Abstract
Klaus Schwab (2016a:3) argues that the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) fundamentally differs from its predecessor and that the 4IR is a build-on of the third industrial revolution. Schwab (2016a:8) describes the fundamental difference as the fusion of the technology spheres.
The technology spheres refer to the physical, digital, and biological spheres. These spheres represent technology areas that merge specific innovative technologies. According to Schwab (2016a:10), designers and architects overlap these spheres. The variation of disciplines depends on research and technology. Furthermore, the innovative technologies amalgamating in the design domain are 3D printing, computational design and material science or advanced materials. These innovative technologies are the technology megatrends.
The interior design discipline forms part of the design domain and can research the technology spheres and find how the discipline would form part of blending these technology megatrends. The interior design discipline refers to the holistic field of interior design, creating findings that could work for pedagogy, industry and stakeholders. The significance of this study is the interior design discipline researching the area of the 4IR, furthermore informing on the 4IR’s technology spheres, where the discipline could understand how to gain access and insight into the 4IR.
This study aims to investigate the 4IR’s technology spheres that advocate a multi-discipline approach and to inform the interior design discipline based on the outcomes. Thus, Schwab’s (2016a:8) theory of the 4IR is the context of this dissertation. Furthermore, an interior design viewpoint was used to interpret the context and how the multi-discipline approach presents how to access the 4IR for the interior design discipline. Therefore, the multi-discipline approach referred to in this dissertation is not multidisciplinary, and a hyphen distinguishes the correct term used throughout the research. Instead, the multi-discipline approach is complex and guided by the 4IR’s technology spheres. In Schwab’s (2016a:173) book, Neri Oxman is a fascinating example of a designer and architect who has fused the technology spheres in her work. The purposive sampling criteria were created based on Schwab’s (2016a:8) theory and Oxman’s position as an internationally recognised designer and architect.
The methodology approach used in this dissertation is a qualitative research approach conducted in an interpretivist framework to gain a deeper understanding of Oxman and Menges, the focus of the inquiry was their work and collaboration methods. Oxman and Menges were selected and formulated into a multiple-case study. The multiple-case study was the primary source of data collection; a focus group was an additional layer to the Menges case study.
The findings suggest that Oxman and Menges are well-positioned to bring change to their environment and be influential. Furthermore, the prominent technology megatrends used in their work are computational design, additive manufacturing and material science. These technology megatrends integrate the technology spheres, forming part of Schwab’s (2016a:8,14-24) theory of the 4IR. Each project done by the principal designers is distinctive, the technology developed is specific, the design is complex, and the materials are unique. Thus, the technology megatrends draw on many different types of disciplines to amalgamate the technology spheres.
The multi-discipline approach is based on aspects of Oxman and Menges’ work, collaboration, and methods aligned with Schwab’s (2016a:8) theory of the technology spheres. The multi-discipline approach is an introduction for the interior design discipline to understand how to access the 4IR through incorporating the technology megatrends into the design process: computational design, additive manufacturing and material science. However, the interior design discipline would need to integrate other disciplines that form part of these technology megatrends that fuse technology spheres. Thus, a multi-discipline approach.
Keywords: fourth industrial revolution, technology spheres, physical sphere, digital sphere, biological sphere, technology megatrends, multi-discipline approach, interior design discipline.