Archinect - News

Brain Space: One-to-One #37 with Michael Arbib, former vice president of the Academy of Neuroscience for Architecture

2016-09-12T17:37:00-04:00

For nearly 30 years, Michael Arbib taught computer science, neuroscience, engineering, psychology, and mathematics at the University of Southern California, and is known for his prolific work on brains and computers: essentially, what the mechanisms of one can teach us about how the other works. Gathering together all aspects of his work, he’s sharpened his focus on the connection between architecture and neuroscience, and developed the concept of neuromorphic architecture.

He is now associated with the NewSchool for Architecture and Design and UC San Diego, and has played a major role in the Academy of Neuroscience for Architecture, based in La Jolla, California. We spoke about the Academy’s upcoming conference, and what architecture practice can realistically take from neuroscientific research.

Listen to One-to-One #37 with Michael Arbib:

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Archinect's Lexicon: "Neuromorphic Architecture"

2015-03-16T20:28:00-04:00

neuromorphic [nʊər oʊ môrf ik] architecture: in the words of Dr. Michael Arbib at the 2014 Academy of Neuroscience for Architecture conference: “what happens if architecture incorporates in itself some of the lessons of the brain. If, in a sense, you give a brain to a building.”

Arbib, professor of Computer Science, Neuroscience and Psychology (among others) at USC, first formally proposed the term in a 2012 paper for Intelligent Buildings International: “Brains, machines and buildings: towards a neuromorphic architecture". The abstract for the paper explains the intent behind such neuromorphic architecture as: "exploring ways to incorporate lessons from studying real, biological brains to devise computational systems based on the findings of neuroscience that can be used in intelligent buildings". The paper continues with the argument that, under the premise that future buildings will be "perceiving, acting and adapting entities," neuroscientific research will lend a degree of empir...

Editor's Picks #390

2014-10-23T11:56:00-04:00

Amelia profiles the Academy of Neuroscience for Architecture aka ANFA and ponders the lessons from her time spent down in San Diego for ANFA’s annual three-day conference at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies. Does neuro-architecture truly hold the promise of translational design?

midlander dreams "I have a hard time seeing how this provides more meaningful feedback than occupant surveys...That said...I can't wait until I can wear some headset that makes revit models of whatever I'm thinking!" while Chris Teeter a regular advocate for the use of the "the old EEG headset" was pleased "great piece and like how you link all your news posts into a feature story..Although, much of what is going on now is data gathering, it is considerably more useful than just survey stats".

For a more speculative version of Deans List, Archinect spoke with Hernan Diaz Alonso, upcoming Director at SCI-Arc in Los Angeles.

News

"Archinect Sessions" a new weekly podcast hosted by Paul and Amelia, releas...

Geniuses, money and monuments: Weekly News Round-Up for September 15, 2014

2014-09-22T20:47:00-04:00

Saturday, September 20

NYC's historic 190 Bowery part of massive buy-up by developer RFR Holdings: RFR plans to spend upwards of $900M on property and land purchases by the end of 2014. One of its recent buys included the former "72-room bohemian dream house" at 190 Bowery.

Friday, September 19

MacArthur Fellow Rick Lowe Reclaims Urban Neighborhoods Through Art: Lowe is currently a resident at Philadelphia's Pearl Street Project, which aims at making dimly-lit alleyways more safe. He is also the founder of Houston's Project Row Houses.
Zaha Hadid launches luxury homeware range with Harrods: Pieces include a £9,999 serving platter, £43 cups and saucers, and £4,860 Field of Towers chess set.
Archinect is at the Salk Institute, covering the Academy of Neuroscience for Architecture Conference: The three-day conference focused on topics in neuroscientific research that serve the architecture profession, including advances in mobile brain-computing interfaces and the neurological data behind...

Architecture and the "corridors of the mind"

2012-11-11T17:59:00-05:00

Architects, he explains, “understand about aesthetics; they know about psychology. The next depth to which they can go is understanding the brain and how it works and why do people feel more comfortable in one space than another?”

Emily Badger examines whether neuroscientists could be the next great architects. Her article features quotes from among others; sociologist and architect John Zeisel, architect Alison Whitelaw and neurobiologist Fred Gage who at a 2003 conference laid out how "Changes in the environment change the brain, and therefore they change our behavior". The almost 10-year-old Academy of Neuroscience for Architecture which held its first national conference this September, at the Salk Institute, in La Jolla, California, is dedicated to increasing research into, the intersection of the two seemingly disparate fields.