People have always inhabited spaces. Humans have always adapted their functions to these spaces which they occupy. If a building is constructed to fulfil an outlined function, why then should its occupants need to adapt to it? This is neccessary because constant renovations are impracticle and expensive, and structural changes are often near-impossible.
So we change. We adapt. Adaptive architecture, as a theory, suggests that the architecture can adapt to our functions instead – moving it’s walls and floors, creating and closing opening.
The truth of this though, is that buildings that are constantly in a state of motion are uninhabitable. Fixed prices per square metre, neighbours, nice furniture, these basic neccessities all inhibit the obvious application of adaptive architecture.
Self-assembly is the best type of adaptive structures, offering the most fluid and infinite variations of potentialities. Self-assembly also leads to the true application of adaptive architecture: high risk areas and environments.
These high risk areas range from subterrainean to extra-terrestrial construction. It also includes the more current needs of post-natural disaster relief. The application of a system which can spontaneously build a structure allows connectivity in flood zones, support of unstable structures post-earthquakes, as well as unmanned access to high radiation zones to create containment structures. These few applications listed here are some of the many needs for an unmanned construction system.
