Concept: Flatline

An electrocardiogram (ECG) is a graphic produced by an electrocardiograph, which records the electrical activity of the heart over time.



In this project, an mock ECG with an lcd monitor receives updated energy consumption values from the Gallatin building every 15 minutes. The information is transmitted from the buildings smart meter, stored on a server and then converted to a software program with the appearance of a typical ECG machine. A lead is connected to the "heart" of the building. Additionally, there is a nearby portable defibrillator standing by in case of heart failure (flatline). If two much energy is being consumed, according to predetermined values based on prior statistics, the user will be prompted to use the paddles (to offset energy consumption).

This interactive installation personifies the building by using a concise interface that immediately connotes the idea of life to the user.

Final Project: Infrastructure

Products such as Wattson and the Power Aware Cord provide feedback and increase awareness. Other household objects can be modified without compromising or disrupting daily routines. In the study "Relating Attitudes To Residential Energy Use," the behavioral psychologist Peter Crabb asserts that people don't use energy, they use products, which use energy. The way that these products are designed determines how we will use them, which in turn determines the rate of energy consumption. Additionally, dynamic feedback systems such as hybrid car monitors show the user how their behavior immediately effects energy consumption. Previously mentioned campus efforts and continued commitments to sustainability, further promote energy conservation awareness. Public art that utilizes dynamic data visualization to represent information visually, explore issues, and can influence the behavior of a community.

Other Campus Initiatives

The Berkeley Building Dashboard provides users with historical and real-time performance metrics for UC Berkeley campus buildings. The system consists of two main types of information: (1) monthly representations of energy, water, and other metrics, and (2) real-time displays of data from buildings for which network accessible data is available.



Residential energy challenges have been executed at several universities as well. At NYU a competition throughout the month of April '08 will attempt to get students to reduce their electricity consumption in the NYU residence halls. The visualization will be largely online, where students will be able to track their dorm's real-time energy consumption against past years and each other. Similar competitions were held at The University Of Colorado and Oberlin College. Both of which dramatically decreased daily loads for the buildings overall.

Influencing Behavior

Continuous feedback has been proven to exhibit the ability to increase conservation behavior. Public recognition of good conservation behavior can also help promote awareness. However, decreasing energy consumption does not always alter attitudes toward conservation.

In 1984 Psychologist Richard Katsev and his team monitored electricity usage of various experimental groups and then conducted a three month observation stage. In this experiment, groups were given a combination of motivators including commitment, questionnaire and incentive. The study revealed that commitment to conserve is more successful than monetary incentives.

Dynamic Feedback

Dynamic feedback is a process whereby some proportion of the output signal of a system is passed to the input allowing the user to visualize his/her affect on the system in real time.

An excellent example of a successful feedback system is the Toyota Prius display, which monitors energy and fuel consumption and allows the driver to witness their immediate effects on the cars' mileage.



Another example of a useful feedback device is the Wattson, which shows the individual in both numbers and colors, how much electricity your home is using at any given moment. It receives information from a transmitter attached to your electricity meter or fuse box and is beamed directly to your Wattson, which instantly displays your current usage.

Beautiful Evidence & Edward Tufte

Bad graphics, according to Tufte, lie by distortion, obfuscate by omission and confuse by decoration. We have grown accustomed to awful information.

Empirical observations can turn into explanations and evidence. But how do you represent the multitude of the worlds information in 2D? Dynamic data visualization is a uniquely new cultural form enabled by computing. Much of the worlds invisible information is exposed for the first time. If executed well, visualized data can be a powerful tool for teaching and influencing behavior.

Assessment Of NYU Energy/Sustainability Efforts

Click HERE to view the NYU environment assessment page and the campus sustainability assessment project.

As a committed member of the environment, NYU has made the largest purchase of wind energy by any US university, and pledged to continue to make clean, renewable sources a part of its energy mix. It has also launched a $120 million renovation of the cogeneration power plant on our campus, which will quadruple the number of buildings served by this clean, high-efficiency energy source. New York University pledged to reduce the carbon footprint of NYU by 30% over ten years, as a partner in Mayor Bloomberg's PlaNYC 2030 Challenge. It also formed a campus-wide Sustainability Task Force composed of faculty, students, and administrators, charged with creating and care taking a university Green Action Plan. NYU Committed $250,000 annually for at least four years to a Sustainability Fund through which the NYU community can submit campus greening, research, and demonstration projects. The fund is currently supporting 15 initial projects. Additionally, NYU initiated a new, multidisciplinary undergraduate Environmental Studies Program directed by Professor Dale Jamieson and created three new full-time positions: Assistant Vice President of Energy, Engineering and Technical Services; Director of Energy and Sustainability; and an Administrator for the Sustainability Task Force.

U.S. Green Building Council

In March 2007, The U.S. Green Building Council summarized that The built environment plays a substantial role in the environmental health, human welfare, and economic stability of the United States. Building operation consumes 40% of U.S. energy and 71% of the electricity, 12% of the water, and rapidly increasing quantities of land. Building demolition, construction, and renovation generate 35% of non-industrial waste. Building operation accounts for 38% of the country’s carbon dioxide emissions.

Final Project: Proposal

For my final project, I would like to propose a permanent installation for the Gallatin lobby that visualizes some or all of the buildings most interesting statistical data and demonstrates how design can be functional, attractive, and still environmentally responsible.

By making the information--that is already available-- public, we can increase awareness and disseminate useful information in an attractive way. This project would attempt, not only to visualize the information, but also show the users affect on the display in real time. The ultimate goal is to influence people's behavior through the use of functional public art.

Initial questions:
How is the energy metered?
How quickly does the value change?
Can one individual have a visible affect on the value?

How will the information be displayed?
How much energy will the display itself consume?
How can than be offset?

Who is the audience?
How can it influence behavior?

Final Project: Gallatin Renovation

Today, as the Gallatin school celebrates its 35th anniversary of providing a uniquely progressive, interdisciplinary education, another landmark is about to occur: its space will soon reflect the growth, innovation, and flexibility that have defined the program and given it nationwide recognition. To be completed in the Spring of 2008, Gallatin’s home has undergone a $27 million renovation and redesign project that will finally create a physical identity that serves and is consistent with the School’s academic mission to offer a student-centered, individualized education. By the completion of this major project, which has been entirely funded by the support of alumni, parents, and friends, Gallatin will have virtually doubled its size.
(Click HERE for more information regarding the renovation.)

Because the Gallatin School has a commitment, as a responsible member of the global community, to environmental sustainability, The Gallatin building will be the first renovation project at NYU to seek LEED certification. LEED is the U.S. Green Buildings Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Green Building Rating System™. This is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high performance green buildings.

Several green elements will be included in the new designs: The school’s HVAC (Heating Ventilation and Cooling) system will be highly efficient. The entire site will contain energy-efficient appliances and lighting. Offices, classrooms, and lounges will be equipped with Greenline furniture that is made from renewable or recycled materials. There is a strong likelihood that Gallatin can reduce its water use by 20 percent. During the demolition and construction project, all debris will be sorted and taken to recycling centers—something that has not yet been done in any other renovation project at NYU.

Below are the floor plans for the new Gallatin building.

Final Project: Eco-Visualization

Although the issue of energy conservation is not a new concept, Global Warming has only become a household term in the recent decade. The energy crisis is certainly one of the mot pressing problems of the current generation and the effort to internationally reduce energy consumption is not penetrating society as poignantly as it should. Particularly in America individuals are struggling to grasp—and often refusing to believe—how dire the situation has become. Our economy (especially since the industrial revolution) has relied on the planets limited resources such as oil, electricity and water in order to promote the success of capitalism. Cities have become inextricably tied to industrial and agricultural products and as a result account for the majority of energy use. Our civilization has become dependent on natures depleting resources without any consideration for the necessary balance that must exist between systems such as nature and economy.

Global initiatives are being stifled by America’s refusal to meet goals such as the Kyoto protocol to lower greenhouse gas emissions. Furthermore, the media has turned the threat of global warming into socio-political abstract that is inaccessible to the average individual. Repeated terms such as “global warming,” “energy crisis,” and “carbon foot-print” are losing validity in our culture. There is a need for a more personal relation of the attitude that must be adopted in order to reach a sustainable life style.

Dynamic data visualization is a uniquely new cultural form enabled by computing. It allows for a multitude of the worlds information to be exposed, consolidated, and represented—something unprecedented until recently. Visualized feedback is the beginning of responsive architecture and an extremely powerful tool for communicating information and influencing user behavior if used properly. Since the field is relatively young, the difficulty lies in determining the most effective way to visualize data such as energy consumption so that it is attractively presented, easily comprehended, and remarkably revealing.