SENSORIAL ARCHITECTURES As knowledge in the area of computational design advances, larger questions arise toward the agency of material-driven architectures as mechanisms for human interaction. This lecture investigates the instrumentalization of textile-based systems as structural, socio-spatial architectures, particularly considering sensory and behavioral ramifications for children with autism spectrum disorder.

SEAN AHLQUIST is Assistant Professor at the Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning, and a member of the Cluster in Computational Media and Interactive Systems, connecting architecture with material science, computer science, and performing arts. Ahlquist’s research is centered on the topic of material computation, developing articulated material structures and modes of design which enable the study of spatial behaviors and human interaction. This is exemplified in a research agenda which includes the design and fabrication of pre-stressed lightweight structures, innovations in textile-reinforced composite materials, and development of tactile sensorial environments as interfaces for physical interaction. www.materialarchitectures.com

RESOURCES A selection of readings related to the lecture, see links below. Please note that you must be logged in to Google with your CMU Andrew ID to access the materials.

• Materiality and Computational Design: Emerging Material Systems and the Role of Design Computation and Digital Fabrication, Sean Ahlquist & Achim Menges (2015)

• Membrane Morphologies: Heterogeneous Forces and Articulated Material Form, Sean Ahlquist; Architectural Design (2015)

• Sensorial Playscape: Advanced Structural, Material and Responsive Capacities of Textile Hybrid Architectures as Therapeutic Environments for Social Play, Sean Ahlquist; Fabricate (2017)

• Computational Design Thinking, Edited by Achim Menges & Sean Ahlquist (2011)