Friction as affordance for flourishing

Abstract

Technology companies are reshaping architecture through convenience-driven products and environments that prioritise a ‘frictionless’ user experience. This thesis challenges this para- digm by demonstrating how removing user frictions often eliminates critical affordances for human flourishing - including opportunities for autonomy, agency, creativity and awareness. Through systematic observation and analysis, the research identifies three categories of expe- riential friction in architecture: physical, social and cognitive, establishing their role as essential punctuation points in our understanding of space, time, and environmental impact. Drawing from Building-Computer Interaction, Environmental Psychology, and Philosophy of Technology, this research develops a novel methodological framework combining mapping techniques from UX design and sociology with architectural analysis to visualise and eval- uate friction in domestic environments. A conceptual framework is built from findings from investigative mixed-methods research, and a design and analysis tool is proposed, Frictions as Affordances for Flourishing (FAF). This is then tested are three scales: typological examples of friction, a case study of a high-friction family home in the UK, and finally some conceptual design experiments at the scale of the interface. The research demonstrates how carefully designed frictions can enhance both human well- being and ecological awareness. Through a series of high-friction domestic product proto- types, the thesis provides evidence for how intentional friction can promote more mindful and sustainable patterns of living. This work contributes both theoretical insights about the rela- tionship between friction and flourishing, and practical tools for architects and designers to implement beneficial friction in domestic environments. By reframing experiential friction as an affordance for flourishing rather than an inefficiency to be eliminated, this thesis offers a new paradigm for integrating technology into architecture - one that prioritises human and planetary wellbeing over convenience alone.