ARK 1, 2019—2021

ARK 1 was the capstone to LOT 2046’s investigation into automating the necessities of life. It took the same underlying principle — removing decision fatigue from basics and clothing — and extended it to shelter and mobility.

Home is where you choose to be. But sometimes, we forget that choice is ours.

BEYOND PROXIMITY

Cities were built on the premise of survival — proximity to resources was a necessity. Now in a hyper-connected, post-internet world where the unrelenting need to keep up with everyone else’s highlight reel makes us more connected than ever, proximity can be overwhelming, and leases can feel like a trap.

When your lunch drives itself to your door, your office fits in your pocket, and you can call someone else’s address your “home” for whatever length you need, an alternative to urban stacks seemed a worthwhile inquiry.

MOBILE APPLIANCE

Nomads built the world, and road trips are stitched into American mythology. What happens when your house becomes a mobile appliance? If it’s the motherboard, what are the necessary modules? Does the kitchen even need to be inside? How would you get your mail? If you only had one room, where would you take your window? And what happens when there’s no longer a “where” at all?

ARK 1 imagined temporary freedom from the weight of a fixed existence. A pause button for the relentless churn. If you could trade the four walls of your apartment for some space to breathe, maybe that’s all it takes to remember your own agency.