MIRR (Mobile Interactive Responsive Reflector) is designed to activate the spaces in which it is installed by engaging with people walking by. Unsuspecting people passing by the installation trigger it with their presence, at which point it begins to track their movement by turning its mirrored panels. People can also engage with the piece more directly using a wirelessly connected button box.

MIRR is an opportunity to study how people engage with environments that can respond to them and change based on that interaction. It is the next development in our studio’s research into responsive and adaptive systems. We have been exploring a range of network and interaction types in the form of large prototypes as a way to understand the potential for intelligent responsive systems within buildings.

Building a prototype at this scale challenges me as a designer to work through a number of potential constraints as well as engage with some of the latest technology while also being able to study human behavior in relation to such systems. As the technologies and tools to build smarter environments become better and more readily available we can engage with them through installations in order to explore how these systems might communicate, respond to external and internal inputs, and allow for buildings to adapt to a range of short and long-term conditions as well as engage with their inhabitants.