Project
Parasympathy: A Space of Empathy and Active Compassion
Category
Best Implemented Interior Design for Public Space
About the project
How can architecture serve to reflect the experiences and feelings of a community? Parasympathy is an interactive installation that actively responds to the mood of the community, helping to promote communication and respect for those who often go unheard. It demonstrates responsible uses of Artificial Intelligence, sensory environment, and adaptive architecture that can promote social awareness and enhance the agency of the democratic populace.
The color and form of the installation change in real-time in response to the biophysical reactions (emotion) of the people in space. Smart wearable devices with our machine learning algorithm have the capacity to read biosignals (e.g. body temperature, heart rate, etc.) and identify emotional states in real time and reflect that in the environment’s color scheme to promotes communication and compassion grounded in the recognition of human needs. Each individual user’s biosignature will have a noticeable “trace” in the space color palette.
Location
Pullman, Washington, the USA
Project implementation year
2020
Project website
https://www.morphogenesislab.com/parasympathy
More project images
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/y8ja6ohymikhx4l/AABpw2kHsPNYa2xSn5I8zfsoa?dl=0
Project video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrUnVqfXy8Y
Additional information
https://1889mag.com/think/architecture/washington-architecture-mona-ghandi-is-working-across-disciplines-to-make-architecture-more-adaptive/
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/14780771211039507?journalCode=jaca
https://vcea.wsu.edu/2018/02/27/compassionate-spaces/
https://vilcek.org/prizes/prize-recipients/mona-ghandi/
https://news.wsu.edu/news/2021/09/16/mona-ghandi-receives-world-architecture-award/
Applicant and authors of the project
Mona Ghandi.
Architect, researcher, and educator graduated from the University of California, Berkeley. She is an assistant professor of architecture and the director of the Morphogenesis Lab at Washington State University. Her interdisciplinary research focuses on the Architecture of Emotive Intelligence which examines the role of AI, machine learning, robotics, and adaptive architecture in improving sustainability, well-being, and justice and equity in buildings.
Project by Mona Ghandi, Mohamed Ismail, Marcus Blaisdell.
Other participants
Part of the research was supported by WSU and IAAC + Autodesk BUILDers in Residence.
• Director: Mona Ghandi
• Design: Mona Ghandi, Mohamed Ismail
• Fabrication: Mona Ghandi, Mohamed Ismail, Aisha Marcos, Ruri Adams
• Programming & Electrical Engineering: Marcus Blaisdell, Sal Bagaveyev
• Photos & Video: Mohamed Ismail, Nicole Liu
• Photo credits: Mona Ghandi