Designing Occupant Informed

Behavioral Architecture

Jens Jørgensen, stud4342

CITAstudio, Spring 2019
Tutor: Martin Tamke

The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts,

Schools of Architecture, Design and Conservation

Designing Occupant Informed Behavioral Architecture. Jens Jørgensen. CITAstudio, Summer 2019.
Introduction
It is becoming an increasing interest of architects, to better under-
stand and work with, the behavior of the occupants that are to occupy
the architecture that are being designed.

The reasons can be for practical and logistical purposes, as well as

dealing with comfort, improving social relations or ultimately working
to improve the relations between the occupant and the building itself.

This thesis project explores new approaches to design and build archi-
tecture that can understand and respond to the behavior of its occu-
pants.

The project relates to UN goal 3 & 9, by aiming to improve the over-

all conditions of indoor spaces and their effect on their occupants
as well as developing tools that help to understand how we can build
more effective infrastructures.

RADI, Own work, 2018

Designing Occupant Informed Behavioral Architecture. Jens Jørgensen. CITAstudio, Summer 2019.
Occupancy Evaluation
While designing architecture from Occupancy Evaluation and Occu-
pancy Simulation is not a new territory, the methods used are mostly
based on surveys or tracking based systems, that are complicated and
time consuming to deploy, with the resulting data often being a gen-
eral and heavily reduced view of the specific case.
Replica by SideWalkLabs. Live updated occupancy data based on datamining of google products.
Post Occupancy Evaluation is often used to evaluate whether a build-
ing is living up to a series of performance goals, being primarily energy
consumption/preservation and lately, how to connect this to actual
performance of the occupants.

Therefore it is often primarily interesting to see the relative big pic-

ture, as the tools available to adapt the environments also work on
global or semi local building scale, such as HVAC, spacial reorganisa-
tion, lighting etc.

Space Syntax, British Museum 2005

Designing Occupant Informed Behavioral Architecture. Jens Jørgensen. CITAstudio, Summer 2019.
Occupancy Evaluation Technologies
The main technologies for non survey bases occupancy evaluation can
be grouped in to 5 different categories:

Motion sensing (pir):

This type of sensor will give a basic idea about any presence within the Passive InfraRed sensor
surveyed space. This sensor does not register the number of people in
the surveyed space, nor does it collect any data about movement or
trajectory.

Break beam sensing (ir, laser):

This type of sensor registers if an object breaks a beam of light, and for
how long. This sensor is ideal for entrances and hallways. It does not
give any information about direction or speed.

Distance sensing (ir, laser, ultrasound):

This sensor works much like the Break Bream sensor, but in addition to Infrared beam sensor

the binary data about presence, it also gives the distance between the
sensor and the sensed object itself.

Camera based tracking (heat signature, object tracking, facial rec-

ognition):
Newer camera tracking technologies allow for very precise tracking
and quantification of big areas simultaneously.
These systems allow for a complete understanding of the movement
and somewhat of behaviors within the surveyed area.

Beacon/Smart Devices: Ultrasonic distance sensor

Based on technologies such as bluetooth and WiFi tracking, these tech-

nologies can track occupants via their smart phones or other devices.
These techniques requires the occupants to participate by installing
specific app’s on their devices or to wear specifically developed devices
throughout the day.

. OpenMV embedded vision Camera

Designing Occupant Informed Behavioral Architecture. Jens Jørgensen. CITAstudio, Summer 2019.
Intentions
This project investigates the design and spatial implications of respon-
sive architectural systems, using integrated camera systems, that al-
lows for fast implementation and analysis of the movement and be-
havior of occupants.

The project focuses on developing digital tools and methods that, to-
gether with conventional architectural design, can be used to design
different architectural interventions that will actively respond to occu-
pants, and ultimately adapt their behaviors.

These investigations will result in a series of installations and spatial

interventions, demonstrating key findings and developed methods in
a real-world scale.

Along with the physical and digital demonstrations, the project will
also generate knowledge about occupancy and behavioural tracking.

“Seek”, 1970 by Nicholas Negroponte with the Architecture Machine Group , M.I.T. This piece consisted of a Plexi-
glass encased, computer-controlled environment full of small blocks and inhabited by gerbils, who continuously
changed the position of the blocks. Following instructions programmed by the authors the robotic arm automatically
rearranged the blocks in a manner its programmers believed followed the gerbil’s objectives. (cyberneticzoo.com)

Designing Occupant Informed Behavioral Architecture. Jens Jørgensen. CITAstudio, Summer 2019.
From Behavior in Architecture My design methodology revolves around 3 questions that are continu-
to Behaving Architecture ously informing each other, as an ever evolving feedback loop.
“Responsive Architecture can be understood as any building or
What behavior can be observed?
building component designed for adaptation to change in its What behavior can be designed?
surroundings.” Can this behavior be achieved through intervention?

Responsive architecture and behaving architecture has as ideas been
around since at least the 1960’s, originating out of a growing fascina-
tion with the interaction between humans and the at the time rapidly
developing computers.
Naturally, response can refer to a lot of things. A simple responsive
synstem can be the often referred Thermostat, that reacts to the en-
vironment, by regulating the heating, thereby trying to improve the
comfort of the occupants. This is sometimes referred to as Reactive
Architecture, implying a relatively simple relation between input and
output.
The core intentions of this project is to build an method to effectively
observe, analyze, design and evaluate behaving spatial interventions.
A consequence of this method, is also an awareness that the design
work doesn’t necessarily stop anywhere. Any design iteration is the
current state of that exploration, and not a finite answer to the ques-
tion or problem being addressed.
Interests

For this project am interested in responsive systems, where architec-

ture not only adapts to accommodate the needs of the occupant or
the goal of a performance metric, but enters a dialogue with the oc-
Observation
cupant. These systems are still aiming towards adapting the behavior
of the occupants towards a designed goal, but aims to do so in a way
that builds a connection between occupant and architecture, instead
of alienating them.

Intervention Design

Designing Occupant Informed Behavioral Architecture. Jens Jørgensen. CITAstudio, Summer 2019.
Cedric Price, Fun Palace
In Cedric Price’s FUN PALACE from the early 1960’s, you find a specu-
lative architecture, where every bit of the infra-structure is controlled
by, and adapting to, the occupant. Here, the occupant is not only in-
teracting with the building, they are themselves part of the system
that determines how the architecture adapts.

This project is a core example of the basic idea of responsive archi-

tecture. The architecture adapts according to a set of predefined
functions. What can be discussed is i what way the occupants can en-
ter a dialogue with the building, resulting in what is very much a “ser-
vant” behavior.

In Pasks “organizational plan as Programme” it’s possible to see how

he was thinking about the occupant as both an active element, making
conscious decisions, as well as an element being observed and evalu-
ated by the architecture.

“Organizational plan as Programme” of the Fun Palace program by Gordon Pask. Cedric Price Archives,

Designing Occupant Informed Behavioral Architecture. Jens Jørgensen. CITAstudio, Summer 2019.
Cedric Price, Fun Palace diogram, 1961

Designing Occupant Informed Behavioral Architecture. Jens Jørgensen. CITAstudio, Summer 2019.
Philip Beesley, Sentient Chamber
Philip Beesley has been working intensively and almost exclusively
with Responsive Architecture since the beginning of his practice and
is focusing on the effect that responsive architecture can have on the
people inhabiting the architecture. His idea revolves around an idea Jean Nouvelle, Musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac
Not all responsive architecture are dependent or sensor systems to in-
that there is something naturally attracting and calming in an archi- form their reaction. The green facade of Musee de qui Branly - Jacques
tecture that responds to its occupants. Chirac attaches a selection plants to the building, giving it a living
skin. Here the responsiveness is less to the occupants itself and more
Juxtaposed from the “servant” behavior of the Fun Palace, the archi- to the ethereal environments that a shared between both human and
tectural interventions of Beesley does not need any occupants, for it’s non-human actors.
behavior to take effect. The systems is designed in such a way, that
any intervention from human occupants, merely lead to a seemingly
natural response of acknowledgment, with the sole purpose of build-
ing a connection between the human and non human actors.

Jean Nouvelle, Musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac

Sentient Chamber, Philip Beesley. Cultural Programs of the National Academy of Sciences, DC, 2015

Designing Occupant Informed Behavioral Architecture. Jens Jørgensen. CITAstudio, Summer 2019.
Methods
For the thesis project I am continuing my previous research on utiliz-
ing embedded camera systems to simultaneously register and evalu-
ate occupancy.

One obvious benefit of this sensor-type is the possibility to implement

intelligent vision directly into applications that would otherwise not
be feasible because of either cost, mobility or size constraints. OpenMV Camera

The embedded camera has the potential to allowing the design of re-
sponsive architecture to be more intuitive more aligned with the tra-
ditional design methods of designers and architects.

For demonstrators i plan to produce for this project, i intend to find 3

real world sites, where I can observe a range of occupancy situations.
From these observations I will select parameters that will be interest-
ing to modulate.

Based on these parameters, some kind of intervention will be de-

signed, using any kind of spatial or environmental effect such as vol-
umes, textile, light, sound etc.

At the end of every intervention, the digital tools will be expanded

such that they can be used to evaluate the effect of the interventions,
and thereby feeding into the design process of the next design.

Four examples of Camera Tracking.

From top right: Line Tracking, Face Detection, Edge Detection, Person
Tracking
Designing Occupant Informed Behavioral Architecture. Jens Jørgensen. CITAstudio, Summer 2019.
Digital Pipeline
For architects to design responsive architecture, that allows for the
occupant to build relations to the architecture, there is a need to un-
derstand the sensing technologies as an layer that is built into the
architecture, not hidden away behind it.

In parallel to the development of the sensor software for the embed-

ded camera, a digital twin has been developed for the parametric de-
sign software Grasshopper. The digital twin is the concept of a digital
replica of a system, that outputs completely similar data as its physi-
cal counterpart. This allows for test and simulation in a digital space.

I am going to continously develop the digital tools, with input from

researchers at 3XN, with the goal of making the deployment of occu-
pancy tracking cameras and integration of repsonsive systems easier
and more intuitive in the design process.

Self developed digital interface for tracking simulation.

Tracking test with OpenMV camera

Designing Occupant Informed Behavioral Architecture. Jens Jørgensen. CITAstudio, Summer 2019.
The installation as an architectural demonstrator

It is an established practice to present and evaluate architectural

methods and theories through the installation, or as it’s also called, a
demonstrator.

The demonstrator makes it possible to pick out single elements or re-

duced parts of bigger a system, allowing for a full scale evaluation of
the proposed architecture.

My own interest in this method has come from an artistic practice,

where many of the works have explored exactly these methods. Is it
possible to communication information about bigger complex systems,
through heavily reduced installations and single objects.

Donald Judd Foundation, Marfa Photo: Michael Calabrò

RADI, own project, 2018. Isoropia. CITA, 2018

Designing Occupant Informed Behavioral Architecture. Jens Jørgensen. CITAstudio, Summer 2019.
Prior Work: Mining the Arbitrary
In collaboration with Rosemary Lee

In a series of works called Mining The Arbitrary, I produced and exhib-

ited a series of instruments, measuring different
Mining The Arbitrary, J. Jorgensen & R. Lee, 2015
“Reflecting on the adverse impact of mining materials as well as data,
Mining the Arbitrary aims at extracting senseless numerical data from
materials. In light of the Anthropocene, even substances such as wa-
ter, snow, stone, and earth bear evidence of the effects of humanity.
Collecting, inventorying, and analysing samples of various substances
sourced in the city, we begin to unearth the cumulative production of
waste information and materials.”

Mining The Arbitrary, J. Jorgensen & R. Lee, 2015

Designing Occupant Informed Behavioral Architecture. Jens Jørgensen. CITAstudio, Summer 2019.
Prior Work: Blackout
In collaboration with Dark Matters

“Blackout is a research installation about hidden patterns in the human

mind.
Hidden visual images are embedded in all humans and can be enhanced
by triggering the visual cortex in the human brain. The installation fea-
tures 3 seats with 27 strobes placed in selected spots around in a Blackout. J. Jorgensen & Dark Matters, 2014
secluded space. The audience is invited to sit down in the seats with
their eyes closed.
The strobes will make different timed patterns in a 3x9 matrix which
will activate quasi hallucinatory imagery on the audience eyelids. All
imagery - being color and graphic patterns will be different for each
individual audience.”

Blackout. J. Jorgensen & Dark Matters, 2014

Designing Occupant Informed Behavioral Architecture. Jens Jørgensen. CITAstudio, Summer 2019.
 Demonstrator one Demonstrator two Demonstrator three

Designing Occupant Informed Behavioral Architecture. Jens Jørgensen. CITAstudio, Summer 2019.
Intervention Intervention Intervention
Design Design Design
Observation Observation Observation
Registration Registration Documentation
Tool Development Presentation
Consultancy, GXN

Consultancy, GXN

Consultancy, GXN

Consultancy, GXN
Project Start

Interm. Crit.

Interm. Crit.

Hand-in
February March April May