Maria Lorena Lehman, “Sensing Architecture” and “Ubiquitous Computing”

Lehman suggests the use of ubiquitous computing to create a smart architectural environment that responds to the user’s needs. She furthers explains that such a system “revolve around goal-orientated device cooperation, meaning that the user would need to actively give input to his environment for it to function smoothly. In this sense, the smart environment and the user together create the program for the environment, which begs the question, where is the role of the architect? The architect’s job is to blend the necessary program and a concept in a way that creates a meaningful experience for the user. If the architect no longer is responsible for program (as a programmer would be responsible to initializing the smart environment, and the user and the environment itself for maintaining it), would his role default to entirely be focused on concept? Or will it be expected of the architect to learn how to do such programming himself and bridge more disciplines?

dpr-barcelona, “Architecture in Your Hands”

“Architecture in Your Hands” is a new app that will change the way we store and interact with stored information about the world around us. It’s purpose is to create a “networked learning” focused on “enhancing immediacy, brevity, and simplicity”. A user will be able to learn through stored information while being on site, thereby creating more integrated and engaging learning environment that can be based on a combination of personal experience and critical knowledge. I think it is an important revolutionary way to get a more hands-on learning experience.

The Product, Digital Rube Goldberg Processor

I found this to be a really interesting modern Rube Goldberg machine, centering around our daily use of technology. It shows the inter-connectivity our physical beings in a virtual environment, where we are abstracted in a sense. The dynamic between physicality and virtual reality is understood through the tension between objective output and subjective understanding/interpretation of that output.