In this paper, I have documented to the fullest extent my experiences with building and simulating the House of the Future for my Master of Fine Arts presentation. I have included everything that I think is significant to my experience in putting together this show. The content reflects my continuing interests in expressing myself through the medium of computer graphics and the incorporation of my interests in alternative fields. In addition, I have the opportunities to combine these into a coherent whole and introduce people to technology who might not otherwise be interested. This is very important for it upholds my belief that I have held from my first days as an undergraduate freshman and throughout my education that each seemingly unrelated field can benefit and grow from interaction with others. The key to this is to keep an open mind and a good interface.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS While writing this document, I am reminded of the numerous people who have shown an enormous amount of invaluable support for my work and helped make this all possible. Not to mention my years in EVL and in the school of Art and Design. I'll start with the bread and butter supporters! I sincerely thank Dean Karen Williams in the Graduate College and the U.S. Department of Education for the awarding of and maintenance of the Jacob K. Javits award that funded my graduate education and helped me to purchase a number of ``toys" that helped me throughout my education and especially with this project. Many thanks to and for Ed Westbrook at Argonne National Labs who has supported my education, a number of my projects, and is just an all around wonderful person. His grant, the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Health and Environmental Research under contract number W-31-109-ENG-38, funds this work and my Master of Science research as well. To my committee members, Dan Sandin, Wayne Boyer, Joe Jachna, all of whom I have known throughout my education at UIC and who have each influenced me individually, I extend my warmest thanks and affection. You are the most wonderful group of professors that I have had the pleasure of working with. Thanks for all your advice, patience, and sensitivity to help me incorporate all my interests into this project and encouraging me to create my own path where there is none.
Tom Defanti and EVL for use of CAVE and computer equipment in support of my work towards the M.F.A. Many thanks to volunteers for my presentation, especially Kathy O'Keefe who lent me the riches of her experiences and came through in a pinch. Special thanks to the ICE lab for housing one of our CAVEs for my presentation, helping with my printing and scans-o-rama. Thanks, Andy Johnson for sitting around and typing "shower off" so seamlessly that, at times, I wasn't sure who was affecting the program.
Paul Neumann, the voice of Zeno, the voice of the House, who was there with me from the very beginning so many years ago and whose consistent and loyal friendship and support, not to mention his contagious sense of humour, have gotten me through the rough times and enhanced the good times - my love to you, Paul. Brad Blumenthal who got the ball rolling and continued his support throughout. Thanks, Brad for your ideas, your humor, your friendship. Craig Barnes, in addition to remaining my husband during the development of this project, for his help with the smarts software - seems appropriate that smarts should come from you - I love him, dearly (to state the obvious)! And last but not least, many thanks go to Jason Leigh. Jason, in spite of yourself, you have endeared yourself to me forever and I cannot thank you enough for your support, enthusiasm and input into this project. You are one of the most creative, energetic, geeky, and enigmatic people I know. I love you dearly! Finally, big thanks to my family who always offer their support, their interest and love. I return it to them a thousand fold.