FMS Colloquium Lecture Series: Diane Lewis, “Intelligent Buildings and Technosolutionism in 1980s Japan”

Intelligent buildings, like the Honda Aoyama Building in Tokyo (opened 1985), incorporated computerized communications systems and programmable technologies, such as automatic sprinkler systems, computer-controlled elevators, keycard entry, digital fax and phone services, and more. These branded buildings were promoted as an extension of office automation, as well as the antidote to health problems caused by the modern office. In presenting smarter computerization as a solution, however, intelligent buildings preempted a more radical reimagining of how and where work took place. This presentation analyzes the gender politics of technosolutionism in 1980s Japan through an examination of arguments for and against intelligent buildings.