Project 1

Max Stockdale
4 min readJan 24, 2023

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Studio IV, spring 2023 -data visualization + intelligent environments

figma(continued process):

https://www.figma.com/file/VI1w3XRVjruXbpsvGEbbnp/tcs-sus?t=0hVbkLZGpUrTFLXO-1

Context:

  • create a design for the TCS building

Considerations:

  • different levels of interactions
  • ability to critically map human behavior and shaping it in an environment
  • research through design and making
  • understanding how an intelligent system works

Initial Ideas:

  • tangile interactions
  • embed into the environment
  • cues to help with studying + focus
  • energy + environmental impacts of the space
  • space capacity + comfortability

Data

vibrations

air pressure

color of ambient light

motion

temp.

magnetometer

wifi strength

thermal infrared

relative humidity

sound

health of the system

TCS Building info:

  • most sensors are attached to the ceiling
  • open floor plan in the entry
  • 2 story lobby, classrooms, and offices
  • 90,000 sq ft
  • uses 32% less energy than a conventional building of similar size and use
  • 30% of building materials include recycled content
  • allows users to adjust interior temp.
  • CO2 sensors trigger system to cycle fresh air into the building
  • healthy environment maintained through the use of low VOC materials and finishes

Ideas

  • manipulating the space
  • filters/projects on the large windows to measure and change ambient light in the space(auto blinds to filter light in different ways)
  • tangible, emotion-packed interactions
  • student’s relationship with the space(context + storytelling)
  • acoustical curtain to adjust ambient noise in studying spaces
  • incorporating the outside into the building(environmental feedback)
  • modular furniture design
  • gesture based project mapping (gamification)

Continued Thinking

  • what data is most useful/essential?
  • how do we create more physical & mental awareness in this space?
  • attract, inspire, engage, and deepen
  • memorable, meaningful, transformative
  • no emotion = no memory
  • “perception of the world”- reassess your place in the world
  • themes: productivity, safety, sustainability, history, spatial awareness

Updated Concept:

  • communal reward for sustainable behaviors; Goal updates everyday about reducing energy consumption, when the goal is reached the experience turns on at night.
  • Animalize the patterns/particles, Interacts with people in the space. A symbol for campus sustainability. Experience powered by excess energy conserved in the building.
  • Motivates people to save energy. Creature won’t appear if sustainable goal not met.
  • Day: goal progress bar projected on opaque smart film. Text: (time) until magical creature appears tonight if the goal is reached. Motivation through gamification.
  • (goal not reached) Night: creature hides or only in the stairwell.
  • (goal reached) Night: project patterns/particles/other organic imagery in the space. Responds to people’s movement and sound in the staircase. -Playful interactions visible inside (staircase) and outside (windows) the building, triggering curiosity.

Research Question:

How might we use real-time data in a shared space to increase people’s spatial and environmental awareness?

Next Steps:

-have more behaviors. right now they are on the extremes(more colors w/ associated behaviors)

-Outline how different data points are used to inform bugbyte’s behavior
(make bugbyte interactive.. it plays w the user.. deeper personal connection; particles come into the phone? more integrated in the app.
can have multiple bugbytes in the staircase

-can give sneak peek of concept video early on (on the concept title slide)??
where to put the projectors? how would projection mapping work?

-Can we get the still model with the bee and generative trail animation?

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