Design principles Machines

Architectural machines are interactive constructions that aim to instil doubt in the participant. Their design principles must abide by fundamental parameters, upon which various images can be superimposed. Embedding a sense of curiosity within the architecture of machines is imperative for facilitating human interaction with them. Ambiguity must also be present, as it “triggers” human desire to engage with these architectural machines.

We anticipate that this project will be useful for architects from any authoritarian country. They can utilize this concept to produce their own machines. As the objects interact with users through language and comprehensible symbols, it is crucial for these machines to fit the specific context of their location, making each machine unique and suitable only for particular zones.

To ease the process of designing machines by other architects, we have outlined the principles that guided us in creating our own machines.

The primary and fundamental parameter is the ability for human interaction with the machine, along with the presence of ambiguity within its design elements. The physical parameters and location recommendations are only advisory and depend mainly on the architects’ financial resources, the environment’s availability, and the state’s control over public spaces.

AMBIGUITY OF MACHINES

LOCATIONS FOR MACHINES

Architectural machines are the carriers of embedded metaphors. Only through interaction with machines users can reveal hidden meanings and experience them through different senses.

The machines are created for thoughtful and innumerable interactions that allow the exploration of symbols that are not what they seem at the first sight. Multiplication of complexity allows seeing the world in its diversity. It also creates various contradictions and paradoxes.

Proposed technical characteristics improve usability, assembly, and relocation of machines. 1 2 3 4

The creators are the ones who decide locations for their machines. Certain criteria of location are important to ensure that wide range of people get to interact with machines.

Recommendations on physical parameters are rather tentative and the degree of compliance depends almost solely on the capabilities of architects and/or machine builders.

We take as basic parameters a low budget for construction, installation and transportation of objects, as well as the ability to move objects in one ‘meaningful’ area.

However, there are some factors that have to be taken into account when designing architectural machines that aim to interact with visitors. The first parameter pertains to the autonomy of design, which permits the machine to engage visitors without the involvement of the author. The machine must be designed to facilitate interaction with visitors in a seamless manner, ensuring positive experience. Additionaly, vernacular materials are recommended, as they help visitors to build initial connection with the object as something familiar and recognizable, thereby easing the entry into the interaction.

Proposed technical characteristics improve usability, assembly, and relocation of machines.

- Modular structure enables easy assembly and relocation.

- Availability of professional equipment or skill can influence complicity of joints.

One or two creators with average construction skills can assemble the machine. The results may vary depending on the finances or skill.

- The maximum weight of detail is related to the amount of creators:

24 kg - one creator

33 kg - two creators

Design of machine ought to initiate an interaction with a user without participation of the creator.

- Autonomy of the machine is crucial as contact with the creator can greatly affect user-perception of the machine.

- All interactive mechanisms should be usser-friendly and intuitive.

- It’s essential to add a short description label for each machine.

In order to interact with wide amount of people it’s important to change locations. Hence, it’s crucial to create machines with future relocations in sight.

In order to have a wide range of possible locations, machines need to be designed within certain dimmensions - from minimal sizes of a doorway to the maximal sizes related to usability, safety and future relocations.

Local and easy-to-access materials will help machines to become more accessible in construction and to connect with people by using familiar materials in unfamiliar way.

- Wheels can be used in design of machine, but it’s crucial to choose appropriate wheel-type for the future relocations.

- Structure of machine needs to be flexible and sturdy for the repeated reassembly. Avoid fixed joints (welding) and joints that can damage material over time (self-tapping screws).

- The minimal dimensions are related to the size of doorway - 80x210cm (WxH)

- Beware of height limitations for usability and future relocations (height of bridges, tunnels, parking, etc.)

- Beware of size and requirements limitations for structures without building permit.

-Beware of dimension limitations for relocation with car or bicycle (width of roads and paths).

- Using local materials in the creation of machine can give a greater sense of connection with the surroundings.

- Easy-to-access materials are materials that widely available in any location. Using them in the creation of machines will reduce construction time and costs.

A concept of interaction between visitors and architectural machines plays a crucial role in revealing the metaphors embedded in these objects. In order to enhance visitors’ experience, it is recommended that multiple machines are endowed with the ability to interact with different senses and a varying number of people. This will allow visitors to fully perceive machines and meanings embedded in them.

Parameters related to interaction with sences are the most significant to consider in the design of architectural machines. Human perception of a space is determined by both visual and bodily sensations. Therefore, incorporating interaction with multiple senses can make the perception of machines more dynamic and memorable. This approach also provides authors with more opportunities to communicate with the user through the architectural language.

Architectural machines are the carriers of the embedded metaphors. Only through interaction with machines users can reveal hidden meanings and experience them through different senses.

Seemingly passive our bodies constantly receive information and analyze surroundings through though primary senses.

- Vision. Distant Stimulation

Vision is the quickest human sense of all. Sight enables quick spatial assessment, but designing primarily or exclusively for sight will prevent from creating an allrounded and in-depth experience. Sensations of shape & size, ratios of color, shade and shadow, space, and motion.

- Hearing. Distant Stimulation

Sound helps a person perceive space. Sound reaches a person, while sight shows what is in the distance. Sensations of localization, loudness, pitch, acoustically reflective or absorbing materials, shape/ size of a space, and amount of objects inside.

- Smell. Inhaled Stimulation

Smell is an important human sense that is closely connected to memory and emotions. People are able to remember a certain place or an event by a particular smell related to it.

- Skin-Sense of Air. Contact Stimulation

Skin is the biggest sensory organ of the human body. Even without active touch, it’s possible to sense changes in temperature or humidity. Air and wind can work as sensory material, giving the brain signals about the qualities of space. Sensations of air movement, environmental temperature, the warmth of the sun, and humidity in the air.

- Pressure and Tension through active touch

Actively exploring and interacting with the space through own sensations, enables new perspectives for the perception of the space.

Active touch stands for initiating and seeking information about an object or a surface through haptic senses. Further exploration of objects can evolve into applying more forcible touch, making it movable and experiencing new sensations like pressure or tension either in interaction with the objects or with one’s self.

- Haptic. Contact Stimulation

Tactile architecture promotes slowness and closeness, it engages and unifies. Tactile sensitivity replaces distancing visual cues with improved materiality, closeness, and intimacy. Sensations of surface temperature, roughness/hardness or softness, contour identity, and vibrations.

- Expansion/Compression of Space

It’s perceivable through different sensory experiences. Even being unable to see the space it’s possible to perceive changes in height due to the difference in acoustics.

- Kinesthesia. Position and movement in space

Kinesthesia is the perception of body movements through changes in body position and motion. It enables instead of just seeing the space or watching other people experience the space, to explore it through active interaction with the space.

- The mechanism needs to be user-friendly and intuitive.

An architectural machine is an architectural object with an interactive mechanism within. Through the interaction with the mechanism user can explore the imbedded symbolism and metaphore of the object.

- One user

- Two users (gender,age,nationality)

- Three to six users (amount of users allows comfortable simultaneous interaction)

User can experience different things by interacting with machine while being alone or with various people around. Creating machines for different amount of people allows wider range of experiences.

- One user vs others

We advocate for a multiplication of complexity, as oversimplified representations of the world lead to homogenization and the erasure of diversity. The incorporation of certain level curiosity in the design is essential in facilitating human interaction with machines, while the presence of ambiguities can stimulate human desire to engage with them.

Our approach assumes that establishing a basic understanding of an object can facilitate the formation of an opinion about it. Thus, it is important to create “base” symbols that are familiar to the user and to employ widely recognized archetypal forms.

In situations where expressing oneself through traditional means such as speech or writing is risky or prohibited, art and architecture can provide means of veiled expression. By utilizing the language of architectural harmonization, metaphors, and symbols, and working with different modes of perception, authors can convey messages to people in multiple dimensions, without having to express them directly.

The machines are created for thoughtful and innumerable interactions that allow the exploration of symbols that are not what they seem at the first sight. Multiplication of complexity allows seeing the world in its diversity. It also creates various contradictions and paradoxes.

In the world of post-truth, it is important to have an anchor, a foundation of sorts. Otherwise, anything can be questioned. This can cause excessive distrust, a lack of understanding of the essence of the machine, and doubt on even basic aspects of it. An understandable and familiar to the majority symbolism of the machine will enable average person to have a basic understanding of the machine even before interacting with it. And with the futrther exploration enable user to discover metaphor embedded with machines by the creators.

Clear symbolism will facilitate initial interaction with the machine. Unlike archetypes, which are perceived almost intuitively, symbols are intertwined with the culture. Therefore, the symbolism may differ from region to region and from country to country.

Archetypality

An archetype is a prototype, the original meaning of something. The “first” form or basic model is copied, imitated, or “merged” with other statements or objects but the fundamental characteristics are kept intact. In the creation of machines familiar and archetypical forms can be used to create an easily distingvished structure. For example, the tower archetype is a cylindrical shape elongated along the vertical axis.

In a situation where expressing one’s opinion in the usual way, trough writing or speaking, becomes dangerous or forbidden, architecture and the art can help to express one’s position in an indirect, veiled way. Using metaphors and symbols, working with different types of perception, transmitting information multidimensional, the creators can convey the desired message to the users without doing it in a prohibited manner. Even as authoritarian states are constantly improving the recognition of even metaphorical references, the art has no limitations in the symbolism of images.

Common element used in several machines creates coherent visual assembly for the user.

Combinations

When creating several machines, particular combinations can enhance users’ perception of the machines. The machines can be assembled together or placed at a distance from each other. In different locations, various combinations can be used - there are no limitations in quantity.

Architectural composition

Architecture can convey the embedded message by using harmonization tools. Perceived intuitively, they give aesthetic expressiveness to the machines, influence users’ perception of spaces, and reveal hidden meanings in a multidimensional way.

A metaphor embedded in the machines enables an alternative way of communication between the creator and the user. Through interaction with the machine embedded metaphors can arouse a doubt in the knowledge of the user and it can initiate a change in their perception. For example political metaphor can be used to explore different angles of present society.

- Theoretical human rights vs Actual human rights

- Architectural expression of the machines and qualities of the mechanisms within vs characteristics of propaganda

- Political statements of the regime influence various architectural characteristics of the machines.

- A-contextual

If machines are going to be frequently relocated to the different areas with various cultures and characteristics, it’s advisable to use universally known symbols.

- Recognizable

Even if the machine operates in a single specific place, the main symbol of the machine needs to be unmistakably recognizable to a wide range of people.

- Colors

The same color can be applied differently by using various tints, shades, or tones.

- Mono-materiality

Mono-materiality is the use of predominantly one material for esthetic and technical parts of machines. It can look especially impressive when using different processing techniques for the same material.

- Theme

Creating with the same symbolic theme can unite separate machines in one assembly. For example, it can be the simple geometrical shapes - cube, cone, pyramid, etc.

- Scale and Proportions

The same scale of objects helps a person to perceive them as part of an assembly. This applies both to the proportionality of linear dimensions (height, width), and to the similarity of areas and volumes.

-Repetition

Repeatedly applying specific elements in the creation of different machines can visually unite them and enable the user to see them as part of the same group

- Routing

Consider various user scenarios. Since the machines interact with different human senses, focus on different experiences through exploration.

- Common characteristics

Several machines don’t have to be positioned next to each other. Having common elements, keeping visual connection, and having the same theme of the site placement - machines with common distinct characteristics can be considered a group.

- Base Floor level, similar finishing materials, or one base structure for several objects can be used as a unifying factor.

- Various experiences

Grouped machines can help unveil and enhance the experiences that users get from interaction. Placing contrasting machines next to each other can influence the experience of exploration.

- Assembly

An assembly of machines can create a unifying metaphor that each machine will amplify. By changing the configuration of the assembly different scenarios can be created, and therefore cause a greater range of experiences for the users.

The concept of the project is that the choice of a specific location for each of the machines is left to the authors of objects. This approach allows machines to be situated in various countries and regions, thereby exposing people from diverse backgrounds to the interactive and participatory nature of machines. To optimize the number of individuals who can interact with the machines, we suggest several criteria to aid in the selection of appropriate sites.

The proposed criteria include accessibility, visibility, and the presence of public spaces. By considering these criteria, authors can increase the likelihood of machines being experienced by a diverse range of individuals.

Urban and rural areas require careful consideration of various traffic flows and population groups in choosing a site for the machines. Certain conditions are necessary for extensive interactions with the machines.

We reccomend use locations like:

- Gathering places

- Areas with stable people traffic

- Places in need of activation

The creators are the ones who decide locations for their machines. Certain criteria of location are important to ensure that wide range of people get to interact with machines.

Avoid places where people cannot interact with cars due to traffic, the inherently present and distracting function of the place and buildings in the environment, places where the appearance of unusual objects will not create any interaction..

Yes:

- Public squares and parks

- Areas in close proximity to the schools and universities

- Space left over after development, often designed without function

- Undeveloped space, either abandoned or awaiting redevelopment

- Quiet areas in the neighborhoods where people like to hang out

In close proximity to the playgrounds

No:

- Museums or any kind of Exhibition centers

- Next to the Shopping centers

- Art/Architecture schools

- Spaces for selected groups, are determined and sometimes controlled by age or activity.

- Areas close to the train stations, bus, and metro stops

- Formally public and external uses, are internalized and, often, privatized.

The scale of architectural structures is determined by their place and significance in the ensemble of a street, a square, a city, and the natural surroundings.

If an object does not match its surroundings, it is perceived as out of scale. It often attracts more attention or makes it stand out from the average scale of its surrounding environment