Journal of Spatial Futures

Journal of Spatial Futures

Blog Article

Abstraction of Colorful Light

Architectural Skin as a Design Bridge

by Maria Lorena Lehman

Technology

Most building “skins” today are quite static. Instead of being a bridge that allows the exterior and interior to communicate, many building skins today serve to separate the interior from the exterior with only, if any, intermittent window openings. What if, instead, architects designed building skins to synchronize occupant environments with real-time occupant needs?

Jean Nouvel’s Institute of the Arab World in Paris (above) is an excellent example of how exterior walls can function as a membrane that breathes in and out. This shows one example of how a wall can be used like a nervous system to bridge between two otherwise separate environments. 

The skin can serve both as a shield to block out the negatives and as a bridge to connect the positives. Such an architectural building skin might be programmed as a rule-based system where certain occupant goals would be made into system objectives. The skin would maintain its own dynamic behavior as it works in real-time to meet occupant needs.

Image Credit: © Beyondthedarkroom | Dreamstime

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Join DESIGN FUTURECAST to get special VIP Access to Maria Lorena Lehman's design guide, podcast, and newsletter including news of her latest art and design works, book publications, creative design processes, new inspirations, teaching resources, and upcoming exhibitions.


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Advisory

Unlock world-class design insight, strategy, and refinement through personalized advisory offerings that help architects, designers, and futurists elevate their work into iconic, future-shaping legacies.
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Advisory

Unlock world-class design insight, strategy, and refinement through personalized advisory offerings that help architects, designers, and futurists elevate their work into iconic, future-shaping legacies.
Rotating Quantum Key
Futuristic Portal Image

Advisory

Unlock world-class design insight, strategy, and refinement through personalized advisory offerings that help architects, designers, and futurists elevate their work into iconic, future-shaping legacies.
Rotating Quantum Key
Futuristic Portal Image