The more we dwell in cyberspace through our digital devices, the more disconnected we are becoming
from the real world, entering a future where people’s prolonged inhabitation within virtual environments
could potentially turn major functional aspects of the built environment and its architecture obsolete.
Our homes, offices, and other places in our cities will have to compete with virtual replacements for
people’s time, money, and value. Extended reality technologies can be used to design and build
cybernetic architecture to prepare for such a future. So far, architects and designers have done little
exploration of this emerging practice.
This research seeks an expanded role of the built environment inside mixed reality experiences,
proposing a Context-Specific Design approach to mixed reality development that is designed for and with
the architecture in which it is situated. The proposed approach allows for a thoughtful and tailored
inclusion of spatial elements such as floor, ceiling, walls, furniture, and objects, posing as an alternative
to the commonly adopted modular design approach to mixed reality environments, which disregards the
qualities of the place and its architecture.
The thesis follows Research through Design and Speculative Design as methodologies for producing a
series of prototypes and a functional mock-up of a retail space made as a mixed reality environment.
Some design concepts, methods, techniques, and learnings emerge as core research findings.
This research furthers the discussion on the use of extended reality in architecture by proposing a new
use case for mixed reality. It also contributes to the emerging practices of cybernetic architecture and
media architecture.

Keywords: Mixed Reality, Architecture, Spatial Design, Cybernetic Architecture, Media Architecture,
Interactivity, User Experience Design, Phygital

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