翻译中device这个关键词怎么翻？。急！！！！一片有关日本建筑的文章

I want to determine the
relationship between myself and the architectural space of traditional Japan.
As a first step, I would like to measure the distance between traditional
Japanese architecture and myself. I have recently come to believe that the
concept of architecture-as-a-device, or what might be called the “device-like
character of architecture", is an effective means of measuring that
distance.
这里device该怎么翻译啊？

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