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Space itself will become malleable, capable of reconfiguring to suit our
profiles—presenting differences in lighting, materiality, even form
as we move from place to place. The design of interaction between
architecture and machine—A 2 M—incorporates the technology of
smart buildings, structures whose systems are automated in order to
improve their efficiency. In fact, the earliest building automation sys-
tems and “smart building” examples provide an important foundation
for hybrid design. But emerging technologies—pervasive and mobile
access, social community, and augmented reality, among others—will
highlight new opportunities for innovation and development of A 2 M
models.
Lorraine Daston noted the importance of objects in the environment
and the deep connection of things to human communication. Daston
states, “Imagine a world without things... without things, we would
stop talking. We would become as mute as things are alleged to be. If
things are “speechless,” perhaps it is because they are drowned out by
all the talk about them.”^30 As we move toward a world filled with articu-
late things, a categorization of these new environmental elements posi-
tioned by their sphere of application will help us gauge the progress
we’ve made, give us ideas for innovation, and start us on a path toward
a hybrid design theory for interconnected environments.
A Framework for Interconnected Environments
To categorize the contribution of interconnected sensors and devices,
observe that the modes of H 2 M interaction are already a primary dif-
ferentiator for the applications that have emerged in the marketplace. A
framework can help clarify opportunities that might exist at the inter-
section between modes of interaction—the different ways that humans
engage with machine-enabled architecture—and spheres of inquiry—
the different objectives that we have, or the purpose for engagement.
By interrogating each cell of this framework, shown in Figure 13 - 3 , a
range of directions for hybrid design practice will emerge.
30 Daston (2004)
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