Interactive Forms Of Light
In the last few decades, computational technologies have arisen in architectural design. These technologies could create a new area of research that engages with design cognition, computation, and generative principles. To fully understand the potential of computer-aided architectural design, research should be carried out on the possibilities of implementing these technologies into a modern form of architectural expression.
To evaluate this, I must first understand the computational design strategies of interactive, kinetic, and biomimetic architecture. I will also consider climate-responsive buildings that enhance a building’s spatial and functional qualities. This is relevant as architecture moves towards energy-efficient design. I will also consider how materiality and lighting impact the integrity of these designs. I will then take these research areas and discuss possible opportunities for development.
Moving into my own work, I have sought to incorporate elements of biomimetic design in combination with climate-responsive conditions for a built form in the Coromandel Peninsula. During summer, the high number of visitors to the area makes it an ideal location for a small-scale architectural proposal. The warm climate and stunning natural surroundings also make it a desirable area for temporary accommodation. The proposed design will mimic local flora, creating an external kinetic structure that moves in accordance with sunlight. This will camouflage and conceal the built form from its natural surroundings and utilise sunlight for the maximum utility of its occupants.
How can these computational technologies become visually striking and an integral part of the design itself? How can they change how a building functions and feels? The work completed in this thesis represents a possible integration between computational literature and kinetic design concepts. This may shed light on how we think about representing architecture in the future.
