Next to my desk is a pinboard, where I clip images that inspire me the most at a particular time. Currently on it is a printed photo of Shigeru Ban’s Curtain Wall House built in Tokyo in 1995. A residential property with an open structure that has white tent-like curtains on the outside of the façade spanning through 2 floors of the buildings. Some houses provide a sense of coziness, and emotional safety, some are incredibly functional and well-planned. And some houses inspire and this is one of them.  When working I often tend to catch myself looking at this house, which gives me a sense of freedom and possibility. More than anything it represents to me that constraints are relative.

Many industries, including design and architecture, follow not only technical to-do lists but also rituals of work that have not been changed for decades. Like at universities where architects and designers space wise are far from sociologists and philosophers, and today’s design and architectural practice has little knowledge of societies’ and individuals’ changing needs. But we do not have to remove walls and replace them with curtains to create a sense of freedom and possibility. A few weeks ago, I went to see a panel discussion of an architect colleague called “Engaging AI Collective Intelligence in the Design Process”. Everything AI seems to be very Zeitgeist now. What inspired me the most, however, was that the event was completely open to the public. So, besides design and architecture professionals, the room was filled with people from all walks of life. Soon the discussion went into the realm of democratic and collective design through AI. The possibility that one day architects, urban planners, social scientists, experience designers, and regular citizens can work together in shaping their environment, in my opinion, is truly remarkable. The tools that will be used for it are secondary. How exciting would it be to open our industries to passionate amateurs, with different perspectives? How can we give a voice and invite citizens to shape their communities? Kenya Hara, once said that when we talk about art we say “I”, when we talk about design, we say “we”. So, let’s open our minds to possibilities.