Ahlquist Presents on Sensory Design at American Institute of Architects, SF Next Conference

The American Institute of Architects, San Francisco (AIASF) is gathering architects from the Bay Area this weekend for a two day conference, AIASF Next. Assistant Professor of Architecture Sean Ahlquist will be presenting this Friday, November 13, 2015.

Ahlquist will be running a session on Transdisciplinary Design for Technology-Embedded Tactile Environments. In this session, Ahlquist addresses challenges that children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) face related to communication, social interaction and behavioral regulation in learning environments. His presentation provides an understanding of the relevant issues related to designing learning environments for children with such difficulties in sensory processing. Ahlquist presents a unique perspective that caters to specific neurological and physiological strengths of children with ASD, in contrast to the common approach of focusing on dysfunction.

The session focuses on the development of two prototypes, StretchCOLOR and StretchPLAY, which are designed as tent-like systems tailored for their structure tensile capacities and responsiveness to touch. The prototypes are created through advanced CNC hitting and activated as a pressure-sensitive interface through the use of 3d-scanning technology.

For more information on the AIASF conference, visit: http://www.aiasfnext.org/#!schedule-of-events/c24vq