[youtube = http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xy90VxgWTP0]
Taking the idea of reflexive architecture a step further, perhaps virtual architecture could not only be sensitive and dynamic to the movement of its occupants, but capable of incorporating real time data streams, becoming a visual metaphor for whatever data is relevant to the building’s program.
The YouTube video shown above, via a recent post on eightbar, illustrates the visualization of system architecture and business hierarchy. It seems possible that a system like this, which is automatically generating a model of the interconnections and relationships in the network infrastructure, could actually inform the realtime configuration of the virtual architecture within which avatars interact, collaborate and conduct their daily activities.
While reading a post over at Digital Urban about visualizing data using SketchUp, I was reminded of Edward Tufte’s ‘Visual Display of Quantitative Information’, or the experiments Clear Ink’s Leon Atkinson’s S&P 500 visualization build, as well a Asymptote’s design for the NYSE. I think these ideas are incredibly relevant in Second Life, not only to create visual displays of quantitative information, but perhaps to extend into the creation of the architectural itself.
Combining all of these ideas with the concept of ‘beautiful data’ recently contemplated in Ugotrade, I think we arrive at a very interesting and native capacity of virtual worlds. Could Leon’s S&P 500 become a virtual building or a city? Could we hold meetings inside of pure visual data relevant to the meeting’s agenda? Could data generated architecture help improve a meeting’s productivity? What new kinds of architectural metaphors might we develop to help increase their value?
I think the idea of ‘data as architecture,’ has some strong and far reaching potential, and will be central in the development of the next generation of virtual architecture.
