Responsive architecture

Responsive architecture is an evolving sphere of structural design research aimed at changing the shape of buildings so as to match the needs of the people inside and adapt to the changing weather outside.

History

The term "responsive architecture" was coined by Nicholas Negroponte in the late 1960s, when he proposed that architecture would benefit from the integration of computing power into built spaces and structures, and that better performing, more rational buildings would be the result.

Little further work in the area was undertaken until the late 1990s when interest in tensegrity grew considerably. However, experimental applications had more to do with the aesthetic shape of the building rather than its functioning. Diller & Scofidio’s Blur [ [http://www.arcspace.com/architects/DillerScofidio/blur_building/ Diller & Scofidio Blur Building] . Retrieved 13 March 2007.] and what dECOi architects called Aegis HypoSurface [ [http://www.sial.rmit.edu.au/Projects/Aegis_Hyposurface.php Aegis Hyposurface project] from the SIAL site. Retrieved 13 March 2007.] are examples here.

Current work

While a considerable amount of time and effort has been spent on intelligent homes in recent years, the emphasis here has been mainly on developing computerized systems and electronics to adapt the interior of the building or its rooms to the needs of residents. Research in the area of responsive architecture has had far more to do with the building structure itself, its ability to adapt to changing weather conditions and to take account of light, heat and cold. This could theoretically be achieved by designing structures consisting of rods and strings which would bend in response to wind, distributing the load in much the same way as a tree. Similarly, windows would respond to light, opening and closing to provide the best lighting and heating conditions inside the building.This line of research, known as actuated tensegrity, relies on changes in structures controlled by actuators which in turn are driven by computerized interpreters of the real world conditions [ [http://www.oframbfra.com/tensegrity/sterkACADIA_03.pdf Using Actuated Tensegrity Structures to Produce a Responsive Architecture, Tristan d’Estrée Sterk] , The School of The Art Institute of Chicago. Retrieved 14 March 2007.] .

Some key contributors

At MIT's Kinetic Design Group, Michael Fox has been developing the concept of "intelligent kinetic systems" which he defines as "architectural spaces and objects that can physically re-configure themselves to meet changing needs." They draw on structural engineering, embedded computation and adaptable architecture. His objective is to demonstrate that energy use and the environmental quality of buildings could be rendered more efficient and affodable by making use of a combination of these technologies [ [http://kdg.mit.edu/PDF/sustainapp.pdf Sustainable Applications of Intelligent Kinetic Systems, Michael A. Fox] . Retrieved 14 March 2007.] .

Tristan d'Estree Sterk of The Bureau For Responsive Architecutre [ [http://www.orambra.com The Bureau For Responsive Architecture] ] and Robert Skelton of UCSD in San Diego [ [http://www.jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/faculty/faculty_bios/findprofile.pl?fmp_recid=51 Robert Skelton] . Retrieved 14 March 2007.] are working together on actuated tensegrity, experimenting with pneumatically controlled rods and wires which change the shape of a building in response to sensors both outside and inside the structure. Their goal is to limit and reduce the impact of buildings on natural environments [ [http://news.thomasnet.com/IMT/archives/2006/09/shapeshifting_responsive_smart_buildings_architecture_adapt_environment.html?t=archive Shape-shifting Structures Adapt to Environment] , David R. Butcher, ThomasNet, September 13, 2006. Retrieved 14 March 2007.] .

Bibliography

*Negroponte, N. (1975): Soft Architecture Machines, Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 239 p., ISBN 0262140187
*Beesley, Philip; Hirosue, Sachiko; Ruxton, Jim; Trankle, Marion; Turner, Camille: Responsive Architectures: Subtle Technologies, Riverside Architectural Press, 2006, 239 p., ISBN 0978097807

Footnotes