[iDC] Re: Interactive City: irrelevant mobile entertainment?

Wed Sep 6 22:27:45 EDT 2006

If possible, I would appreciate an elaboration and/or further delineation of the issues of "responsive systems and sustainability " raised in this post.  Sustainability is certainly a buzzword - and has been in architectural and design circles for some time.  It is also a critical path of research and actual built practice with which I have been acquainted for the past 15 years or so - as I'm certain you have been as well.  However, I don't sense  that you are referencing the built environment per se ...

Thanks for spelling this out a bit more -

Chris

-----Original Message-----
>From: mafox <mafox at foxlin.com>
>Sent: Sep 6, 2006 3:30 PM
>To: 'Mark Shepard' <mshepard at andinc.org>
>Cc: 'IDC list' <idc at bbs.thing.net>
>Subject: RE: [iDC] Re: Interactive City: irrelevant mobile entertainment?
>
>
>Mark/ 
>Thanks - I suppose this conversation is really messing up the subject thread
>- but - 
>I had two calls today - one from CNN and another from Linda Weintraub
>writing some book -(not a typical PR day at all) what is notable is that
>both are writing on responsive systems and sustainability, or active
>sustainable solutions, whatever you may want to call it. The point is that
>mainstream public has (as we all know) become fascinated with the impact of
>architecture with respect to sustainability and responsive environments
>seems to be an interesting solution in this area.  Most of what I am
>familiar with in practical terms of responsive environments (I prefer
>interactive - but am not that's semantics) has come out of the military, the
>elderly (gerontechnology) and the physically disabled.  Of course this is
>who is paying for the research - and in that order.  Entertainment (artistic
>explorations and of course home automation are still pioneering a lot but
>are not nearly as well funded unless directly related to the above.  To get
>back to the point at the start though, sustainable applications are easy if
>you can learn so justify them through a long-term life cycle analysis (LCA)
>Basic passive sustainable systems in architecture can be optimized and more
>efficient in terms of operational costs savings over time - yet they are
>always going to be more expensive up front.  The numbers do make sense if
>you can demonstrate to a client that down the road they can recoup that
>initial investment. And I personally feel better creating environments that
>enable future generations to have a comfortable planet to live on, rather
>than creating comfortable environments for existing generations to live
>longer in.  (nnnnnnnn - that was pretty good)
>/michael
>
>
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Mark Shepard [mailto:mshepard at andinc.org] 
>Sent: Wednesday, September 06, 2006 2:14 PM
>To: mafox at foxlin.com
>Cc: 'IDC list'
>Subject: Re: [iDC] Re: Interactive City: irrelevant mobile entertainment?
>
>Hi Michael,
>
>Welcome to the discussion. Its great to have someone practical on  
>board who has vast amounts of real knowledge on responsive  
>environments. Could you share some of what you've learned regarding  
>how users may eventually appreciate and pay for such environments?
>
>Best regards,
>Mark
>
>On Sep 5, 2006, at 6:56 PM, mafox wrote:
>
>>
>>
>> All/
>> Just an introduction: I keep thinking that I will have a little  
>> time to
>> write something meaningful but it will never happen.  I am now  
>> about 70% in
>> architectural practice and 40% in academia and miss my family and  
>> sleep, yet
>> I do keep filtering though these mails and it is the only list I still
>> subscribe to.  I mostly cling to the mails by Omar and Usman that  
>> seem to
>> deal with the physical and tangible aspects of situated technologies.
>>
>> I founded the MIT Kinetic design group many moons ago that dealt
>> specifically with Responsive Environments (it is now dead - and I  
>> relocated
>> to Los Angeles) That time was really interesting because although the
>> intellectual foundations were quite old it seemed to pioneer both
>> technological and economical feasibility.  I have become very  
>> practical
>> since then:  in that through building numerous full-scale  
>> environments in
>> teaching and practice seems to give vast amounts of real knowledge  
>> of how
>> users may eventually appreciate and pay for such environments.   
>> Well, I
>> actually did get out a fairly long introductory email! A few links:
>>
>> The very large-scale responsive environment that will open in two  
>> weeks:
>> http://ibubbles.blogspot.com/
>>
>> The MIT Kinetic Design Group _ retired because I am in LA:
>> http://kdg.mit.edu/
>>
>> Robotecture: My teaching, and prototyping of responsive  
>> environments at many
>> universities
>> http://www.robotecture.com
>>
>> My office: Focused on Interactive architecture and sustainability  
>> (research
>> section)
>> http://www.foxlin.com/
>>
>>
>> Hope to meet some of you in NY in October.
>> /Michael
>>
>>
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>
>+
>mark shepard
>+
>http://www.andinc.org
>
>
>
>
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