Digital Habits is an extension of the international design studio Habits.
Founded in Milan in 2012, it specializes in connected objects. For example, a few years ago during the 2017 edition of the Superdesign Show by Superstudio, Digital Habits examined in depth the relationship between the user, the context and controls of electronic products. Since then, they haven’t looked back and their new prototypes go beyond the natural interfaces designed by others in the past. In fact, present multisensory systems now connect gestures, space, attention and feedbacks.
The presented products are control devices designed around humans, their anthropometry, their spaces and their best perceiving or moving abilities; they are not based on technical elements such as the size of the display, the currently available sensors or computational capability. Where need be they engineer and manufacture what does not already exist.
This is cutting edge stuff.
These devices express a new design Humanism where the user has a central role prevailing to the underlying technology sophistication. This is a different approach from the usual ‘technological one’ where the tendency to standardize components brings also the standardization of user experiences.
Instead, Digital Habits has presented three new projects that have colour as a common thread linking the user experience, the object and the environment:
OSOUND XL: a new Air Gesture Control Bluetooth Loudspeaker, covered by colourful fabrics; Its wide size qualifies OSOUND XL as piece of smart furniture rather than just a well-designed electronic device.
COLOR SWING: an ambient light detection system of the color information of an object surface which is returned as a light feedback to the environment XVOID: a new generation of air gesture interfaces, to control light/colour intensity; for the exhibited project, the presented case is the control of white and coloured light. Digital Habits has already won several international awards (RedDot Design, Core 77, Expo Award) and received a vast press coverage (selected by CNN as best 10 Technology objects for your home, presented on TED Talks ideas worth spreading, The Telegraph, Mashable, Gizmag, etc.). Digital habits products are available in most exclusive retailers. For the Silo, Jarrod Barker.
The Project: The 980,000 sq. ft. acute care community hospital replaces two aging facilities in the Niagara region and accommodates 375 acute care beds, with associated outpatient and support services.
New Health Care Complex – St. Catharines Site “2oth Century NOT included”
It provides a comprehensive range of clinical services including:
• a cancer centre serving 1,200 patients close to home, relieving them from the stress of travelling to Hamilton or Toronto for treatments
• a longer-term mental health service that includes 53 beds
• dialysis services
• cardiac catheterization services, which provides diagnostic investigation, reduces hospitalizations for heart disease and provides faster local care for residents of the Niagara region
The goal of this project was to provide Niagara Health System with a modern, state-of-the-art, one million square foot building capable of providing one million square feet of care.
In addition to design and construction management, PCL’s [ PCL comprises a family of general contracting companies and is the largest such organization in Canada and the fifth largest in the U.S. CP ]scope of work also included the procurement and installation of more than 25,000 pieces of medical equipment, as well as medical gas, head walls, nurse call system, information technology, audio visual, and security technology.
Some of the many interesting features that set this building apart include construction of the first radiation suites in the Niagara region, an enclosed ambulance bay to provide protection to incoming patients, an interior design that strategically locates departments to minimize clinical travel time by staff, and an exterior design that implements materials indigenous to the Niagara region.
Interior and exterior architectural designs affect patient and staff psychology so why not design accordingly? This ceiling detail of the Walker Cancer Care Treatment Room ceiling reveals the care and consideration that went into the hospitals designs. CP
Architectural
• Main Street feature wall using a combination of indigenous and complementary stones that tell a story of the geological formation of the Niagara Escarpment.
• Use of structural elements in the form of a tree at the main entry and cafeteria to create the canopy.
• First operating rooms in Canada to use Corian wall finishes.
• Integrated interior finishes and way finding system,using landmarks to help visitors and patients locate themselves in the facility.
• Enhanced use of natural light to infiltrate deeper into the building, with particular attention to patient spaces.
• An acoustical design at the building envelope to mitigate and isolate noise generated by a nearby train corridor.
Structural
• Blending structural elements with architectural finish and spectacle.
• Strategy of a structural grid system to maximize open spaces and floor to ceiling height.
• Foundation system and MRI inertia slab to address vibrations created by train traffic and a nearby machine stamping plant.
• Post Disaster design to address potential seismic event, to allow the facility to operate during and after as a relief centre.
• Use of cast-in-place elements to allow equipment flexibility.
Mechanical/Electrical
• Pandemic containment capability to deal with infectious outbreaks and disasters, allowing the facility to isolate building sections and departments.
• Building automation system, fully integrated with building elements and equipment to monitor and ensure optimal building performance.
• Back-up and dual power systems to ensure fundamental building and medical systems remain available and functioning at all times, including integration with the building automation system, to allow targeted load distribution to non fundamental systems to become available as required.
The Operating Theater. It’s understandable if you think that this is a set from Star Trek-
Sustainability
• The project is targeted for LEED® certification. As part of the construction and design strategy, the project team developed several innovations and elements for a significant improvement of the target to LEED® Silver certification – from 26 to 35 points.
• Incorporated an energy efficient lighting strategy using natural lighting as much as possible, as well as the broad use of occupancy sensors and low energy lighting systems.
• Integrated and efficient cooling and heating systems, and an optimized building envelope system that helps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
• The overall energy strategy resulted in the Energy Model that realizes an energy savings of 46% relative to the Model Energy Code for Buildings, which is expected to produce savings to the client in excess of $1 million annually.
• Use of native and hardy plant species and an integrated storm water management program, including irrigation and water features to eliminate city water use for landscape elements.
A look at the state-of-the-art radiation treatment facility.
