Tomonami for KKAA
We have long explored the application of onomatopoeia to architectural design by using it as a means to categorize the dialogue between materials and the human body. Building on this approach, Tomonami for KKAA was developed to parameterize onomatopoeic expressions through computational algorithms and to actively visualize their varying intensities through real-time interaction on a handheld device.
By transforming onomatopoeia from a largely subjective mode of expression into an objective and manipulable design framework, the project makes it easier to apply semantic qualities directly to the design process. In doing so, it opens up and renders transparent aspects of architectural design that have traditionally remained implicit.
The project is being jointly developed by Alexis André, a researcher at Sony Computer Science Laboratories (Sony CSL), and KKAA. It was first implemented and presented as an interactive media artwork at the exhibition KENGO KUMA: MAKERU Architecture — The Ecology of Rhythm and Particle — held in Singapore, where visitors were invited to experience the system firsthand.
