Abstract:

This thesis focuses on the design of interfaces that allow architectural spaces to become responsive to the thermal aspects of human physiology. It will explore ways in which a person's temperature can be non-invasively sensed and how that information can be used to affect the physical and immaterial aspects of architecture including temperature, light, humidity, materiality etc. The research is focused on developing architectural elements that act as interfaces for altering the physiology of the environment.

Architectural environments modulate environmental factors such as heat and humidity in order to maintain comfortable inhabitation. However, there are few examples of environments that respond directly to users' physiology. It is important to speculate how we can design spaces that can use biometric information and how such architecture can be implemented physically and programmatically. Taking advantage of technologies which can sense biometrical information, which today is predominantly used to track identity, spaces can be designed for things other than surveillance. Instead, use of such information can aid in creating spaces that are more responsive to changing inhabitation when dealing with heat.

The method of inquiry includes the study of technical and theoretical precedents. Specifically, researching technologies used to gather biometric information, architectural systems of controlling heat and humidity, as well as, materials that are able to respond to physical changes and/or instill physical changes. In addition to the technical studies, the thesis will investigate case studies that explore how visual media is used to represent biometric information and prototypes of constructed atmospheres. This information will be then utilized to aid a design process of creating architectural environments with interfaces that respond to biometric input of heat.

The expected outcome of the thesis is first to gain technical and theoretical understanding of human physiology interfaces. Secondly, it is expected to create physical prototypes of environments and mockups in order to study the design of interface between human physiology as described above, and architectural space.