Research · journal article · 2012
Architectural Sociability
Social connection and technology in architectural structures and smart environments.
Explore the WorkThe published article
Architectural Sociability as a Strategy to Drive Technology Integrations into Architectural Structures and Smart Environments is a 2012 article by Steven W. Ochs in the International Journal of Architectural Computing, volume 10, issue 2, pages 301–317. The work considers social connection, digital information and technology within architectural structures.
The article has DOI 10.1260/1478-0771.10.2.301. It presents a design strategy for connecting people through buildings that integrate physical and digital interaction.
Related practice
Ochs’s archive also records experience design and immersive environments. The 2012 article is an early published point in Ochs’s broader chronology of work with spaces and participation.
Design for connection
Steven’s argument starts with a change in how people meet. Squares, guilds, pubs and homes historically helped people find one another, while telecommunications and online networks moved many interactions away from shared places. He asks how architecture can again support a sense of belonging in that connected world.
Architectural Sociability proposes beginning with a social purpose and treating information systems as part of the building’s design. Local data streams, social networks, ubiquitous computing and interaction design work together with the physical setting. The intended outcome is a place that helps people form relationships and collaborate, rather than technology added only as an isolated feature.