space has been penetrated by other realities, which have altered the experience of architectural space as we knew it ten years ago.

Research question: How will the introduction of Mixed Reality in museums affect the role of the architect in the near future?

The purpose of this study is to provide possible scenarios as well as solutions, and demonstrate how the introduction of Mixed Realities in museums will affect the role of the architect in the near future. Moreover, the aim of the present study is to create an understanding on how Mixed Reality will be used as an architectural element and to propose a new drawing typology - the ArMR as I named it - to design Mixed Environments.

What is more, this study will examine the alterations caused on experience by the introduction of Mixed Reality in museums, and more specifically, in History museums. The reason for focusing on History museums in particular is because this type of museum will benefit the most out of Mixed Reality, as the past will be available to explore in a synchronous situation.

Furthermore, the purpose of this study is to highlight and amplify the cultural and educational impact on the visitor. In other words, the study will focus on how the participant becomes educated by and aware of the context of the museum, through digitally driven technologies.

Introduction

Sub-Problems:

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Additionally to the main research question, other noteworthy questions have arisen regarding this study, its approach and implementation.

Questions such as: - ‘How will the architect design the user experience using Mixed Reality?’, - ‘How will the architect design the Mixed Reality?’ , - ‘How will the architect represent Mixed Reality in architectural drawings?’, have been identified as sub-problems, which have assisted the process and development of this very study, especially the part of the design.

Moreover, issues concerning materiality, limitations/constraints and perspective are crucial for the nature of this study and have to be addressed for the purpose of this project. These issues will be addressed either theoretically or through design experimentation/exploration.

Area of study:

This study will attempt to provide a theoretical framework for the use of Mixed Reality in Architecture, and primarily in a specific building typology –the History Museum. In addition, it will focus on how the experience of a user in a museum may be improved by the use of Mixed Reality, in the near future.

This study will not focus on technologies that may support Mixed Reality, but it will rather approach Mixed Reality as a concept. In other words, it will not attempt to devise a Mixed Environment with appropriate technologies that may support Mixed Reality.

fig. 5 - Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, Spain The Guggenheim Museum designed by Frank Gehry is one of the earliest and most popular examples of CAD/CAM buildings. A building which would be impossible to built without CAD/Cam technology.

fig. 6 - BIM Illustration of Building Information Modelling (BIM) file including structural information model, energy efficiency diagrams etc.

Introduction

Rationale:

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Mixed Reality will become a significant part of architecture in the near future. Technologies will be available and easily accessible -as briefly mentioned in the section ‘Reality based on Microsoft’s vision 2019’- and Mixed Reality will become an additional issue for the architect to deal with.

Architecture has always been affected by various revolutions and the new technologiesintroduced by them. Technologies like electricity, elevators, escalators, motion sensor light switches and several more, have been embodied in the building and the architectural process. Mixed Reality will definitely become part of numerous building typologies in the near future.

Moving from the Industrial Revolution to the Virtual Revolution (or Information Age), changes in the way we build have yet again occurred. CAD/CAM (Computer Aided Design/Computer Aided Manufacturing, fig. 5) allow for the building of complex geometries that were impossible to build before. Building Information Modelling (BIM, fig. 6) provides so much data and allows for the prediction of possible anomalies and difficulties in the construction process, as well as enables the simulation of buildings, with the benefit of testing their performance with great accuracy, thus allowing for changes on design to make it more efficient. Considering the rapid improvement of digitally driven technologies over the last decade (2000s), - technologies that allow for augmentation of information in particular, and the introduction of Mixed Reality in the reasonable phys-

fig. 7 - BMW AR drivining assistant

fig. 8- BMW AR mechanic assistant

fig. 9 - Grocery shopping application

Introduction

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ical space in general - , it is easy to assume that the built environment will be immensely affected by them; not to mention the tendency of the virtual world to occupy real space.

Mixed Realities - and especially Augmented Reality - can be met in a wide range of industries with various applications. Examples have been demonstrated in the automotive industry, employing mixed realities to assist in the operation of a vehicle (fig. 7), or to assist professionals in the maintenance and repair of the mechanical parts of it (fig. 8).

More examples are available in the industry of telecommunications (fig. 9 - 13), with every Smartphone having the ability of becoming a Mixed Reality tool, thus offering its user endless possibilities and options of how to use it. Moreover, Mixed Realities are being used for commercial purposes by leading brands and companies (fig. 14 - 16)

fig. 10 - iPhone application

fig. 11 - SixthSense

fig. 12 - Augmented Reality Google glasses

Introduction

fig. 13 - Augmented Reality Google Glasses

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fig. 14 (top left) - Adidas

fig. 16 (top right) - Wallpaper Ar issue December 2009

fig. 15 (bottom left) - Esquire Magazine AR issue November 2009

fig. 17 (centre right) -AR application in Architecture fig. 18 (bottom right) -Historical application

Introduction

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Considering the introduction of Mixed Realities in such industries, it is easy to assume - or even better envision - that Mixed Reality will become part of Architecture.

Like other technologies that have blended into the urban fabric, Mixed Reality will eventually become a tool, a service, embedded under the skin of architectural spaces. Therefore, the goal of this study is to envisage and examine how these technologies will have an impact on Architecture.

What is more, Mixed Reality has not been the epicenter of academic minds in the field of Architecture, but it has mostly occupied the focus of more technical and technological professions. However, there have been some attempts to employ Mixed Reality in architecture (fig. 17) , though with little evidence of substantiated research.

Little research has been done in exploring the impact of Mixed Reality on the Built Environment from an Architectural point of view. This fact may result in the uncontrollable use of various realities in the built environment, causing a chaotic situation introduced by the unreasonable use of technology. Therefore, to prevent this unpleasant situation, it is vital to consider Mixed Reality as an Architectural problem, explore it and provide a framework that may preclude any impediment.

Introduction

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intro

Introducing the study

To begin with, in architecture, Mixed Reality will primarily affect the experience of the end user, which will, in turn, affect the role of the architects regarding how they design Mixed Realities in a physical space.

Therefore, relevant literature has been reviewed to allow for the analysis and comprehension of how experience can be defined. Concepts that attempt to define experience are provided in order to thoroughly comprehend the term. Also, issues, such as what constitutes an experience and how we can perceive an experience, have been examined, so as to allow the architect/designer to subsequently enhance it and highlight its characteristics and constraints.

What is more, the literature review focuses on the evolving branch of architecture and design, namely Experiential Design, which focuses on the design of the experience between the user and the product, and which would be appropriate in terms of addressing parameters that affect the user experience and enable the architect/designer to use Mixed Reality as a tool of designing the user experience. Moreover, models and theories that have been presented by various researchers will be provided regarding the dimensions that affect a designed experience according to principles of Experiential Design..

Since there does not exist an established definition of what exactly the term mixed reality signifies, an attempt to define it would be useful, followed by a brief definition of the various scales where Real and Virtual intersect and form Mixed Reality.

The characteristics of experience and the extent to which it affects Experiential Design, along with the theories and models, which have been introduced and examined previously, will be applied in the Mixed Reality framework, in order to explore and exploit potentials of Mixed Reality in the field of Experiential Design, as well as improve and enhance the quality of the user experience in Architecture and in the Built environment.

What follows in the next section is a critical theoretical approach towards Mixed Reality. Matters such as limitations, materiality and the relationship of Mixed Reality to place and space will be addressed, leading to the production of an initial theoretical framework for Mixed Reality.

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Moreover, consistent with the characteristics and models that have previously been pointed out in the literature review section regarding experience, Mixed Reality realms will be reviewed by attempting to identify what kind of experience these realities might possibly create.

Mixed Reality will be examined in terms of how it can be used as a tool of Experiential Design- and in a wider extent in architecture – along with which Experiential Design approach might be applicable while designing a Mixed Environment, depending on which Mixed Reality realm will be used.

The next section comprises the design, which has been informed and developed by considering models and theories discussed earlier in this study. In addition, experimenting and exploratory design tasks and design methods have been applied, so as to produce the final design.

Finally, the summary/conclusion will be provided based on the literature reviewed, theories, models, approaches and findings that have been examined in this project and it will summarise and highlight the outcomes of this research project.

B

Literature Review

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experience Experience

Before discussing Experiential Design and Mixed Reality in Architecture, it is required to comprehend the notion of experience. Also, it is of vital importance to understand how experience is perceived and how we define it. Moreover, categories of different kinds of experience will be examined, outlining the strongest characteristics that may classify them. To begin with, three different concepts about experience will be introduced to give a brief idea about what is experience as stated by Schmitt(1999), O’Sullivan and Spangler(1998) and Pine & Gilmore(1999).

First, according to Schmitt (1999:26-27) “experience occurs as a result of encountering, undergoing, or living through situations. They are triggered stimulations to the senses, the heart, and the mind. Experiences also connect the company and the brand to the costumers’ lifestyle”.

Another conceptualization of experience has been introduced by O’Sullivan and Spangler (1998:2-3), who state that “an experience involves the participation and involvement of the individual in the consumption; a change in knowledge, skill, memory or emotion; and an effort directed at addressing a psychological or internal need of the participant”.

Finally, in their book ‘The Experience Economy’, Pine II & Gilmore (1999) argue that “experiences are a distinct economic offering, as distinct from services as services are from goods, but one that – until now – went largely unrecognized. But, like goods and services, have their own distinct qualities and characteristics and present their own design challenges”.

The first and second conceptualisations, by Schmitt and O’Sullivan & Spencer respectively, suggest that an experience occurs when an individual is participating and in-

Literature Review

Let’s talk about it:

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volved in some sort of activity which has an impact on him/her. The former argues that experience has the ability to arouse and stimulate the senses, the heart and the mind; whereas the latter suggests that experience may cause a change in knowledge, skills, memory or emotions. Finally, Pine II & Gilmore have used a different approach to conceptualise experience, by defining it as “distinct economic offering”, which the present design challenges.

In order to explore and comprehend the concept of experience, it is significant to understand how a person perceives an experience, as well as how s/he can describe it or ‘talk about it’. According to Forlizzi and Ford(2000), there are three ways to talk about experience: experience, an experience, and experience as story.

Forlizzi and Ford (2000) defines experience as “...the constant stream that happens during moments of consciousness. Self-talk or self-narration is often the way that people acknowledge the passing of this kind of experience.” In other words experience is what people perceive and process consciously, and they are aware that it is happening. Also, by stating “Self-talk or self-narration...”, they want to highlight that people are conscious and aware of this experience. Moreover, Forlizzi and Ford(2000) states that “This definition is based on cognitive scientist Richard Carlson’s theory of consciousness known as Experienced Cognition”.

The second way to discuss experience is by talking about having an experience, as argued in the book Art as Experience by the philosopher John Dewey. This experience can be perceived as one that has time limits; it is constituted by a beginning and an end. This type of experience is derived by the active interaction between the user and the product, and it is the one employing the human senses and the human mind. Also, as correctly stated by Woo,H.R.: “The experience is the awareness of what’s happening to us when we do all this perceiving, acting, and processing.” (Woo, 2007) In addition, there is a third way one could talk about an experience; namely, talking about experience as a story- a narrative-. This is a concept that has been supported by the Artificial Intelligence researcher Roger Schank.(1990). Stories are the conveyors we use to condense and remember experiences, and a way to transfer our experience to someone else or a group of people. Furthermore, experience as a story/narrative can be either real or artificial, depending on the goal the narrator wants to achieve.

Finally, another way to talk about experience has recently been introduced by Woo(2007), as the concept of art and emotional experience. As stated by Woo, if “Concepts are perceived through cognitive process, then art and emotional experience is made up. This type of experience involves aesthetic sensory pleasure, construction of meaning and emotional responses “. In other words, this type of experience can be considered as similar to the “experience as a story“ concept, but with a more artistic nature.

Literature Review

The four realms of experience:

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fig. 19 - The four realms of an experience (Pine II and Gilmore, 1999:30)

At this point, the characteristics of experience and the parameters which affect it need to be discussed. As claimed by Pine II and Gilmore (1999) in their book The Experience Economy: “work is theatre & every business a stage: goods & services are no longer enough�

According to this diagram by Pine II and Gilmore (1999), experience can be per- ceived in two axes; namely, the horizontal axis, which represents the participation of the user, and the vertical one, which represents the connection between the user and the environment where experience is taking place. Experience can be categorised into four groups, according to its characteristics, as termed by Pine II and Gilmore (1999): a) Entertainment, b) Educational, c) Esthetic and d) Escapist.

The first group - entertainment experience - can be perceived as passive absorption, through the individual’s/user’s senses. Therefore, in this case, the user can talk about experience, because this type of experience is one witnessed and processed consciously.

Despite the fact that this experience is passively absorbed, it is still perceived consciously but without the interaction of the user. Hence, the user does not have the ability to alter this experience; s/he can only witness it as it is.

The educational experience shares the same viewpoint as the entertainment experience (experience through senses), only this time the individual/user is actively participating by using his/her mind to expand his/her knowledge. Therefore, in this case the user can talk about an experience. The reason a person can talk about an experience is simply because this kind of experience is perceived consciously; in addition, it entails interaction between the user and the product. In other words, the active participation of the user is required in order for this experience to be achieved.

The esthetic experience takes place when the individual is being part of an event or environment without being able to have an impact; s/he simply experiences it observationally rather than interactively. This kind of experience is similar to the entertainment experience. The difference between these two kinds of experience is that, the former is experienced while the user is absorbed and the latter when the user is immersed. In other words, the entertainment experience is witnessed as something happening in front of

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the user, in opposition to the esthetic experience, where the user is part of the experience. Consequently, the user can talk about experience, because of the conscious perception and process, the absence of interaction, and the inability to alter it.

Finally, as regards the escapist experience, “the guest [user] is completely immersed in it, [so, s/he is] an actively involved participant� (Pine II and Gilmore, 1999). In other words, the participant is becoming aware of the surrounding environment -whether virtual or real- and has the ability to interact with and alter the experience according to his/her actions. As a result, an individual can talk about escapist experience, as it is an experience whereby s/he is conscious of what happens and has the ability to participate in as well. In addition, an individual can talk about this type of experience as an art and emotional experience, because it involves aesthetic sensory pleasure, construction of meaning and emotional responses.

ExD

Experiential Design

Experiential design is the practice, whereby products and services are designed to provide the client/user with a unique experience. Therefore, experiential design concentrates on improving the user experience quality while interacting with the product. Moreover, the focus of this kind of design is not particularly on the product, but on the experience it can offer to the user. This so-called ‘product’, can also be a physical or virtual environment, a setting or an installation designed to offer a certain experience to the user.

“The basic idea of experiential design is that, because we are embodied beings, meaning ultimately resides in bodily experiences. We have evolved to act in the physical world, and how we are able to understand abstract information is derived from that capacity. If we design for embodiment, understanding comes free; this is the first major benefit of the approach.”

(Waterworth et al. 2003)

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fig. 20 -Experience Design diagram

To achieve such a goal, an approach from multidisciplinary professions (fig. 20) must be carefully considered, involving disciplines and experts form a wide range of fields, such as architecture, product design, psychology, environmental design, interactive design, linguistics, innovators, technologists, computer scientists and many more. Such a multidisciplinary approach toward such design is required, in order to foresee interactions between the user and the product, predict emotions and human senses activated by the

interaction, as well as aid the technology to device and construct what may be needed to create this experience. As described by Jones, R., (2008), “experiential design is the practice as working across disciplines, often furthest from their own creating a relevant integration between concepts, methods and theories”.

Moreover, experiential design is time-based and the designer must predict possible scenarios. Of course, such a design could never be accurate on the outcome, so the designer usually includes certain key points, which would guide the client in order to achieve a relatively similar experience to the one designed to be offered. These key points sometimes are referred to as moments of engagement, or touchpoints. On the other hand, more accurate guidance to the user could be achieved by generating active interaction of the product towards the user’s behaviour. The reason that the control of the experience, and therefore the quality of the experience, might be improved, is because the ‘product’ will have the ability to accordingly react to certain actions performed by the user and create certain patters to achieve the desired experience.

In addition, the designer must consider aspects of experience, such as the ones explored previously. The designer should encourage either active or passive participation, as well as, absorption and immersion by the individual. Therefore, an experiential design could provide a combination of such realms, leading to a more complicated and unique experience for each individual. According to Jones (2008), the mission of Experience Design

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is “to persuade, stimulate, inform, envision, entertain, and forecast events, influencing meaning and modifying human behaviour.�

It is essential to consider the following parameters in order to implement an efficient experiential design that will enhance the user’s experience. Employing some of these parameters will generally be adequate to achieve a controlled experience. Some of the most vital and important parameters that may need to be addressed are duration, intensity, interaction and triggers.

The parameter of duration in the field of experiential design is greatly important. The designer must set the limits so that the user receives the designed experience. Firstly, the designer must consider the initiation of the experience; in other words, when and how the experience starts. Secondly, a point of immersion will be set up, whether it is at the beginning of the experience or in the meantime. This point is exactly where the user becomes aware of witnessing an experience. Moreover, the touchpoints (or moments of engagement) can be arranged on crucial moments, whereby they will create an experiential framework in which the experience of the user will fluctuate. Finally, the experience must come to an end and provide the user with a conclusion at the right time in order to keep control over the experience.

Moreover, the parameter of intensity is another important factor. This parameter is responsible for the stimulation of the senses and whether the experience will boost the adrenaline or calm the user. That can be considered as one of the major reasons why -amongst the great diversity of professions- psychologists must participate. For the reactions of the user must be predicted, in order to design the next step as well as the overall experience.

Also, as discussed earlier, the involvement of the user, throughout that chronological period when the experience is emerging, can define the type of the experience; whether the experience requires active, passive or interactive engagement of the user.

Another parameter of the experiential design that may be considered as important is the triggers. The ‘triggers’ will control the experience of the user and attract his/her attention to keep him/her within the framework or the context of the experience. These triggers may be symbols or certain other characteristics that would convey the concept of the overall experience.

To conclude the discussion about the parameters that affect and may be considered for experiential design, the designer does not usually develop the experiential design across all of these dimensions. In fact, in some instances to develop an experiential design

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considering all of theseparameters. In fact, in certain occasions, considering all of these parameters might not be appropriate or inevitable, in order to develop an experiential design . On the other hand, the more accurately and in-depth an experience is designed across these parameters, the more effective it would be to enhance the user experience.

In order to understand experience and process experiential design, several models and theories have been developed by Forlizzi and Battarbee (2004). Such models and theoretical approaches need contribution from a multidisciplinary area. As stated by Davis (2003), “experiential systems design must be radically interdisciplinary”. A combination of professionals with different backgrounds, in the fields of psychology, philosophy, business, anthropology, design, as well as engineering and computer sciences, is required.

Forlizzi and Battarbee have classified the models of approaching experiential design into three types; a) product-centred, b) user-centred and c) interaction-centred.

The first group has been defined by Forlizzi and Battarbee(2004) as ‘product-centred’.

These types of “...models provide straightforward applications for design practice” (2004).

Another description for this type of approach has been introduced by Dalsgaard(2008) as “Product-centred approaches often have their main focus on the features and qualities of the interface itself, that which can be described and studied in ostensibly objective

terms”. Also, examples of such approaches can be found in the books Designing Pleasurable Products by Jordan(2000) and Emotional Design by Norman(2000). Mainly, such models provide information to assist the designers and other professionals in the process of creating products that evoke compelling experiences(Forlizzi and Battarbee, 2004).

These models describe the process and the problems which must be addressed while designing and evaluating a project. Typically, such models are developed in the form of a list of criteria that should be addressed throughout the process.

The second model is the ‘user-centred’ one. This model focuses on the end user, that is, the person who will use such a product; the consumer, the client. Therefore, this model helps the designer to comprehend how the user will interact with the product and what experience the user might have. So, in this case, the designers focus on a particular target group, considering cultural, ethnographic, socio-economical and other aspects, which characterise the client. This model requires several multidisciplinary professionals to understand how the user might interact with the product.

Finally, a third model of approaching experiential design has been discussed by Forlizzi and Battardee(2004). This model is the ‘Interaction-centred’ model, which mainly focuses on the interaction between the user and the product. Similarly to the previous models, this one requires a multidisciplinary approach in order to be implemented.

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The interaction-centred approach permits the designer to understand qualitative and definitive aspects of experience.

Consequently, considering the above-mentioned observations about the characteristics of experiential design, it is indisputable that experiential design would be more controlled and accurate if interactive systems were engaged. The reason is that dynamic and real-time control over the experience could produce more accurate results without risking the distortion of the experience by unforeseen incidents that may occur. Therefore, interactive systems can be more accurate on the guidance of the user to achieve the desired experience. In particular, Mixed Reality would probably be the most efficient way to enhance the user experience and generate more accurate results for the preferred experience.

In the next chapter, a brief overview of the characteristics of Mixed Reality will be introduced. Subsequently, there will be a more in-depth explanation of how Mixed Reality could contribute in enhancing the experience, as well as how experiential design might benefit from the use of such realms.

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MR

Mixed Reality

First of all, we need to define and comprehend the term Mixed Reality (MR) and what is perceived as Mixed Reality.

“Mixed reality is a popular technique in human-computer interaction for combining virtual and real-world elements, and has recently been a common technique for human-robot interaction. Despite this popular usage, however, we argue that the meaning of “mixed reality” itself is still vague.”

(Young et al., 2011)

As suggested by Young et al., -in the book Mixed Reality and Human-Robot Interaction

by Wang, X.(2011)-, there has not been an accurate definition of the term Mixed Reality yet. Thus, I will attempt to provide a more concise definition of the term, after having done adequate research.

Mixed Reality is considered to be the intersection of Virtual Reality with the real world using digital technologies. In other words, it is considered as the introduction of virtual elements in the physical world and vice versa. Moreover, Mixed Reality does not refer to a given technology. It rather refers to the concept of combining these two worlds -Virtual and Real-. In addition, the field of Mixed Reality has been subdivided into seven scales of Virtual-Real interactions to demonstrate the amount of each reality (Real-Virtual) used to form a reality that is considered as Mixed Reality.

Mixed Reality (MR) does not refer to any specific technologies. MR can occur by using a variety of technologies, whether or not interactive or responsive, but usually dynamic and synchronous. Moreover, technologies which are commonly used in such MR settings, are cameras, hand-held displays, head-mounted displays (HMD), monitors and projectors.

Mixed Environments (ME) refer to the environment (real-physical or virtual), whereby the real and virtual environments intersect, in which physical and virtual elements coexist, interact and intermingle in a more expansive form (Schnabel, 2009). In other words, these environments consist of a combination of the two worlds (virtual and real).

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fig. 21- Mixed Reality Continuum by Schnabel et al. (2007)

Overview of Mixed Realities :

Because several concepts of engagement between Real reality and Virtual reality have occurred, Schnabel et al. (2007) have provided a diagram showing the various scales of the Reality-Virtuality engagement. On the far left side is the Real reality in opposition to the Virtual reality on the far right side. As we move across the horizontal axis, each subdivision of mixed reality engages more with the reality of the end that it appears to be closer to, whether Real (at the left) or Virtual (at the right).

Therefore, for example, Augmented Reality is closer to the Real reality end point, which means that AR engages more with the real world and less with the virtual one to form a reality. Similarly, Mediated Reality is right in the middle, which suggests that it employs an equal amount of the Real and the Virtual.

Moreover, it is essential to address and define Real Reality and Virtual Reality as well as the various subdivisions of Mixed Realities, in order to comprehend what is perceived as Mixed Reality. Therefore, the following paragraphs will define the main characteristics of each reality within the field of Mixed Realities. •

Real Reality

Before starting to explore Mixed Realities it is essential to comprehend what Real Reality is. Basically, the term Real Reality responds to everything that surrounds us and exists in the physical world. It encompasses everything that exists in the material world and can be perceived by everyone as something that actually exists. Moreover, there are many historical, phenomenological, philosophical, social and cultural categories and definitions of reality that go beyond the framework of this section.

Nonetheless, it is interesting to notice that, with the emergence of Mixed Realities, real reality -and until recently the only reality- redefines itself and exists in a list of other realities. This may suggest that not only what we perceive as real matters, but also what is in between the real and the virtual can be perceived as something that exists.

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Amplified Reality

The first step from the Real towards the Virtual, has been coined as Amplified Reality

by Falk et al.(1999), in order to complement Augmented Reality (the next step further from the Real). Amplified Reality is when Real Reality is enriched with additional information for the properties of physical objects and scenes (fig. ). As stated by Schnabel (2009:7) “AR [Augmented Reality] is about how the user perceives reality, while Amplified Reality influences how the perceived reality is made available to the user”. In other words, the main difference between the two realities -Augmented and Amplified- is that in the former (Amplified Reality), objects control the flow of information, whereas in the latter (Augmented Reality), the user can control the flow of information (Falk et al., 1999). fig. 22 - earthmine Amplified Reality

•

Augmented Reality (AR)

Another step further away from the Real towards Virtual, is Augmented Reality. This reality enables a user to perceive virtual objects in a real physical environment (fig. 23a-b, fig. 24). In other words, it supplements the real world with virtual objects that appear to coexist in the same space as the real world (Azuma et al., 2001).

Moreover, AR is the situation whereby real objects are superimposed by two and/or three-dimensional computer graphics, typically viewed through dead-mounted or handheld displays (Bill- inghurst & Kato, 2002). In addition, Augmented Reality is not limited to the visual sense but can also be applied through other senses, such as hearing.

For example, a physical space can be augmented with audio to provide the user with additional information about the surrounding environment.

•

Mediated Reality

Mediated Reality refers to the situation whereby information is added or subtracted from a scene before it is ‘seen’ (Starner et al., 1997); in other words, before it actually reaches the human eye. Also, Mediated Reality can be described as the reality where there is the ability of manipulating one’s perception of reality. As stated by Mann(2002), “Mediated Reality, refers to a general framework for artificial modification of human perception by way of devices for augmenting, deliberately diminishing, and more generally, for other-

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wise altering sensory input�. Additionally, Mediated Reality can provide the possibility of dynamic alterations to the appearance of objects in the real world. fig. 23a - National Geographic AR installation

fig. 24 - Adidas AR

fig. 23a - National Geographic AR installation

•

Augmented Virtuality (AV)

fig. 25a - Virtualised Reality

Augmented Virtuality, as the name suggests, is a reality which is produced more by using elements of the virtual world rather than the real world. In fact this reality is just two steps away from virtual reality. Augmented Virtual- ity is the situation whereby physical elements, like people and objects, are introduced dynamically in a virtual fig. 25b - Virtualised Reality space (fig. 25a-c, fig. 26 - 28). Moreover, these elements can synchronously interact with virtual elements in the virtual world where they have been introduced. As characteristically stated by Schnabel(2009), “Augmented Virtuality (AV) looks into reality from a virtual world perspective”. fig. 25c - Virtualised Reality

Moreover, Milgram and Colquhoun (1999) define Augmented Virtuality as the augmenta- tion of a Virtual environment with real objects. Therefore, Augmented Virtuality is the exact opposite of Augmented Reality, where virtual elements are introduced in real environments.

Literature Review

fig. 26 (left) - Virtualised Reality

fig. 27 (right) - Virtualised Reality

fig. 28 (bottom) - Virtualised Reality

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Virtualised Reality

Virtualised Reality occurs when the user can navigate in a virtually real environment and has the ability of choosing any angle and point of view s/he desires. Therefore, this realm allows the user to experience a physical environment virtually. In other words, Virtualised Reality captures scene descriptions from a number of transcription angles and allows the user to view real scenes of real events (Kanade et al.1995).

This usually works by installing a set of cameras in a real environment, which allows the user to move in that space virtually. •

Virtual Reality (VR)

To conclude with the Real-Virtual continuum, the last step is Virtual Reality. This realm presents an entirely artificial computer-stimulated environment. This reality has no connections or interactions with the real physical environment. In Virtual Reality, the user is completely immersed in an absolutely synthetic environment.

C

Type of Experience generated by mixed Reality If Mixed Reality realms are reviewed within the framework of the characteristics of experience, the result will be the definition of a Mixed Reality realm.

For instance, what characterises Amplified Reality is passive participation and absorption. This occurs because Amplified Reality does not allow the user to actively participate in or interact with this reality, but it rather affects the way the perceived reality is made available to the user. Moreover, the user is not immersed in this experience but rather his/her attention is absorbed by it. Therefore, due to the fact that the user does not perceive and process the experience consciously, and because there is no active interaction between the user and the product, we can talk about experience as a narrative (Forlizzi and Ford, 2000).

Augmented Reality is characterised by absorption of the user’s attention and passive, or active, participation. The reason for that is because AR overlays additional information in a scene without entailing immersion of the user but absorbs his/her attention in a display (whether hand-held or head-mounted). Because this realm is in the middle of the Active/Passive Participation scale, it could efficiently serve Entertainment or Educational experience. Similarly to the previous reality, we can talk about this experience as a narrative as well (Forlizzi and Ford, 2000).

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As far as Mediated Reality is concerned, the experience that it could efficiently achieve would be Esthetic or Escapist. The reason is that in Mediated Reality, the user becomes immersed in it whether there is the possibility of Active or Passive Participation. This is because in Mediated Reality, the information perceived by the user is all filtered and altered through some kind of technology, which dominates and manipulates whatever can be seen by the user. In this case, we can talk about experience, because people perceive experience consciously and are aware of the fact that it is happening.

Furthermore, Augmented Virtuality can be considered as a realm that can give rise to Escapist experience. This occurs because the user becomes immersed in a virtual environment and can interact –therefore Active Participation- with other elements and objects in it. In Augmented Virtuality, the user can talk about an experience, due to the fact that it involves active interaction and employment of the human senses.

Lastly, Virtualised Reality might be used for Educational (or perhaps Informative) experience. In such reality, the user can have the control – therefore Active Participation- of navigating through a real environment in a virtual way. Moreover, the user is not immersed but absorbed in the experience. Similarly to the cases of Amplified Reality and Augmented Reality, the user can talk about experience as a narrative, because the experience is transferred by an external entity – in this case the environment s/he navigates in.

Models and theories to approach Experiential Design through Mixed Reality

In this section, I will attempt to define which model and theoretical approach (Forlizzi and Battarbee, 2004) better suits each reality in the group of Mixed Reality.

Starting with Amplified Reality, it is evident that a product-centred approach is used.

The reason for this is that its main goal is to enrich properties of physical objects.

Moving to Augmented Reality, the same approach as the previous one is once again employed, due to the fact that AR provides the user with additional information about certain products/objects. So, the main focus is on the product.

When it comes to Mediated Reality, the approach is different from the previous two realities; in this case the approach is interaction-centred. The reason for concluding that such approach is used is that MR manipulates the Mixed Environment (ME), in order to provide it to the user; therefore, what is important hereby is the interaction between the two -user and ME- .

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Furthermore, Augmented virtuality employs a user-centred approach, because it gives the user the opportunity to manipulate objects, while it also immerses the user into a Virtual Environment.

fig. 29 - Mixed Reality and Experiential design.

Finally, Virtualised Reality can be perceived employing a user-centred approach, because the main goal is to provide the required information by the user.

Regarding the models and theories of approaching Experiential Design (Forlizzi and Bat- tarbee, 2004) in the field of Mixed Reality, we can argue that while realms tend towards the Virtual point of the axis, they tend to be user-centred. So, one may conclude that in Real reality, experience is rather product-centred, whereas in the Virtual one, it appears to be more user-centred.

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The Mixed Reality architectural design process

For the implementation of projects that focus on improving the user experience through architecture with the additional use of mixed reality, it will be necessary not only to design the (i) physical elements/structures that will be involved in Mixed Environments, but also (iii) virtual elements that interact within the physical space.

Apart from employing conventional architectural methods in the process and representation of a project - such as site analysis, context analysis, materiality, linear drawings, visualisations, collages, etc - it is vital to devise novel methods considering the use of Mixed Reality as an architectural issue.

Moreover, focus should be applied on the (ii) representation of the desired experience, which will subsequently allow the architect to design the mixed reality experience as an additional layer/service in architecture.

four parameters 1. experience 2.triggers 3. field of vision 4. virtual elements

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The need for a new drawing typology The introduction of Mixed Reality in architecture will not only affect the end product which is the built environment - but it will also require innovative ways to represent and design such situations.

Through the research that has been undertaken so far for this study, a possible and potentially efficient drawing typology has occurred. In fact, this new drawing typology is a combination of conventional architectural methods with methods and characteristics from the field of Experiential Design.

To design this new layer of architecture, it is essential to borrow characteristics and formulas developed in the field of Experiential Design. Because these realities are not something static, but something interactive and dynamic, their design would have been impossible by employing only conventional architectural methods.

Therefore, to design a Mixed Environmet, parameters such as the human field of vision, triggers/timing, virtual augmentations complimenting physical objects are necessary to be considered, similarly as in Experientail Design.

This new drawing typology (ArMR) will be used later on to design the Mixed Environment in the Oxford University museum of Natural History.

fig. 30 - Disorder in a Dining table by Sarah Wigglesworth and Jeremy Till

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What is more, the drawings by Sarah Wigglesworth and Jeremy Till (fig.) have provided inspiration in the development of this drawing typology. In their project titled Increasing Disorder In A Dining Table, they document the progression of a meal from a perfectly laid table, through a motion-trace palimpsest of the dinner party in action, to the jumble of dirty dishes and crumpled napkins that confronts the host(s) after the last guest has departed. This approach of representing the experience in an architectural way, while using characteristics and parameters from the field of Experiential Design would be appropriate to use, in order to create a new drawing typology which will allow the

D

fig. 33 - Elevation of Oxford University Natural History Museum

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Design Brief The main objective of this Research Led Design project is to create an intervention in the Oxford University Natural History museum in such a way that will enable the ultimate enhancement and improvement of the user experience. Such intervention will be approached from a multi-disciplinary perspective and will aim at allowing the most efficient coexistence of the real with the virtual. To begin with, through the discipline of architecture, alterations in the building must be executed. These alterations will support the introduction of virtual elements in the real world, or the virtual world in the real physical space.

It is of vital importance to employ innovative methods of representing and designing Mixed Reality as an architectural project. In other words, apart from the design and representation of the physical elements/structures introduced in the museum, it is essential to create a new architectural drawing typology, which will illustrate the design of Mixed Realities in the architectural space. With respect to the historic value and importance of that building, it is vital to maintain its neo-Gothic character, while introducing contemporary architectural and technological elements that will allow the existence of the past along with the present in the building. In other words, through architecture and technology, the past and the present will coexist in the same space in real-time.

fig. 34

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For the implementation of the refurbishment of the Oxford University Natural History Museum, the approach that has been chosen as the most appropriate one, is that of ‘not touching’ the building. Trough this approach, new elements will be introduced, without affecting or having an impact on the existing building. The reason for choosing this approach is because this building is a Grade I listed building. Therefore, alterations in the physical structure of the museum are forbidden and any introduction of new structural elements should be contemplated very carefully.

As mentioned earlier, in addition to the fact that the building is Grade I listed building, it is vital to maintain the Neo-Gothic character on the interventions as well. Therefore, elements such as ogival arches will be used. However, what will create the sense of the contemporary, is the chosen materiality. Sophisticated and hi-tech materials such as Fiber-Reinforced Plastics and transparent prjection screens have been chosen to be used for the implementation of this intervention - the observatory-.

fig. 35 - location

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The museum

The Oxford University Museum of Natural History houses the University’s scientific collections of zoological, entomological and geological specimens. The Museum itself is a Grade 1 listed building, renowned for its spectacular neo-Gothic architecture. Among its most famous features are the Oxfordshire dinosaurs, the dodo, and the swifts in the tower.

This particular Museum has been chosen for the implementation of the current task because there are exhibits of creatures that have been extinct. Therefore, the introduction of Mixed Reality in such a building will enable the visitor to learn more about these creatures, and as a result, this situation will enhance his/her experience. Moreover, the introduction of Mixed Reality in this particular museum will enable the demonstration of past times.

The museum is located in the center of the city of Oxford on Parks Road, near Hertford college and Saint Anne’s college (as illustrated in fig. 35).

Analysis of the context as it change between 1900(fig. 36) - 2012(fig. 37)

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Context

Changes that have occurred within the context of the museum, through the passage of time, have been studied. A comparison of the context of the museum in 1900’s and that of 2012 has been done, highlighting the changes.

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Design tasks

These design tasks have been created in order to provide some basic understanding of how the museum would benefit from the use of Mixed Reality. What is more, these design tasks have been implemented to inspire and influence the development of the final Research Led Design project.

For the implementation of these design tasks, particular focus has been applied on the content of the museum and on what elements would be the most appropriate to use as augmentations/projections from the virtual world. Obviously, the dinosaurs have been in the centre of attention and the reason for that is their extinction, which results in the lack of exhibiting them – apart from their skeleton – in the museum. Moreover, the reason for using the dinosaurs as the main element of augmentation, in this stage, is the absence of physical elements which would assist the understanding of the user regarding how they used to behave.

In my opinion, that is exactly where mixed reality could transform experience; allowing real-time interaction with extinct animals, unreal creatures, surreal figures, and in general, any case whereby reality – our reality as we know it – is not enough. This is the case where mixed reality can - and should - advance, improve, and take the user experience one step further.

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Design Task 1: Since Augmented Reality is perhaps the most popular Mixed Reality, I decided to beAugmented Reality gin with this one. The collage illustrated on the left (fig.) is a representation of how the Oxford University Natural History Museum would look like after the introduction of Augmented Reality.

Trough the augmentation of dinosaurs, vegetation and waterfalls, the transformation of the interior space of the museum has been achieved, thus creating a more dynamic situation. What is more, this Mixed Environment (ME) allows the visitor of the museum to become educated and informed about the way dinosaurs used to behave, as well as realise their size and other physical characteristics.informed about the way dinosaurs used to behave, as well as understanding the scale of them and other physical characteristics.

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Design Task 2: Amplified Reality

The second collage - which is the second design task - uses a wider range of Mixed Reali-

ties rather than just one type of them. A combination of Amplified Reality, Augmented + Augmented Reality Reality and Mediated Reality has been used to further challenge the transformation of + the spatial experience of the museum.

Mediated Reality Elements introduced in the space that are considered as Amplified Reality are the guiding lines on the floor, which help the user navigate through the museum. What is more, augmentations of written information about the dinosaurs’ skeleton are another form of Amplified Reality.

On the other hand, augmentations of interactive dinosaurs in the space are available through Augmented Reality.

Finally, Mediated Reality provides the user with a virtual environment superimposed on the real environment, which in the case of this collage is the part of the building on the right site of the image.

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Design Task 3: The Virtual Room: The third and last design task concerns Augmented Virtuality, Augmented Virtuality which as the title suggests, augments virtual worlds on top of real spaces, hiding everything under a layer of electronic bits.

In this case, an empty room, with approximate dimensions of 6m width, 10m length and 4m height, has been used as the base to accommodate the augmentation of virtual worlds.

The top-left picture illustrates the abovementioned room without any augmentations, whereas the rest of the pictures illustrate three different sceneries.

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fig. 42 - The observatory (eye level perspective from 1st floor)

fig. 43 - The observatory (eye level perspective view from ground floor)

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Intervention: The observatory The first intervention, which has been designed for the Oxford University Natural History museum, is titled ‘the observatory’. This was initially inspired by the nearby observatory of the University of Oxford.

The purpose of this intervention is to create a space, where the visitor will be able to have a panoramic view (fig. 42) of the exhibits of the museum and be informed about its content, with the assistance of Mixed Reality. In this space, Amplified Reality will be used to highlight properties of the exhibits and provide information about them.

The experience created in the space of this intervention can be considered as education- al, according to the Pine and Gilmore (1999) chart, because it requires active participation(?) on the part of the user. However, it does not require the immersion of the individual in this kind of reality, as this can be absorbed through his/her senses. What is more, the experience produced in this intervention can be defined as an experience (as introduced by John Dewey, 1980) because it is formed with a beginning and an end.

What is more, the design of this intervention has been approached through a ‘user- centred’ model, whereby the experience of the user has been in the epicentre of the design focus.

10

10’

The structure of this intervention has been designed by using the ogival arch, in order to create an intervention which does not look strange in the museum. In other words, the shape of the pointed arch has been used to design something that does not stand out.

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fig. 44 - section 10-10’

scale 1:100

Materiality

Materiality:

Fiber-Reinforced Plastic GRP or FRP Structural pultruded profiles are manufactured by combining a resin matrix with a fibre reinforcement. This is formed and cured in a continuous process creating a product of extraordinary strength and resilience. GRP Structural Pultruded Profiles provide a variety of benefits and mechanical properties matching or exceeding steel equivalents. A wide range of structural profiles are available including U Channel, I - Beam, Tube, Box, Angle, Rod & Hand Rail.

Exceptional Strength; on a weight to weight basis GRP profiles are stronger than structural steel. The excellent impact strength of GRP profiles reduce damage caused by accidental collisions.

fig. 50

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Light Weight; Weighing up to 80% less than steel and 30% less than aluminum, GRP profiles provide equivalent performance for considerably less weight.

Corrosion Resistant; GRP Profiles are generally unaffected by exposure to a wide variety of corrosive chemicals and environments. A synthetic surface veil is applied, in order to provide a resin rich layer, thereby enhancing the already excellent corrosion resistant properties.

Maintenance Free;The corrosion resistant properties of our GRP Profiles eliminate the necessity of periodic painting or surface treatment.

fig. 51 - FRP join

fig. 44 - section 10-10’ scale 1:50

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Despite the fact that this study does not intent to examine technologies that may support Mixed Reality and devise these interventions, I will attempt to devise this one to demonstrate how easy it is even with the technologies available today.

For the projection of the information of the exhibits, a High Definition projector is needed, in order to project on a Woehburk WhiteLine (fig. ), which is a transparent screen that allows high quality projections, while the observer is able to see through it.

What is more, a conventional video camera (even a webcam would be efficient) connected to a computer will be needed for eye tracking, which can be achieved with the use of an appropriate software. Finally, pressure sensors must be applied on the corridor to enable the tracking of the user and then calculate the angle of the perception of the user

fig. 46 - Woehburk WhiteLine

towards the screen and the exhibits of the museum.

example of eye tracking software available at <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgmONlusBV8>

fig. 47

Plan of a fragment of Intervention 1: Observatory

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structural glass

WoehBurk WhiteLine

Structural Model of the Observatory

fig. 48a

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fig. 48b

fig. 48c

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fig. 49a Visibility to - and from - the intervention is constantly available from any point in the central area of the museum

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fig. 49b

fig. 49c

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fig. 49d

ArMR

Architectural Design of Mixed Reality

As mentioned earlier in this study, a new drawing typology has been invented to allow the architect/designer to design a Mixed Reality Environment.

To be able to do so, the architect/designer must consider four parameters: 1. duration of experience, 2. triggers/timing, 3. field of vision, 4. virtual augmentations/physical objects.

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The architect/designer needs to draw a plan of the Mixed Environment and highlight where the user starts to experience (fig. 51a) and interact witht Mixed Realities. Moreover, triggers/timing must be set on the plans as illustrated on fig. 51b. The reason for setting this triggers is to devide the experience in smaller fragments and make the design of a mixed environment easier. Moreover, the field of vision (fig. 51c) is vital to be illustrated on the plans and then visualasitions with a perspective from that point must be created to show what virtual elements would be introduced in that intervention. In this case - because this intervention is designed using Amplified Reality - virtual projections of information complementing the physical elements - the exhibits of dinosaurs - will be available.

Moreover, Virtualisations are essential to represent the Virtual elements that must be projected at certain moments to complement (in Amplified Reality) physical objects (the physical objects pointed on the plans).

These projections will be projected on the Woehburk WhiteLine transparent screen, and the angle will be calculated between the position of the user, the angle on the screen and the physical object, so the projections of information appear at the correct loaction (regarding the physical object) at all times.

fig. 51a - Experience

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fig. 51b - Triggers/timing

fig. 51c - Field of vision

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fig. 51d - Physical elements

fig. 52

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ArMR The Observatory Aplified Reality

fig. 53 -

Virtualisations Representing the Projections of Virtual elements

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fig. 52a

fig. 53a

Trigger 1

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fig.52b

fig.53b

Trigger 2

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fig. 52c

fig. 53c

Trigger 3

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fig. 52d

fig. 53d

Trigger 4

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fig. 52e

fig. 53e

Trigger 4

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fig. 52f

fig. 53f

Trigger 4

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fig. 52g

fig. 53g

Trigger 5

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fig. 52h

fig. 53h

Trigger 6

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fig. 52i

fig. 53i

Trigger 7

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fig. 52j

fig. 53j

Trigger 8

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fig. 52k

fig. 53k

Trigger 9

conclusion

Summary/Conclusion

Throughout the last decade, there have been numerous major technological advancements. Architecture is a domain, (among several others), which is (and will be) greatly affected by the rapid development of technology. As such, it is inevitable that the way architects design will not be significantly altered in the near future. In effect, architectural space and the way it is experienced will also be immensely influenced by technology. The attempt to bridge the gap between the real and virtual world is a fundamental change that is closely correlated with architecture. This is due to the fact that the way architectural space is designed can be greatly affected by this change.

The introduction of Mixed Reality will significantly change the field of Architecture; not only the way we define or perceive architecture, but also the way Architects design. Moreover, architectural space is being penetrated by other realities (apart from that of the physical world), which are altering oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s experience of architectural space.

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Throughout the present project, there has precisely been an exploration of how Mixed Reality affects architecture and the role of architects who, consequently, need to find ways of dealing with other realities generated by mixed environments. There has also been an attempt to demonstrate that, since the way architects design will be transformed in the near future due to the introduction of mixed environments, the interaction of architectural space with the user will inevitably give rise to a new kind of experience.

These issues have been approached theoretically as well as through design, in order to attain the best possible result.

Moreover, there has been an attempt to explore the potentials and possibilities that will occur when Mixed Reality is applied in architecture, as well as how Mixed Reality can be used as a supplementary tool or service that can improve the experience of an architectural space.

More specifically, this study has demonstrated how the introduction of Mixed Realities in History Museums will affect the role of the architect, as well as how Mixed Reality will be used as an architectural component, in the near future. At the same time, there has been an examination of the transformation of experience due to the introduction of Mixed Reality in museums.

Furthermore, this study has highlighted the cultural and educational impact on the visitor, by focusing on how the participant becomes educated by and aware of the context of the museum, through digitally driven technologies.

Based on the conviction that Mixed Reality will become part of numerous building typologies in the near future, this study has approached Mixed Reality as a concept that will improve the architectural experience of space. It has also provided a theoretical framework for the use of Mixed Reality in Architecture, and primarily, in a specific building typology â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the History Museum. It has also focused on how the experience of a user in a museum may be improved by the use of Mixed Reality.

The abovementioned aims have been achieved, after having delineated certain crucial notions, such experience, experiential design, models of approaching experiential design, and Mixed Reality and its ramifications. Subsequently, there has been a discussion of the type of experience generated by each Mixed Reality ramification.

Finally, the design, which has been developed through the abovementioned theoretical framework and research, has been presented, analysed and substantiated. The approach of representing experience in an architectural way, while using characteristics and parameters from the field of Experiential Design has been used, in order to create a new drawing typology which will allow the designer/ architect to design the Mixed Reality of a space/place.

For the purposes of implementing the design for the present study, it was necessary not only to design the physical elements/structures that involved in Mixed Environments, but also virtual elements that intermingle within the physical space.

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Apart from employing conventional architectural methods in the process and representation of this project - such as site analysis, context analysis, materiality, linear drawings, visualisations, collages, etc - it was vital to develop original methods considering the use of Mixed Reality as an architectural issue.

Moreover, there has been focus on the representation of the desired experience, which has subsequently allowed for designing the mixed reality experience as an additional layer/service in architecture.

Through the research that has been undertaken for this study, a feasible and potentially effective drawing typology has been developed. The drawing typology that the present study proposes is a combination of conventional architectural methods with methods and characteristics from the field of Experiential Design.

The main objective of this Research Led Design project has been to introduce intervention in the Oxford University Natural History museum, in such a way that will enable the ultimate augmentation and advancement of the user experience. This intervention has been approached from a multi-disciplinary perspective, aiming at allowing the most efficient coexistence of the real with the virtual.

Two collages have been created for the purposes of the design of the present study. The first collage - the first design task - is a representation of how the Oxford University Natural History Museum would look like after the introduction of Augmented Reality.

166

Through the augmentation of dinosaurs, vegetation and waterfalls, the transformation of the interior space of the museum has been achieved, resulting in a more dynamic situation. What is more, this Mixed Environment (ME) allows the visitor of the museum to become educated and informed about the way dinosaurs used to behave, as well as apprehend their size and other physical features.

The second collage - which is the second design task - uses a wider range of Mixed Realities rather than just one type of them. A combination of Amplified Reality, Augmented Reality and Mediated Reality has been used to further challenge the transformation of the spatial experience of the museum.

Elements that have been introduced in the space, which are considered as Amplified Reality, are the guiding lines on the floor, which help users navigate through the museum. In addition, augmentations of written information regarding the dinosaursâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; skeletons are another form of Amplified Reality. Mediated Reality provides the user with a virtual environment superimposed on the real environment.

The third and last design task pertains to Augmented Virtuality, which as the title suggests, augments virtual worlds on top of real spaces, hiding everything under a layer of electronic bits. This new layer of architecture has been designed through employing characteristics and formulas developed in the field of Experiential Design. Characteristics such as timing, triggers, etc, have been used in order to to allow for their efficient design, due to the fact that these realities are not static, but interactive and dynamic; hence, their design would have been impossible by employing conventional architectural methods.

Books

Alben, L., 1996. Quality of Experience: Defining the Criteria for Effective Interaction Design, interactions 3.3 May - June 1996, 11.

Carlson, R., 1997. Experienced Cognition, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Dalsgaard, P., 2008. Experiential Design: Lessons from Designing Engaging interactive Environments. Book chapter in Pinder, S., 2008. Advances in Human-Computer Interaction. : 85-106.

Davis, M., 2003. Theoretical Foundations for Experiential Systems Design. Proceeding of ETPâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;03, Berkeley, California.

Dewey, J., 1980. Art as Experience. Perigee Books, New York.

Jordan, P.W., 2000. Designing Pleasurable Products: An introduction to the new human factors. Taylor and Francis, London, England.

Kanade, T., Narayanan, P.J., Rander, P., W., 2001. Virtualized reality: concepts and early results. Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Liu, Y. T., 2001. Defining Digital Architecture. Birkhauser: Berlin.

Norman, D., 2004. Emotional design: why we love (or hate) everyday things. Basic Books, New York, NY.

Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Sullivan, E. L. and Spangler, K. J., 1998. Experience Marketing: Strategies for the new millennium.

Venture Publishing Inc., 1st edition.

Pine II, B. J. and Gilmore, J. H., 1998. Welcome to the Experience Economy. Harvard Business Review.

Pine II, B. J. and Gilmore, J. H., 1999. The Experience Economy: work is theatre & every business a stage: goods & services are no longer enough. Harvard, Business School Press.

Schank, R., 1990. Tell Me A Story: Narrative and Intelligence, Northwestern University Press.

Schmitt, B. H., 1999. Experiential Marketing: How to get costumers to sense, feel, think, act, relate to your company and brands. The Free Press.

Wang, X., Schnabel, M., A., 2009. Mixed Reality in Architecture, Design and Construction. Springer Science + Business Media B.V. Waterworth, J., A., Lund, A., and Modjeska, D., 2003. Experiential Design of Shared Information Spaces. Published in Hook, K., Benyon, D., and Munro, A., J., 2003. Designing Information Spaces: The social navigation Approach. Springer Science + Business Media B.V. Wolf, M. J., 1999. The Entertainment Economy: How Mega-Media Forces Are Transforming Our Lives. Times Books, 1st edition.

Young, J., Sharlin, E., Igarashi, T., 2011. What is Mixed Reality, Anyway? Considering the Boundaries of Mixed Reality in the Context of Robots. Published in Wang, X., 2011. Mixed Reality and Human-Robot Interaction. Springer Science + Business Media B.V.

Journals Azuma, R., Bailot, Y., Behringer, R., Feiner, S., Julier, S., Maclntyre, B. (2001). Recent Advances In Augmented Reality. Magazine: Computer Graphics And Applications. Volume: 21 Issue: 6 (Nov/ Dec 2001) Billinghurst, M., Hirozaku, K.,(2002). Collaborative Augmented Reality. Magazine: Communications Of The Acm - How The Virtual Inspires The Real. Volume: 45, Issue: 7 (July 2002).

Falk, J., Redström , J., Björk, S. (1999). Amplifying reality. 1st International Symposium on Handheld and Ubiquitous Computing, Springer, Karlsruhe, Germany.

Forlizzi, J. And Battarbee, K. (2004). Understanding Experience In Interactive Systems. Conference Proceedings, Cambridge, Ma, (August 2004).

Hendrickson, C., Rehak, D., R. (1993). The potential of a ‘Virtual’ construction site for automation planning analysis. Proceeding of the 10th International Symposium on Automation and Robotics in Construction (ISARC) conference, Houston, Texas Jääskö, V. And Mattelmäki, T. (2003). Observing And Probing. Proceedings Of The DPPI03 Conference.

Manovich, L. (2006). The Poetics of Augmented Space. Magazine: Visual Communication. Volume: 5, Issue: 2, (219-240: 2006).

Milgram, P., and Colquhoun, H. (1999). A framework for relating Head-Mounted Displays to Mixed Reality Displays. Proceedings Of The Human Factors And Ergonomics Society 43rd Annual Meeting.

Nogueira, K. J And Aline, M. M. and Magalhaes, L. S. And Botelho, J.M and Henrique, P., M. (2008)

Experience Economy. IV Congresso Nacional De Excelencia Em Gestao, (31st July - 2nd August 2008).

Schnabel, M., A., Wang, X., Seichter, H., Kvan, T.(2007). From virtuality to reality and back, Proceedings of the 12th International Association of Societies of Design Research (IASDR),Hong Kong.

Starner T, Mann S, Rhodes B, Levine J, Healey J, Kirsch D, Picard R, Pentland A. (1997). Augmented Reality Through Wearable Computing. Magazine: Presence Teleoperators And Virtual Environments Volume: 6, Issue: 4, Publisher: Citeseer, Woo, H. R. (2007). A Holistic Approach To Design Innovation. Proceedings Of International Design Conference, International Association Of Societies Of Design Research.

Web-sites Becker, G. ‘Gene Talks AR Experience Design to AR Design Students’ (video).

URL: http://site.layar.com/company/blog/gene-talks-ar-experience-design-to-ar-design-students/ [accessed 09 July 2011] Jones, R. ‘Konstfack Vårutställning 2008’.

URL: http://varutstallning08.konstfack.se/interdisciplinary-studies/ronald-jones.html [accessed 28 May 2011] Mann, S. ‘Mediated Reality with implementations for everyday life - 2002’.

URL: http://wearcam.org/presence-connect/ [accessed 17 July 2011] Woohookitty,: ‘Experience Design’.

URL: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Experience_design [accessed 03 July 2011]

List of illustrations fig. 1

fig. 6 - B.I.M.

photomontage created by the author Available at: <http://www.scia-online.com/eNews/Images/ revit.jpg> [retrieved 17/03/12]

fig. 2 - snapshots taken from the video: “Microstoft Vision Office Labs 2019”.

fig. 7 - BMW AR drivining assistant

Available at: <http://www.youtube. com/watch?v=8Ff7SzP4gfg> [retrieved 9/10/11]

Available at: <http://www.bmwblog.com/wpcontent/uploads/head-up-display-augumented-reality-06.jpg> [retrieved 17/03/12]

fig. 3 - snapshots taken from the video: “Microstoft Vision Productivity 2019”.

Available at: <http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=a6cNdhOKwi0> [retrieved 9/10/11]

fig. 4 - Tron Legacy. City concept.

Shelest (2009)

fig. 8- BMW AR mechanic assistant Available at: <http://www.bmwblog. com/wp-content/uploads/mechanicaugumented-reality-01.jpg> [retrieved 17/03/12]

fig. 9 - Augmented Reality iPhone application - Grocery

Available at: <http://shelest.deviantart.com/art/TronLegacy-City-concept-132466614 [retrieved 7/10/11]

Available at: <http://www.qrcodepress.com/ the-value-of-augmented-reality-is-uncertainmarket-research-shows/852760/> [retrieved 16/02/12]

fig. 5 - Guggenheim Museum Bilbao

fig. 10 - Augmented Reality iPhone application

Available at: <http://worldtravel212.com/ wp-content/uploads/2012/02/foto_postal_031.jpg> [retrieved 04/02/12]

Available at: <http://www.cleartag.com/ blog/category/augmented-reality/> [retrieved 16/02/12]

fig. 11 - SixthSense Available at: <http://www.cleartag.com/blog/category/augmented-reality/> [retreived 21/04/12]

fig. 16 - Wallpaper Magazine AR issue December 2009

fig. 12 - Augmented Reality Google Glasses Available at: <http://www.theverge.com/2012/4/5/2928444/ googles-augmented-reality-randomthoughts-on-project-glass> [retrieved 16/04/12]

fig. 17 - AR application in Architecture Available at: < http://www.exploreengage.com/> [retreived 17/10/11]

fig. 13 - Augmented Reality Google Glasses Available at: <http://www.theverge. com/2012/4/5/2928444/googles-augmentedreality-glasses> [retrieved 16/04/12]

fig. 14 - Adidas Augmented Reality

fig. 18 - Augmented Reality iPhone Historical application Available at: <http://www.softwarebazar.com/upload/ 13172264380792746662.jpg> [retrieved 16/02/12]

fig. 19 - The four realms of an experience

Available at: <http://cdn1.lostateminor.com/wpcontent/uploads/2010/02/adidas.jpg> [retrieved 09/10/11]

Pine II, B. J. and Gilmore, J. H. (1999)

fig. 15 - Esquire Magazine

fig. 20 - Experience Design diagram

AR issue November 2009 Available at: < http://www.keeyool.com/2009/11/ esquires_augmented_reality_iss.php> [retreived 09/10/11]

Available at: <http://mootee.typepad.com/innovation_ playground/2007/05/random_thoughts.html> [retrieved 16/04/12]

List of illustrations fig. 21- Mixed Reality Continuum Schnabel et al. (2007)

fig. 23 - National Geographic AR installation fig. 22 - earthmine Amplified Reality Available at: <http://www.wired.com/epicenter/tag/mobileapp/> [retreived 16/03/12]

fig. 24 - Adidas AR

fig. 26 - Virtualised Reality Available at <:http://www.experimentationonline.co.uk/imgs/virtual_alamri_ apr12_1.jpg> [retreived 19/03/12]

http://cdn1.lostateminor.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/adidas.jpg

fig. 27 - Virtualised Reality fig. 25a - Virtualised Reality

Available at: <http://users.tamuk.edu/kssm034/ img/virtual-reality11.jpg> [retreived 19/03/12]

fig. 28 - Virtualised Reality fig. 25b -Virtualised Reality

fig. 25c - Virtualised Reality

Available at: <http://users.tamuk.edu/kssm034/ img/virtual-reality03.jpg> [retreived 19/03/12]

fig. 29 - Mixed Reality and Experiential design. by the author

fig. 30 - Disorder in a Dining table Wigglesworth, S., Till, J., (2010) Available at: <http://roomthily.tumblr.com/ post/397904666/dining-disorder-increasingdisorder-on-a-dining> [retreived 09/04/12]

fig. 34 Photographs of Oxford University Museum.

Taken and edited by the author

fig. 35 - location Google maps. 2012

fig. 31 - Horizontal field of vision

fig. 36 - Oxford map 1900 fig. 32 - Vertical field of vision

Ordinance Survey. 1900. scale 1:500. EDINA Digimap [online] Available through: Oxord Brookes University online Library [Accessed 13/02/12]

fig. 37 - Oxford map 2012 fig. 33 - Oxford University Museum elevation created by the author

Ordinance Survey. 2012. scale 1:500. EDINA Digimap [online] Available through: Oxord Brookes University online Library [Accessed 13/02/12]

List of illustrations fig. 38 -

fig. 43 - The obervatory (view 2)

Photomontage created by the author

3D model + Photograph from ground floor - Photomontage created by the Author

fig. 39 - Task 1 Photomontage created by the author

fig. 44 - Section 10-10â&#x20AC;&#x2122; scale 1:100 created by the author

fig. 40 - Task 2 Photomontage created by the author

fig. 45 - Section 10-10â&#x20AC;&#x2122; scale 1:50 created by the author

fig. 46 - Woehburk WhiteLine fig. 41 - Task 3 Photomontage created by the author

Available at: < http://images-en.busytrade.com/116992800/ Holoscreen-transparent-Projection-Screen-semitransparent.jpg > [retrieved 16/03/12]

fig. 47 - Plan of the observatory fig. 42 - The observatory (eye level perspective from 1st floor) 3D model + Photograph from 1st floor - Photomontage created by the author

scale 1:50 created by the author

fig. 48a

fig. 49c

3D model created by the author

3D model created by the author

fig. 49d fig. 48b

3D model created by the author

3D model created by the author

fig. 50

fig. 48c 3D model created by the author

fig. 51 - FRP Join

fig. 49a 3D model created by the author

fig. 52 - Architectural Mixed Reality by the author

fig. 49b 3D model created by the author

fig. 53 3D model created by the author