To control, or to be controlled

Transcription

1 THE GRANDEST CHALLENGE To control, or to be controlled Arch 587: Design Computing Theory Research Paper Teng Teng

2 The development of design tools The word Design comes from an Italian word disegno, the original intention is painting. According to the explanation of New Platonist1, disegno implied the direct relationship between idea and reality things. Giorgio Vasari, who was a famous artist and architect in 16th century, once said: design can be summarized into thinking concept and mind imagine of visual expression and interpretation 1. But human isn t born with the designing ability. During the early stages of the human, the manufacture and design are merged together. Thinking during the manufacture process is the original design process. From the point of history of technology development, human starts creation from tools making. But as for design, it is always as a part of the production. The innate character of architectural design is a materialized reflection of designer s creative thinking. The creative thinking shows the designer s rational and perceptual cognition of the complex and volatile reality world. Therefore, the progress of architectural design depends on the cognition s promotion of designers. The realization of design relies on 3 factors, which is Target, Process, and Means. -Target is related to the final image of the product. In order to combine the practical and artistic designers are always asked to integrate all the requirement of the final product,. -Process can be divided into 2 sections, the first is brainstorming section which is an un-visible part; the second is the operating section which is including some of visible process such as the data compilation, diagram thinking and presentation. -Means are the approaches which can realize the design process. During the design process, designer needs to make decision, analysis and judgments not only in the mind but also though some of tools or communicate with others. None of these three factors can be created independently without the assist of 1. Vasari, 1960, p. 205

3 design tools. Although the cognition of architecture is a psychological phenomenon, the tools which are used to realize design works are measureable. Architect vs. Design tools Architects use various kinds of tools to accomplish their design works, to create new concept of architecture as well as communicate with owners, builders and contractors. Designers will select some specific tools to realize their works; meanwhile the tools they selected will also impact the final style and the constructed crafts of the building they designed. We have to look back the development of design tools, so as to find out the influence of design tools on design works. The development of design tools always comes with the human s cognition and the progress of science and technology. The development of design tools promotes the design works. But when we talking about the last decade, sometime it will confuses people about the role which design tools played in the entire design process. Do the current design tools emancipate the imagination of designers? Do the current design tools make design become easier than before? Do the designers afford less work than past decade? These questions seem have a quite answer, but when we look into the current architecture industry, we will find it is different from what we thought. Tools vs. Design Tools The invention and introduction of design tools is different from other kind of tools. First, for most of tools, while a new one comes into the world, it wouldn t be mature until it has experienced long-term used and improved. But for design tools, because of the technical Requirements are always lagged behind the latest production techniques, people introduces the matured tools from other industry or subject directly, and make it be the design tools. Second, for general productive labor, tools are used to meet production needs and promote the efficiency. But for design tools,

4 not only it should promote the efficiency but also it should meet the demand of innovative concept of design. Because of this difference, design tools should be defined as two different types, which is efficient tools and revolutionary tools. Efficient tools Improve design efficiency to meet the existing needs of design thinking, and stabilize its influence in the design process. Revolutionary tools make the important changing of architectural design ideas happened, and increase its position in the design process. Third, design tools show us the technical background of designers, and its development has impacted the design works. But it doesn t mean the technological determinism. Just like the Manuel Castells mentioned: technology is just a part or factor of society. The culture behind the design tools is consist of human s cognition about the potential of the tools. This is the re-creation of design tools, meanwhile it is a representation of the cultural foundation of the design tools, and it is far more important than the technology which has invented the design tools. Three Phases of Design Tools Development 1. Manufacturing Design Tools Design tools are existing in different forms, both physical objects and abstract methods. Before the Renaissance, there is no such a profession can be defined as architect. in the most case, architect are usually replaced by artist and artisan. So at that time, one parts of the design tools are consist of art tools such as painting and sculpture tools, another part is construction tools. In ancient China, the similar situation also appeared, owner hired artist to design with painting, while hired the artisan to build. Marcus Vitruvius Pollio who write the famous The Ten Books on Architecture, has dual identity, both government officer and construction industry practitioners. In his The Ten Books on Architecture, he use ten chapters to illustrate architecture education, building material, design principles, environment control, construction

5 technology, etc. in the book, Vitruvius explain which architectural design principles are followed by ancient Greek and Roman, and how they apply it in the designing of Temple, residential and theater. The sets of design principles including how to measure, calculate and mark. So the design process is comes with the construction process, the method such as measure, calculate and mark should be seen as the design tool at the time. The design method which mentioned above has been extended to the Middle Ages. Because of the Statics theory was founded in end of 1700s,those extravagant gothic church was built by artisan s personal experience, but not according to the statics computing and accurate drawings. 2. Drawing Design Tools. When the time goes to Renaissance, people have ability to abstract a reality worlds, artist invented the perspective machine. it can transform the physical object into two dimensional the image. from that time, people start to use drawings to represent architecture. Perspective drawings became the main method that designers can communicate with each other. Meanwhile people started to use scale drawing and model to be the instruments for planning, and enhance the communication with builders. The application of these design tools Provides a convenient, at the same time creates opportunities that architects can work as a team. And thus, It allows architect to develop more intricate designs. the work method which is combine the perspective drawing and scale model has been applied for few hundred years. During the Renaissance, architect has been defined as an independent profession; they are engaged in the brain power to create art instead of the manual labor. When Filippo Brunelleschi being the chef architect of Florence, Basilica of Saint Mary of the Flower, one of his responsibilities is to coordinate the masons and their deputies, as well as ordinary workers, by telling them how to transform the model and scale

6 drawing into the reality object, conveying the idea of the architect to workers who cannot understand the complex perspective drawings. 3. Digital Design Tools The first computer came into the world in People started to develop the digital design tools. Prof. Ivan Sutherland invented the sketchpad in 1953, he combine the scheme design and logical analysis. But in the architecture practicing, the progress of digital design tools development seems slowly. Situation changes with the development of early drafting and modeling system. The digital revolution of architecture is recognized starting at 1980s, when the 4th generation CAAD system based on the 16 bit PC was applied into the practicing, the software, such as AutoCAD, MiniCAD, VersaCAD can be run on the PC. All these system promote the efficiency of architect s working, and make parts of tedious work of architect achieve automation. But none of these early digital tools are extended into a commercial design tool, so the popularity remained very limited. The turning point of CAD system happened in 1980s. It comes from two factors: globalization and digitization of the construction industry, as well as the popularity of personal computers. The Conventional CAD systems can help architect to finish professional drawing, modeling and rendering. The system great increased the efficiency of design. No one can deny that how useful the CAD system is. But actually, the CAD system at that time, didn t stimulate the imagination of the designers,, it is just another pencil and paper. With the development of digital tools, the design working method has been also changed, especially the appearing of 3D shaped technology. It makes architectural are no longer represented by floor plan, section plan or elevation. Architect can develop their idea with 3d digital model. So that they have more time to spend their energy on thinking how to make their works be reality.

7 In the latest decade, the pioneer researches and architects start to explore a new system and try to pursuit the complexity of architecture, such as Generative Components, Digital Project, Grasshopper, etc. the invitation of these system leads to the complexity of design works rapid rise. More and more architects are getting involved into the digital revolution; more energy and cost are spending on pursuit the complexity. But, is the complexity necessary to promote the progress of architectural design? Does the complexity mean the progress? The Challenge In today s architecture industry. Digital tools have made a remarkable contribution to the progress of the architectural design, as well as generate a lot of negative effects. With the development of digital tool, architects who didn t accept professional programming training, spend a lot of time on solving software problem but not design problem. We have to admit that we are facing an adverse situation: Architect, who used to work with descriptive drawings and symbols, now become the lonely operators of computers. Architectural design, which is previously an interested and creative process, now become a repetitive daily tasks. Knowledge and professional skill which are accumulated through long terms design process, are now replaced by the computers, just because it can generated a far more complex scheme. These phenomenon leads to the design thinking of architecture is limited by tools which designers selected. Architects are no longer control the tools they used, they are controlled by tools! Just like George Stiny said: Designers do just fine with pencil, paper, and imagination. The computer can do as well with shapes and symbols, their algebras, and rules. That

8 means the design require a totally different think pattern form computer operating. Blindly pursuing of the complexity will obliterate the imagination of those architects who accepted the classic architectural education. In order to overcome these negative impactions, and let architects can re-control the design process so that they can continue to produce the meaningful buildings. The division of work between architects and computers should be re-defined. The future s development of digital tools should optimize the its advantage and try to avoid limiting the imagination of architects. The progress of architectural design depends on the architect s excellent professional skill and application of design tools. Re-defined the Division of Work How to re-define the division works? Compared with the complexity of architecture, diversity is more important, which is the key approach to solving the challenge. Architecture is the result of Interdisciplinary, it including the knowledge and skills comes from different subject. When computer got involved into the subject of architecture, the essential characteristics of the subject didn t change. Diversity can be appeared in three different fields: Architectural education, architectural studying and architecture practicing, these three fields is also the way needs to be re-defined. 1. Architectural education Architecture education is the basic of architecture industry. When the digital revolution comes, does every architecture college get ready to face it? The curriculum of the most colleges can be divided into two parts: the core curriculum is called studio design; the non-core courses include the history of architecture, hand drawing, structures, digital tools training, etc. Although the digital training courses have been introduced in the education for several years, but the position of the courses is not right.

9 Teacher spreads the technology and theory in the class of non-core courses, but spreads the design thinking pattern in the studio design. In the current construction industry, digital tools have seeped into every corner of the aspect. It even changed the design working method; it means that, the traditional architectural design thinking which was taught in the studio design are no longer apply to the current industry. But the digital training courses which was set in the non-core course, didn t affect the student's thinking. In order get ready to the digital revolution, we should re-define the content of the core curriculum. 2. Architectural Studying When it talking about the architecture studying, I refer in particular to the developer of the architectural design tools. As I mention above, architects who didn t accept professional programming training, spend a lot of time on solving software problem but not design problem. For those who didn t have basic training of programming and scripting architects, asking them to do what they are not good at is not wise. People should focus on developing scheme, but not practicing the computer skill. So from my point of view, we need to produce a new design tool which has a friendly interface. The new design tools will allow architect control the computer easily than before. They don t need to pay attention on exploring the complex operating of computers. 3. Architecture Practicing During the digital revolution of architecture, the working method has been changed. So for the people who engaged in architectural design, needs to be re-defined. Architectural design needs people who have different background and technical basis, work with each other. The basis of mathematical logic and programming staff, the senior professional modelers and building information model operators need to actively participate in the architectural design work. The realization of design works are no longer depends on architects. The original work of architects of will be subdivided.

10 Conclusion Although the development of digital technology is less than satisfactory, the exploring of design tools didn t finished yet. But just like the Peter Eisenman once said: if you are ready you are already too late. The digital revolution will encourage architects to improve their own! Are architects disappearing? Yes, architects perform more like agency as intelligence is further distributed. No, Architects program in different way as programmers do So, Architects are evolving!

11 Bibliography: Jonathan Hill, Immaterial Architecture. Routledge; 1 edition (April 30, 2006) Ross King, Brunelleschi s Dome, Penguin Books; Reprint edition (November 1, 2001) Stiny George. what Designers Do That Computers Should, In The Electronic Design Studio: Architectural Knowledge and Media in the Computer Era.Cambridge: MIT Press.(1990):17-30 Marcus Vitruvius Pollio, Ten Books on Architecture, Digireads.com (January 1, 2005) Peter Eisenman: Diagram Diaries. Universe (October 15, 1999)