http://www.thirteen.org/bucky/qt/cop.qt
Thursday, September 22, 2005
Suggested Readings
Here are some of the suggested sources regarding Complexity.
We have taken to the task of tracking down these books with minimal success.
Nicholas and Prigogine's Exploring Complexity
-Checked out by John from the Engineering Library.
Kelly's Out of Control
-Ryan has found this in online document format.
Kwinter's Architecture's of Time,
-Todds on this, but it is currently taken out
de Landa's 1000 yrs of non-linear history + intensive science
Mark C Taylor's Moment of Complexity
– Jon is looking at this and it is on reserve at Furnesse
Periodicals
AD
AA Files, Perspecta
Praxis
Possible advance copy of future resource.
Crib Sheets: Notes on the Contemporary Architectural Conversation
We have taken to the task of tracking down these books with minimal success.
Nicholas and Prigogine's Exploring Complexity
-Checked out by John from the Engineering Library.
Kelly's Out of Control
-Ryan has found this in online document format.
Kwinter's Architecture's of Time,
-Todds on this, but it is currently taken out
de Landa's 1000 yrs of non-linear history + intensive science
Mark C Taylor's Moment of Complexity
– Jon is looking at this and it is on reserve at Furnesse
Periodicals
AD
AA Files, Perspecta
Praxis
Possible advance copy of future resource.
Crib Sheets: Notes on the Contemporary Architectural Conversation
Call for Images
Ryan wants some images to spruce up the Complexity Blog.
Any suggestions?
1. Algorithms derived architecture projects
2. Pictures of Elfin
3. Ryan's recent studio projects.
4. Jon's recipe for spicy bits
Anything that involves complexity
Any suggestions?
1. Algorithms derived architecture projects
2. Pictures of Elfin
3. Ryan's recent studio projects.
4. Jon's recipe for spicy bits
Anything that involves complexity
Tuesday, September 20, 2005
Monday, September 19, 2005
Debunking Obfuscation
Architecture is a field in which stylistic choices have been justified through treatises and manifestos, not only today, but also dating back to ancient times. Each era has an idea, and often times it debunks the previous era’s ideas in favor of newer, more fashionable concepts. Fashion is a market-driven culture, and the culture that pervades contemporary architectural education and practice, as much as every generation preceding it, sees getting buildings built (or, in the academic world, widespread citation and publication) as its primary goal. Complexity theory is today’s fashionable means to this end.
The fundamental problems of architecture (shelter, comfort, and so on) were solved long ago. Progressive changes in building technology improves building performance. In response, a building’s design has evolved to adopt and adjust to these modifications, but the fundamental problems of architecture have never changed. If all an architect must do is satisfy basic conditions for occupancy, there is little one can do to make oneself more valid than any other competing architect. In order to set oneself apart from one’s competition, then, new problems must be created, and the aesthetic of complexity does an excellent, often confounding job of this. By devising problems that are too complex for many people to comprehend, and resolutions that can only come about by employment of cutting-edge technology, contemporary architects create an aura about themselves as almost magical beings; an elite group that can unravel the mysteries of these self-made problems. Like a magical act, they can saw the lady in half and put her back together again, but unlike a magician, architects make you believe that there is profound purpose in the problem of the bifurcated person, and that their ability to put her back together requires a certain unique brilliance.
Our intention with this project is to analyze contemporary architectural theory and its emphasis on complexity and technology. The goal is to demonstrate that, in its essence as a market-driven fashion industry, architecture’s current obsession with complexity and technology is no more valid than its past acceptance of any other historical style and the theories that cause such an aesthetic to be acceptable.
The fundamental problems of architecture (shelter, comfort, and so on) were solved long ago. Progressive changes in building technology improves building performance. In response, a building’s design has evolved to adopt and adjust to these modifications, but the fundamental problems of architecture have never changed. If all an architect must do is satisfy basic conditions for occupancy, there is little one can do to make oneself more valid than any other competing architect. In order to set oneself apart from one’s competition, then, new problems must be created, and the aesthetic of complexity does an excellent, often confounding job of this. By devising problems that are too complex for many people to comprehend, and resolutions that can only come about by employment of cutting-edge technology, contemporary architects create an aura about themselves as almost magical beings; an elite group that can unravel the mysteries of these self-made problems. Like a magical act, they can saw the lady in half and put her back together again, but unlike a magician, architects make you believe that there is profound purpose in the problem of the bifurcated person, and that their ability to put her back together requires a certain unique brilliance.
Our intention with this project is to analyze contemporary architectural theory and its emphasis on complexity and technology. The goal is to demonstrate that, in its essence as a market-driven fashion industry, architecture’s current obsession with complexity and technology is no more valid than its past acceptance of any other historical style and the theories that cause such an aesthetic to be acceptable.
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