‘Pheromone agent strategies’ is apart of a one-year graduation project by Matthijs la Roi. In this research he is attempting to redefine the central station in Almere located in the Netherlands. When I first viewed the video of his work about the shape and design for this project I immediately related it to synapses in the brain. I could imagine information being sent from one point to another and this forming a path that would later become integrated into a structure, essentially a network.
As with most central station design, this project aimed to enhance connectivity and provide a multifunctional area for the public, and just like a pheromone, trigger a social response. To make the most out of the space, Matthijs la Roi used various mathematical principles such as Dijkstra algorithm’s, analyzed swarm behavior, and ant-trails, in order to determine the pathways for the structure. The programming itself ran a series of experiments that eventually produced this abstract proposal revealing a solution that highlighted both efficient and pleasant routes through the site.
Since this project is still in development, I don’t feel confident going into much more detail about the design. I will however finish with this final statement by Matthijs la Roi, which I believe is one of the more important aspects that should be taken away from this research.
“Organizing infrastructure is the main interest in this project, not only to make a more efficient network but also to revitalize the area by influencing the behavior patterns of the users of the area.”
© Matthijs la Roi