Piero Vidoni - Metahouse - Living the future by Amsterdam Academy of Architecture

2021-2020A.Y.AVB(ARCH)MVIDONI,PIEROPROPOSAL,GRADUATIONMETAHOUSE

GRADUATION

Imagining a future

Abstract

I have always understood the figure of the architect as someone ca pable of deciphering the present time and the changes taking place in society. I believe that only this analysis, that looks at the past and at the present, can comprehensively respond to our interlocutors, the end Inusers.this

thesis, I have tried to identify the changes that my life has under gone in the last twenty years. In particular, I focused on the advent of the Internet and how this powerful medium has changed our habits of life, the ways in which we interact with each other and the relationship we establish with physical spaces.

HEINA.Y.MPIEROPROJECTVIDONI(ARCH)AVB2020-2022COMMITTEE:VANLIESHOUTLADAHRSAKSTIJNDEWEERD

Maybe it is possible to imagine a way of using the web that helps the gath-

This continuous depriving of capacity is also reflecting on how we use space.

In a world without the internet, leaving home was necessary. The world was our source of information and we had to use it constantly. This pro cess of “life” tied us to spaces, to roads, to people.

Twenty years after the mass introduction of the internet, spaces and rituals have changed shape. We stopped going to bookstores. We no longer use cinemas. We are used to ordering takeaway food. We work more and more from home in front of a computer. Everything can be delivered to us.

The advent of the internet has slowly changed all of our lifestyle habits. If before we relied on our ability to relate to others, to remember things and the ability to find information, now we depend on something exter nal to us.

The spaces of the city, its activities, its dynamics are becoming unnec essary, an accessory element. In doing so we are losing the spatiality of our lives and we are always taking refuge for more hours in front of a screen.

Paradox 1

Maybe it is possible to imagine a way of using the web that helps the gath-

Paradox 2

Thus, occasional relationships, for instance the one with your neigh bors, are becoming something superfluous, not essential anymore. When the knowledge was a common thing, connections were essential. On the contrary, now that the knowledge is not longer human based, relations and interaction are based on leisure and entertainment. Not finding a necessity in the meting with the others is making the social tissue Technologyweaker.is

Back in the days without any web connection, we were forced to have physical connections, relationships. Information where accessible thought the use of other people.

necessity of meeting others and with a constant imposition of appealing content inside the web, are we aiming for a self related re lationship within the web? Can we fight back the forces that are encour aging us to be “users” instead of ” people”?

Restaurant, plumbers, addresses, books etc. were a sort of common knowledge that was shared in the social tissue and that was reach able throughout social interactions. If in the past the act of gaining knowedge and spreading it with other people was more timeconsuming and slow, right now we can do all this standing on our sofa, without mov ing and without interacting with anyone.

increasing this tendency with the use of an always selfbased experience. Google something knows us more than a close friend. He provides us with content based on our personal interest and it’s only interests is to make you always spend more and more time using Withoutthem.any

The digital detox was like entering a dimension that I was not use to it. I felt powerless without a connection that allowed me to get all the information of the world, without internet. Places were more difficult to reach, socializing was more difficult. A feeling of loneliness at the beginning. But then you start to notice many things that you were not use to it anymore: the surrounding beauty, the people. Additionally, I noticed improvements about the attention, the sleep quality and the general mood. It was like removing a superpower and enjoying an easier life.

The reality detox Staying the majority of your daytime on a VR space is an intense expe rience. Notions such as time, orientation and habits disappear, causing an alienation. Nevertheless, in the web everything is set to gave you please, to entertain, to make you happy. The experiences that I made were mind-blowing. Climbing mountains, the excursion in Antarctica, exploring the ISS, were all experiences that are part of my memory equally as “real” memories.

DETOX

An exploration of the two dimension

Digital Detox and Reality Detox

I challenged myself in a week detox for both dimension. I experienced the internet deprivation on myself for a week in a digital detox to under stand how this medium is distorting the phenomenal world. In addition, I tried for a week a reality detox in order to understand which are the elements that make the web so unique.

sensation

I start to experience a sort of alienation while being im mersed in the virtual reality space. I’m experiencing too many prospective and space, this cause a disassociation in my brain. What is worse is the sensation that I have when I remove the oculus and make my first steps on my real house. There the sensation of alienation and instability is dominant. also don’t like to interact with anyone following those moments. I think this will be the biggest problem for the during this reality detox. Furthermore, I normally spend 2 hours to recover from these odd sensations.

SatisfactionRestMemoriesMoodMovementsStatus:

The goal of today was to try different spaces/apps related to architecture.

Another app was instead located on the space. There you could move thanks to some air compressors. It was inter esting, but it causes a lot of disorientation afterwards.

Day 1 SatisfactionRestMemoriesMoodMovementsStatus: Day 2 SatisfactionRestMemoriesMoodMovementsStatus: Today started the reality detox. I am really excited for this experiment. I tried to keep up mu oculus set for much time I was possible. I started the configuration of the device and the installation of some apps. Furthermore, I focused on entertainment and information. I downloaded some app like the ISS expe rience and some games.

I spend 5 hours using the Oculus set. I’m still gaining knowledge on how to use them for many hours consecutively.

start to experience a sort of alienation while being im mersed in the virtual reality space. I’m experiencing too many prospective and space, this cause a disassociation in my brain.

will be the biggest problem for the during this reality detox.

Iture.landed on a shore and from there I started to climb an ice mountain. It was the first time that I was using my entire body for a virtual activity. It felt natural.

Day 5 SatisfactionRestMemoriesMoodMovementsStatus: Day 6 tionSatisfacRestMemoriesMoodmentsMoveStatus:

Day 4

of alienation and instability is dominant.

I normally spend 2 hours to recover from these odd sensations. 11

worse

exploration of the international space station was quite disorienting. The video quality was amazing and the sensation of the absence of gravity was present during the experience. The space walk was also wandering. The roller coaster was playing with the perception of space and balance. I have to admit that lost my balance many times. After that, I tried to do them while settled on the floor, that helped.

I remove the oculus and make my

Today I spend 5 hours using the Oculus set. I’m still gaining knowledge on how to use them for many hours consecutively.

I download this app that allowed me to visit one location in different countries and landscape. The proportion of the framed 360 pictures was not convincing.

like to interact with anyone following those moments.

the

I used some meditation apps during the evening. Those experienced were using visual effects and sounds to gen erate a state of calm. The visualization of the breath was interesting. Every time you were inspiring some air, light flows came towards you. Another exercise was to guide the motion using your eyes and the movement of your head. This was similar to flying.

The

Also today forced myself in this detox. The beginning is always enjoyable, and I am excited as the first day.

I What is is the that when first There sensation also don’t I this Furthermore,

I found some apps that allowed me to experience the mas terpiece of architecture. It was extremely worth it.

I download this app that allowed me to visit one location in different countries and landscape. The proportion of the framed 360 pictures was not convincing.

Today I spend 5 hours using the Oculus set. I’m still gaining knowledge on how to use them for many hours consecutively.

I still have those nasty sensations when I removed the VR set. Probably, I need to focus on a transition phase before and after the use.

download this app that allowed me to visit one location in different countries and landscape. The proportion of the framed 360 pictures was not convincing.

The roller coaster was playing with the perception of space and balance. have to admit that lost my balance many times. After that, I tried to do them while settled on the floor, that helped.

Today started the reality detox. I am really excited for this experiment. tried to keep up mu oculus set for much time I was possible.

SatisfactionRestMemoriesMoodMovementsStatus:

I started the configuration of the device and the installation of some apps. Furthermore, I focused on entertainment and information. I downloaded some app like the ISS expe rience and some games.

I’m still having some troubles with the VR set. It is really heavy, and it keeps on falling. Worst of all is that it makes my head really sweaty. Also, the eyes get tired quite soon. I am annoyed by the video quality. In fact, can distinguish all the pixels.

steps on my real house.

Today tried to meditate and gain awareness before start ing my VR experience. I think this helped a bit the transition between the reality and the digital world. still experienced a bit of nausea.

Day 3

Today used the National Geographic app and I made my first visit to Antarctica. It was a magnificent experience. It started in a kayak and with an exploration of the sea. There, natural life was interacting with me while taking some pic

The exploration of the international space station was quite disorienting. The video quality was amazing and the sensation of the absence of gravity was present during the experience. The space walk was also wandering.

The best emotion came when, after a snowstorm in the shelter during the night, at morning I finally found the colo ny of penguin that was looking for. The colony was behind a cliff and the sky was colored by the aurora. I made some pictures of that moment, pictures that I can also print and keep in my house. called with some firework an helicopter,

There is a big segment of content that you can see online in a sort of virtual cinema. The screen then is enormous.

I have

Day 1 SatisfactionRestMemoriesMoodMovementsStatus: Day 2 SatisfactionRestMemoriesMoodMovementsStatus:

think

Today

Internet as an opportunity

After the experience of detoxification, I began to think what the poten tial and anomalies of the digital world really were. I used collages to try to give a spatial connotation to these concepts.

The world of the web is an environment with rules and characteristics. Its new structure encourages people to interact and live somewhat differently. For example, the web and artificial intelligence are taking the place of an oracle, or a new god.

The web also accentuates our strengths, such as multitasking skills and curiosity, but also our shortcomings, such as a voyeuristic tendency and paranoia.

Being a user continuously also implies that we are constantly the object of attention from brands and companies that try to attract our attention or spy on us to review our data.

Understanding the true value of the web

13 02.

14 The center of gravity Humankind always orbited around a specific idea There are being many shifts in the center of gravity during the human Ancienthistory: times: Nature Middle Ages: God Humanism: Humans as God’s sons Enlightenment: Science and progress Digital Age: Artificial intelligence Are we ready for a new artificial god?

15 THE SQUARE OF THE TRUTH 12

TRUTH WEB E MBASSY 1116

Nonphysical connections are flexible and unstable, this gave us the possibility to explore our multipole identity.

While we use the web, we are not body, we are just mind.

If on the web we can find our real self, who are we in the reality?

The square of the truth

Body and Mind are free from the constraints of the reality, and they can be totally REAL being totally FAKE

Our identity in chosen to be choerent and unitarian ( static ) , In internet we can be whatever we want ( dynamic ).

Everyone is being spyied

Can the reality compete with the world of wonders?

We opened the door to our deepest secret-desire-reak self

We all spy others

The web is structured to be a breathtaking experience

In the web there are two category of peple: who whatch content who produce content

Nothing succeed as excess

World of wonders

Playing with emotion is the way to get your attention

SPY

The Web is a content based platform

Everyone can be spyed

SPY 14

With such a variety, everyone is screaming for having your attention

It is a reflection of the real world (passive-active lifestyle)

Is there a place for secrets?

19 WEB E MBASSY 15

The WEB TheVs. reality

The first part of the research showed that Internet is a place with enormous potential. There, humankind express their best po tential because the web is a direct dialogue with our brains.

With such a power now available to each of us, can we still live in just a physical dimen sion?

Internet has the potential to be the world of wonder, the new center of gravity, the square of the truth, the spy and the object of spaying, the center of future wars, the oblivion of our consciousness and many other aspects.

Thinking of the internet as an independent dimension from that of real ity seemed like science fiction a few years ago, but now, thanks to new technologies, it is becoming a possibility.

From these observations, the thesis project begins to consider the aspects of this new dimension, an environment in which life is based on the dynamics present on the web and in which spatiality is still a territo ry to be explored.

The crucial point is the possible relationship between the two dimen sions. Are we ready to abandon the physicality of our life? The human mind works with thoughts and emotions, but also with sensations. How can we establish a dialogue between the two dimensions so that they enrich each other?

Concept

What would happen if the internet took on the characteristics of a phys ical space? what opportunities would this open up for users?

The creation of a new digital dimension

As step to the unknown

METAVERSE

UNIVERSE

Technology as a tool

Movies and novels are always been upfront to these themes. They display a world in with humans and theology coexist, most of the time.

The technology offers various levels of hybridization with the real world. In the present we are allowed to use the web through a screen and a 2D interface. Voice assistants are now by default on most devices. Augmented reality is gaining momentum in the form of apps or gadgets.

Current breakthrough are allowing early adopters to experience the future

The world of virtual reality is still relegated to ealy adopters. This new technology is progressively gaining popularity and many companies consider it the future of the internet.

Concept of metaverse

Not just a space, but a legislated environment

The metaverse is a virtual-reality space in which users can interact with a computer-generated environment and other users. The ambition is to combine the opportunities offered by the Internet 3.0 with the spatial quality of a digital space experienced with VR.

The combination of these factors allowed the embryo of the metaverse to be an autonomous entity, in which digital transaction, smart con tracts and NFT are ensured by a blockchain system that guarantee the authenticity. This level of sophistication is the key component for the future use of the metaverse.

Internet 3.0

There has been 3 major breakout for this to happen:

- The blockchain system

- The way we experience digital content, with AR and VR.

- The integration of the blockchain system into the economy of Internet

BlockchainVR / AR

NFT Avatar

NFT Objects

NFT artwork sold for 500.000 $

NFT Fashion

NFT artwork sold for 69 milion $

The digital urbanism fail

Currently, many metaverse platforms are being developed. Decentraland is the big gest of those and was considered as a case study.

Case study: Decentraland

Like in many real-world cities, Decentraland uses a grid system, with plots of land distributed on a horizontal plane. This allows for property to be easily parceled and sold. Here we can observe that the planners use Real World settings for many things, despite all the settings they may reset. In particular, a central organization was chosen, with orthogonal axes that organize the values of the different plots.

The user experience, such as the ability of the user to walk in this urban context, were not the center of action. In fact, the platform is a boring experience, with a low density and no transport integrated solutions. Moreover, the quality of the buildings derives from the notions present in the celebrated book “Learning from Las Vegas”, where the concept of the building becomes the building itself and where the volume is based on the ability to attract users.

This process was a Tabula Rasa approach. The design of the Genesis city and it’s terraformation process were a topic of dispute among the team. At the end, the decision to go for the most conventional type of modern urbanism won, and the land was created with a grid concept.

Tabula scripta

Creating a metaverse that is totally detached from our current condition can lead just to an increasing alienation. For my project, I tried to investigate the possibility to integrate the digital space on top of the existing world.

On this direction, I saw an opportunity represented by our historical cities. In fact, cities like Amsterdam need to be preserved and changes are not possible. A digital dimension can represent the opportunity for avoiding this static condition. Hence, the idea of a Tabula Scripta approach, a new way of meaning the use of digital spac es together with the cultural and symbolic value already intrinsic in our cities.

Where to integrate a metaverse within our cities?

Change what can not be change

With decades, spaces gain characteristic, use, tradition and Thevalueintegration

The first one is the use of public spaces, such as streets, park and squares as a common ground for people experiencing the reality or the augmented reality. The VR/AR users then are not relegated to small spaces, instead they can claim a proper portion of the city.

Spaces with a value

of a digital environment within our cities has many advantages.

Secondary, each space in the city has its own characteristic, use, tradi tion and value. These factors are created in decades of use. For ex ample, Dam square has a representative connotation because of the presence of an institutional building. Because of that, people feel heard and protest generally happen there. The sensation of respect, prestige, being heard are all elements difficult to replicate in a tabula rasa envi ronment.

35 03.

Amsterdam, Zeedijk 22-2

house as a digital plot, I started a process of analysis of the functions, characteristic, physiognomy and emotion connected to the house spaces. The deep understanding of all the small aspects of the space are essential for starting a dialogue and an interaction be tween the existing and the digital world.

The beginning of a dialogue between physical and digital

The Internet is an architecture based on the contribution of billions of users and, replicating this method, I decided to explore what my con tribution can be in this new environment. Being a generic Internet user myself, I centered my thesis on my own life and I took my house as a starting Consideringpoint.my

Starting point - my house

Sleeping ? SHOWER BeautyCreemBOOKSRealityDigitalRealityDigital 39

Air quality

Air is all around us, but its quality (depending on the frequency of exchange) may impact spaces in different way. Proximity to windows or having an air purifiers can alter your breathing experi ence.

Analysis of the house condition though different senses

AccordingTemperaturetotheorientation of the house, you can experience temperature differences through your house. Not exposed rooms may amplify this phenomenon.

Behaviors in space

During the cold season artificial heating system ( such as radiators on walls, floor heating, etc…) generate temperature difference in the house and radiation comfort that may vary from space to space.

Artificialday.

The exposition of the house related to the South side impact massively the heat and the daylight in your house. It is important to evaluate this phenomenon at different time during the same

Sun heating

heating

Analysis of the house condition though different senses

World spoken

Behaviors in space

OurSmellshouses are not neutral. They smell specifically according to our habits and the material that we chose. Additionally, depending on where you live, you may be surrounded by other smells.

The house has different function. Some spaces are characterized by a higher level of social inter action and propensity for speaking activities.

TheSoftness’\hardnessspaceinwhichyoulive is not always the same. You are constantly surrounded by materials that have specific characteristic, like in this case the softness and hardness.

SomeStepsrouts are more common than others, also in its own house. Analyzing the way you am bulate thought the space is important to understand your habits.

Behaviors in space

Analysis of the properties of the materials Fabric - wardrobe softsoftFabricsandy-wardrobe-enveloping Metal - livingroob hard - cold - smooth Fabric - bedroom soft - enveloping - warm Wood - floor hart - with reliefs - slightly cold Fabric - bedroom soft - grainy 44

Fabric - bedroom softsoftFabricdelicate-bedroom-delicate Platic - kitchen hard - smooth - cold Fabric - toilet soft - grainy Textile - wardrobe soft - delicate Fabric - sofa medium soft - slightly rough 45

furniture

Analysis of spacial characteristic of the

WCBed 46

Behaviors in space

TableKitchen Cabinets

StairsDesk 47

Lunch chair

Metahouse - Strategy real to

digital use ProgramEnvironmentSurfaceVolume 48

From

I reduce the volume of the house to its basic surface (floorplan). From there, I initially removed the furniture. In this way, I could select which elements were valuable for the digital experience.

After a careful analysis of the property of the house, I started a process of implementing digital spaces over physical spaces.

04. 49

Overwriting process

Framing specific qualities and design over the reality

The next step is to frame a portion of the house. The frame is a struc ture between the reality and the digital and mark an environment that keep and uses properties of the actual space in which is originated. For example, frame in the livingroom will take into consideration carpets, sofas and chairs. Just the user of the house then can experience the complete digital experience.

The surface of the house is not flat. In fact, you can see the morphology of your plot as a positive, or negative, volume of your space. In this way you can translate the dif ferent in high of the terrain as other elements, such us steps, podiums, sand dunes, Identifycliff.

the walkable space is also a tool that I used for the design of digital spaces. The portion that I identify is a walking area that is always free from obstacles and that in a digital environment is always accessible.

Undertanding your plot

HouseHouseNegativeReality-Positive-Digital

The new landscape based on your house

The principle of using each own floorplan to implement new digital spaces can be extended to the scale of the city. I imagined that everyone in my neighborhood will overwrite their own house. The result is a series of frame, spaces and events that will reflect each individual digital life and interests.

Bottom-up neighborhood

Extending the principles to the collectivity

Amsterdam is the chosen location and because of the presence of a canal sys tem, the digital inhabitants could explore and use the meta-web literally navigating through the canals from one space-website to another.

The act of building the city from the user itself, according to their needs and taste, will create a landscape of uniqueness. Every space will be open source, so each inhabits will explore the space of their neighbors. This will allow the people living in proximity to form a community.

Myplace.house

will incorporate spaces for to consume of internet content, spaces for digital working, area where relaxing and many other loca tions based on existing websites.

Structure and program

The structure of this new metaverse will be the frame/dimension of the existing houses. Upon this skeleton, the user will add a program. Each program is based on web activities.

The content within our frame

Instead of spending the majority of our days watching a flat screen, we will instead navigate and walk to different areas where activities take

In my experience, the motion starts at the surface. Then we go into thematic boxes and from there we may visit other thematic boxes with the use of hyperlinks.

Hyperlink:

I tried to implement this strategy also on the house itself. The use of hyperlinks is mark by the present of an arch. There, you can teleport yourself from space to space.

How do we move through the web?

Concept of movement Mimicking the web motion

FromSearching:bigto small AWebsites:boxwith sub-boxes CoordinatedLinks: jumps between elements 57

The created space is a composition of different routs inside my house. A never ending walking experience.

Assembling different routs in one space

In this example, I identify possible paths inside my floorplan. When I have a 3 dimensional volume of the paths, I would start to assemble them and create a sort of labyrinth.

Playing with the paths

- Paths indentification - Paths analysis - Paths composition 59 METAHOUSE

is based on activities carried out on the web, such a watching content, communicate, be entertained and won Privacydered.

The Queen’s Head Bar, close to my house, find its space in the podium of the building. A bingo room is also places for the costum ers that will attend digitally.

The playground of the future

The new metaverse is an open platform between the spaces that each user has created. Everyone can visit and use other people spaces, as in a shared community.

05. 61

A new metaverse

The design doesn’t respond to any physical needs, such as sheltering the users, carry ing weight or connecting different materi als. Instead, the assembly is a pure spacial Theexperience.program

and exposure are key factors on this environment. Here you can spy and being spied. Like on the web, this allows to install informal connection between users that they don’t know each other.

Section 63

Section 64

65 METAHOUSE

The first level has more consistency with the actual dimension of the rooms, such as corridor and bedroom and part of the livingroom.

Ground floor - first level

The goundfloor is characterized by one continue space. Here a few elements are taken into consideration: the bed, the chair and the WC. Those elements can be used in the digital environment.

Interactions

The open part takes as major source of inspiration the carpets and material sensations in the house. The sand is associated to a specific carpet in the bedroom, while the grass is recreated with another carpet.

Interactions

Third level - Horizontal and vertical direction

The closed volume plays with an alternation of digital and physical spaces. The main digital part is a corridor that gives you access to sev eral rooms. Those rooms are the gateway that will stop the VR experi ence and bring back the user to the physical world.

Instead of watching a flat screen, here I can watch the metaverse (the surrounding) or simply project something over the opening.

The right part instead is used for the inti mate use of internet. In fact, internet is our confessor and this section replicates the incognito mode, generating more closed space along the way.

Groundfloor

The house is located on the Zeedijk. This particular street was originally a dike be tween the harbor of the city and the city itself. For this characteristic, the street side is higher than the top part.

Some part of the context expose the orig inal landscape of the dike and have some pathways to get to the canal side.

The central portion is based on my house. Here the theme is how we watch content from the web, My intervention rotates around the 3 spots where I used the most internet: the bed, the toilet and a sofa.

First floor

This floor is intended as an area for facili tating the connection between people. The bar next to my house becomes a stepped podium where digital consumers can sit.

Other spaces for communal activities and communications are displayed on the con text area.

A digital lobby can get direct access to my friends. The gate from which they will enter is the engraved profile on the wall.

Fourth floor

The horizontal floorplan is based on my personal wishes and material association. On the left, the bedroom is located. This space normally has white noise of people taking outside, a carpet that remind me of sand and the bed. I translated those inputs with a digital landscape of a beach. On the right, the livingroom carpet suggested me a grass field park. There I can have my outside space.

The third floor is the combination of two floorplans of the same house. One is hor izontally orientated, the other vertically. They meet at the center, where the two corridors coincide.

The vertical oriented floorplan is the combi nation between digital and physical spaces. In this case, the reality is use as a digital experience.

Picture

VR experience frames

Picture

VR experience frames

The AI can be used within the project to design and change the setting of each room. No skills are needed, it is enough to express clearly what you want, the AI will automatically create something from scratch.

The future is here.

AI are becoming more and more sophisticated. Spaces can be designed and create with the use of those superior minds. The images below are created by an AI with the only input of conceptual words.

Artificial intelligence Image and space generation

PIEROCONTACTVIDONI ZEEDIJK 22-2 1012AZ, AMSTERDAM VIDONI.PIERO@GMAIL.COM 84