The future is here — though this may loosely justify several

changes and progressions in the world, it can be specifically

used to describe the new brand of architecture that the
latest high-end technology is able to generate. Hong Kongbased
Cybertect – James Law has given futuristic
architectural concepts a whole new dimension with his
stamp and style. Cybertecture is the term coined to reflect
Law’s architectural beliefs… and the term gives the genre
a sensibility that usually escapes the attention of the general
population.

Born in Hong Kong and raised in the UK since the age of nine, James Law realized his talents in
architecture when he was just seven years old. A self-confessed gadget freak, Law’s childhood
pastimes included making robots and building computers. His early fascination with buildings,
structures and technology paved his way to a degree in architecture from University College,
London in 1992, under the visionary architect Peter Cook. After an apprenticeship with Japanese
architect Itsuko Hasegawa in Tokyo from 1994 to 1997, James moved back to Hong Kong as the
Director of Gensler International, one of the largest design firms in the world.
In the 21st Century, buildings will be different from those in the 20th century. They would no
longer be about concrete, steel and glass, but also about the intangible elements of technology
– multimedia, intelligence and interactivity. Recognizing this has brought about a new form of
architecture – Cybertecture,” claims Law. “Cybertecture is about tackling both the physical and
meta-physical issues of the physical world and the technological world. It is about blending them
to create a synergy; that empowers the physical with the limitless prowess of information
technology and software applications, and also enables the meta-physical to become more physical
so that it may be experienced in a bodily way by people.”

A defining moment in Law’s architectural career happened when he was invited to design both
architecture and technology of the Dickson Cyber Express Mall – the world’s first ‘Bricks &
Clicks’ retail complex in Hong Kong. This also led to the coining of the term ‘cybertecture’ – to
symbolize a new kind of design which merges technology and architecture. Then on January 1st,
2001, Law set up James Law Cybertecture International, marking the beginning of a new era in his
architectural journey.

Architecture is about space, and space is the container of activities. The space can contain and
is defined by residential elements, industrial elements, entertainment elements and religious
elements… yet the space remains physical. Materials, Forms, Planning Theories, and Space
Organization - come together to create the physical space. Materials have gone beyond the basic
enclosures of glass, concrete and steel to new, intelligent materials that can adapt to the changing
environments. Forms have evolved from the edict of ‘form follows function’ to that of ‘form
follows expression’. Planning Theories have been re-structured by breaking out of previous
typologies. Space Organization issues have brought flexible floor plans, and the permanence of
space is constantly questioned. While all of these developments added vibrancy to architecture,
they could still not take the fundamental space beyond the realm of the physical.

no longer restricted to the physicality of the space; we are now

taking our very first steps into our parallel and virtual space created within the technological
constructs of our time.
Law believes that there is the need to merge the existing History and Traditions of Architecture
with the larger social impact of the Information Technology Age into a symbiotic balance called
Cybertecture.

Cybertecture learns from this. In Cybertecture, the duality resides in a balance

of factors that will empower each and every one of the projects to perform at a level above
conventional projects. For instance, the use of ‘invisible technologies’ such as human presence
detectors and space monitoring technologies do not show themselves physically in any space
designed, but can and will empower the space to have a level of intelligence that is way beyond
the scope of conventional architecture. Whether it is in the delivery of specific information, or
transaction of retail commodities, to the delivery of service; Cybertecture brings into the mix a new
dimension of either new technology ideas or new spatial strategies to energize the project,”
explains Law.

This is the synopsis of James Law’s new-age architecture – Cybertecture. “Reaching a better potential
is going to be the essential goal of human design in the 21 st century. With new and surmounting
challenges in the fields of energy, pollution, natural disaster, health, poverty and economic uncertainties,
we need to build our future, brick by brick; and not expect it to continue… Therefore just like the
process of natural selection in nature, the new architecture called ‘cybertecture’ may render the old
obsolete just by sheer functionality and potential. It will be the role and responsibility of the new
generation of ‘cybertects’ to design this new world,” concludes Law.
What is Cybertecture? ‘A vision of the world in which the now and future are designed in a symbiotic
balance between space and technology’ states one definition.
the endless possibilities in cybertecture — the term he coined indicating a merger of architecture, technology and interior — to ensure a better
living in future by successfully overcoming the challenges like resource crunch and climate change, that are staring at planet earth.

The cybertecture projects have embedded technology elements like rooms that change colour according to the needs,
mirrors that monitor the health of residents,
windows that reflect various realtime images and interesting patterns,
machines that suggest suitable and matching garments in shops and
even intelligent toilets that track the number of users and change lighting accordingly.

Having realised the efficiency of shapes and designs given by nature and importance of sustainability, James Law has now modified his
cybertecture as planetary cybertecture. “All
my projects will henceforth draw inspiration from the beautiful, spiritual and balanced object - earth. It offers immense possibilities and we only
need to see it in a different way,”

Conventional architecture combined with technology and new innovations allow cybertecture to higher performance than conventional
architecture. This is especially applied for the better use of energy, recycling of resources, greater intelligence of the building, etc.

The response is an egg-shaped building that will accommodate 13 floors of offices and is stated as bringing together iconic architecture,
environmental design, intelligent systems, and new engineering to create an awe-inspiring landmark in the city.

Buildings of the future will be typified by technology, multimedia, intelligence and interactivity. Only by recognising this will we bring
a new form of architecture to light, namely cybertecture.

egg-shaped building that will accommodate 13 floors of offices and is stated as bringing together iconic architecture, environmental design,
intelligent systems, and new engineering to create an awe-inspiring landmark in the city.

The concept was inspired, according to the designers, by considering the world as an ecosystem allowing life to evolve. Elements of the design
and intelligence systems will work together to give the building’s inhabitants the ‘best space to work in’. And this includes monitoring their
health. Within the building, there will be a series of innovative systems such as ‘cybertecture health’ in the washroom which is designed to keep
track of the inhabitant’s health including blood pressure and weight. The data collected may be retrieved and sent to a doctor if deemed
necessary.

Technology and the working environment are united in the use of ‘cybertecture reality’ which allows you to customize your favorite view and
have real time scenery all around the world instead of the view the user currently has.

The egg itself is orientated and skewed at an angle to create both a strong visual language and to alleviate the solar gain of the building, also
there is a sky garden on the top of building which performs thermolysis (the dissipation of heat from the surface). PV panels will be installed on
top of the building and a wind turbine on the sky gardens will generate electricity. A water filtration system will also be incorporated into the
building to recycle grey water for flushing and irrigation purpose.
By using this “Egg” shape, compared to a conventional building, the structure has approximately 10-20% less surface area. Within the building,
an innovative structure derived from the skin of the egg creates up to 30m spans of columnless floors. The architecture is sleek and computer
designed, with engineering that creates a building of high quality and geometric sophistication. It is hoped this building will act like a “jewel” for
the new Central Business District of Mumbai, and will be a worthy neighbour to other esteemed buildings in the district.

the technosphere is an even more ambitious project: an office, shopping mall and apartments rolled into one planet shaped building. A 100-
metre atrium regulates the temperature inside while the ‘cave’ helps people stay cool in the desert atmosphere of Dubai. The water used inside
would be recycled to water the plants while the tropical rainforest shields the building from the desert heat. In other words, ‘a building that
synthesises planet earth’.

James said that futuristic buildings that were not possible even 10 years ago could be executed today because of technological advancement.
“We now use aerospace technology to provide building solutions, for instance glass panels,” he said.

The Pad Tower is conceived as the world’s most interesting and young living building.
It is the world’s first Cybertecture Apartment Building; located in Dubai’s Business
Bay and scheduled for completion in 2009. The building embodies James Law’s vision
of ‘living the future’.
The Pad Tower is a 26 floor building containing over 231 intelligent apartments, with
more than half overlooking the Business Bay area, and the others with a view of the
Burj Dubai Tower. Within the pad, there will be a compilation of different sized
apartments ranging from studio apartments, one bedroom units, two bedroom units,
to studio lofts, one bedroom lofts and two bedroom lofts.
Each apartment is intelligent and has its own Cybertecture to provide a unique ‘living
the future’ experience. Everything from health checkups, to mechanical walls that can
be opened up to join two living spaces…from voice commands to video linkage with
family members – cybertecture surely offers a new way of living. The most amazing
feature is that of iRotation; whereby the living-dining space can rotate and give a continuous,
all-round view of the area around.
The Pad Tower has an efficiency of over 87% representing one of the highest in Dubai, and
has been sold at a rate higher than any equivalent conventional apartment representing one
of the highest returns on investment of any newly designed building in Dubai.

advantages of cybertecture over conventional architecture?

Conventional architecture is restricted to conventional spaces of concrete, steel and glass. Cybertecture goes beyond by ultilising the 21st
century materials of data, intelligence and information technology.

Cybertecture ultilises the latest innovations in technology and concepts to create new buildings that can perform at a higher and broader level
than conventional architecture

buildings are intelligent enough to "know and talk" to occupants, take care of their health, deal with energy use in the building by having
sensors that know how best to modulate systems,

EEquipped with Cybertecture to allow customization, the Pixel Tower is definitely the forerunner of
building towards future living that embodies great design, efficiency, style and technology.