THE EPHEMERAL DREAMSPACE
(Re) Activating an Evocative Architecture through Computational Devices and Bodily Interaction
The Ephemeral DreamSpace is a proposed architectural space presented in the form of a physical prototype that simulates the wildly transformative capabilities of a “Virtopia”.
Virtopia is the virtual utopia, where digital code gives birth to buildings and cities in the shape of anything imagined by architects; spaces that defy the rules of the physical world. It is the aim of this research to explore digital augmentation of the physical in order to promote spaces that are transformable, connected, and responsive to the bodily movements and desires of their inhabitants. Today, technologies such as programmable actuators, open source software, sensors, and so on, counteract the physical limitations of transformable architecture and provide the freedom for architects to bring physical manifestation to a Virtopia.
With a focus on horizontal space definers and bodily interaction on the ground plane, an interactive, shape-shifting, and evocative floor was designed and built. The floor, aimed to promote the culture of floor living as a social instigator and symbol of communal life, is designed to respond to the movements of those sitting on it. Using visual sensory systems and programmable actuators, the floor is an ephemeral landscape that physically transforms its shape and creates different experiences for the users [specifically for two users in this prototype].
A SHAPE GRAMMAR OF EMOTIONAL POSTURES
An Approach towards Encoding the Analogue Qualities of Bodily Expressions of Emotions.
This work is concerned with the translation of analogue qualities of human emotions into digital readings. Human body postures are considered as one of the main behavioral conduits for non-verbal communication and emotional expressions (Shan et.al., 2007). This research is the first step towards identifying and detecting emotions through posture analysis of users moving through space; leading towards generating real time responses in the form of spatial configurations to users' emotions. Such spatial configurations would then help inhabitants reach certain emotional states that would enhance their life quality. In order to achieve this goal, we propose a methodology for developing a comprehensive shape grammar algorithm that could evaluate and predict bodily expressions of emotions. The importance of this study lies under the embodied interactions (Streech et.al., 2011) in space. As the circumfixed space impacts the embodied mind, the body impacts its surrounding including the architectural space.
