Contact
Biography
Dr Nils Jaeger is Assistant Professor in Digital Technologies and Architecture and leads the Human-Building Futures Lab.
Nils has an interdisciplinary background in both Architecture (BA from Technische Universität Berlin 2003; M.Arch. from Ball State University, Muncie, IN, USA 2006) and Computer Science (PhD from University of Nottingham 2015). Nils' Ph.D. thesis is titled "Enacted Embodiment In Adaptive Architecture: Physiological Interactions between Inhabitants and Biofeedback Architecture," which he completed in the Mixed Reality Laboratory (School of Computer Science, University of Nottingham).
Nils' research is on human-building interaction, (digitally) adaptive architecture, personal data, mental health and wellbeing, and theories of embodiment. He has published book chapters, refereed journal articles, conference papers, and magazine articles in these areas. He has also presented his research at international conferences and as invited guest speaker.
Nils currently supervises three doctoral students on the topics of adaptive architecture and universal design, interactive environments for children, and self-build projects enabled by digital fabrication.
He is teaching a vertical undergraduate design studio (Yrs 2-4 - BArch, BEng, MEng) and a post-graduate taught (PGT) module titled "Design Fabrication". Nils has also convened architectural drawing and representation classes, as well as advanced design skills.
Nils was External Examiner for the Foundation Course in Architecture, International Year One, and the Graduate Diploma at INTO Newcastle, Architecture Programme (2019-2022).
Profile on ResearchGate.
Personal website.
academic experience:
- 2019 - present: Assistant Professor in Digital Technologies and Architecture (University of Nottingham, UK)
- 2017 - 2019: Lecturer in Digital Architecture (Loughborough University, UK)
- 2015 - 2017: Research Fellow (Mixed Reality Lab, University of Nottingham, UK)
- 2014 - 2015: Research Intern (Mixed Reality Lab, University of Nottingham, UK)
- 2011 - 2015: PhD candidate (Mixed Reality Lab, University of Nottingham, UK)
professional experience:
- 2010 - 2011: architectural consultant (Marburg, Germany)
- 2007 - 2010: Architectural Technician at Staffelbach Design Associates (Dallas, TX, USA)
Research Summary
Nils' research interest is the relationship between the human body and (adaptive) architecture as well as using digital technologies to improve the experience of architecture. He is currently working… read more
Selected Publications
SCHNÄDELBACH, HOLGER, JÄGER, NILS and URQUHART, LACHLAN, 2019. Adaptive Architecture and Personal Data: ACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction ACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction. 26, 1-31 JÄGER, NILS, SCHNÄDELBACH, HOLGER, HALE, JONATHAN, KIRK, DAVID and GLOVER, KEVIN, 2019. WABI: Facilitating Synchrony Between Inhabitants of Adaptive Architecture. In: SCHNÄDELBACH, HOLGER and KIRK, DAVID, eds., People, Personal Data and the Built Environment, Springer Series in Adaptive Environments Springer. 41-75 URQUHART, LACHLAN, SCHNÄDELBACH, HOLGER and JÄGER, NILS, 2019. Adaptive Architecture: regulating human building interaction: International Review of Law, Computers & Technology International Review of Law, Computers & Technology. 00, 1-31
Welcome to the Human-Building Futures Lab!
At our lab, we are dedicated to exploring the evolving relationship between people and their built environments, leveraging cutting-edge digital technologies, including Artificial Intelligence, to shape a more responsive and desirable future for all. Our work sits at the intersection of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and Architecture.
Envisioning the Future
Our lab is fundamentally forward-looking, driving innovation and exploring the transformative potential of emerging technologies in architecture:
Emerging Technologies. We investigate technological advances in work and living environments (e.g., building automation + Internet of Things). We also explore the use of emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, to design buildings and analyse how people interact with them. Our doctoral students' work on AI-driven design tools for modular construction and AI-driven design tools for self-build residential projects, directly address future building processes and easier reconfigurability.
Future Envisioning and Innovation. We use "future envisioning" as a technique to explore the possible outcomes of the emerging integration of people's behaviour, personal data, and adaptive architecture. This helps us to raise critical questions and generate principles for future developments.
Adaptive and Intelligent Environments. We explore buildings that are dynamic and responsive, capable of interacting with and responding to occupants in novel ways. This includes how adaptive environments can "reciprocate behaviour by initiating behaviour on their own". We work towards making environments intelligent, drawing on projects like ADA, an intelligent space designed to provide playful and engaging experiences. The ability of environments to "learn" from recorded behavioural data for better profiling and decision-making is also a key area of interest. Our doctoral student's work on AI for creating immersive theatre experiences aligns with creating dynamic, responsive environments for future cultural engagement.
Ethical and Societal Implications. We actively promote Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) in our work, as, for example, demonstrated by the "TAS for Health at Home" project. We explicitly address regulatory challenges, particularly around privacy and security, to ensure the emergence of "socially sustainable, privacy aware, ethically sound adaptive buildings". Our work also considers the societal risks associated with digital technologies embedded in the built environment.
Focusing on the "Human-Building" relationship
We believe that buildings are no longer static structures but are becoming dynamic, intelligent, and interactive partners in our daily lives. Our research delves into:
Human Experience and Health and Wellbeing. We investigate how architecture can actively influence human physiological and psychological states, promoting relaxation and mindfulness. Our pioneering work with prototypes like ExoBuilding and WABI demonstrates how adaptive environments can mirror and even guide occupants' breathing and heart rates, fostering states of calm and connection. These "biofeedback environments" aim to make environments effective for human well-being, envisioning applications in healthcare and therapeutic settings.
Embodied and Situated Interaction. Our studies emphasize the mutual influence between the human body and the environment, often described as "interbodily resonance" or "physiological coupling" We explore how our bodies interact with architectural spaces and information technology, revealing how architecture can trigger social interactions and shape human behaviour.
User-Centred Design and Evaluation. Drawing from HCI principles, we champion a human-centred approach to technology design in architectural contexts. We apply and adapt methods like personas, video analysis, questionnaires, interviews, focus groups, and physiological data analyses, and movement tracking to understand how people interact with buildings, analyze their cognitive processes, and inform architectural design. Our research also includes the use of AI to improve post-occupancy evaluation (POE), ensuring that designed spaces truly meet the needs of their inhabitants.
Cultural and Social Dynamics. Buildings significantly influence how people experience their daily lives, and we recognize that understanding complex social and cultural dynamics is crucial, especially in the context of smart cities. The built environment can influence how bodies are controlled and how societal receptivity to instability is exposed.
Join us as we design, prototype, and explore Human-Building Futures that redefine how we live, work, and interact with our world.
Keywords:
Digital Technologies in Architecture for design, analysis, and spatial experience
- Artificial Intelligence
- Physical Computing
- Affective Computing
- Sensors and actuators
Health and Wellbeing
- rehabilitation environments (evaluation and design)
- mental health architecture (adaptive architecture, physiolgical computing
Human-Building Interaction
- adaptive architecture
- embodied interactions with built environments
- Post Occupancy Evaluations (POE)
- novel approaches
- digital twins