iArch: Envisioning an Interactive Interface for Contemporary Indigenous Architecture

The goal of the iArch project is to make information regarding contemporary Indigenous architecture in North America accessible to the public. In order to do this, projects need to be identified and information needs to be organized and compiled into a database. One product of this collection would be the creation an interface used in an Indigenous architecture exhibit. My role in this process was the conceptualization and communication of this interactive interface that would allow users to access, visualize and interpret this information. This particular interface will allow museum visitors learn about Indigenous architecture and also be the beginning of a designed archive of projects that can be accessed by architectural scholars, faculty and students, and potential clients such as Tribal Nation governments. Through personal experience and precedent research on interactive exhibits, I have been able to design a system that allows easy access and connectivity to the details of each project. My initial presentation communicated the concept and usability of the program. Since then, I have worked on adding more content and representing this project through video, which can then be used by computer specialists as a foundation for their creation of the actual hardware and software programs.