Transformation Models

Updated Animation

Process Images

Stereotomic Permutations

So after reading the article for the fourth time this is what I got……. Preston Scott Cohen’s writings on Stereotomic Permutations attempts to develop a way by which one could view and understand an object by eliminating the boundary between description and perception. He is led to this analysis by the distortion of rational paradigmatic operations such as linearity, symmetry, scale, intersection, folding, ect… He uses the concept of parallel projection in juxtaposition to point perspective method to construct an argument that the blending of these two devices in light of the design process, would give us an architecture that’s “implicit order symmetrical order is repeatedly brought to bear on its objects and perspectives by forcing them to intersect, join, and fold back on themselves to form a series.” I find this to be an interesting investigation, but find my self speculative about the practicality and usability of the determinant results. I appreciate his conscious effort to blend that in architecture, which is descriptive with that of perception, and I found the process and graphic representation to be quite compelling.

Umberto Eco "Travels in Hyperreality"

Eco approaches the concept of hyper reality within the context of replication and recreation. He focuses his writings on the American Culture and out insatiable desire to "have more". The most intriguing of his conceptual agenda is the concept of blurring reproduction and "the real" to the point of indistinguishable cohabitation.

He talks about the concept of the diorama and its aim to “establish itself as a substitute for reality, as something even more real”. The concept of recreation to re present an established object ties into our current project in that we are also attempting to re present the intent of the producer, although our “diorama” is one that will take roots in its precedent but extrapolate upon previous production intentions develop into its own form.

One other concept from this reading that really ties into our projects of this term is the idea of recreating two-dimensional form with three-dimensional representation. Eco references the 20th century portrait of Peter Stuyvesant that the New York museum recreates in three-dimensional sculpture. Between, reconstructed colonial towns, wax museums, historical dioramas, and scientific advances such as the hologram and virtual reality, there is a growing fascination of the representation of time and space. This concept of hyper reality is one that will continue to grow and advance until the concept of time and space are indistinguishable.

Sexy Images of Process

Process

Project 2 Analysis Segment

Versioning

After reading this article, the intent of our final assignment became much more clear to me. I find the concept of seamless integration of design, process and production quite provocative but begin to wonder where this will eventually lead the profession of architecture. A line from this reading about Dynaform that I struggled to justify was the statement that “The architect finds himself- as a designer- controlling a process that allows the form to manifest itself.”

To me this is novel yet troubling due to that fact that physical form and the creation of space is in effect being left to happenstance. Granted these variations and mutations are based on scientifically derived algorithms and the process by which the mutations occur are being closely monitored in a semi-controlled environment; it begs the question of weather the design process has become too dehumanized.

As technology advances in this direction, it begins to cut out the need for human though and intervention. You no longer need groups of engineers slaving over calculations because they are already inherently incorporated into the integrated software. Once we start relying on algorithmic sequence to define form, pattern, space, and tectonic form, doesn’t that begin to make the traditional studies of the architectural professional obsolete.

I have to play the devils advocate here because I hear this criticism every day. Personally I find this new integration of technology, mathematical language, process and design to be the new avant guard for architectural thought and I feel like the rest of the professional community aside for firms like OfficeDA and SHoP, need catch up to the curve.