Borealis sound an interactive wall for situational awareness: The impact of responsive architecture on users

Abstract

This paper refers to the presence of visual communication elements in public spaces using interactive multimedia surfaces. The state of the art, the development of a proposal, and its evaluation are presented. The interactive surface applies to school of music “Escola de Música do Conservatório Nacional,” to which a design project was done in an academic context. The proposal aims to explore the incorporation of digital multimedia surfaces enhancing new dynamics while users walk in the interior of the building. Visual content will be displayed, and the interaction between users and the multimedia surfaces is done by the sounds produce by people and instruments. To assess the intuitive nature and relevance of the proposal, satisfaction and usability tests were conducted with the potential users. It was concluded that users appreciated the proposal and was able to perceive the effect people’s presence have in the interaction with the multimedia surface.