ABSTRACT
In order for adaptive architecture to operate, it will need new technologies integrated into its framework. And with the advent of nanotechnology, it becomes possible to embed tiny technology in the very fibers of a building–at the molecular scale. It is important to note that such nanosensors will be embedded within more than architecture. Nanomaterials are another innovation that will help adaptive architecture to be realized. Smart materials will enable buildings to behave differently, thus making them changeable in entirely new ways as well. In the architect–client–occupant relationship, the client and occupants have a certain type of control and the architect has another type of control. Ideally, they all meet–to yield an optimized architecture. That is, together they create a building that is safe, healthy, aesthetic, functional, personalized, and humane. Another dimension to nanotechnology is that it gives adaptive architecture greater elasticity.
