How space is transforming: Intro
SHIFTS IN OUR PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENTS
In terms of brick and mortar today, static is the enemy. Does this boil down to pure economic necessity? Real estate competing with online commerce? Sky-high demands from the visually-driven and ethically-aware consumer — or all of the above? There can be no doubt that physical space is having to mould itself to complex new criteria.
Not long ago, innovation equaled ‘multi-functionality’. Multifunctional tech tools, multifunctional furniture, multifunctional clothing…and of course… multifunctional environments. This term seemed to tick all boxes. A ‘one-space-holds-all’ solution meeting our ever-shifting needs. Today though, requirements go beyond (read more on the age of ‘beyond’). With digital space being highly adaptable and seamlessly embedded in our lives, there is increasing pressure on our built environments to follow suit.
The rise of phygital (objects blending physical and digital characteristics) is one response to this evolution. Brands are enhancing consumer experiences by layering virtual data and (often human-centric) tech tools onto tangible things. The ultimate aim is not only to make digital space responsive, but to actually bend and morph physical form.
Asking the question: what might our spaces look like if they could stretch beyond current structural limitations?
Why are we so keen to discuss how physical space effects our behaviour and interactions? Is it because digital space is becoming increasingly pervasive? A current exhibition (09.2018–01.2019)at London’s Hayward gallery, Space Shifters, plays with our perception in space in unexpected, disorientating ways. ‘Space Shifters’ has turned out to be hugely popular, with hour-long queue times.The Curator, Dr Cliff Lauson, explains that the exhibition is all about the way we experience, exploring the impact of space through a series of tactile, sensorial installations. As Dr Cliff Lauson puts it, this exhibition ‘can’t be captured on either printed page or a screen’.
Yet it’s still hard to imagine a reality where materials, walls and furniture have become fully malleable. Researchers are avidly working towards new shape-shifting materials. Laboratories are concocting formulas for programmable matter that could allow space to transform on demand. We have yet to see many of these experiments applied to real physical form. But MIT’s Self-Assembly Lab is actively developing materials that are smarter, that self-fold and that actuate themselves. With Active Textile, the lab experiments with responsive surfaces that “sense” our surroundings — opening and closing in response to light. The lab’s Rapid Liquid Printing, developed in collaboration with Steelcase, produces full-scale furniture or other objects in a matter of minutes, using industrial materials such as rubber, foam or plastic. Before long, Self-Assembly researchers predict that they’ll be able to break through current size limitations, and make it possible to print entire shelters, interiors or building skins. Making it possible to produce space on-demand, and in highly customisable ways.
Moving beyond ‘multi-functionality’, we should be considering how pockets of space can transform swiftly according to individual requests, rather than creating a suit-all-solution. While we wait for scientific advances that could enable us to physically transform our walls and objects on-demand and in real-time, we can take an inquisitive look at how our interaction with and use of space is transforming.
Over the next studies, we will be investigating how space-use is shifting. And how this is breaking down barriers across sectors….
> How Retail is Transforming
> How Workplace is Transforming
> How Experiential is Transforming
> How Hospitality is Transforming
