Ambient Addition

Found this over at archinect, thought it was an interesting link for Sam.

"Ambient Addition is the thesis project of MIT Media Lab research assistant Noah Vawter. It is a Walkman which, rather than isolating the user from the outside world, processes the sound of the environment into music... almost like having Mathew Herbert in your pocket. As a result, users become more engaged and aware of their surroundings, "tend to play with objects around them, sing to themselves, and wander toward tempting sound sources." Watch a demonstration clip at Noah's website."

mediaarchitecture.org

http://www.mediaarchitecture.org/ - a very cool blog i just found highlighting a number of built architectural projects around the world utilizing multimedia installations and lighting to augment the spatial and visual experience of the building/space. check it out...lots of cool stuff.

more video from Studio Greg Lynn

Video short focused on the students and their work in the architecture design studio of Greg Lynn at the University of Applied Arts (Universität für Angewandte Kunst, Wien) in Vienna. By David Fenster.

Dune 4.0: An Interactive Landscape

Dune 4.0, developed by Daan Roosegaarde, is an interactive landscape which physically changes its appearance in accordance to human presence.

education of discovery and surprise

next_platform 06-07 _isd_ chelsea college of art and design_UAL
In the age of postmodernism, there is always infinitive answer on any question we raise but it also opens a journey for searching and discovering. This is also an opportunites for students who are supposed to be creative enough to find their lanugaue in spatial expresssion and its experience. The word "interesting idea" is needed to be critically defined at some point and be translated in to a series of spatial design strategies. Argument and debate are allowed to brainstorm possibilities in a new condition. This is the reason why education is important. To educate and to be enlighten.

In search for new aesthetics is our platform approaches to question what are the possible outcomes to define spatial formation. Student to be informed and inspired, actively using new design technologies to try on new combination and mixture. The more challenge to think differently, the more close to our new discovery. This is why educational environment is not setting up a boundary but the students are setting their own goal to archieve. At the end, what they establish is an attitude to question and unsetteld in their answer. Then their finding is become driven by this motivation to feel they are being, being in the world full of discovery and surprise.

Harvard GSD Lecture Webcasts

A an archive of webcasts from this years lecture series at the Harvard Graduate School of Design. Some really impressive speakers here, including:

Rem Koolhaas - OMA
Ali Rahim - Contemporary Architecture Practice
Ben Van Berkel - UN Studios
Jeff Kipnis
Jan Kaplicky - Future Systems

Playing to Learn

PLAYING TO LEARN

Are video games useful educational tools? Some believe games have a bad influence on children, but many regard them as a useful complement to traditional teaching and learning. Games are becoming more common in the classroom, but how effective are they?

Interactivity, exploration and use of imagination are all important elements of gaming as well as for learning. There are many games available that allow users to be creative and investigate. But when pupils use games are they learning about the educational principles behind them or just becoming better gamers? What are the challenges in creating an engaging classroom experience that can deliver the right kind of information?

Education and learning are never one-size-fits-all experiences; people learn in many different ways. Is interactive technology suitable for everyone? Find out if computer games really could provide a teaching revolution. Is the classroom of the future just a mouse click away?

Event organised by:
The Science Museum.

Speakers:

Kairen Cullen, educational psychologist
Adrian Hall, Director of Mobile Learning, Steljes Ltd
Steve Heppel, government adviser on technology in schools
Martin Oliver, lecturer, Institute of Education

Host:
Bill Thompson, technology blogger, BBC

Supported by Nintendo

Giant Robot Architecture

Recent work from Studio of architect Greg Lynn at the Angewandte in Vienna channels the aesthetic culture of robots to produce new forms of architectural spectacle. The studio is documented in a video by David Fenster and Brennan Buck.