WK 7 Readings

Antoine Picons, “A Different Materiality, Material by Design” offers vast discussion in regards to the change and development of materiality, what exactly materiality is and finally the involvement of robotization. Picon talks of materials defined by two groups, organic and inorganic, where men saw both in the beginning as merely materials, no differentiation between the two nor a characteristic different between the two. “Today, we are probably returning to a conception closer to the pre-industrial one, with all the researches on composite and smart materials and the tendency to solve more and more problems at the level of material design rather than structural design.”

The development of digital conception tools and robotization has allowed for greater diversity from the use of CNC machines, 3D printers, laser cutters. Although these new tools and advancements in digital software has widened our scope of possible yet complex designs, we are faced with the limitations of packaging and shipping. “unique components require unique packaging and curved elements don’t stack as well as flat ones” this has become the current issue at hand, however, development of on-site prefabrication can overcome this problem yet it is far from being decided on whether that is the method to use.

“Architecture and the Virutal” also written by Picon continues his discussion of materiality but also establishes connections between physical experiences and technology. Digital design is still young, at this point of time it is merely “a supplementary power to the designer”, allowing processes to be executed faster as well as offer new design approaches. He relates the digital to physical experiences, highlighting faults and key elements that prove how digital design is still young.

WK 5 Readings

Thomas Hughes’ “Human-Built World: How to Think about Technology and Culture” examines how the evolution of technology has impacted and adapted the world around us as we know it. It is almost like a historical reminder of how far technology has advanced in the past hundred years, how society has welcomed these changes and just how far we have come as a whole.

Machine technology was being introduced in the nineteenth century to aid in the transformation of “industrial cities into handsome financial, commercial, and cultural metropolises.” Transportation within these cities grew as subways and underground networks emerged as well as tall city buildings. It was thanks to electricity that this adaptation of a new city was possible.

As cities grew and the population increased, housing became an issue. “Martin Wagner… used new technology… to help relieve the city’s dire housing problem… he designed and presided over the construction of housing settlements that brought workers out of dingy housing blocks into light, airy, and sunny apartments.”

Mumford feared that “the embedding of machine values in a culture threatened to eliminate an organic characteristic needed to sustain a healthy culture that nourishes the human spirit.” It’s interesting as even in this current century we now worry not necessarily about machinery taking over but technology. We push for greener and cleaner energy sources, to preserve nature and landscapes as well as be economically friendly to the environment. It seems to be a never ending cycle present with the development to machinery and technology. 

WK 4 Readings

Mario Caprio’s, “The Digital Turn in Architecture” explorers different fields relating to architectural design and theory. “Morphogenesis and Emergence” by Hensel, Menges & Weinstock explores and elaborates upon our evolving technology and how it has allowed morphogenesis to ‘evolve’. The development of technology now allows us to calculate structural behaviours and other various elements of a building which was previously impossible and could only be approximated with physical models. “All materials deform under stress, and such deformations can and often must be carefully calculated…” The properties of new materials are able to be tested in these structures, some aiming to be self-organising systems others with unique structural integrity by using techniques such as honeycombs. With digital modelling can now “theoretically emulate the skills, adaptivity and alert manipulation of expert artisan makers.”

Menges’ “Polymorphism” discusses the relation of natural morphogenesis to architecture. “Extending the concept of material system by embedding its material characteristics, geometric behaviour, manufacturing constraints and assembly logics allow for deriving and elaborating a design through the system’s intrinsic performative capacities.” This I found to be an interesting statement, as Menges tells us how the new era of technology is helping us change our perspective of design, allowing for more interesting and complex geometries that may not have been previously possible. Polymorphism is closely related to morphogenesis, sharing design techniques and technology such as honeycomb structures, allowing for extreme curves whilst maintaining strong structural integrity. “A design approach utilising such methods enables architects to define specific material systems through the combined logics of formation and materialisation.”

WK 3 Readings

Raymond Williams’, “Keywords: A Vocabulary of Culture and Society” raises interesting points and discussion about change within our society. In particular he speaks briefly of his past, where he had returned to Cambridge College from the war and within the four and a half years how much the society and atmosphere of the college had also changed, “the fact is, they just don’t speak the same language” (pg11).

The aim of his book was to generalise words from different disciplines that converge but aren’t linked, to create keywords which can be generalised and used by anyone to discuss or talk about something with intent of the recipient knowing what is being discussed. It does not intend to be a dictionary where a given meaning is set to each word or to create a glossary of words but to create a general ‘playing field’ for all to use. “It is, rather, the record of an inquiry into a vocabulary: a shared body of words and meanings in our most general discussions, in English, of the practices and institutions which we group as culture and society”.

Achim Menges’ “Computational Design Thinking” discusses the relation of computation to architecture. “So what is computation, then? In relation to design, computation is the processing of information and interactions between elements which constitute a specific environment, the pivotal word being interactions.” With that said, the aid of computation in architecture has led to many theories being further developed such as parametricism and morphogenesis.