Exploring an Architectural Framework for Human-Building Interaction via a Semi-Immersive Cross-Reality Methodology

The vision of responsive architecture predicts that human experience can be evoked through the dynamic orchestration of space-defining elements. Whereas recent studies have robotically actuated furniture for functional goals, little is known how this capability can be deployed meaningfully on an architectural scale. We thus evaluated the spatial impact of a responsive wall on the inhabitants of ordinary apartments. To maintain safety during the COVID-19 pandemic, we developed a novel remote, semi-immersive cross-reality simulation evaluation methodology. Based on the orchestration of three space-defining operations, we define a theoretical framework that suggests how the position of a responsive wall can be determined through five distinct architectural qualities. This framework thus proposes how human-building interaction (HBI) could complement its functional goals with augmenting the well-being of occupants in the physical as well as the virtual realm.