The Intersection by University for the Creative Arts MA Architecture/MA Interior Design

Section title

The Intersection

by Mamoru Handa

T he Intersection

Project Details

Project Lead:

Mamoru Handa

Design Tutor:

Lucy Jones

Title:

The intersection

Type:

Research, Installation, experimentation

Location:

Herbert Read Gallery, UCA Canterbury campus

Project Dates:

31/07/2017 - 18/08/2017 Show Build

Design Period:

30/05/2017 - 25/08/2017

Budget:

ÂŁ600

Scale:

3.5m x3.5m

Support:

UCA

Fig.01 (right) Exhibition planning

T he Intersection

Section title

T he Intersection

Research Agenda and Process Overview This project is mainly from two contexts. One is a further development of interactive grass by my previous project. The other is that the work is positioned in the context of cybernetics. At the previous project site, Primrose Hill, I could find a path that was not designed by designer. What this shows is that it is impossible to control everything, rather it is important to understand what can not be controlled. That is the movement of people in the exhibition space. Norber t Wiener introduced the term cybernetics in the 1950s, which began to be applied to the field of architecture in the 1960s. Cybernetics concerns the relation between machine, human, systems that characterised by sensing, feedback and learning. The technology in architecture did not meet the ambition until the 1990s, when machines such as sensors became inexpensive. Since then, it began to be used positively in some academic institutions. Heinz von Foester introduced the concept, trivial machine and non-trivial machine. A trivial machine is characterised by a one-to-one relationship between its input(stimulus, cause) and its output (response, effect). This invariable relationship is the machine. One of the key feature of trivial machine is that it is a predictable system. On the other hand, Non-trivial machines are quite different from the trivial machine. Unlike the trivial machine, non-trivial machinesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; â&#x20AC;&#x153;input-output relationship is not invariant, but is determined by the machineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s previous output. That is, its previous steps determine its present reactions. In the context of cybernetics, this project is based on the Stephen Gage's paper, 'the wonder of trivial machines', and tackle how a designer could create space with continual delight and wonder. This project aim is to create a small environment in a space. I develop this project from the previous project and use a simple sensor. In detail, I

Research Statement

create userâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s experience and interaction in the environment using about 650 thin rod, LED diode, EL wire and machine that rod sways by DC motor.

Reserch Questions

1. How interactive installtions and architectual practice respond in the context of cybernetics? 2. Can an architect and artist make an observer experience the sensation of delight and wonder? 3. How can delight and wonder be created continuously, through the use of cybernetics in architecture? 4. How I design the thing is uncontrollable(movement of visitor)?

T he Intersection

Significance and Contribution The role of architecture has changed due to digital technology. Gordon Pask says continuous change is necessary in an environment, otherwise pople will get bored in the environment soon. To create a space which has elements that is delight and wonder continuously I create diverse space. Stephen Gage indicates that the most diverse environment are in nature, however, I try to create it in a small environment.

Methodologies 1. Exploring the relationship between a simple sensor which is a trivial machine and movement of visitor in the exhibition space 2. Explore the materiality of interactive elements suitable for swaying 3. Explore how cybernetics (trivial and non-trivial machines) effects the interaction and operation of an installation.

Fig.02,03,04,05 (right) Informal paths in Primrose Hill

Section title

T he Intersection

Design Proposal To generate interactivity between of visitor is hard to expect how they a visitor and environment, I use move as if non-trivial machine, that m o t i o n s e n s o r a n d D C m o to r is unpredictable. can make a swing of rod. Due Machine is normally predicatble, to the development of digital h o w e v e r v i s i t o r ' s m o v i n g i s technologies, sensors in the field of unpredictable. I approach this architecture has a important role p r o j e c t f r o m d i f f e r e n t t w o because archicture is becoming perspective. responsive. In the previous work, I d e ve l o p t h i s. O n t h e o t h e r hand, I design the space carefully, especially in terms of circulation. This is more focused on the movement of visitor. The movement

Fig.06 (upper right) M i c ro - e nv i ro n m e n t a l surveying probes Fig.07 (middle right) ADA Fig.08 (down right) Reconfigurable House

Proposal & Context

Design Research Context Field of Work

Work of others

Af ter invented c yber netics, it 1. Phil Ayres, Chris Leung, and Bob applied to the field of architecture. Sheil of sixteen*(makers) Archigram is one of pioneer in 'Micro-environmental surveying the field. Since the 1990s, sensing probes' created by architects Phil and actuator became inexpensive, Ayres, Chris Leung and Bob Sheil and academic institutions explore of sixteen, are dynamic objects possibilities to create machine and which consists of aluminum sheet, architecture work. thermo-activated sensor array and pistons, gas return springs, and microprocessor with dedicated software. This object is powered by solar energy. The probes recorded

micro environmetal data and gather 2. ADA it. Also, it reponds simultaneously and physically to these changes. So it opens when it is warm and sunny, it closes when it is cold and dark. Due to the machine's ability to record its environment and it

autonomy, it is designed to respond 3. Reconfugurable House by Usman instantly to a constantly changing Haque and Adam Somlai-Fischer environment. This project aims to create a machine that responds to its environment and works beyond being a ' trivial machine'. As a result, it has the possibility to react unpredictably to the observer. 4. Mimus by Madeline Gannon

T he Intersection

Design Methodologies Based on thought of Stephen Gage, the wonder of trivial machine, obser vers feel delight and wonder in environment, when they learn new things

from the environment. At the same time, the

site or place must be diverse. Gage indicates that the most diverse environments are in nature. Similarly, user-driven environment also has a possibility to produce diversity like Reconfigurable House because intersection in environment is something happening.

Critical Design Elements 1. Creation of very thin, light rods 2. Creation of controll system via motion sensor 3. Integration between analog(movement of visitor) and digital(sensor)

Fig.09,10 (right) prototyping

Process Methods Section & title

Prototyping and testing a. A grid system can be effective and how LED diode work b. prototyping of motor system c. Installing the outline of installation and testing circulation

T he Intersection

Process Methods Section & title

15 Testing Circulation

T he Intersection

Process Methods Section & title

T he Intersection

Process & Methods

Fabrication Techniques a. Panel

b. Tubing Rods

In this project I use about 660 rods I chose ABS tubing rod which allows to make an installation and have to to bend easily and to hide a wiring. build a system to efficiently install Since the rod would be directly the rod. I made a 50cm square attached to the panel, I made 2mm panel to realise it. A panel is with 6 holes the height of 1cm from the mm thickness, drilled a hole at an bottom of the rod so that a wire interval of 63mm by laser-cutting. would be passed through. The number of panels are 49 and there are 3,136 holes in total. This number of hole is allowed to be arrangement of rods flexibly. In addition, This hole also undertake a role of giving discipline of space as a guide and a grid system. The panel made from MDF was coated twice. First coating is coated by dark grey and second one is by cloud colour. Since the exhibition space is a grey coloured floor, it should be coated close colour with the floor but I tried to make a distinction from the surrounding space.

Section title

T he Intersection

Process Methods Section & title

T he Intersection

Process & Methods

Control Systems a. Sensor

b. Circulation

This work is not a work focusing only on use of digital technology, but It is a comprehensive experiment in the space where a simple sensor is embedded. By using the PIR sensor, the sensor reacts to people who passed near the sensor, and it is a mechanism that turns on the LED diodes and the rod sways in response to the sensor.

n this project I spent time designing circulation in the space by simulating on CAD software because it is important how to design a movement of visitor. As the case of Primrose Hillâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s paths, people find the optimal behaviour unconsciously and use it. The movement of a visitor is sometimes unpredictable and it does not move as expected like a signal of computer. For that reason, I designed for visitor to walk around and be able to choose their movement from many patterns. The visitor can enter anywhere in the exhibition space and similarly they can way out from anywhere as well.

A sensor which can be controlled is combined with unpredictable movement of visitor in the space might produce coincidence. As a result, I expect it generates a sensation of wonder and delight.

Section title

Occupation and Interaction To generate interactivity between visitors and work, I introduce three sensor based rods. One is gleaming LED diode, which gleams responding to visitors moving. Another one is swaying rod, which sways by DC motor that turns the switch on by visitor’s moving as well.The last one is using EL wire which response to visitor’s moving. In addition, I install rods which don’t response to.

freely move around more than 650 rods. Furthermore, by preparing four types of rods, I intend to avoid simpleness. Integration between analog/ digital, and predictable/ unpredictable give a sensation of delight and wonder to visitor.

This project is made with awareness of the visitor’s space experience. In order to experience the theme of continuous delight and wonder, I create the space where people can

Controlled elements

Uncontrolled elements

sensor switch

circulation/ how visitor moves

configuration of objects

fluctuation in a space

Rods: influenced by PIR sensor→ swaying, gleaming

visitor → turning sensor's switch on/off without knowing

Visitor : switch the motor on when they go through the spot the sensor is installed.

DC motor

Visitor's moving

ON/ OFF by PIR sensor

Rod swaying

T he Intersection

Review of Outcomes

Fig.31 (right) Elevation of a panel

500

Fig.32 (right) prototyping

31.5 63 500

Section title

Fig.33 (above) Arrangement of rods

Review of Outcomes

T he Intersection

Fig.34(right) Elevation of installation

Section title

Fig.32 (above) Installation drawing

Review of Outcomes

T he Intersection

Dissemination and Future Work This work is not a complete one, it is just a passing point. I think the question that is the sensation of the delight and wonder is most important theme for me to tackle on designing a space not only this time but also in the future. I would get feedback from this exhibition how people react in the space. The relationship between machine which becomes stable and human who is with unpredictable behaviour would become clear. These feedback motivate the creation of new work. Furthermore, I would like to present further development of this work including the relationship between digital/analog, machine/human, Japanese architecture/Western architecture and so on.

Appendix Section title

Appendix PIR sensor and operation of LED diode int led = (4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13); // the pin that the LED is atteched to int sensor = 2; // the pin that the sensor is atteched to int state = LOW; // by default, no motion detected int val = 0; // variable to store the sensor status (value) void setup() { pinMode(4, OUTPUT); pinMode(5, OUTPUT); pinMode(6, OUTPUT); pinMode(7, OUTPUT); pinMode(8, OUTPUT); pinMode(9, OUTPUT); pinMode(10, OUTPUT); pinMode(11, OUTPUT); pinMode(12, OUTPUT); pinMode(13, OUTPUT);// initalize LED as an output pinMode(sensor, INPUT); // initialize sensor as an input Serial.begin(9600); // initialize serial } void loop(){ val = digitalRead(sensor); // read sensor value if (val == HIGH) { digitalWrite(4, HIGH); digitalWrite(5, HIGH); digitalWrite(6, HIGH);// check if the sensor is HIGH digitalWrite(7, HIGH); digitalWrite(8, HIGH); digitalWrite(9, HIGH); digitalWrite(10, HIGH);// check if the sensor is HIGH digitalWrite(11, HIGH); digitalWrite(12, HIGH); digitalWrite(13, HIGH);// turn LED ON delay(100); // delay 100 milliseconds if (state == LOW) {

T he Intersection

Serial.println(“Motion detected!”); state = HIGH; // update variable state to HIGH

} } else { digitalWrite(4, LOW); digitalWrite(5, LOW); digitalWrite(6, LOW); digitalWrite(7, LOW); digitalWrite(8, LOW); digitalWrite(9, LOW); digitalWrite(10, LOW); digitalWrite(11, LOW); digitalWrite(12, LOW); digitalWrite(13, LOW);// turn LED OFF delay(100); // delay 200 milliseconds

}

if (state == HIGH){ Serial.println(“Motion stopped!”); state = LOW; // update variable state to LOW

Materials and Suppliers List Tubing Rod x700 6mm MDF board (3.5m x3.5m) LED Diode x600 Wire x400m DC Motor Arduino Uno

Section title Appendix

Bibliography Gage, S. (2006) The wonder of trivial machines In: Systems Research and Behavioral Science 23(6) pp.771-778. Sheil.R.(2003) â&#x20AC;&#x153; Kielder Residencyâ&#x20AC;?. [online] at: http://discovery.ucl. ac.uk/10155/1/10155.pdf von Foerster, H.(2002). Understanding Understanding: Essays on Cybernetics and Cognition. New York: Springer-Verlag New York.

Image Credits Figure 06: Sheil.R.(2003) Kielder probes. [online] at: http://discovery.ucl. ac.uk/10155/1/10155.pdf Figure 07: Ada(2003). The Intelligent Space at http:// ada.ini.ethz.ch. Figure 08: Haque, O. Reconfigurable House. At: https://house.propositions. org.uk

T he Intersection

Credits MA Interior Design Tutor: Lucy Jones

Section title

T he Intersection