Browsing by Author "Laurin, Brady"

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ABSIM Exhibition Design: Agent-Based Simulation in the Curating Process
(North Dakota State University, 2018) Laurin, Brady
The design of museum and gallery spaces are typically done by different designers with a mutual understanding of the scope of work for each. In the best possible scenario, these processes will take place congruently, with cooperation from both designers to realize the complete museum. In many cases, these processes take place in isolation from one another, with little to no collaboration between the building designer and the curator. Agent-Based Simulation, or ABSim, is a process often used to analyze the flow of pedestrians in a designed space. Most commonly used to optimize evacuation patterns and transit terminal layout, the same process of simulated occupancy can be used in the process of designing and curating a museum. By utilizing ABSim in the design phase, architects and curators can work together to identify and minimize problem areas, enhance high-traffic regions, and avoid dead-zones. This project relies on simulation analysis in the design process to better understand and control how hypothetical occupants will use and understand the building and its galleries in order to create a comprehensive museum design.
Visitor Driven Exhibitions: Curating Museums Based on Visitor Behavior Patterns
(North Dakota State University, 2017) Laurin, Brady
The use of visitor behavior tracking and analysis can be of great use to museum professionals and designers alike. Using established technology commonly used in other applications and adapting process to fit the context, low cost options exist to aid in the design of new museum and exhibit spaces. As shown through this study, the implementation of inexpensive cameras and intensive study of visitor pathways, a number of common behavior patterns can be extrapolated. These patterns have been proven to successfully match simulated outcomes, signaling the potential for this process to be more widely applied in the field of museum design. Architects, planners, and museum staff alike could benefit from the implementation of the process utilized in this study to better understand their patrons and predict how future exhibitions will be experienced. Using standards established through greater study of this methodology, baseline engagement rates could provide a starting point for analysis, or individual study of existing museums can more specifically predict visitor behavior. Utilizing this process, museum designers may now have better control and a quantitative understanding of how visitors engage with exhibition spaces.