Ever since the establishment of modernist architecture, anthropocentrism has remained the implicit cornerstone of spatial design. Whether through classical human moduls or functional zoning-based circulation planning, architecture has long prioritized human passage and usage as the absolute focal point of spatial order [1]. Within this tradition, mechanical rooms, edge computing nodes, energy units, and even non-human natural agencies have typically been treated as auxiliary systems dedicated solely to servicing human activities, sequestered into back-stage blind spots or subterranean interlayers. However, with the advent of the intelligent era, computing power has been intensely contested as a core productive factor, driving distributed energy systems and micro-computing nodes deep into the physical fabric of architectural space [2]. Space no longer yields unilaterally and absolutely to human utility; the traditional "circulation-centric" paradigm is shifting toward a multidimensional topological center governed by computing, energy, and non-human agencies.
This transition does not negate human existence, but rather fundamentally restructures the relationship between humans and space. As Tim Ingold points out in his meshwork theory of space, the environment is not a passive backdrop waiting for human domination, but an organic network interwoven by humans, non-human objects, energy, and information [3]. When architecture no longer demands that all circulations and layouts conform to human visual presentation and utilitarian efficiency, human experience is relieved of the tension associated with over-regulation. Computing centers, recycled energy equipment, and non-human elements (such as microclimates and natural textures) act as the topological cores of space, establishing a peer-to-peer, proximate relationship with human activities.
Under this non-human topology and computing-prioritized order, spatial organization manifests three distinct directions of reconstruction:
First, reshaping spatial hubs through computing and energy pathways. In the intelligent era, micro-computing centers and edge computing nodes are no longer auxiliary devices hidden deep in the logistics zone; rather, they are the topological origins that determine spatial data response speeds and thermal circulation efficiency. Bruno Latour’s Actor-Network Theory (ANT) demonstrates that non-human objects and human actors possess equivalent constructive efficacy within a network [4]. The waste heat and computational flows generated during the operation of micro-computing centers directly participate in shaping spatial microclimates and energy loops, serving as the physical heart governing building operations.
Second, the deconstruction of spatial scales and flexible embedding. The notion of "five meters below" or "five meters above" no longer denotes physical spatial exclusion, but rather represents a flexible arrangement tailored to energy resistance and computational demands. It can be deep underground where soil thermal performance is stable, or in a structural suspension layer favorable for heat exchange and photovoltaic absorption. Equipment and computing nodes embed themselves into the physical fabric of architecture like a coordinated set of organs, breaking down the rigid boundary between "human habitation zones" and "machine logistics zones."
Third, the reconstruction of "light experience" within a post-anthropocentric context. When human utility is no longer defined as the sole ultimate purpose of architecture, space ceases to compel individuals to constantly perform as efficient, presentable occupants. Kiel Moe notes in his architectural thermodynamics and ecological research that spaces respecting physical laws and energy flows can offer inhabitants a more immersive and environmentally sensitive dwelling experience [5]. Humans are no longer cast as the protagonists served by the environment, but exist as part of an environmental network, intuitively perceiving computational breaths, energy flows, and natural rhythms to attain a more relaxed and authentic immersive experience.
This shift from an anthropocentric focus to a computing and non-human topological center marks the maturity of flexible energy and intelligent architecture. Space is no longer merely a container for unilateral human conquest of nature, but evolves into a symbiotic system constituted by computing, energy, non-human agencies, and humans. When architecture unburdens itself from the compulsion to stage everything around the human figure, space establishes an order grounded in physical reality and digital veins, while leaving ample room for authentic human experience.
Reference
[1] Le Corbusier (1931) Towards a New Architecture. London: John Rodker.
[2] Mitchell, W. J. (2003) ME++: The Cyborg Self and the Networked City. Cambridge: MIT Press.
[3] Ingold, T. (2011) Being Alive: Essays on Movement, Knowledge and Description. Routledge.
[4] Latour, B. (2005) Reassembling the Social: An Introduction to Actor-Network-Theory. Oxford University Press.
[5] Moe, K. (2013) Convergence: An Architectural Agenda for Energy. Routledge.
