SOAS Research Online

Abstract

The paper reports the ongoing project which investigates the notion that familiar interaction forms the basis of embodied interaction, which, in turn, triggers the sensors providing them with an input and, therefore, resulting in an output that reflects the original embodied action. A deeper understanding of this interaction may provide a better understanding of the resulting environment. In a way, the project deploys a ‘generate and test procedure’ as proposed by Rowe (1987). In order to understand the process, the researchers abstracted the process in an effort to simplify inputs and outputs. Fox and Kempt explore the notion of interactivity in relation to the built environment with focus on the concept of responsiveness. They argue that the user and the environment are linked through a conversation (2009). The researchers argue that this conversation introduces a ‘Husserlian’ notion of intentionality, which is further enhanced by a Heideggerian entity of being DaSein to provide the living body or the centre of interaction. The duality of action and reaction, Fox and Kemp argue, implies an intermediate stage of processing. In its totality, the implied potential, which is incidentally suggested by the idea of ‘im/materiality’ is a duality that has the quality of a binary opposition system. Karandinou suggests that the traditional binary opposition of form and matter is changing and she uses Derrida’s temporal notion of ‘opening up’ to indicate new-found elements in this binary opposition (2011). The researcher in this paper, although argued previously that a simple schema of sensor’s input, processor, and active output implies the notion of intentionality of action, is now suggesting that duality, such as the one mentioned above, requires a materialistic negation in the form of solid/void or real/virtual. This negation extends the concept and idea of a duality from binary opposition as argued by Karandinou, to a negation of state or the state of negation. This concept extends further by applying dichotomies to the system, which is translated by the complexity of the algorithm and its responsiveness to human interaction in conjunction with environmental performance.