Reviews

Within the context of pervasive computing, which weaves intelligence into the fabric of our environments, architectural design informs interaction design as much as interaction design transforms architectural design. So suggests Malcolm McCullough in this extraordinarily deep dive into design theory and the impact of digital, interactive technologies on architecture.

McCullough dispenses with superficial instantiations of digital technology in the built environment—think smart buildings, telepresence, and even GPS-enabled phones—grappling instead with the structural foundations of architectural design theory: the meaning of place, Heidegger’s dwelling, Mumford’s urban planning, and Giedion’s space in the context of “ambient, haptic, and environmentally embedded interface elements.”

While McCullough argues pervasive computing, cyberspace, and virtual realities are grounded in the legacy of architectural design theory, he tacitly accepts their arrival as potential game-changers in the making of architecture. He says, “Whereas previous paradigms of cyberspace threatened to dematerialize architecture, pervasive computing invites a defense of architecture.”

Ultimately, Digital Ground is about architecture in the most profound meaning of the word: how place is imbued with meaning through design…
The full review appears at UXmatters.com.