design your own benches, pavilions, even towers and interact with them in the real world!
What if a bench is more than simply a physical seat?
Our proposal is for a set of playful objects that are
part of an augmented reality (AR) architectural game
designed to bring people together and raise questions
about technology and the coexistence of digital and
physical space within architecture.
The design consists of two parts: First, three separate
colourful objects for seating, connected by a wrapping
texture that breaks up the hierarchy of and ties the
piece together. Unlike a traditional bench which
is linear, the fragmented nature of our composition
allows users flexibility and choice for how they want
to position themselves - more community oriented or
outward facing depending on one’s mood, group size
and surroundings.
Secondly, we propose a free downloadable app, that
can recognize the colourful textures and start a game
with anyone nearby. In the app, users can throw,
place and stack more benches to create everything
from alternative arrangements to skyscrapers to small
worlds. The game uses the camera of any smartphone
so players can view their designs in real scale and in
context - walk around it from every angle, go inside -
this would be the first AR furniture ever built!
The volumetric nature of the game will create
interactions between occupants and people passing
by - players and users. In addition, the game creates
a link between the physical bench objects and the
digital designs of everyday participants - it’s a new
form of architecture that starts to get the community
involved.
The game and the benches work together as one
proposal designed to expose the public to architecture
- not simply as a built form but as a concept. It creates
a new type of relationship between person-andarchitecture-
and-technology. Last but not least, even
if you don’t want to open your phone, it serves as a
flexible, fun place to rest and spend time.
play an architectural game using the physical objects of the bench as augmented components in a hybrid physical/digital experience
show your friends, see others' designs or share your own with a broader lfa community - via functionality built into the app