2013 / Team Members: Jeffrey Montes, Sareeta Patel, Laith Jayousi, and Ru’a Al-Abweh Studio X –Amman Lab / Columbia Global Centers (CGC) Middle East
Big Lit Bit was the outcome of a “Public Bit” workshop in which students from the German Jordanian University and Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation were asked to use an Arduino (open source electronic boards and software) to create an installation that would incite human interaction in a public space in Amman; furthermore, the goal was to connect Amman with urban spaces in other cities that host Columbia’s Studio X program. Looking for a fun and stimulating idea, we came up with a game called “Big Lit Bit” –essentially a big, glowing button. The friendly game aims to activate underused public spaces, strengthen the sense of community, and bridge between cities around the world. The competition is simple: push the button down and receive an award. The Arduino was programmed so that there are small lights and sensors on the surface of the button, which indicate to the competing city or neighborhood how much pressure is being put on the button; this is meant to entice them to gather together on the button and attempt to win; afterwards, an award given upon pushing the button down, such as a water fountain or free Wi-Fi, is meant to then further encourage people to socialize in public space. My role in the project was concept development and visualizations.
(For a look into the daily assignments I completed during the workshop, click here!)
Ru'a Al-Abweh - Portfolio & Blog 
