Adaptive Architecture and Responsive Systems

Show Velum Thesis book Winter Systems design and architectural application Book Show Installation and Section Show Shared Thesis Critique Spring Detail Show 3 and Final Show 4 Field trips At least one field trip is under consideration for Mexico, others will be planned collectively. Light study by Stephen Holl showing the sensorial feedback gained from testing physical models feedback that is influential for making design decisions. This process is recursive and may be done physically, digitally, or by hybrid techniques. 492 Seminar Description_ F Seminar is dedicated to: • developing flexible, self-directed curricula for the thesis year; • identifying interests and developing a body of research; • writing of the thesis proposal. The thesis is distinct from the thesis project, which will be developed in studio. During the seminar, we will identify thesis topics, their historic underpinnings, and their currency in the field of architecture. We will identify core knowledge within our own field and look to advancements in adjacent fields (the arts, engineering, botany, materials science, . . .) and search for moments that spur innovation in our own field. THESIS 2016 ADAPTIVE ARCHITECTURE AND RESPONSIVE SYSTEMS ARCH 481 | 492 Who am I? I came to architecture through commercial fishing and ships carpentry (working on wooden sailboats). From ships carpentry I learned a respect for materials and craft. From sailing and study of nature, I realized there is often a correlation of form and performance that we intuitively recognize and we understand this relationship prior to forming rational thought. This observation has led me to value the intuitive and emotive processes of design in tandem with more rational methods (in case you did not see this on the first page). On the academic side I studied installation art, industrial design and architecture at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn. At Pratt, I learned to value the visual arts and to value diversity of thought. These studies led me to graduate work at MIT where I partnered with mechanical and biomedical engineers where I learned to value the humanity of technology. I then (with J. Vollen and A. Malo) founded the Emerging Material Technologies program at the University of Arizona where we looked closely at materials and fabrication process to develop responsive architectural propositions. Most recently, I have directed the CoDe Lab at Carnegie Mellon University where I worked with architects, artists, and computer scientists to explore the poetic, tangible, and interactive prospects of technology. OK this is getting long, but I’ve forgotten to mention working on projects with BuroHapplod and NASA. Well, just one more, I also had the privilege to work with a creative engineering team on exoskeletal suits, an early exploration in soft robotics to increase the abilities of the human body, specifically duration and performance.