Abstract: "Architecture in the Digital Age: Design and Manufacturing" by Branko Kolarevic

Kolarevic brings forward an idea that should be considered common sense by every designer. Every innovative building for its time was a result of the latest technology that was available to the designers at that moment, for example the Eiffel Tower with its use of steel, or likewise the Cristal palace by Joseph Paxton. Now, our latest technology is based on digital design, development, and construction. When the Eiffel Tower was built, the technology that was at hand only allowed for a rectilinear design. This occurred because architects designed using a pencil and a paper, which only allowed for 3-dimensional planning at most. More complicated designs, especially those that contain curves were not common. In recent years and with the development of several programs based on the most advanced technology available to us, a designer can create shapes that otherwise may be unimaginable or unexpected as Kolarevic states. A new era in design capabilities has arrived and with it, the ability to create a different type of architecture.

The design based on curves is not completely new, the author says, “It does have precedents.” By looking back in time, one can appreciate the organic creations of Gaudi for example. The “bloby” shapes as the author refers to the curved creations were also popular during the 1960’s and 70’s. They did not last, however, because “they were seen as utopian architectural visions.” A good and clear example of the new architecture that is discussed is the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao by Frank Ghery. The result of his digital manipulation of the structure is an undulating and flowing building that had never before been seen. A building like this could not have been built 100 years ago for the simple reason that digital design tools were not yet created. A quote by Rafael Moneo exemplifies this point: “…forgotten geometries [were] lost to us because of the difficulties of their representation.”

Kolarevic does not only talk about the new architecture and how it will bring forward new shapes and designs. He also talks about how these new technologies will also affect the building process that architects are used to. The process now would be “seamless.” All of the information that would be needed to construct the building would be available in only one drawing. Kolarevic emphasizes this point by commenting on the similar design process that has been used on boats and planes for some time. In creating a boat or a plane with a CAD/CAM system, a drawing has to communicate various factors to its manufactures at the same time. Here of course there are issues of buoyancy and aerodynamics that have to be taken into account in every step of construction. Now, architecture can be treated in a similar way. This ability would generate structures that would work as a whole. It could even be said that smart buildings would be common in the near future.

Not only will the common role of the architect change with the recurring use of digital media, but also the design process itself. Kolarevic comments on how architects will not be designing a concrete shape but a series of equations that will themselves be a platform for an infinite number of possibilities for a new design. This is called parametric design. This exploration of options is what Hernan Alonso Diaz and his firm Xefirotarch use in creating his pieces. In this way the author says that the architect will move away from the preconceived and static ideas in a design. This type of process can also be explored through animation software which is also being widely used in the design world. As the design is able to move and change shape, new options can arise which can give way to a better outcome.

The world of architecture is shifting. It is beginning to leave behind hundreds and hundreds of years of pencil and paper design. It is a shift in the architectural paradigm. It changes the way in which we view form and space as it never has before. These new shapes and dimensions could give way to a better way of living. Through digital media, new ways of building in ecological, sustainable and economic ways could be brought forth. It has to be understood that we are ready to move on and use the tools that are available to us to their full capacity. These changes, the author states, have to be interpreted not only in “formal terms” but in a more “fundamental way.” It is not only a matter of discovering interesting new forms but also about how these new tools can help us create a better way of life.