Fragments of a Hologram House

FRAGMENTS OF A HOLOGRAM HOUSE

The purpose of this thesis is to explore the constraints and possibilities of architecture in its relationship to emerging augmented reality and virtual reality technology.

As the premise, I’m working in a time somewhere in the future when this technology is at a peak of fidelity, where it can perform in the ways we always imagine it can. But with that said I will concede right now that I do not know all the potentials and capabilities of such advancements. There are no doubt many wondrous scenarios and even more wondrous pitfalls that must be accounted for, but by the time we know everything there is to offer it will be too late. Too late for architecture to imagine its use in the future of our designs and thus contribute to its development. Only by questioning the way we live now can we hope to reimagine the way we live in the future

Possibility 1

Any surface can be used to extend, shrink, bulge, swell, or otherwise move and enhance the boundary of a room as a means by which to augment the operational reality and transform it into something other.

Possibility 2

Physical rooms that have unique conditions that require specific siting within a building or site which results in physically discontinuous space can not be digitally connected as a means by which to create visual continuity between disparate programs and locations.

Possibility 3

The top surfaces of rooms, or any other surface which is beyond the general interaction of the user, can be stretched and extended beyond normal limits as a means by which to create the perception of larger volume.

Possibility 4

The top surfaces of rooms, or any other surface which is beyond the general interaction of the user, can also be shrunken and lowered beyond normal limits as a means by which to create the perception of compression.

Possibility 5

Rooms with continuous or open floor plans can be further subdivided by the inclusion of augmented walls, follies, and artifacts.

Possibility 6

Rooms with specific architectural program can be further subdivided through the implementation of Rule 5 as a means by which to embed secondary, tertiary, or additional program within the confines of a previously single type.

Possibility 7

The existence of augmented space and digital content necessitates and will both encourage the loss physical objects by absorbing mundane objects into their function and increase the value of the physical objects left over.

Possibility 8

Architecture that requires physical siting at specific elevations can now be simulated at various locations in section.

Possibility 9

Any siting condition that produces unpleasant sight lines or ugly views can be augmented in such a way as to give visually equality to visually impoverished areas.

Possibility 10

Vertical circulation can be augmented in such a way as to give the impression of sectional existence when no such condition exists physically.

Possibility 11

Primary occupants of spaces can enforce a digital overlay onto certain people or users as a means by which to curate a particular circulation path through a space, or to apply notions of privacy when the need arises.

Possibility 12

Thresholds and passageways can be filled in or completed as a means by which to enclose a space, signal use to another occupant, or hide access to neighboring spaces for privacy reasons.

Possibility 13

Rooms with partitions can be separated and enclosed through augmented surfaces that double as circulation space, creating a condition of enfilade and corridor simultaneously.

Possibility 14

Augmentation can visually change the material of any surface.

Possibility 15

Augmentation can visually change the color of any surface.

Possibility 16

Architectural ornament that is beyond the general interaction of the occupant can be digitally added to any space.

Possibility 17

Architectural ornament that is within the general interaction of the occupant can be digitally added but is susceptible to errors following physical interaction.

Possibility 18

Various programs located through a project can now share site specific views through the augmented viewing methods.

Possibility 19

Augmentation that exists on top of existing surfaces as a means by which to change their appearance (see Rules 15-18) will fail during physical interaction with the user.

Possibility 20

Through augmentation’s ability to absorb and mimic various programs, certain types of spaces can be eliminated and combined with other spaces (see Program Study A).

Possibility 21

By embedding multiple programs within a single physical space, multiple programmatic possibilities can exist simultaneously, phasing in and out of existence as the user sees fit.

Possibility 22

Similar to Rule #11, users can share and encourage specific egress paths as a means by which to curate a prefered method of view and interacting with the architecture.

Possibility 23

Architecture with physically discontinuous spaces can be augmented in such a way as to create visually continuity between them. With this Rule in mind, programs now have greater freedom to serve physical needs and specifications without losing spatial continuity with neighboring spaces.

Possibility 24

Augmentations ability to expand programs as well as absorb others means less square footage is generally required to serve the same number of programs.

Possibility 25

Multi-User spaces can be augmented in such a way as to complete the architecture for both users simultaneously, allowing privacy and publicity when desired.

Possibility 26

While augmentation has the ability to expand space, there is a limit to the types of spaces that can be functionally expanded into other types. (see Program Study B**)

Possibility 27

Spaces that serve the function of egress and circulation cannot be augmented horizontally due to the physical need to move the correct direction. These spaces can however still be expanded vertically (see Rule #3 & #4)

Possibility 28

When interaction with physical programmatic needs, augmentation must not overlap with objects that the user interactions with on a regular basis.

Possibility 29

Despite augmentations desire to exist in large spaces, it must still respond to the structural limits of its host architecture.

Possibility 30

Augmentation cannot create sound barriers or deal with issues of noise cancellation or remediation.

Possibility 31

Augmentation cannot simulate hot or cold temperature conditions or solve thermodynamic possibilities within architecture.

Possibility 32

On a larger scale, augmentation can link buildings with physically disparate locations to one another by creating visual connections to rooms and places outside of itself. (See Rules #24, #2, & #26).

Possibility 33

Augmentation is turned off. Only physical architecture remains.

Possibility 34

Augmentation is turned on privately. Can only be seen and interacted with on a personal level. Other users cannot see the simulation.

Possibility 35

Augmentation is shared. Users can share and coinhabit joint simulations in a singular space. Can choose to either share or hide augmentation with users outside of initial group.

Possibility 36

Augmentation is forced. Users with higher ownership of particular spaces can force viewing methods onto users with lower access.

The Rules of Augmentation

It is because of this that as people dive into virtual and augmented worlds and leave the physical world behind them, the profession must ask itself: What happens to the Architecture left behind?

We must imagine augmentation as simply just another material. If previously the architect’s toolkit consisted of stone, metal, concrete, glass, and so on, now it includes digital representation, manifested and blended with the physical artifacts of architecture.

Augmentation is not something new or something other, it simply is architecture.

It is the simultaneity of multiple architectures that exist at one time, with experiential qualities that match and complement each other. It’s the mixing of materials that architects have always done.

The experience we share with the artifacts of any given space are the only things that matter, and these curate our understanding of the type of space we occupy. There are no more surroundings, just the immediate interactions with the body. And now, we have greater control over these interactions, expanding the presence of the body beyond the skin, assimilating the architectural of any given space. Our skin is now thickened and sustained by multiple architectures.

Study Model

Fragments

Material Study

Rule 1

The use of choice architectural artifacts that disallow human interaction with other artifacts allows for the existence of uninterruptible locations for digital overlays to exist.

Rule 2

The thresholds acts as the highest fidelity method for turning various digital realities on and off in a convincing manner.

Rule 3

The existence of digital overlays allows for the elimination of most vertical architectural artifacts, walls being the most notably, as these can now be augmented instead.

Rule 4

Similar to Rule 1, the use of gaps and splits in plan can be used to deter and otherwise quell the potential interference of neighboring users with the functions of the room next door while at the same time allowing the possibility for these rooms to be connected and used together physically.

Rule 5

Ladders can act as a new form of threshold as they require the user to physically rotate 180 degrees upon mounting and unloading which can serve to obscure then reveal new digital realities within a given space.

Rule 6

Unlike uninterrupted physical square footage, small sectional variations serve as distinct thresholds and markings for when the user passes from one node to another without dividing or enclosing these nodes, maintaining the integrity of the larger volume while enhancing its ability to change through augmentation.

Rule 7

The same conditioned expressed in Rule 8 can also be achieved through large objects and follies.

Rule 8

Large structural elements that obscure views can now serve as visual thresholds to new digital realities as a means by which to increase the fidelity of their arrival.

Rule 9

With the elimination of most vertical architectural artifacts, such as walls, doors, and passageways, the separation of programs in section is the best strategy for creating a physical sound barrier between two spaces.

Rule 10

A conscious awareness of the edge of occupiable square footage is not only required for a higher fidelity mapping of digital overlays but also acts as a threshold to neighboring spaces and programs.

Rules of Reality

Living Room w/o AR

The existing state of the living room, containing couches, armchairs, coffee tables, shelves, TVs, fireplaces, lamps, plants, art and miscellaneous media.

Living Room w/ AR

The living room is similar to the bedroom, in that all that is required are objects that immediately affect the body. Such as couches, chairs and tables.

Office w/o AR

The existing state of the office, containing files, computers, lamps, plants, storage, desks, tables, chairs, trash cans, printers, mice, and desk accessories.

Office w/ AR

The office can be completely dismantled, absorbed into the remainder of the house. All that is required is a chair, perhaps not even that.

Bathroom w/o AR

The existing state of the bathroom, containing rugs, toilets, showers, bathtubs, toothbrushes, towels, storage, and a mirror.

Bathroom w/ AR

The bathroom as a program will requires a significant number of physical objects. The need to bath, clean and maintain the body will necessity the continued use of objects such as sinks, toilets, showers, baths and storage.

Kitchen w/o AR

The existing state of the kitchen, containing food storage, cabinets, shelves, dishes, cups, forks, knives, drawers, sinks, stoves, ovens, refrigerators, microwaves, tables, chairs, and cookbooks.

Kitchen w/ AR

The kitchen is highly resistant to the ability to recreate itself through digital means. Almost all of the objects in the kitchen must still exists physically in order for the program to function.

Bedroom w/o AR

The existing state of the bedroom, consisting of a bed, dressers, closets, pictures, shelves, plants, lamps, and accessories.

Bedroom w/ AR

The main objects that must remain in the bedroom are storage units to hold clothing and valuables, and a bed in which to sleep. Everything else can be achieved through augmentation.

Program Studies

Ground Floor

Second Floor

Third Floor

Section

Plans & Sections

You lie in darkness, recalling the thousand fragments of a hologram house. A hologram has this quality: Recovered and illuminated, each fragment will reveal the whole image of the house. Falling towards delta, you see yourself the house, each of its scattered fragments revealing a whole you'll never know - an irish knoll - a baroque cathedral - the cubicle of a stranger - a tree growing on a highway - a flat projection of a schoolhouse - a massive dome of concrete, thin as rain.

Thinking: We're each other's fragments, and was it always this way? But each fragment reveals the house from a different angle, you remember, but delta swept over you before you could ask yourself what that might mean.