I'm an architect with a background in cognitive science and a focus on healthcare. I'm interested in design, technology and research that makes life healthier and simpler.
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Samsung’s Digital Window at CES
Of all the interesting things to come out of CES this year, Samsung’s digital windows takes the cake- if only for personal reasons.
When designing my Futureward project, I often had to assume that some pretty wild stuff will be developed in the next 10-15 years. And pretty often, I’d fell guilty about those making those assumptions, because might drive the project from the realm of responsible design into the realm of science fiction. Chief among those assumptions was the ability to windows that were touch sensitive, embedded with screens and dimmable for privacy.
Displays embedded in glass room doors
So, imagine my surprise when I saw this gem turn up last week:
If there’s one thing I’ve learned from FW, it’s that the rate at which the future is unfolding in front of us will always, always surprise you.
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Back Online
Due to some technical difficulties (i.e. hackers with nothing better to do), this place had been offline for the last couple of weeks; back now with lots to catch up on. Side note: happy holidays to all.
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Carly Weeks on the Canada’s New Guidelines for Hosptial Design
I’d like to get a hold of these new guidelines and give them a close look. The article seems to suggest that they are less a CSA-like collection of minimum/maximum distances, and more of a collection of tactics to create pleasant spaces in which patients will (as shown by EBD) get well faster.
The difference between a medical space and healing space is huge, and I’ll be very happy if the difference has been codified by the guidelines, even if following them isn’t mandatory.
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Raspberry Pi Team Settles on PCB Design
For the uninitiated- Raspberry Pi is in-progress project to build a full-featured $25 ARM PC-on-a-PCB. So for $25, you plug in a screen, keyboard, and networking, and then BAM- full-on computer. Of course, things get more interesting when you plug in non-traditional peripherals and blend the setup into a room.
The Raspberry Pi board design
This is another case of something that I researched for Futureward- which I thought would take six or seven years to come to fruition- happening in less than two years. This is a big, significant step toward computing escaped concentrated points- desktop machines, phones, etc- and diffusing across the built environment. This, more than any other, is the major shift that will change how hosptials are built and upon which Futureward is predicated. Incredible to see it happening so quickly; I mean, I could wire up my entire apartment for $25 a board.
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Android 4.0 Pushed to AOSP
My programming skills are beyond rusty at this point, but I’m excited to see what better people than I will be able to do with the platform to enhance medical care.
