Realtime Urbanism

Realtime Environments: The Architecture of Packets, Pixels, and Neurons explores the spatial systems at the heart of advanced communication, computation, and immersive media. Drawing from a wide array of fields, including critical computation, media theory, critical race theory, systems engineering, urban planning, and more, this interdisciplinary course immerses students in the political dimensions of architecture and media environments. It provides an analysis of how these constructs both reflect and influence social structures.

The course concentrates on the emerging concept of 'realtime,' where the convergence of algorithms, models, and constant data flows guide our daily existence, directing urban rhythms from the glistening surface of electronic screens. We will uncover how vestiges of the past are leveraged to predict future occurrences, thereby managing the perpetual present.

The studio characterizes 'realtime' as both a promise of total omniscience in technocratic management and a representation of consumer and institutional demands for instantaneous information. We trace its historical origins through shifts in spatial practices associated with virtual modeling, urban simulations, and military activities. Our course locates concepts like latency, resolution, and prediction within tangible entities such as data centers, control rooms, and sensor networks. This method ensures that our examination of 'realtime' goes beyond the simple pursuit of speed and efficiency, and instead includes the design of novel experiences.

We will scrutinize emerging human-to-machine interfaces that enable intuitive interactions with digital processes, investigating their implications from smart cities to optimized homes and beyond. The course traverses the crossroads of architecture, planning, and virtual world creation, challenging students to wrestle with the potential and hurdles therein.

To support our research, the first half of the semester will showcase talks by experts outside the field of architecture. This offers students a vibrant dialogue between our interest in realtime environments and external research endeavors, ensuring a comprehensive exploration of this frontier field.