Signals & Stats

No fixed abode

London – A project by interactive designer Luke Sturgeon envisages a future society in which no-one lives at a permanent address.

Citizen Rotation Office imagines a technocratic government based on the sharing economy
Citizens in Sturgeon’s speculative scenario are allocated a different living space every few days based on their behaviour

Experience the Citizen Rotation Office by Luke Sturgeon, London

Presented at the Royal College of Art Show 2016, the Citizen Rotation Office comprised a 24-hour experience that examined the opportunities and ethical and social implications of a society devoid of property speculation.

Visitors took part in a citizen localisation assessment to determine their personality, living preferences and work/life balance. This data was used to create a housing plan that was tailored to each individual. Participants signed under the proviso that once in their new dwellings, they would be constantly monitored in order to determine their next living situation.

‘Starting with practical and political questions, the collective conversations usually involve ethics of data privacy, the role of the government inside and outside the home, citizenship, and our human connection to our environment and the new and familiar people around us,’ says Sturgeon.

The Big Picture

The gap between our true self and our digital avatar is closing as big data systems increasingly take emotional information into account. Read our macrotrend The E-motional Economy to find out more.