Towards Responsive Architecture that Mediates Place

Abstract

Responsive architecture envisions the built environment to adapt to the changing needs of its occupants dynamically. Although it is increasingly feasible to move space-defining objects like room dividers by mobile robots, little is known about how or when such spatial adaptations should occur. We therefore measured the experience of 26 occupants while they performed six different activities inside an office breakout room that was being adapted by a robotically moving wall in either a reactive or proactive way. Based on these empirical findings, we propose how autonomous spatial adaptation should primarily aim to balance the spatial, situational and subjective qualities of the resulting sense of place. We also define eight distinct design recommendations that exploit the unique affordances of spatial adaptation. By asserting that future advances in human-building interaction (HBI) should be based on creating appropriate places rather than controlling functional spaces, we foresee how responsive architecture might become as compelling as its static counterpart.

Lived experience in human-building interaction (HBI): an initial framework

“…However, we argue that HBI artefacts may not be embedded in the building structure as they can be mobile, such as the actuating wall example by Nguyen et al (2022). Moreover, HBI artefacts can be smaller tangible interactive interfaces or TUIs (e.g., Moradi et al, 2018;Zhong et al, 2020;Nabil and Kirk, 2021).…”

“…These artefacts facilitated place-making by creating (sub)spaces within a given environment (e.g., group-room) and floor-based projections acting as backdrops to children's activity that could be manipulated using a set of tangible controls. Other interactive artefacts using partitions (e.g., Peiris et al, 2011;Hyelip Lee et al, 2013;Peiris et al, 2013;Onishi et al, 2021;Nguyen et al, 2022) and floor projections (e.g., Mora-Guiard and Pares, 2014;Mora-Guiard et al, 2016;Takahashi et al, 2018;Kender et al, 2020) exist in HCI research; however, in their majority, these examples are not classified as HBI artefacts and none of these works investigates the role of the artefacts in facilitating place-making actions by these artefacts.…”

“…Rapid technological advancements in sensors, actuators, and microprocessors find their ways into the built environment, and alter its design and our interactions and experiences with it in unprecedented ways. Through this technological transformationand much like smart devices-built environments are becoming intelligent entities that quantify one's self (Margariti et al, 2023), inform on living conditions through ambient displays (Snow et al, 2019), optimise energy consumption (Chen et al, 2021), change their shape to accommodate human needs (Wiberg, 2018;Nguyen et al, 2022), and carry out other mundane tasks. Acting in a timely imperative manner, the research domain of human-building interaction (HBI) studies methods and design applications for the convergence of computing and architecture through the integration of computational intelligence with the built environment and looks at social, spatial, and ethical implications of such interfaces on everyday life and human experiences, as well as ways that people interact with such environments.…”

“…Studies on HBI addressing experience stemming from architecture and engineering fields, look at experience from a positivist angle, as part of human comfort in indoor environments (Jazizadeh et al, 2014;Lee et al, 2021). On the other hand, HBI studies stemming from HCI on experience are few; case studies on the experience of HBI artefacts are either in controlled lab environments (Nguyen et al, 2022) or only temporarily deployed in the real world (Houben et al, 2017). Only a fraction of studies investigate lived experience, and those who do, do so on commercial applications of smart buildings (e.g., Margariti et al, 2023).…”

Human Behavior Adaptability in Responsive Buildings: An Exploratory Study in Workplace Settings

“…The integration of sensor data with digital building models has given rise to 'digital twin' systems, providing a real-time overview of the current state of a facility for building management [45,46] and sustainability assessments [47]. Other studies explored the interactions between people and adaptive building components, such as façades, lighting systems, and movable partitions, to enhance comfort and people's experience [48,49]. More broadly, human-building interaction (HBI) studies investigated the reciprocal adaptability between buildings and people to enhance the inhabitants' quality of life [50] with a predominant focus on energy efficiency [51].…”