WHEN DOES MAN-MADE ARCHITECTURE MAKE YOU HAPPY?
I find it very satisfying when people and architecture communicate with each other. I mean, when people use a place or adapt a space how I as the architect intended it.
CAN ARCHITECTURE INFLUENCE OUR WELL-BEING?
Yes. But we have to completely change the way we define architecture. We treat elements very statically in architecture. People, however, are extremely dynamic. This means that architecture has to get them in their status quo, their emotional now to trigger a feeling of well-being. This is where dynamic architecture that can impact on things such as light, temperature or acoustic elements is needed.
WHAT ROLE DO BATHROOMS IN PARTICULAR PLAY IN WELL-BEING IN ARCHITECTURE?
When I am in the bathroom, I remove all my protection, I have not got anything on and I am very open to specific influences. You could say that I am very close to the intersection of physical well-being, such as from sleeping to waking up. This is why adaptive elements are needed especially in the bathroom. Our feelings and reflections are different in the morning, afternoon and evening. An adaptive bathroom can contribute significantly in rebalancing the body in the morning when you are waking up or in the evening when going to sleep.
WHAT IS YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF ADAPTIVE (INTERIOR) ARCHITECTURE?
It basically means that well-being in architecture is primarily determined by moods. Adaptive architecture knows and recognises my emotions and can adjust the light or the music in line with my mood. But that means that the architecture has to know what the person, who is entering the space, is feeling right at that moment. The main keys in architecture can also be deep learning and artificial intelligence.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN SPECIFICALLY FOR THE FUTURE?
We know algorithms, which display customised offers to us based on data collected from using the smartphone. If we transfer this to architecture, it means that spaces in the future will have to adapt their lighting, temperature or scents individually to their user. What is exciting for architects is that they no longer see space as a static element, instead they perceive it as a dynamic system where they can influence people directly.
