Encode_Engage
Boston,MA
2012-2013
Our current digital age has considerably affected the ways in which we operate. Information technologies have increased the speed of our cities through the ways in which we access, share, and communicate data. The use of mobile technology—specifically the use of smartphones—has been a key component of this progression into the digital age. These technologies have become situated within our daily lives, causing a shift in the way we engage with both our space and each other.
Through the study and experimentation of sensorial technologies, this thesis aims to bridge the gap between the virtual and the physical. Our cities are embedded with sensing technologies, collecting environmental, social, and infrastructural data that is used as a way to monitor our cities, ensuring safety and efficiency. While these technologies are already situated within our urban fabric, we as the users do not have a direct relationship with this data. We become the observed, limiting our active participation in our city.
Rather than having our embedded technologies simply collect data, they can be used to create an environment that both recognizes and responds to us as the users. Through a dialogue initiated by an input/output system, we can create a new relationship between people, technology, and architecture. Through the medium of installation, I created a new artificial atmosphere, encouraging curiosity, active participation, and exploration within the fabricated environment.
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