When buildings have “brains”

Neuromorphic architecture, buildings with “brains,” revisits Le Corbusier’s “a house is a machine for living in” in cybernetic terms. It relates to smart architecture and artificial intelligence and is informed by neuroethology. The interactive space Ada had sensors for vision, audition, and a sense of touch mediated by floor panels. Ada could use this information to interact with visitors. Ada had “emotions,” and this leads into analysis of how “emotion” in buildings and robots relates to the neuroscience of emotions. The chapter distinguishes the physical space of the building from the neural space that connects sensors and effectors to support homeostasis and social interaction between building and users. The example of a neuromorphic kitchen grounds discussion of how buildings may learn. Such buildings can be considered as inside-out robots or embrained bodies. Biophilia and the way humans flourish when they have a sense of community are exemplified in WOHA’s Kampung Admiralty project, which functions as a system of systems. After considering a building as a system of systems, one may assess which of those subsystems may be ripe for being cybernetically enabled.