INTERACTIVE SPACES

Sai A. Pradhan l L. S. Raheja School of Architecture Traversing Through Architecture

FIGURE 36: STRONG USE OF MATERIALS LEADING TO A SENSE OF PLACE

“The visual perception at the human eye-level while moving through the space provides the only accurate reality of spatial experience.”

-Yatin Pandya

As Juhani Plasma once said, “Buildings do not merely provide physical shelter. In addition to housing our fragile bodies, they also need to house our minds, memories, desires, and dreams.” We interact with the built form surrounding us on a regular basis and in multiple ways. Our brain receives visual inputs and processes the experience in terms of the tactile and auditory senses. (Studio, 2017) During our daily activities such as opening a door, walking up the stairs, etc., we are engaging with the surrounding built environment and modifying it to best suit our needs.

This cognitive understanding of the surroundings can often trigger loopholes leading to optical illusions. (Studio, 2017) Optical illusions guide the user to perceive the structure differently than what it is. When the user views the structure from the ground level, he can view the structure separate from its physical existence. The user may view the structure in varied forms from different distances.

To facilitate a healthy communication between the building and the occupant, the user must be able to perceive the space through all the senses. A walk along a tree lined passage emits an aroma that acts as a wayfinding device for the user. As we walk through a space, we make associations between the space and the way our body feels when we walk through it. This has a direct connection with the amount of interactivity with the surrounding environment.

Sai A. Pradhan l L. S. Raheja School of Architecture Traversing Through Architecture

FIGURE 37: SEGD When we experience a change in the materials and levels, the noise of the water lashing against a surface, our body makes cognitive relations with our previous experiences and helps us connect with our surroundings. The elements beyond the visual realm help the user feel the space and build a relationship between the physicality of the user and the built form. This ability of the environment to engage the user is called interactive architecture.

Interactive architecture refers to the branch of architecture which deals with buildings featuring the trio of sensors, processors, and effectors, embedded as a core part of its nature and functioning. (Inetarctive Architecture) It encourages the architects to design and create spaces to allow a conscious interaction with the built form. In order to achieve this, the space should be organized to narrate a story that connects with the occupants on an emotional level as well. (Lehman, How to Design Architectural Interactivity that Emotionally Connects)

As the users and functions increase, the degree of interactivity between the built form and the user diminishes. The built form is unable to cope with the fast-paced demands and is unable to cater to the increasing demands of the user. We often travel to spaces within a structure to meet specific demands. We walk past walls to reach windows that allow light to flood into the space and provide views of the exterior spaces. In our instantaneous and automated lifestyles, we crave for more and more interactions with the built form. Interactive architecture probes architects to relook at the overlooked opportunities that can provide more human interactions with the surrounding environment.