Trig'r : collective perception of architecture

Abstract

In recent years, the advanced development of the web and the increasing success of digital camera technology have led to an exponential growth in databases for web-based image sharing. The focus of this thesis is to research and propose a novel approach to enhance image browsing and exploration through collective collaboration. The research will result in a test-bed, called Trig'r, for issues related to the filtering and understanding of images with architecture-specific ontology on a photo-sharing website. The core idea is to incorporate the principles of photography, data-mining and statistical analysis into a single tool that will leverage explicitly disclosed, user-related information in order to enable the user to understand the dynamics of architectural experience. By gathering the constantly changing user-directed images on the web and effectively structuring them for the use of architects, it offers a collaborative inquiry into the fundamentals of architectural design and experience through visual representation and textual description. The goal of this thesis is ultimately to provide a theoretical framework for a model that exploits the potentials of user-generated online visual metadata.