Interactive design

1. Elena Mortola I taught for many years CAAD (Computer Aided Architectural Design), since 1983 with a course official, based on principles developed in ECAADE (European Computer Aided Design and Education) Conferences. Since 1995 I am introducing in my university courses the concept of interactive design, assisted by the network, which can enhance citizen participation in the design process and transformation of the local environment, in terms of knowledge (of local culture and identity of places, plans and ongoing projects, etc.) and interaction with the local (between citizens and other stakeholders, including national and local government). Interactive design

2. New role of the architect Dealing with interactive design also means focusing on a new role of the architect (the architect of the community) and critical review of its role in society. I could cite many scholars and professionals who have worked and continue to work on participatoty planning. The figure more representative in Italy is certainly Giancarlo De Carlo. I prefer in this context to refer mainly to C. Alexander, a former professor at UC Berkeley. Fundamental is his book on the Pattern Language. "The most significant part of the Pattern Language is the idea that people should design for themselves houses, streets, common areas. This idea may be radical - implies a radical transformation of the architectural profession - but simply results from observation that most beautiful places on earth were not made by architects but by people".

3. New role of the architect In designing their environment men used certain "language" that, like spoken languages, enabling them to articulate and communicate a infinite variety of projects within a formal system that gives them coherence. In the book describing his experience in designing the University of Oregon cites a book by John Larner where it is emphasized that the organic character of the medieval Italian city was not the result of a random instinctive sense of connection forms. In contrast, cities were the result of a well-defined planning process. The townscape was checked annually by a group of citizens whose job was to do new projects. Every year in early May a committee was to inspect the city in its entirety. Then it had to establish the construction plans for the coming year. Usually, people who were part of these commissions were not specialists, but ordinary citizens. Dante was a member of the Committee of Florence.

4. The experience of district laboratories in Rome As said before does not mean that the architect must be bypassed, discredited or worse become a passive subject, nor do we want to neglect the technical aspects. It means that the design can not ignore the knowledge, experience and local needs. Such knowledge can not be taken in an indirect way, for example statistical surveys, on the contrary they should be able to enter the design process and participate in all phases that constitute it. We must experiment with this new design process and district laboratories would seem the ideal place to do this experiment. In the experience of the City of Rome between 1995 and 1998 laboratories were located in one or two rooms of a school or a community center or senior center and were coordinated by a local technician, all citizens, including Roma Tre University representatives attended on voluntary basis.

5. The experience of district laboratories in Rome Alexander says: "Only proposals arising within the community should be considered and funded." This phrase of Alexander may be utopian, but also have its own rationale. Most of the initiatives supported dall'UO4 of Department of the Municipality of Rome (ex-Special Office USPEL Participation and workshops) should be born in laboratories. The work of the laboratories should be coordinated at the central level only in a first phase in which not all laboratories have capacity to manage themselves. Many initiatives are born in laboratories in the period in which it was established the USPEL, for example, the Ostiense-Marconi targets have been achieved: the creation of a road via Papareschi, which was to become a model for new interventions shared traffic calming , trying to build a strong opposition to the speculative actions brought by individuals in the area of Mira Lanza, through a continuous, urgent proposal for the creation of small interventions for Tiber Park South.

6. The experience of district laboratories in Rome Was formulated a hypothesis to develope by the laboratories, on behalf of the City, a map, were was collected by the inhabitants (with the help of technicians) all of the problems, but also the real, the potential, hidden values. This map is called by Alexander "the map of the diagnosis" . This map should be drafted with the participation of stakeholders, and form the basis for future planning. This idea is born in a lab, not born in the University, was born as a moment of awareness in the experience of district laboratories. Were also taken other initiatives. For example, the University of Rome on behalf dell'USPEL did in 2001 a manual of self-design as a support to the competition "Young and the Transforming City" which saw more than seventy schools involved in Rome. With the help of the "auto-design manual" students and their teachers were able to draw and paint in a "technical way" the redevelopment project of the places frequented daily.

7. Planning for Real (PFR) and Progettare con la Comunità (PcC), Designing with Community The main difference to the Planning for Real is the use of guides to self-design and use patterns in the sense indicated by Alexander. A "pattern" is a type / model. The pattern can be described textually, iconically or metaphorically, referring to examples already made. The pattern is not an isolated entity but is related with the pattern of the same level, upper and lower level. Compared to the suggestions (Planning for Real) is more complex. The suggestion may denote meanings and connote values. The pattern must have both of these requirements. Represents a coherent part of an overall architecture solution architecture. Patterns alone can not guarantee the quality of the whole intervention. Patterns can be considered "centers of attraction or interest." But how are these patterns related? Each center must be related to adjacent and must be contained by other more general. The result is a set of recursive and hierarchical centers. The center is a structure, something that captures our eyes as "architecturally interesting" -.

8. Strong resistance to participatory process Generally, the various attempts to introduce the participation of citizen in the planning and design of their environment have not always been successful. Is not universally recognized the value of participatory planning, and there is strong resistance to participatory processes, both by administrators, either by their designers, with the first prefer to get the consensus rather than engage people in participatory processes, considered too dispersed, the latter because they feel deprived of their role. Some efforts have been made in theory to construct a methodological basis to facilitate the participatory planning process: we can cite Friend, Alexander, Gibson and, more recently, Salingaros. Giangrande Mortola tried to offer a methodological contribute with the development of a cyclical process using together three methods Visioning, Strategic Choice and Pattern Language. As noted Salingaros "collaborative design in architecture is not well defined as in other fields, such as, for example, that of software development, where the concept of collaboration involves interaction between the parties involved”.

9. According to Alexander Interactive Design Interactive design, according to Alexander, begins with a preliminary discussion with residents to establish what their desires are deeper, more meaningful patterns, including those that exist in the subconscious (phase 1). For example, in designing the campus Eishin School in Tokyo, Alexander has discovered to his surprise that most teachers and students interviewed had put the presence of a lake as a top priority. He then built an artificial lake around which all buildings were constructed. In the water was also designed a covered wooden boat for recreation, connected by a bridge. Initially, this ideaof the lake during the first interviews was not expressed because it was considered inappropriate. Once the deepest desires of the inhabitants were expressed, architects translate them into a pattern language (phase 2). If high-priority patterns have not been previously documented in the Pattern Language Alexander, then you must make a research on the most interesting examples in world. All the identified patterns, useful for the project must be submitted to the people in graphical form by hand or with the help of computers.

10. According to Alexander Interactive Design The next step (phase 3) consists of a training session with residents to teach them the structure (or structures) of the most significant pattern needed for the project. (This structure can take the form of a graph, a form of meta floor plan with three-dimensional images). Be added to all other patterns that may be suggested by the locals. The final part (phase 4) to propose preliminary projects, including alternatives. The aid of computer tools at this stage is very important if he can make a realistic project proposals. The completion of the project or projects remains in the hands of the planner / designer, with one or two people involved continuously until the end. The people selected must demonstrate a strong interest in urban design to represent the entire community. At this stage Salingaros recommended to not involve other groups that could diverge too much of the design process. Important decisions should be taken in the first stage, along with the power of veto.

11. Interactive Design and Multimedia Two requirements seem relevant today for the profession of the designer of the built environment: a new sensitivity to the needs and aspirations of individuals and groups, respect for the resource area (culture, environment) and extensive use of internet and democratic experimentation with new forms of communication and new forms of interactive design. The information on a given territory, ongoing projects, the needs of individuals and groups can be shared by everyone in the network and then allow interaction between all stakeholders. Obviously, interactive design processes must be governed by procedures to test and validate at the local community level. We do not know what weight can take in the future hypertext and hypermedia in the collective participation in decision-making. Today, however, their communication effectiveness is unquestionable. And then a foreseeable use is growing about matters of public interest. In perspective, the use of these tools should lead to the overcoming of traditional forms of public consultation, meeting or written objection, provided by planning instruments.

12. Interactive Design and Multimedia The opportunity offered by technology is the ability to initiate a continuous dialogue between government and citizens to meet the increased demand coming from participation. We can, for example, arrange meetings in which the actors of the process (technical and non technical) can have, through the use of multimedia tools, a fairly realistic view of a project and the context in which you enter or participate some phases of the evaluation process and decision. The evolution of simulation techniques to address a total sensory involvement can have important practical consequences not only for designers but also for those involved. If the community must be able to interact with designers and administrators who make the decisions, however, you must experience the design process participatory and interactive. The interactive design is a new concept in urban planning and architectural drafting practice. The presentation of the project is targeted at both the consent of the client or user, but rather to initiate a constructive dialogue with those referents.

13. Interactive Design and Multimedia The project must be represented and explained clearly and comprehensively. In this sense, hypertext is a very effective way to communicate a wealth of information on a specific area, such as those of historical and cultural. With its infinite possibilities of cross-references, hypertext is here to help by providing a sort of a common cultural background essential to the desired interactive process. There are many, in fact, the knowledge needed to define the needs of a community. Democratic participation of stakeholders is very important because it ensures that the planned intervention consistent with the objectives previously defined and agreed. In such a process technicians, administrators and politicians working in close relationship, integrating their skills. In this way the proxy is replaced by the need to continuously and directly accountable to the community. The role of technical planner in a process of participation should not mean or exclusive pursuit of consensus or irresponsible acquiescence to the demands of society. The planner involved in a participatory process must have more quality and skills urbanist which operates under the umbrella of power.

14. Bibliography Alexander C. , The Oregon Experiment, Oxford University Press. , 1975, New York Alexander C. and others, Pattern Language, Oxford University Press. , 1977, New York Alexander C. , The Timeless Way of Building, Oxford University Press. , 1979, New York Alexander C. , The New Theory of Urban Design, Oxford University Press., 1987, New York Caniggia G., Maffei G.L. (1979), Lettura dell'edilizia di base,Saggi Marsilio, Venice Friend J. and Hickling A. (1997), Planning Under Pressure: The Strategic Choice Approach, Butterworth-Heinemann, Oxford [second edition]. Friend J. and Jessop W. (1969), Local Government and Strategic Choice, Pergamon Press, Oxford. Giangrade A. and Mortola E.(2005), Neighbourhood Renewal in Rome. Combining Strategic Choice with other Design Methods, in J. Friend & A. Hichling, ‘Planning under Pression’ , Elsevier, Oxford, 2005Larner J. (1971), Culture and Society in Italy, 1290-1420, Charles Scribner's Sons, New York Magnaghi A. (1998), Il territorio degli abitanti, Dunod-Masson, Milan.

15. Diagnosis map for Bauhaus in Weimar “Extract all the vital parts and structures of the presently existing whole, which must be preserved, enhanced, extended, and repaired. Now it is time to walk the land, slowly, and with care.What is precious, and where is it? What is ugly? What is desperately in need of repair? What has the potential to become something wonderful, with a minimum of work? We find it most helpful to do this with a map in one hand and a pen in the other — a surveyor’s drawing of the site, with the boundary marked, with trees and existing buildings marked, and recognizable features so that you can locate yourself as you are walking around and know exactly where you are.Each unfolding in this section asks you to attend to a different aspect of your neighborhood site. When they have been completed, you will have a comprehensive and sophisticated diagnosis that can serve as the basis of generating life.

16. Diagnosis maps of Angelo Mai garden The information needed to construct a map of the diagnosis are obtained during a visit whose purpose is mainly to deeply understand the structure of the place, namely its "wholeness" identifying both the positive elements and the negative one, which needed repair or change. The elements of inspection are: the boundary via Labre, scale of access to school (a monumental scale), the building school and courtyard, the former chapel, access to the former chapel of the garden, the core of garden (paved space), the northern border with the natural vegetation, the terracing to via Labre, access to underground areas, the east side of the central nucleus of the garden, the entrance from via Clementina, the former substations Acea. The information inspection data has been used to build the map of diagnosis. Another map also shows the diagnosis of urban scale that takes into account elements of the wholeness of the immediate context.

17. Diagnosis maps of Angelo Mai garden The information needed to construct a map of the diagnosis are obtained during a visit whose purpose is mainly to deeply understand the structure of the place, namely its "wholeness" identifying both the positive elements and the negative one, which needed repair or change. The elements of inspection are: the boundary via Labre, scale of access to school (a monumental scale), the building school and courtyard, the former chapel, access to the former chapel of the garden, the core of garden (paved space), the northern border with the natural vegetation, the terracing to via Labre, access to underground areas, the east side of the central nucleus of the garden, the entrance from via Clementina, the former substations Acea. The information inspection data has been used to build the map of diagnosis. Another map also shows the diagnosis of urban scale that takes into account elements of the wholeness of the immediate context.