Introduction

LAYERED SPACE

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INTRODUCTION

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PURPOSE

LAYERED SPACE

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INTRODUCTION

Purpose for Writing

Architecture has historically been an incredibly static medium, each space being the same to each occupant for decades. The reason for this is obvious; buildings are strictly physical, requiring inhabitants to move through space to seek out different environments while limiting the variety of environments to which they have access. While kinetic architecture may slightly ameliorate the situation, its physical nature still fundamentally limits the occupants’ actions.

Extended reality can bring about a change to this mode of operation by creating layered, superimposed spaces, part physical and part virtual, which can change over time, on demand, or contextually based on their occupants. Designing these layers must become part of the practice of architecture, and methods of presentation should be explored in the process. With this thesis and associated project, a virtually occupiable proof-of-concept space is produced, demonstrating the new possibilities brought about by extended reality, and a conceptual process is executed which incorporates these new dimensions into architectural practice. The end product demonstrates the inevitability of a new spatial typology, helps current and future architects prepare for a fundamental change to the design process, and theorizes what the end product of this new process could look like from the perspectives of both designer and end user.

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ORGANIZATION

LAYERED SPACE

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INTRODUCTION

Organization

To accomplish these goals, the basic functionality, terminology, and history of extended reality are established, and the cutting-edge technology of the present is detailed. It is already much more advanced than most people realize. Next, the near future of extended reality is laid out to separate what is inevitable from common tropes and science fiction. Its relation to architecture is then detailed, touching on why virtual and real are not mutually exclusive descriptors. Once the concept of spatial superimposition is established, its implications on visitor experience and architectural design are deeply investigated, and a section on my own prior research supplements said investigations. This leads to my thesis project, wherein the design of superimposed space is expanded to an architectural scale. Finally, my research is observed and analyzed, final conclusions are drawn, and recommendations for further research are provided.

This organization strategy aims to transition from broad to narrow in terms of concepts and scope. The project investigates only a minuscule proportion of extended reality’s inevitable changes to architecture and society at large.

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