Pasadena, CA – Art Center College of Design announced today that it will host the international exhibition and research initiative "Open House: Architecture and Technology for Intelligent Living" from Tuesday, March 10 through Sunday, July 1, 2007 at its landmark South Campus in Pasadena, located at 950 S. Raymond Ave.
Jointly organized by Art Center College of Design and the Vitra Design Museum of Weil am Rhein, Germany, "Open House" will offer diverse and captivating glimpses of the house of the future as a place for new spatial experiences, new systems of sustainability, and new sensory enhancements made possible through recent technologies and material developments. Looking to the creative leadership of the design world, the heart of the exhibition features 10 specially commissioned "intelligent house" projects by emerging architects and designers from the United States, Europe, Australia, Asia and Mexico.
Their visions of future dwellings merge technology, architecture and design in projects that address various conditions anticipated in the next 20 years. While the technology industry focuses on smart gadgetry, the projects of "Open House" turn the spotlight on the human-centered needs in the domestic environment—among them, connectivity, well-being, flexibility and sustainability. "Open House" will present:
As examples, the "Jellyfish House" (IwamotoScott/Proces2) promotes the idea that people can inhabit formerly polluted areas in homes that clean up their sites through water reclamation; "Open the House!" (realities: united) reconnects humans to outdoor living by showing how we can use specially designed clothing, not our houses, to provide microclimate control and comfort; and "Mix House" (Sanders/Rubin/van Lengen) proposes strategies to heighten the home's connection to its aural landscape.
"In exhibiting 'Open House,' the goal of Art Center College of Design is to bring new energy to a global agenda for new forms of housing," says Art Center president Richard Koshalek. "As an arts education institution, we believe strongly that designers and artists have a unique ability to absorb the new global context and developments in science, technology, urban design, medicine and other disciplines—and to translate that knowledge into solutions, to provide new understanding, and to create new strategies for the future. This exhibition will invite students, faculty and the public to explore new ideas with open and optimistic minds."
The "Open House" exhibition is accompanied by a 300-page fully illustrated catalogue. Included are detailed drawings and descriptions of each of the commissioned projects – both those that will be at Art Center and others that were shown in Europe. The catalogue essays by the exhibition curators, as well as leading thinkers and historians, address aspects of intelligent buildings, the emergence of new materials, ideas about the home in 2026, our concept of the future, and the history of past "future houses."
Art Center's Department of Public Programs will offer a full range of programs and activities related to the "Open House" research initiative, including lectures, group tours and workshops. "Inside Out," an exploration by Art Center students of domestic life in the year 2015, will focus on food in the home. In addition, Art Center is collaborating with Dwell magazine to host "Dwell On Design at Art Center: The Intelligent House," a special forum focusing on architecture, design and technology as related to domestic space, which will be held April 26 to 28, 2007.
The installation of the "Open House" exhibition was designed by UeBERSEE, led by design principal Nikolaus Hafermaas, the department chair of graphic design at Art Center. "Open House" welcomes attendance by the public. Admission is free to the public. Additional information about "Open House" is available at www.artcenter.edu and www.design-museum.de. Visit www.dwell.com and www.artcenter.edu for more information about Dwell on Design at Art Center.
The Art Center presentation of "Open House: Architecture and Technology for Intelligent Living" has been made possible, in part, through the support of KB Home and Whirlpool.
About Art Center College of Design
A leader in art and design education for nearly 75 years, Art Center College of Design offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in a wide range of disciplines, as well as public programs offering design education to persons of all ages and levels of experience. Fundamental to Art Center's core curricula is a commitment to social and cultural engagement and giving students the tools and skills with which to address real-world issues and effect change. Art Center is located in Pasadena, CA, with classes held at its Hillside Campus and new South Campus in downtown Pasadena. For more information, visit www.artcenter.edu.
