Interactive Architecture
Michael Fox , Miles Kemp

Every year, a bevy of new phones, games, televisions, and electronic reading devices ride into our lives on a tidal wave of interactive hype. These i-products, while handy, primarily confine their interactivity to the surfaces of screens. Not exactly the kind of "world-changing" transformation we've been promised. In Interactive Architecture, authors Michael Fox and Miles Kemp introduce us to a brave new world where design pioneers are busy creating environments that not only facilitate interaction between people, but also actively participate in their own right. These spaces—able to reconfigure themselves in response to human stimuli—will literally change our worlds by addressing our ever-evolving individual, social, and environmental needs. In other words, it's time to stop asking what architecture is and start asking what it can do.

Interactive Architecture is a processes-oriented guide to creating dynamic spaces and objects capable of performing a range of pragmatic and humanistic functions. These complex physical interactions are made possible by the creative fusion of embedded computation (intelligence) with a physical, tangible counterpart (kinetics). A uniquely twenty-first century toolbox and skill set—virtual and physical modeling, sensor technology, CNC fabrication, prototyping, and robotics—necessitates collaboration across many diverse scientific and art-based communities. Interactive Architecture includes contributions from the worlds of architecture, industrial design, computer programming, engineering, and physical computing. These remarkable projects run the gamut in size and complexity. Full-scale built examples include a house in Colorado that programs itself by observing the lifestyle of the inhabitants, and then learns to anticipate and accommodate their needs. Interactive Architecture examines this vanguard movement from all sides, including its sociological and psychological implications as well as its potentially beneficial environmental impact.


Michael Fox is a founder and principal of Fox Lin Inc. In 1998, Fox founded the Kinetic Design Group at MIT as a sponsored research group to investigate interactive architecture. In 2001, he founded Odesco (Ocean Design Collaborative) in Venice California from which the office of Fox Lin has evolved. Prior to founding OdescO, he served as an assistant to engineer and inventor Chuck Hoberman in New York, and as a design team leader for Kitamura Associates in Tokyo, Japan.

Miles Kemp is the founder and principal of Variate Labs and Series Design/Build. Miles is currently developing a number of interface, robotic and spatial projects in Los Angeles, Washington DC, New York, Mexico City, Frankfurt and Munich. Kemp works as a Senior User Experience Designer and information architect for Schematic Inc. developing next generation interfaces for web, touch, gesture and other emerging technology platforms. In addition to his professional work, Kemp created and moderates a blog about robotics and emerging technologies in architecture, www.spatialrobots.com.
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Editorial Reviews

Book Review, UrbanTick:
"The projects, better installations illustrated and documented in the book are all, without exception extremely good practice, whether artist, architect, sociologist, or community worker. The really new aspect highlighted in the book is the use and benefit of this practice for educational purposes." (February 7, 2010)

Eyeteeth: A Journal of Incisive Ideas:
"Books that caught my eye: Princeton Architectural Press' Interactive Architecture and Bioreboot." (March 12, 2010)

Interactive Architecture, Endlesscities:
"This book looks at the potential of interactive architecture: what it is, how it can impact our lives, what is necessary in its design, and where we are headed in the future. Interactive Architecture outlines a vision for the future through contextualizing and understanding the current landscape of projects and trends in IA, and its integration of new emerging technologies. The current landscape of interactive space is built upon the convergence of embedded computation (intelligence) and a physical counterpart (kinetics) that satisfies adaptation within the contextual framework of human and environmental interaction. Rather than explicitly explaining why interactive systems are necessary, meaningful, or useful, we state that the motivation to make these systems is found in the desire to create spaces and objects that can meet changing needs with respect to evolving individual, social, and environmental demands." (June 8, 2009)

Book Review, We Make Money Not Art:
"Interactive Architecture is a very approachable -but intense- crash course for anyone who look for an in-depth study of the IA field. It is also a book to put into the hands of the most devoted expert." — Regine (January 12, 2010)

Machines, Environment and Learning, Steve Ersinghaus:
"Michael Fox shows how interactive architecture doesnt require a degree in computing, electronics, and architecture just to get things going. The combination of simple practical skills from these disciplines within a conceptual framework is capable of creating something much more exciting than the individual disciplines would appear to offer." — Steve Ersinghaus (April 20, 2006)

Robobtecture - Michael Fox, Interactivearchitecture.org:
"Michael Fox shows how interactive architecture doesn't require a degree in computing, electronics, and architecture just to get things going. The combination of simple practical skills from these disciplines within a conceptual framework is capable of creating something much more exciting than the individual disciplines would appear to offer." (April 20, 2006)

Recent Publications, Forecast Public Art:
"A process-oriented guide to the creation of dynamic spaces and objects capable of performing a range of pragmatic and humanistic functions. Contributions from the worlds of architecture, industrial design, and complexity examine this vanguard movement, including its sociological and psychological implications, as well as its potentially beneficial environmental impact. These new works create participatoryspaces that reconfigure themselves in response to human stimuliliterally changing peoples worlds by addressing our ever-evolving individual, social, and environmental needs." (January 2010)

For the Interactive Set..., a456:
"This kind of writing has been a staple in architecture schools for decades and continues to provide designers, educators and scholars with a fulcrum with which to leverage their own thoughts about the built environment. To read the full review on aggregat456.com click HERE." — Enrique Ramirez (October 2, 2009)

Automatic Architecture, Surface:
"Considered to be one of the most experimental strains of building research in the world, IA deals with modular designs, dynamic materials and embedded computation - meaning a user can control virtually any active element in a building....the most comprehensive overview of the subject written to date." — Paul Young (February, 2008)

Interactive Architecture , Arch Tracker:
"Interactive Architecture is a processes-oriented guide to creating dynamic spaces and objects capable of performing a range of pragmatic and humanistic functions. These complex physical interactions are made possible by the creative fusion of embedded computation (intelligence) with a physical, tangible counterpart (kinetics). A uniquely twenty-first century toolbox and skill setvirtual and physical modeling, sensor technology, CNC fabrication, prototyping, and roboticsnecessitates collaboration across many diverse scientific and art-based communities. Interactive Architecture includes contributions from the worlds of architecture, industrial design, computer programming, engineering, and physical computing. These remarkable projects run the gamut in size and complexity." (November 2, 2009)

We Make Money Not Art:
"Interactive Architecture explores the trends, promises, means and ways of IA as well as its sociological and psychological implications. Kemp and Fox embrace innovation and cutting edge developments but they are also wary of being over-enthusiastic. Throughout the book they tackle issues that are essential to but also challenging for the field of IA: its economical feasibility, the need for a new pedagogical approach, the necessity of a cross-discipline communication, the questions raised by privacy, ethics, environmental impact or convenience. The book doesn't waste time on the fairground aspects of everything interactive." — Regine (January 12, 2010)

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