Hi all
some bits which caught my attention recently were:
The Times Weds 3-11-99 had an item on an "internet house" on
page 10 which has been built in Watford, UK at 500K sterling and
can be controlled over the internet and by a palm-held tablet. So if
you want to turn the heating up, lights on or off and draw the
curtains you can do so before leaving for home, or from anywhere
in the house. Unfortunately it takes 4 pcs 72 power points and 4
ISDN lines to do this. This sort of technology - providing it is
accessible itself in terms of the controls operated by the user -
could be really good. Obviously the cost is high now and very
dependent on the high-tech stuff not crashing. However, for me the
really good thing would be getting products to go into dwellings that
are both mainstream (rather than being created specifically for a
"disabled market") and that already have good accessible features.
Finally the RIBA Journal Nov 99 reviews a book entitled the Value
of Architecture by Ken Worpole, published by RIBA Future Studies
which is reviewed by Andrew Rabeneck. It does not get a good
review- I cannot comment of course not having read it myself - have
any of you, only I think it has only just come out. Interestingly
there is no mention of the user in the review of the document. It
only refers to the client/architect as being concerned with good
design. How often the user-participation element gets side-lined just
because they are not directly involved in the process (of course they
should be involved - but perhaps designers and clients are frightened
that they might get told what users really want and prefer instead to
provide a fate-accomplee).
marcus
"I am not a genius, but I am a terrific package of experience." Buckminster Fuller
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
|