[Under His Eye: The battle for freewill] Research Part
The project is focused on exploring the connection between architecture and surveillance, between observation and design.
This topic has been on my mind ever since I moved to London in the middle of the pandemic.
At a time in which freedom of movement was closely monitored and judged,
I became fascinated by the role architecture has in shaping society’s capacity to surveil - even behind closed doors. Secondly, I also wondered what observation feels like to people who can’t see. As part of this study, I have aimed to explore how these users navigate the built environment.
Mixed-Use Development:
Comercial and Cultural Project
Highbury and Isligton, London
Project 2, 2022-23
[Under His Eye: The battle for free will]
Surveillance Capitalism
While most people are not aware, mass surveillance is no longer Orwell’s fantasy. Rather, it has become a core part of our day to day. The average person in London is recorded over 300 times per day?
How does our modern-age culture of surveillance manifest in the design of buildings and impact the relationship between a space and its users?
The concept of surveillance refers to closely monitoring a place or person in anticipation of a crime.
Notably, there exists a higher concentration in lower-income clusters -- as seen in boroughs such as Camden or Islington.
PROGRAMME CONTEXT
Surveillance
Judgement
Observation
Crime
DESIGN CONTEXT
How do we distinguish what is right from Wrong?
Building Proposition
Social Cognitive theory of development
Pertaining to the topic of observation, my project is rooted in the Social Development theory of Judgement - recognising the significance of the built and social environment as core factors affecting how and why we judge.
Design development
To meet the specific requirements of the building users described above, I searched for design references capable of enabling judgement through sight, non-verbal interaction and social context.
