2022
SWRM.exe
an autonomous mobile architecture
In the not-so-distant future, where autonomous transportation has become widespread, the technology extends beyond the automotive industry into the architectural realm. Here, buildings have become divorced from land.
CONTEXT
Tesla Design Challenge
LOCATION
Somewhere on Earth
SOFTWARE
Rhinoceros3D, Photoshop, Illustrator
CITY.OBJ
Urban space has transitioned into a malleable environment, permanently in flux. Buildings and spaces associated with the built environment are raised onto autonomously-controlled hovering contraptions. They are thus able to maneuver and reconfigure. Instead, the city, no longer a fixed locale, emerges in the form of a gathering of buildings. These swarms are rendered mobile by the hover magnets on their faces and are connected to powerful SWRM AI technologies. The algorithms are able to optimize configurations of the city based on desired destinations of the user base, constantly reconfiguring the positioning of the buildings in relation to one another.
Such a city brings about many advantages. In the early 2020s, Americans on average spent upwards of an hour a day commuting to work alone, not to mention other daily chores and tasks. By removing transportation time altogether, the valuable time is preserved and can be spent for enjoyment instead. In addition, changing climate and increasing natural disasters have placed many fixed urban centers in danger. A mobile urbanism allows for the city to shift locations based on weather patterns, avoiding major disturbances and preserving infrastructure. Additionally, the flexibility of unfixed housing allows residents to travel efficiently, and place their house wherever they desire at any given moment. Such a capability increases inhabitant’s access to both the city center and natural areas further away, positively impacting the quality of life.
HOME.OBJ
Within an autonomously mobile city, residents do not possess fixed houses or land. Instead, they inhabit SWRMpods, a new mobile and autonomous model for housing. With a number of model options available for families of various sizes, SWRMpods serve as both residence and transportation, allowing owners to participate in the constant flux of urban swarm. If a resident desires to eat breakfast at a particular restaurant, the SWRM AI technologies are able to include their demands in their optimization of the city configuration, placing a branch of their favorite brunch shop next to their home.
Due to their hovering and mobile nature, a traditional multi-bedroom sprawling house configuration was not suitable for such a residence. Instead, the interior spaces of these houses are configured around a central void on every side of a polyhydric geometry. Rather than having a traditional orientation as a typical fixed house possesses, these spaces capitalize on the autonomy of the controls, and rotate the house to suit the desired orientation of the user. While the resident may feel they are simply walking up a flight of stairs, the house itself rotates to accommodate their shifting orientation. The rotating mechanism revolutionizes the traditional housing model of the 21st century. In such a way, the SWRMpods have been able to ideally integrate themselves into the modern, autonomous city, both inside and out.