HYBRID SPACE: DESIGNING THE INTERFACE OF PHYSICAL AND DIGITAL PUBLICS

Abstract

The term “mixed reality” (MR) describes an environment comprised of real-time, spatially-linked physical and digital content connected through the interface of digital technologies. While social and technological trends indicate a shift toward MR-enabled environments as our primary means of engaging with networked resources, there has been little attention paid to the holistic design of this nascent hybrid space. This thesis attempts to develop a grammar for the design of both the physical and the digital halves of hybrid space. The grammar will then be tested against a series of design interventions proposed for the Halifax Commons. Each of these interventions will be driven by program centred around public interaction and sociability. The task of the architect is to ensure that the evolution of spatial typologies in this new space refl ects our societal values and enhance our communal quality of life.