Lately, I have been interested in the potential for architectural links to the digital world. One way to do this is through QR Codes, which I have begun to experiment with.
QR codes are easy to generate and are essentially an improvement on the barcode. Other than holding text and numerical data, you can specify certain actions to go along with the link. The standard QR code action opens a site in the web browser, but more interesting options are available: including a single scan which will configure a WIFI network on your smartphone. Awesome!
for my latest studio project boards, I included a qr link which opens a 3D animation of the project on any smartphone. It is currently on display in Crown Hall for the IIT Open House, and it’s an efficient link between a printed layout and a digital animation.
In May 2012, I mounted this 36 in x 36 in QR code link to this blog on my Marina City balcony. The code was up for about 48 hours and received only one hit on a custom bit.ly tracker, but I’m suspecting it was my neighbour.
Theoretical project by Dorian Janowicz
QR Code facade
QR Code driveway by Eric Rice
I recently completed conceptual design for a public memorial consisting of a physical canopy which is a digital link (QR Code) to a live webcam feed of the plaza, creating a safe space through crowd-sourced accountability, and raising public awareness of the memorial. See more on this project.
