De Javu
Déjà Vu
Déjà Vu is one of the explorations of the MMT project which investigated the idea of prescience.
‘’Our visual system does not simply analyze signals from the environment, but also imitates them.’’ Gorsky, Alexandrov, ‘Humans to Computers’
Very little is considered when an individual occupies a space. There is no thorough understanding of how one’s presence impacts their immediate context. There is a lack of self-awareness when inhabiting a space. The solution is to offer traces of the past, triggering an interest to interrogate the space. The idea of leaving trails behind acts to provide a clue about their previous occupation. These revelations generate their consciousness of the impact that they have made towards their environment.
Déjà Vu creates an experience in an architectural space by juxtaposing past and present through the use of human inhabitation.
The system operates through proximity sensors. The sensors detect the presence of a user and respond accordingly by creating a silhouette through lit LEDs. Through mimicking users, the module then outputs an abstracted version of the existing environment. The system is also able to create a sense of time through displaying varying degrees of brightness. The longer a user stays in the same spot, the brighter the lights are, thereby creating a sense of time. The maximum distance to be detected by the proximity sensors can be no more than 70cm after which point the objects are too far away to be registered. In the instance of such an event occurring, the system will replay the previous day’s recordings. However, this playback will cease immediately if the presence of a user is detected at which point the façade will respond to what is occurring in that particular moment.
SIGNIFICANCE: Architecture is about creating an experience through built form. Through the use of various materials, voids and lighting we can provide occupants with the tools necessary to truly experience the space.
