The discussion at the Carlo Ratti talk at the State Library last night produced some interesting points that I thought were applicable to our project. (They might not be but I thought it might be good to talk about it).
Specifically, some interesting points about adaptability were addressed. some parts of the lecture were obviously very similar to the SenseAble City lab lecture in week two, but this had a bit more discussion about the purpose of adaptability, and if the sort of adaptability in buildings like the Cloud are just nominal and not really relevant to people.
I think a question we need to ask is whether or not we can achieve a desirable level of adaptability within a static structure through digital technologies, or is it a basic human need (and indeed a necessity for this project) that a building be physically adaptable? Something like the Water Pavilion has a static glass wall, yet is adaptable through opacity and pattern through altering water within the wall. It might even be the case that the people who occupy this building won't respond to a digital interface as imagined by Ratti for the Cloud in London (potentially a different type of digital interface is called for).
"...digital activity is a layer in interface with the city. It’s not a separate virtual space, as some seem to think, but it’s augmenting our physical space. As he (Ratti) points out, we’re hardly going to change or destroy all these existing buildings and spaces anytime soon – urban form just doesn’t change that quickly, but the profound changes in the way cities feel and function may be in this internet-enabled informational layer."
from:
http://www.cityofsound.com/blog/2009/07/towards-a-new-architect-an-interview-with-carlo-ratti.html
Personally, I think this project certainly needs a high level of physical adaptability as its core motivation. I'm still wondering how an human-influenced, flexible digital interface could be implemented in this project or if it should be implemented at all, though I guess this will become more clear as the brief develops.
How do we make a building that changes, and what does change mean? These will be questions to answer throughout the design project.
