For your final assignment you will choose one of the following topics and explore its relationship to Architecture and the Information Environment. You can respond to it as a paper (2500 words) or a movie (20 min). You should tie the topics back to our readings as well as your own research.

1) Digital Craft and Industry 4.0: There is a growing number of computer numerically controlled (CNC) technologies that have been introduced into the design studio and fabrication shop. Laser cutters, 3d printers and numerous CNC machines have opened new possibilities for design exploration and making. Concurrently, a maker movement that promotes DIY (do it yourself) culture is fast spreading, arguing that everybody can be a designer and maker with the right tool. Consider the positive and negative effects of the democratization of fabrication and its ramifications for design education and the profession? How will it change our relationship to craft and quality? How does it change our relationship to manufacturing? What new qualities can it promote in the designed object?

2) Smart Home: The Smart Home proposes a domestic environment that is a reflection of our times. Focused on energy conservation, safety and comfort it takes a pragmatic view to the design of the house. The conveniences it promises are made possible through self-monitoring including the surveillance of its inhabitants. Privacy, a hallmark of the domestic environment now takes on new values as does publicity. How will people address these changing values as the house becomes smart? What type of lifestyle will it propose?  How will this distributed intelligence in the home affect our understanding of architecture’s firmitas, utilitas and venustas (Vitruvius)?

3) Networked Sociality: Mobile and embedded interactive technologies coupled with online social networking sites have made it possible for us to be in touch all the time while being remote. They have also shifted much activity normally conducted in buildings and public space to the space of the network. This provides the possibility of developing new sociality that can emerge through entertainment, protest, and public discourse online. It is also providing the possibility of physical/networked mash-ups like we witnessed at Occupy, through smart mobs and new workplaces.  Consider some of these new hybrids and speculate on the ways that networked socialities are changing the way in which we inhabit and use architecture, urban and virtual space?

4) A topic of your choosing that has relevance to our course. Please discuss with me prior to executing.

For the paper: The paper should be at least 2500 words, with footnotes and references at the end. It should be executed in Word and emailed to me (omarkhan@buffalo.edu) as a .doc file

For the movie: The movie should be 20min minimum and loaded on to Vimeo and shared through a post on the website tied to the category “Assignment 3”. The post should include a short description and citations for the images and sound. You are free to use videos or stills in the movie.

DUE: Friday, December 15th by 5pm.