Ada: Buildings as Organisms

Buildings are usually conceived as expressing a static functionality where users are required to adapt to its pre-defined properties. This view of architecture is outdated. Buildings can be conceived and constructed as perceiving, acting and adapting entities not unlike biological systems. Although several existing projects have aimed at developing "smart" rooms or buildings, in most of these attempts information technology is used in a strictly local way. "Ada: Intelligent space" goes beyond this utilitarian perspective and aims to develop a space that can dynamically change its overall functionality and quality through an active dialog with its visitors. Named after Lady Ada Lovelace, one of the pioneers of computer science, Ada is conceived as an artificial organism that can interact and communicate with her visitors. She is based on current research in neuroinformatics. By means of her senses, i.e. vision, audition and touch, Ada will be able to locate and identify visitors. Her effectors, i.e. lights and sounds, will allow her to provide cues to visitors and express her internal states in an emotional language. Key functionalities of Ada are: to balance visitor density and flow; to identify, track and guide “interesting” visitors; to group selected visitors in space; and to play games with visitors. Ada has to achieve these behavioural goals by establishing active interactions with her visitors. Ada is being constructed for the Swiss national exhibition Expo.02 (May 15-October 20, 2002) which is held once every 30 years. As an exhibition project, Ada aims to initiate a public debate of the application and implication of brain-based technology on our future society. This paper describes the concepts behind Ada, some of her key sensor and effector technologies, and how this collection of devices is integrated using a neuronal control system. Examples will be discussed from recent tests of this system during the Zürich festival of science and Zürifaescht.