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Project

Towards a Robotic Architecture that Mediates Place: Prototyping Meaningful Human-Building Interactions through Autonomous Spatial Adaptation.

The discipline of adaptive architecture explores how the architectural space can dynamically adapt to the changing needs of occupants. Over five decades of research, it has proposed that such dynamic adaptations hold the potential to evoke 'poetic' experiences from occupants that might be as compelling as those of its 'static' counterpart. While it is still unclear how these experiences can unfold in a meaningful way, applicable theories from Environmental Psychology proposed that the meaningful human experience of a place depended on not only the spatial qualities of its physical manifestation, but also the situational qualities of its surrounding contexts and its subjective qualities as perceived by the occupants. Motivated by these insights, this dissertation investigated the research question: How can spatial adaptation, i.e. the act of physically adapting a spatial layout through the integration of robotic technology, dynamically satisfy the qualities of a place in a meaningful way?

To adequately address its research question, this dissertation proposed that spatial adaptation should be designed from a phenomenological perspective that respects and exploits the unique qualities of how architectural space is holistically experienced. By applying evaluation methodologies from both Architectural Design and Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) research, the main contributions of this thesis are: 1) a series of working adaptive architecture prototypes; 2) a series of controlled and in-the-wild studies in varying real-world contexts; and 3) a collection of design considerations that inform the future research of adaptive architecture, robotic furniture, as well as other Human-Building Interaction (HBI) or Human-Robot Interaction (HRI). These contributions are manifested through seven peer-reviewed chapters clustered in three parts, among which:

Part I. Exploration consists of two chapters that delved into the design space of spatial adaptation, offering methodological insights for the subsequent chapters. Chapter 2 investigated how lay-participants with no professional design background arranged interior layouts based on two locations of a 'static' partition in different realities. It discovered a range of spatial, situational, and subjective qualities that participants employed as design arguments for their preferred arrangements according to the locations of the 'static' partition. Chapter 3 compared how participants experienced two preliminary prototypes of spatial adaptation: a set of virtually simulated partitions versus a physical Wizard-of-Oz mobile robotic foldable partition. It captured a range of unique spatial qualities emerged from the dynamic movements of these spatial adaptation prototypes.

Part II. Experimentation comprises three chapters that deployed spatial adaptation prototypes in real-world contexts through semi-controlled studies, providing insights into how people experienced spatial adaptation in the short term. Chapter 4 evaluated the semi-immersive, cross-reality simulation of an autonomous mobile partition adapting the homes of remote participants during the COVID-19 quarantine period. It provided preliminary insights into how and when spatial adaptation should occur based on a range of spatial and subjective qualities; and presented the first evidences indicating that participants were more accepting of unconventional spatial adaptations compared to identical 'static' layouts. Chapter 5 provided an intermediate reflection on previous chapters to discuss the research challenges associated with spatial adaptation, originated from the contrast viewpoints of ordinary users versus experts. Chapter 6 measured the impact of a Wizard-of-Oz mobile robotic partition in creating different 'places' for participants located in a breakout space of a shared office building. It proposed a preliminary sense of place framework that related these qualities to recommend how and when spatial adaptation should occur, proactively or reactively, to support one occupant.

Part III. Implementation encompasses two chapters that described longer term, in-the-wild studies to validate previous findings while ensuring ecological validity in the research. Chapter 7 optimised the engagement of passers-by with a rhythm-making robotic facade, as it taught them how to engage through proactive feedforward rhythms, through which empowering them to improvise through reactive feedback rhythms. It demonstrated several behaviours of passers-by that can be tracked to understand and enhance their experience, which has the potentials for spatial adaptation to also apply. Chapter 8 evaluated the utilisation of a mobile robotic partition that semi-autonomously moved between different adaptations selected by participants to cope with spatial stressors in their real-life shared office, while taking into account the potential socio-spatial consequences to their colleagues. It identified four distinct adaptation strategies employed by participants, considering whether spatial adaptation should address a spatial stressor before or during its occurrence; and whether it should adapt the architectural zone of the participant in need or that of the spatial stressor. By relating the decision-making process of these adaptation strategies to the sense of place framework, this chapter clarified \textit{how} and \textit{when} spatial adaptation should occur for multiple occupants in a shared space.

By synthesising insights from the aforementioned chapters, this dissertation offers a preliminary answer to the research question, addressing when and how spatial adaptation should occur, and highlighting its impact on occupants. From these insights, it proposes nine design considerations for future autonomous adaptive architecture, including: consider the perceived motivation and ability of the occupant to determine the appropriate moment to initiate a spatial adaptation, taking into account that the occupant can also employ subjective, situational, or synergistic adaptations to cope with the spatial stressor at hand; consider the architectural zone and the timing of the spatial adaptation, in relation to those of the occupant and the spatial stressor, as these factors result in different spatiotemporal adaptation strategies with perceivable distinct influences on the interdependent dimensions affecting the sense of place; and consider the characteristics of the spatial adaptation prototype at hand, which influenced each dimensions of the sense of place differently in a hierarchy, ultimately shaping its unique affordances perceived by co-located occupants sharing the same space.

From these design considerations, this dissertation discussed the potential of adaptive architecture to leverage on its unique affordances to become a creative design dimension, potentially facilitating a truly bi-directional interaction loop between architectural space and its occupants. As the field of Evidence-Based Design proved that the built environment affected human health and well-being with longer-term implications that can even benefit the quality of life, this dissertation aims to inspire HBI as well as HRI research to ground new innovative interventions on the existing architectural knowledge to better benefit occupants in the longer term.

Date:1 Apr 2019 →  23 Oct 2023
Keywords:human-computer interaction, architectural design, interactive architecture, architectural experience, robotic furniture, human-building interaction, workplace wellbeing
Disciplines:CAAD and digital architecture, Architectural sciences and technology, Interior architecture sciences and technology, Digital and interaction design, Design research
Project type:PhD project