Alexander summarised his theory of ‘living
geometry’—updating the cellular automata
principles defined by John von Neumann and
Stanisław Ulam at the Los Alamos National
Laboratory in the 1940s. While trying to design a
self-reproducing machine, von Neumann defined
life (including artificial life) as beings which
could reproduce themselves and ‘think’.
One of today’s most advanced international
groups researching and prototyping ‘kinetic
and near-living architecture’ is the Living
Architecture Systems Group led by Philip
Beesley at the University of Waterloo in
Toronto. Its teams focus on sensor-activated
structures (led by Beesley), synthetic cognition
(Dana Kulić), protocell and metabolic processes
(Rachel Armstrong), human experience (Colin
Ellard), interdisciplinary methods (Rob Gorbet)
and theory (Sarah Bonneman).
Beesley explained the group’s shared goals:
‘Can architecture integrate living functions?
Could future buildings think and care? Might
buildings begin, in primitive ways, to come alive?
Our research has potential to change how we
build by transforming the physical structures
that support buildings and the technical systems
that control them. Our prototypes are integrating
intelligent controls, machine learning,
lightweight scaffolds, kinetic mechanisms and
self-renewing synthetic biology systems. We also
specialise in advanced structures, mechanisms,control systems, human-machine interactions
and psychological testing.’
Beesley globally exhibits sensor-responsive
suspended sculptures inspired by the ancient
Greek hylozoic idea that all matter is alive.
In his techno-primordial jungles, artificial
feathers and foliage delicately breathe, tremble,
unfurl, sparkle and radiate vapours. He uses a
laptop-programmed Arduino circuit board to
control several thousand tiny touch and motion
sensors, LEDs and actuators of robotic tremors.
But what do these virtual diversions have
to do with actual architecture and cities?
Greg Lynn has clarified strong correlations
between building and entertainment design.
He said: ‘Recent advances in automation linked
with sensing technology gives people the ability
to safely occupy intelligent robotic environments.
Motion is currently being integrated into
buildings at an unprecedented scale and scope.’
Motion, automation, intelligence, illusion,
kinaesthetics: we are on the cusp of amazing
potentials to transcend static structures – beyond
Ken Yeang’s and Patrick Blanc’s vertical gardens
and other botanical accoutrements. Presumably
Le Corbusier’s 1923 maxim, une maison est une
machine-à-habiter will be superceded by a more
auspicious precept: L’architecture est énergique.
Future buildings may be not only structural or
even mechanised: In the theory of cybernetics,
they could really live and breathe.above Kuka construction robots worked
with humans to fabricate and assemble the
Elytra Filament Pavilion, to a design by Achim
Menges and his Institute of Computational
Design at the University of Stuttgart. It has
been shown in several locations: here in the
courtyard of London’s Victoria and Albert
Museum (V&A, courtesy ICD Stuttgart).
opposite Night lighting around central
Barcelona was data-mapped by the 300.000
Km/s team, led by Mar Santamaria Varas and
Pablo Martinez Diez (300.000 Km/s).ArChItECtUrE & DESIgN /people/ jUL-SEP 201921ADQ3_018_021_AI Architecture_V1.indd 21 26/7/19 4:49 pm