Flux: Co-Assembled Adaptive Furniture for Divergent Environments, Enhanced by AI-Assisted Feedback Loop
Description
FLUX is a modular, transformable furniture system that invites visitors to actively assemble, reconfigure, and adapt pieces to suit changing needs and contexts in public space. Unlike static urban furniture, each component can be easily repositioned or combined, which allows users of all ages and skills to shape their own sitting environment for comfort, collaboration, and play.
Central to the project is an integrated AI-assisted evaluation system: discreet cameras with pose detection technology collect anonymised data on how people interact, move, and occupy different configurations throughout the exhibition. This real-time analysis highlights popular arrangements, ergonomic outcomes, and emerging behaviours, enabling the design team to adjust the setup in response to public use. By directly linking interaction data to ongoing furniture adaptation, FLUX demonstrates a responsive, participatory approach to urban design, creating a feedback loop that continuously improves both experience and inclusivity.
Biography
Pedram Ghelichi is a Lecturer in Architecture at The Chinese University of Hong Kong. He earned his PhD from CUHK in 2021, exploring uncertainties as creative components of architectural processes, and served as a Visiting Scholar at ETH Zurich. As Head of vve Lab, he leads cross-disciplinary design–build research on adaptable urban furniture and transformable installations featured in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Antwerp, and beyond. Pedram co-investigates projects supported by grants in circular construction and community-led design for disassembly. His recent work encompasses AI-assisted participatory prototyping and was showcased at the ICSA 2025 Critical Practice session in Antwerp.
Jimmy Ho is a full-time lecturer at the School of Architecture of The Chinese University of Hong Kong. He received his doctoral degree in architecture in 2023, and he is a multidisciplinary designer and researcher focusing on redesigning processes in both rural and urban conditions for well-being and communities. He co-designed the inaugural exhibition for Tai Kwun, 100 faces of Tai Kwun, which received international awards including Frame Award and Design For Asia Award in 2018.
Mr. Kwok Chi Sum is a CUHK Architecture student assisting with hardware integration for adaptive design. He has supported vve Lab’s transformable furniture projects by setting up and calibrating the components between the design lab in Hong Kong and factories.
Mr. Choy Koon Wei is a CUHK Architecture student assisting with AI-assisted software development for participatory design. He has contributed to vve Lab by developing pose-tracking algorithms, managing data workflows, and implementing real-time feedback systems for adaptive urban furniture projects.
Organisation
School of Architecture, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, School of Architecture, Harbin Institute of Technology, Shenzhen