CyPhyLab
Technische Universität Berlin
Fak VI, Institut für Architektur
FG Städtebau und Nachhaltige Stadtentwicklung
Straße des 17. Juni 152
DE-10623 Berlin
About
Who?
The CyPhyLab – laboratory for cyber-pyhsical systems in architecture and urban – is an interdisciplinary research laboratory within architecture as changing profession opening formally unknown fields of research. Our agenda is ‘Humanification of Technology’. We operate along cybernetic principles and combine them with known and architectural principles. resulting in a convergence of space, biology, material and cyber-physical systems,. We are aiming at an architecture where biology and the digital is connected with the physical materials and the smart objects in the networked world of internet of things. The CyPhyLab was founded by Liss C. Werner in 2018 and consists of an interdisiciplinary and international team. It is embedded in the Department of the Sustainable urban Planning and Design at the Institute of Architecture, Technical University Berlin. The CyPhyLab is mainly funded through H2020 third party funds.
How?
A concrete application for architecture is to create buildings that act and interact with people and the environment. We want our buildings to become familiar with our human behaviour and to behave accordingly. Within our discipline of architecture we work in the field of biological computing, material behaviour and sensor technology. Our plan is to integrate networked intelligence into our built environment. We use tools like scripting and programming and methods like AI and pattern recognition as well as material intelligence for architecture. Topics such as HMN (Human-Machine-Networks) and HCI (Human Computer Interaction) are drivers for our work. For architecture, this is still basic research. Especially since we have the ambition to design buildings architecturally very well. The process from (parametric) design to computer controlled production, construction and evaluation is part of the task. Our application projects are based on the “Closed Loop Digital Design Process” developed by us in 2018.
Why?
We aim at a post-digital Sixth Ecology, where the virtual digital, material analog and the evolutionary biological elements converge into for example, learning systems. The digital cannot be separated from our material world anymore. It is integrated in out physical human bodies as it is integrated in our buildings, cities and urban infrastructures. What began in the 1940s with control engineering at selected universities (including the TU Berlin) is now being implemented across the board. We create a truly cybernetic reality controlled by neural networks, whose cognitive nature is hardly distinguishable from a biological one. We follow cybernetic principles and method to enable emergent systems and space. We are trying to understand what it means to be digital and how we can create a digital physicality. We call the process of getting there cybernetification.
“the architect is no longer an organizer of matter and space but a designer of systems – with multi-layered components and complex relationships” lcw
Research + Academia
Projects
NOIISE
Noise Optimisation for Intelligent Innovation Spaces and Environments (NOIISE) improves productivity and comfort in open plan work spaces. Co-funded by H2020 EIT Digital 2019, ID19393.
Get Home Safely
GetHomeSafely is looking into an application of 5G enabled IoT devices used for guiding humans through dark areas. Co-funded by H2020 EIT Digital 2019, ID19053
BrightAgeing - Human Centric Lighting
BrightAgeing is investigating the impact of light temperature and color onto the indiovidual human stress level. We developed an app to connect Philips Hue Lights to a heart-rate-variability measuring deice. Co-funded by H2020 EIT Digital 2018, ID18124.
Built by Data
Built by Data aims at closing gaps in the digital workflow from design to material choice, production, construction and maintenance for the architecture- and construction industry. We developed a) a post-occupancy survey app to analyze human comfort and b) a process for a 2,5-dimensional parametric modular facade to enhance visual comfort. Co-funded by H2020 EIT Digital 2018, ID18101.
Phy
Phy is an ongoing research on the biological organism Physarum Polycephalum. We are observing and simulating its behavior, learn about the principles and finally use them to push architecture and urban design towards the bio-inspired and intelligent. Research is in collaboration with Tactile Architecture
Teaching
Classes taught in the CyPhyLab engage with Material Behaviour and Material Intelligence. Through experimental research we start understanding the possibilities for its application on a variety of levels and scale. The critical discussion about our novel human/machine relation in an urban IoT environment central.
2018
- Architektutheorie/Kritik II, Analog loves Digital I Post-digital Theory: learning from a Pioneer seminar on and conversation with Peter Esenman, IDs2345645, 32020
- Urban Material Intelligence XS-XL, #VI, Sensoric urban Prototypes, Interaction, Modularity – Material Behavior through Geometry, From Bits to Light. ID40425.
2017
- Studio Werkstatt Berlin- Malaysia, Biennal 100YC with D. Köring, I. M. Pienaru, IDs 234558, 40405. Results were presented at the Venice Architecture Biennale 2018 as part of 100 year city.
- Thesis supervision, Slawomir Klyszcz “Disruptive Future Cities’ with Prof. R. Bunschoten and Prof. Dr. I. Borrego
- Urban Material Intelligence XS-XL #IV,V, Sensoric urban Prototypes, Interaction, Modularity – Material Behavior through Geometry, BuiltbyData. ID40425.
2016
- Taught Research Project, Speculative Urbanism, ID40435.
- Communicating Architecture, ID24010
- Studio Digital Forefront with Prof. R. Bunschoten, D. Köring, IDs 234558, 40405
- Urban Material Intelligence XS-XL #II, III,Sensoric urban Prototypes, Interaction, Modularity – Material Behavior through Geometry, ID 40425
2015
- Studio City Lab – City Maker, Tempelhof and Berlins Housing Crisis with Prof. R. Bunschoten, IDs 234558, 40405
Publication
Werner, L. C.: The Origins of Design Cybernetics. In: Fischer, T. / Herr M., C. (eds.): Design Cybernetics: Navigating the New. Springer International Publishing AG, 2019
Werner, L. C. / Adamatzky, A. (eds.): Proto-Architecture and Unconventional Biomaterials. Special Issue: biomimetics, mdpi, Basel, forthcoming 2019. ISSN 2313-7673; CODEN: BIOMJE
CONVERSATIONS Vol. I.: Cybernetics: state of the art. Berlin: Universitätsverlag der Technischen Universität Berlin, 2017
ISBN: 978-3-7983-2954-6 (online), 978-3-7983-2953-9 (print) DOI: 10.14279/depositonce-6121 (CON-VERSATIONS)
Adamatzky, A., Szacilowski, K., Przyczyna, D., Konkoli, Z., Sirakoulis, G C.., Werner, L. C.: On buildings that compute. A proposal. In: Adamatzky, A., Kendon, V. (eds.): From Astrophysics to Unconventional Computing. Festschrift to Susan Stepney. Springer, forthcoming 2019 – currently available preprint on arxiv
Werner, L. C.: CYBERNETIFICATION I: Cybernetics Feedback Netgraft in Architecture. In: Werner, L. C. (ed.): CONVERSATIONS. Cybernetics: state of the art. Berlin: Universitätsverlag der Technischen Universität Berlin, 2017, ISBN (print) 978-3-7983-2953-9 ISBN (online) 978-3-7983-2954-6, DOI 10.14279/depositonce-6121 (CON-VERSATIONS)
Werner. L. C.: Kybernetisches Zeich[n]en – Feedback between Gordon Pask and Frieder Nake [DE], Cybernetic Drawing – Feedback between Gordon Pask and Frieder Nake [EN], In: Vito Cardone (ed.): diségno N. 3, Biannual Journal of the UID – Unione Italiana par il Disegno Scientific Society. Rom: Unione Italiana per il Disegno, 2018, ISSN: 2533-2899
Werner, L. C.: Form and Data-from linear Calculus to cybernetic Computation in Interaction. In: Sousa, P. J. et al (eds.): Architecture in the Age of the 4th Industrial Revolution. Proceedings 36th eCAADe-Conference, Volume tbc. Porto: Porto University, 2019, pp. tbc. ISBN tbc – 09/2019
Werner, L. C.: Biological Computation of Physarum – from DLA to spatial adaptive Voronoi. In: Kępczyńska-Walczak, A. et al (eds.): Computing for a better tomorrow. Proceedings 36th eCAADe-Conference, Volume 2. Lodz: Lodz University of Technology, 2018, pp.535-536. ISBN 978-94-91207-16-7, DOI 10.14279/depositonce-7675
Werner, L. C.: HUNCH 1972: A Second Experiment in Sketch Recognition or: ‘I Know the Concept of Your Concept of interpolation’. In: Marcos, Carlos L. (ed.): Graphic Imprints: The Influence of Representation and Ideation Tools in Architecture. Proceedings XVII EGA International Conference. University of Alicante, Spain. Cham: Springer International Publishing, 2018, p. 3-11.
ISBN (print): 978-3-319-93748-9 ISBN (online): 978-3-319-93749-6DOI https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-93749-6Download Link: https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007%2F978-3-319-93749-6_1.pdf
Werner, L. C.: A Cloud recycling Light: human feedback matters. In: Trento, A. et al (eds.): ShoCK – Sharing of Computable Knowledge. Proceedings 35th eCAADe, Education and Research in Computer Aided Architecture and Design in Europe. Rome: La Sapienza University Press, 2017, p. 699-708.
ISBN 978-3-642-23435-4 (online),
978-36-422-3434-7 (print)
DOI: 10.1007/978-3-642-23435-4_8
Werner, L. C.:Gordon Pask’s ‘Cybernetic Theatre’: beyond tinkering with Architecture.In: AISB 2018, Symposium on Cybernetic Serendipity Reimagined, University of Liverpool, UK.
ISBN (online): ISBN 978-1-908187-82-6
For the complete list of publication click here
Profile
Liss C. Werner
Lab Leader, computational architecture and cybernetics
Assist. Professor
MArch UCL, DipArch UCL, Bahons University of Westminster London
Architect AK Berlin, RIBA |, ||
Director Tactile Architecture - office für SystemArchitektur
CEO UnIMas Universe by Intelligent Machines
Suryaveer Patnaik
Data Analysis and Development
Project Assistant, Research Assistant
MBA Building Sustainability
Dipl. Renewable Eergy, TERI
Ba Architecture Chitkara
Architect PGD
Theresa Lohse
Research Support and Graphics
Student Project Assistant
Bachelor of Architecture
Pawel Unger
Scripting and Moving Image
Intern Project Assistant, 2018-19
in cooperation with Tactile Architecture
Ba Architecture, Ma Architecture Gdansk University of Technology
Previous Team Members
Pedro Soares, Product Design and Visualization
Intern, in cooperation with Tactile Architecture, 2019
Stefanie Holzheu, Media Architecture and Sensoric
Research Assistant, M.S. Architecture (SUNY), M.Sc. MediaArchitecture, Dipl.-Ing. Architecture, 2018
Sarath Sasidharan, Data Analytics
Student Project Assistant, 2018
Mouhamad Sobh, Graphics and Communication
Student Project Assistant, B.Arch, 2018
Liss C. Werner
Lab Leader CyPhyLab, Assist. Professor.
MArch UCL, DipArch UCL, Bahons University of Westminster London, Architect AK Berlin, RIBA |, ||
Liss C. Werner is the founder and Lab Leader of the CyPhyLab, embedded in the department of Sustainable Urban Planning and Urban Design. She was visiting Professor at Carnegie Mellon University (2012) and adj assoc. Professor at Taylor’s University, Malaysia (2014-2016), ran the Master Studio Codes in the Clouds at DIA Dessau (2010-2016), lectured internationally at e.g., MIT, CalArts, USC, Texas Tech, The Bartlett, Syracuse University, Cooper Union, Nottingham Trent University, Kassel University, ESARQ; University Innsbruck, is regularly invited as jury member and peer-reviewer and publishes widely on cybernetics and architecture. She is a member of the American Society of Cybernetics Independent Expert Evaluator for the European Commission for Horizon 2020 proposals. Links: Google Scholar. ORCID.
Prof. Raoul Bunschoten
Chair and Professor for Sustainable Planning and Urban Design
Dipl. Arch ETH, M.Arch Cranbrook Netherlands
Chair and Professor for Sustainable Planning and Urban Design
Dipl. Arch ETH, M.Arch Cranbrook Netherlands
Professor Raoul Bunschoten is the chair of the department of Sustainable Urban Planning and Urban Design, CHORA Conscious City. The department develops methods for architectural design and integrated urban planning that span between climate change and the digital revolution. Under the umbrella of a Conscious City. Predominant themes in the departments research agenda are urban planning strategies, urban curation digital decision support tools utilizing big data and intelligent prefabrication, virtual reality and immersive reality. Current research engages with the Belt Road Initiative, its relevance to a digitized supply chain and pre-fabrication and related impacts on urban design. Research has primarily be funded through H2020 Climate KIC and H2020 EIT Digital.
Partners
Contact Us
Liss C. Werner
Assist. Professor
computational architecture and cybernetics
CyPhyLab
Technische Universität Berlin
Fak VI | Institut für Architektur
FG Städtebau und Nachhaltige Stadtentwicklung
CHORA Conscious City | A30 | Raum 609
Straße des 17. Juni 152
DE-10623 Berlin
+49 30 314-26122
liss.c.werner@tu-berlin.de
