Essay

Technology is moving into the wearable realm — where it will be built into the things we wear like glasses, watches, clothes, and shoes. And this brings with it many advantages like anywhere information that is presented at just the right moment. Greater personalization will also emerge as such worn-devices target their user’s preferences, habits, and behaviors. All of these advantages of wearable technology will change your building occupant. They will be more informed, more self-aware, and more connected. In fact, they will even connect to their surrounding environments in new ways.

The key is for the architecture to make sense of new occupant interactions. As their wearables help them to live healthier and happier lifestyles — the architecture should do the same. In other words, architecture and wearable technology should work together to help occupants reach their goals.

In the article entitled 3 Ways to Make Wearable Tech Actually Wearable, it is stated that such technologies need to be both meaningful and beautiful for the user. (1) This is interesting, as beauty ties into personalization — where the technology becomes an extension of the user, and must express their style or “sense of beauty”. Also, the information that such wearables express to their user must be of value, having direct meaning for them in their life. Both meaning and beauty must exude from such technologies (unless they are hidden), and as they extend their reach into their surrounding environment — meaning and beauty should reflect as well.

Thus, designing architecture for occupants that use wearable technology means that your architecture will gain vocabulary by which to communicate with occupants. The key is to understand what information to extract from wearables, as well as to know which information to send to them. Just as many technologies will be connected, so too will the architecture. Thus, it will be up to the designer to coordinate engagement, interaction, and change.

Reference:

(1) Darmour, Jennifer. 3 Ways to Make Wearable Tech Actually Wearable. Fast Company.

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