CNN Future Summit: Virtual Worlds aired on June 13th on CNN International. Originating from Singapore and Palo Alto, California, the program features creative visionaries and entrepreneurs leading us into a new age of creativity and imagination.

You can still watch the show or participate in the debate forum.

Other info can be found at http://edition.cnn.com/CNNI/Programs/futuresummit/.

This project was mentioned at the WorkTech North conference and is pretty cool!

"As the hot desert sun wanes across the plaza, horizontal shades along the roof of the museum, over the cafe, and at the bus stop suddenly rise in a graceful ballet. Pivoting upwards one at a time, they become a row of vertical screens. Gradually, they take on the subtle, complex patterns of a Moorish mosaic, a backdrop for the evening’s performance. On the lawn, as the last soccer players leave, people settle down on their chairs and blankets and turn to the stage. Two kids take a running leap at the curtain of water, but it parts before they can get wet. Landing in a puddle on the other side, the sound starts a wave down the curtain that ripples along and fades in the distance. Jump twice and you get a bigger wave; jump in syncopation and you get the biggest waves of all."

Digital Mile in Zaragoza, Spain

Unwired hosted the WorkTech North conference at Manchester's proposed media city on 28/6 and 29/6.

The conference was jam packed full of focus seminars, panelist discussions and exhibitions on future technoligies, digital workplaces, creative design spaces and change management.

The Masterclass' i attended on 28/7 included "Infrastructure for a media city" and "How do people use space?". The flavour for "infrastructre for a media city" included integrated and holistic solutions for mixed use developments. These included solutions built around service requirements, tailored solutions to meet tenant requirements and the ideal of integrated micro systems at the city scale from traffic monitoring/logistics to energy monitoring.

The office building was also discussed in terms of the need for higher space utilisation by mobilising the office using WiFi and having "visitor" spaces within the office which can be hired out.

Masterclass 2 - "how do people use space?" discussed "not desking" as opposed to "hot desking", meaning a variety of spaces are required to work, which may not be at ones desk. The essence was that the office should accommodate a range of spaces to give people the choice of where to work.

Day 2 of the event saw presentations on Digital buildings, technology in the digital age, creative space at work and an animated closing from David Firth on "Getting people to change".

Notable points from day 2 included:
* street lights which are responsive to movement
* weather responsive facades
* media water walls
* the need for a virtual working and email etiquette
* connectivity in multi-rise buildings achieved through atriums and transparent surfaces
* a networked office doesn't need to be in the one location
* Buildings give tenants identity within the streetscape
* "People are drawn together but habit & custom keep us apart" Confucius - people need space and a place to work together.