After attending a lecture last night by Bob Sheil from sixteen*(makers), I feel inspired to write about a project of theirs, 55-02 and my interpretation of this as interactive architecture. To set the context, 55-02 is a public shelter situated in the remote landscape of Keilder Reservoir, England with the site adjacent to the lake. At first glance, the interaction of this project is due to the movable nature of the parts that constitute the whole. Doors pivot to provide control which is further emphasised by a sliding screen running through the centre of the shelter dividing it into two. These elements enable the occupants to readily and easily control their sense of enclosure within the shelter. On the surface, 55-02 appears like a marvellous piece of interaction however I feel that this interaction is more than skin deep. One cannot start to talk about sixteen* (makers) without mentioning their process of design through making. For them, drawings only represent the tactical plan which is then re-interpreted through modelling. This interaction with models (both physical and virtual) provides a more tangible approach for the architects, enabling them to interact with architecture in ways unachievable by drawings. Once a scaled prototype has been developed, the next stage is prefabricated construction (by the architects), where the interaction now becomes more about the 1:1 scale relationship between man and material. I am proposing this procedure as an interaction of process.
What I feel 55-02 brings to the table for discussion is that interaction in architecture can be something that is involved in the process of its construction, creating a ‘pro-active’ interaction contrasting to the previously documented ‘re-active’ interaction of Lattice Archipelogics. I feel that rich spaces in our environment can be achieved through this 1:1 pro-active interaction which would be interesting to further explore.
Michael Smith
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