omnispace

Softspace: interactive environments

SoftSpace - 8 Sep 07, 14.00–18.00
Tate Modern, £18 (£12 concessions)
Architects are disengaging from tectonics as we traditionally understand it and moving into the realms of ‘softspace’, a more fluid, ephemeral form of digitally-enabled design based on personalised experiences and responses. Softspace deploys new spatial systems including wearable computing, wifi, RFID and custom-designed digital software incorporating light, heat, sound and electromagnetic fields. These not only rely on people’s individual ways of interacting with them, but are enriched by narratives people contribute, creating new metaphors of use.

Unit 20

Unit 20 at UCL seems to inspire refreshingly unorthodox thinking. Graduate James Foster's "Inhabitable Growthscape," is a "series of incubators" which he constructed from vacuum-formed perspex and electronic circuitry.

The system's larger architectural applications are pictured above: it's part boatyard, part aeroponic farm for the cultivation of "disease free cloned plants."

Turning Point

For the first time Arts Council England is prioritising the visual arts and has launched Turning Point a ten-year strategy for the contemporary visual arts. Its starting point was an Arts Council major review, the first independent review ever taken of the visual arts in England. This is a long-term strategy which builds on existing investment and the success and impact of the contemporary visual arts.

Ingenious

Ingenious is a new website that brings together images and viewpoints to create insights into science and culture. It weaves unusual and thought-provoking connections between people, innovations and ideas. Drawing on the resources of NMSI, the site contains over 30,000 images which are used to illustrate over 30 different subjects, topics and debates.

Designing Modern Britain

FOA's concept for London's Olympic Stadium at the Designing Modern Britain Exhibition Sat 3rd Dec 05 - Sun 26th Nov 06. From the visionary design of London Transport in the 1930s, to the ambitious plans for the London 2012 Olympic Games, the Design Museum tells the story of how inspiring and innovative design has transformed our daily lives.

Kulture Flash

KultureFlash is a free, weekly newsletter covering contemporary culture in and around London. Each week they track down some of the more unusual and interesting events taking place in the capital and deliver them straight to your inbox. Featuring art, gigs, films, talks, clubs and more, they are committed to bringing you an eclectic mix of the most stimulating events in London.

Red Open House

As part of the London Design Festival, on 22 September the Design Council's RED unit opens its doors and invites you to drop in and meet the team, hear about their approach and exchange ideas. The focus of the day is RED's approach to Transformation Design. In this context they will share recent work, including ideas on ageing and new services for older people, and the outcomes of 'Kitchen Cabinet' - a short project looking at how to better connect people and politicians.

Centre for Cities

The Centre for Cities launched on 22nd March 2005 and is headed by Dermot Finch, formerly at HM Treasury. It is an independent urban policy research unit taking a fresh look at how UK cities function. Funded by Lord Sainsbury of Turville.

Planning in London

Planning in London, published quarterly since 1992, has established this authoritative and useful web site for reference by all concerned with development and planning in the capital. It includes latest information on London Planning & Development Forum meetings previous minutes and agendas.

Doors of Perception

UN Studio: Programmatic activity pattern 24/7
What happens to society when there are hundreds of microchips for everyone on the planet - most of them talking to each other? What are the implications of a world filled with sensors and actuators?  Some of the world's most insightful designers, thinkers and entrepreneurs address these questions at Doors of Perception, a design network established by John Thackara, former director of the Netherlands Design Institute. Thackara has spent the past decade championing smart design with a conference series, website and global network Doors of Perception. In his latest book In the Bubble he says "We're filling up the world with devices, but we've lost sight of an important question: What is this stuff for? What value does it add to our lives?"

Thakara studied philosophy and journalism in England before working in book publishing in New York. He edited Design magazine for five years, was later Modern Culture Editor of Harpers & Queen, and was design correspondent of The Guardian. In 1987 he set up Design Analysis International (DAI), a conference and exhibition company with offices in London and Tokyo. DAI organised events at the Pompidou Centre, Victoria & Albert Museum, Axis Gallery in Tokyo, and other venues. From 1989-1992 John was Director of Research at the Royal College of Art, and was twice chairman of the European Design Summit.