Sunday, May 3, 2009
Sunday, April 5, 2009
“ Techniques and Technology “ + “ Temporality and Time” , “Catalytic Formations Architecture and Digital Design " By Rahim Ali (Abstract)
The future of architecture must be seen as an evolution of the existing technologies so that they may aid in a betterment in our culture and way of living. In this article, the author begins by defining the difference between technology, technique and technical. He says "A technology can be defined as the application of a purely technical or scientific advance to a cultural context" (p 11). A technical refinement on the other hand is a betterment of that technology, for example a faster modem. Technology may be measured qualitatively while technical efficiency may be measured quantitatively, The users of technologies develop techniques, or ways in which the technology may be used to its fullest. Techniques evolve as new ones are discovered and as technical refinements are developed. All this is a feedback loop, the author says, and all three things are intertwined and depend on each other for the creation of better methods for a better design.
Rahim presents the works of Charles and Ray Eames as an example of the feedback loop that he discusses. The Eames began integrating technologies of World War II into their designs. They took innovations in areas of boat design, airplane design, and car design, among others. They were able to develop a machine that would be able to produce plywood by using technology that could glue very thin pieces of wood together tightly. They were able to develop curving chairs made out of plywood. They also took metal welding technologies from car producers to create seamless welds in metal parts. The Eames also worked with Zenith plastics to produce fiberglass chairs in large quantities and at very low prices. Their visionary ways provided a new way of thinking for their era and led them to be known as the ones that "changed the way the twentieth century sat down" (p 7). Rahim also mentions Verner Panton as another visionary of the time. He took advantage of the accidental discovery of a new plastic called high-density polyethylene, or Marlex. By exploring the possibilities that the plastic could offer, Panton was able to create a chair that was monolithic, by only using one piece of plastic.
Similarly today, many firms are exploring the possibilities of reaching out and integrating technologies from other practices in order to better their own. Frank Ghery has even opened up his own company that works toward the evolution of design software. It is interesting that Ghery is not only working toward better technologies, but also for ways in which to make the software available for everybody. This is an important goal if we would really like to see the effects of a new architecture in our future.
The author also discusses theories of temporality and time. He discusses how the design process can be approached in different ways, not only in the classical linear, top-bottom technique. A designer can also begin in the bottom, by designing the specifics of a program first, and they combining them to create the whole idea. The author gives the example of Greg Lynn FORM who designed the Hydrogen House by first designing the specific requirements such as generating energy from the site. He later tied all these elements together to create the final product. Spuybroek also used a similar technique with an advanced technique developed by himself in a computer program. In designing 1050 Prefabricated Houses, he was able to address the larger problem of where the houses would be located to how different uses of a house could be integrated into the house itself. All these different methods of design and production are the future of architecture and must be pursued and practiced by architects everywhere. Now that technology is becoming cheaper and more readily available, these techniques will become more common, and the technical advances will also be more numerous. This will lead to a more affordable and practical architecture.
Rahim presents the works of Charles and Ray Eames as an example of the feedback loop that he discusses. The Eames began integrating technologies of World War II into their designs. They took innovations in areas of boat design, airplane design, and car design, among others. They were able to develop a machine that would be able to produce plywood by using technology that could glue very thin pieces of wood together tightly. They were able to develop curving chairs made out of plywood. They also took metal welding technologies from car producers to create seamless welds in metal parts. The Eames also worked with Zenith plastics to produce fiberglass chairs in large quantities and at very low prices. Their visionary ways provided a new way of thinking for their era and led them to be known as the ones that "changed the way the twentieth century sat down" (p 7). Rahim also mentions Verner Panton as another visionary of the time. He took advantage of the accidental discovery of a new plastic called high-density polyethylene, or Marlex. By exploring the possibilities that the plastic could offer, Panton was able to create a chair that was monolithic, by only using one piece of plastic.
Similarly today, many firms are exploring the possibilities of reaching out and integrating technologies from other practices in order to better their own. Frank Ghery has even opened up his own company that works toward the evolution of design software. It is interesting that Ghery is not only working toward better technologies, but also for ways in which to make the software available for everybody. This is an important goal if we would really like to see the effects of a new architecture in our future.
The author also discusses theories of temporality and time. He discusses how the design process can be approached in different ways, not only in the classical linear, top-bottom technique. A designer can also begin in the bottom, by designing the specifics of a program first, and they combining them to create the whole idea. The author gives the example of Greg Lynn FORM who designed the Hydrogen House by first designing the specific requirements such as generating energy from the site. He later tied all these elements together to create the final product. Spuybroek also used a similar technique with an advanced technique developed by himself in a computer program. In designing 1050 Prefabricated Houses, he was able to address the larger problem of where the houses would be located to how different uses of a house could be integrated into the house itself. All these different methods of design and production are the future of architecture and must be pursued and practiced by architects everywhere. Now that technology is becoming cheaper and more readily available, these techniques will become more common, and the technical advances will also be more numerous. This will lead to a more affordable and practical architecture.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Abstract: "Blob Tectonics or Why Tectonics is Square and Topology is Groovy" By Greg Lynn
Greg Lynn offers a visionary discussion about the topologies of blobs in this chapter of his book. He states that "Blobs suggest alternative strategies of structural organization and construction that provide intricate and complex new ways of relating the homogeneous or general to the heterogeneous or particular" (169). The author suggests that this is a better way of viewing spaces and shapes which will solve the basic problem of tectonics which is tying the whole to the details of the form and having them interact successfully. Blobs have several characteristics that enable them to overcome this problem of tectonics. They are continuous surfaces that "possess neither a global form nor a single identity." (171). When they join with another blob they incorporate into each other seamlessly. This is because they are not considered solids but more "aqueous" forms that can merge and adapt according to the situation that they may be in.
The author also mentions two different theories about the way in which we can discover the basic characteristics of an object. According to Cartesianism, which is an older theory, the "constitutive identity" of a shape can be reached by breaking it up into its simplest parts. A newer more visionary idea is attributed to Leibniz which states that this identity can be found by changing the object and bringing it to a more complex state. The blob may be understood in this way because it remains as a single object or a whole but cannot be broken down to its basic parts because in itself, it is a basic part. The author believes that the Leibniz theory is "creative" and that is has a "vital elegance of combinatorial multiplicity."
The chapter continuous the discussion by applying the theory to more practical circumstances. Lynn describes the work of Alejandro Zaera-Polo and Farshid Moussavi especially the Yolkohama Port Terminal. The roof of this project is not a flat surface but rather an undulating, almost blob-like form which mutates at places where the slabs that are used change. The proposal by Reiser and Umemoto for this project can also be applied to these theories. Specifically, the author discusses the dynamics of the roof system in this scheme. It may be compared to a blob because it is a continuous surface that mutates according to the program that may be found inside it. This blob seams to glide across the large space seamlessly. With these specific examples we can begin to see a different way of composing the architecture of the future. Our way of life is, like a blob, continuous and seamless. By creating these kinds of shapes to surround our everyday lives we would be creating more comfortable spaces i which we can flow through. The technology that is available to us now will also allow this concept to be developed to a full extent in a near future.
The author also mentions two different theories about the way in which we can discover the basic characteristics of an object. According to Cartesianism, which is an older theory, the "constitutive identity" of a shape can be reached by breaking it up into its simplest parts. A newer more visionary idea is attributed to Leibniz which states that this identity can be found by changing the object and bringing it to a more complex state. The blob may be understood in this way because it remains as a single object or a whole but cannot be broken down to its basic parts because in itself, it is a basic part. The author believes that the Leibniz theory is "creative" and that is has a "vital elegance of combinatorial multiplicity."
The chapter continuous the discussion by applying the theory to more practical circumstances. Lynn describes the work of Alejandro Zaera-Polo and Farshid Moussavi especially the Yolkohama Port Terminal. The roof of this project is not a flat surface but rather an undulating, almost blob-like form which mutates at places where the slabs that are used change. The proposal by Reiser and Umemoto for this project can also be applied to these theories. Specifically, the author discusses the dynamics of the roof system in this scheme. It may be compared to a blob because it is a continuous surface that mutates according to the program that may be found inside it. This blob seams to glide across the large space seamlessly. With these specific examples we can begin to see a different way of composing the architecture of the future. Our way of life is, like a blob, continuous and seamless. By creating these kinds of shapes to surround our everyday lives we would be creating more comfortable spaces i which we can flow through. The technology that is available to us now will also allow this concept to be developed to a full extent in a near future.
Saturday, March 7, 2009
“Generative Systems – Evolving Computational Strategies” + “ Formal Matters - The virtual as a generative process” By: Therese Tierney
Tierney discusses various topics that are of essence to the future of architecture and design. Architecture has become a multifaceted discipline because of the issues that we have to address in the present and in the future. It is this reason that has led to a development of more complex design tools that aid us in ways that were never thought possible. These technological tools are simply that: tools. We cannot expect for them to develop our design process to a full extent because human input is essential. It is up to us to differentiate between functional and non functional, and aesthetically pleasing and not pleasing. What these tools do is help us get to a point where we find a workable scheme which we can further develop. The author talks about a type of design helps us find better options to a specific creation. It is called parametric design.
With parametric design software, a designer is able to insert a group of rules or parameters that the computer has to work with, for example the area of the building or the height of a structure. Other parameters such as structure functionality may also be inserted and are often used by engineers. Once this set of data is inserted into the program, the computer begins to generate many different schemes that are consistent with the limits. From all these schemes the designer is able to choose which ones are most efficient and functional. With these programs, the computer is able to produce schemes that might not have been thought of by the designer which is a great advantage. These schemes may lead to a more efficient way of building or a more efficient use of energy within the building. The author does pose a question at the end of her description of the program however: “How much creative agency or choice does the designer actually have?” The designer may not have a complete choice of design per se, but the final choice of the design is entirely up to the designer. It is up to them to develop the scheme further and make it completely functional and aesthetically pleasing. We could say that these schemes produced by the computer are only a source of inspiration.
Another theme that is discussed by the author is the importance of collaborative work between several practices for example, architects and biological engineers, or designers and scientists. This work between several professions is inevitable in the future. Architects need to think beyond aesthetic design and begin to think about sustainability and efficient use of energy. By working together, designers are able to explore many facets of the design and in doing so, creating a more functional and efficient one. The software that is being used for design purposes was once used only by scientists and engineers. It is evident in this sense that both professions are inter-relatable. In all, it is a complex combination of mutations and changes that need of several factors to become an optimum design or concept. Many factors must be calculated in, not only mathematically, but also professionally and socially. It is the work of many people and points of view as well as mathematical factors that will help the future of design be brighter.
With parametric design software, a designer is able to insert a group of rules or parameters that the computer has to work with, for example the area of the building or the height of a structure. Other parameters such as structure functionality may also be inserted and are often used by engineers. Once this set of data is inserted into the program, the computer begins to generate many different schemes that are consistent with the limits. From all these schemes the designer is able to choose which ones are most efficient and functional. With these programs, the computer is able to produce schemes that might not have been thought of by the designer which is a great advantage. These schemes may lead to a more efficient way of building or a more efficient use of energy within the building. The author does pose a question at the end of her description of the program however: “How much creative agency or choice does the designer actually have?” The designer may not have a complete choice of design per se, but the final choice of the design is entirely up to the designer. It is up to them to develop the scheme further and make it completely functional and aesthetically pleasing. We could say that these schemes produced by the computer are only a source of inspiration.
Another theme that is discussed by the author is the importance of collaborative work between several practices for example, architects and biological engineers, or designers and scientists. This work between several professions is inevitable in the future. Architects need to think beyond aesthetic design and begin to think about sustainability and efficient use of energy. By working together, designers are able to explore many facets of the design and in doing so, creating a more functional and efficient one. The software that is being used for design purposes was once used only by scientists and engineers. It is evident in this sense that both professions are inter-relatable. In all, it is a complex combination of mutations and changes that need of several factors to become an optimum design or concept. Many factors must be calculated in, not only mathematically, but also professionally and socially. It is the work of many people and points of view as well as mathematical factors that will help the future of design be brighter.
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