FORMS AND TECTONICS OF EMERGENT ARCHITECTURE

FORMS AND TECTONICS OF EMERGENT ARCHITECTURE
An Educated Guess based upon study of Emergent Cellular Aggregations.


ABSTRACT:
The basis of this Research Paper thus is exploring the Idea of Emergence in Architecture by virtue of its Forms and Tectonics. The Research attempts to do an analogous reading between Emergence in Architecture and Emergence of Microscopic Biological systems. The objective of the research is not about the Biological Accuracy but about finding out Morphogenetic Principles those represents the Efficiency, Flexibility and Robustness present in them. The first part of the research elaborates the idea of Emergence in Architecture with help of few writings and works by Architect Tom Wiscombe while the later part studies Emergence of Cellular Aggregations with examples of Slime Mould and Lichen. The Research concludes by the Architectonic Principles observed in those Systems.

KEYWORDS:
Emergence, Bottom-up Method, Cellular Aggregation, Self Similar, Slime Mould, Lichen.

FORMS AND TECTONICS OF CELLULAR AGGREGATION

“The idea that innovation weather scientific, technological or architectural is a by product of artistic chance or a result of singular genius is Anachronistic. Complex theory revels that innovation- the creation of the new – is the direct result of Bottom-up evolutionary process. Architecture is just beginning to engage the concept” * says Architect Tom Wiscombe whose practice (http://www.emergentarchitecture.com/) essentially engages the idea of evolutionary or emergent design. Tom along with Peter Testa and Marcelo Spina instructed spring studio 06 at Sci-Arc whose title was
‘On Forms and Tectonics of Cellular Aggregation’, the objective of the studio was to explore the generative procedures, tectonic and special qualities and constructive and assembly processes necessary to produce and deploy emergent forms of cellular aggregation.

Taking this as our springing point we would like to conduct the research under the same title but in a theoretical way rather than in an applied way. The objective of our research will be finding ‘Cellular Aggregations’ that exist in nature and representing their forms and tectonics by virtue of diagrams. For example ‘Slime Mould’ which shows characteristics of both animal-like and plant-like behavioral patterns. The research therefore can involve the morphological study of the cellular patterns of the slime mould in regards to the physiological changes. However the aim of the research will not be about the biological accuracy but about diagrammatically representing the flexibility, efficiency and robustness present in these systems.
The research will do a simultaneous reading between, the first aspect dealing with the nature and understanding of emergent practice in architecture and the second aspect essentially dealing with the study and analysis of few cellular aggregations present in nature. With this research we are hoping to find some principals which can be algorithmically coded to derive at some surprising end results.






PART I (TO BE ELABORATED IN MORE DETAIL)

EMERGENCE: THE IDEA OF EMERGENCE - EMERGENCE TALKS ABOUT THE COLLECTIVE BEHAVIOR OF A SYSTEM OF ORGANIZATION WHERE THE WHOLE IS DIFFERENT THAN THE PARTS AND EXHIBITS BEHAVIORS AND PROPERTIES WHICH ARE NOT PREDICTABLE BY THE OBSERVATION OF THE PARTS. EMERGENCE EXISTS IN NATURE IN MACRO AS WELL AS IN MICRO BIOLOGICAL SYSTEMS FOR EXMAPLE ANT COLONIES, FLOCKING OF BIRDS, BEE SWARMING OR SLIME MOULD SHOWS THE EMERGENT BEHAVIOR.
STEVE JOHNSON IN HIS BOOK EMERGENCE TALKS ABOUT 5 SIMPLE RULES WHICH AN ANT FOLLOWS IN THE SWARM BEHAVIOR

1. MORE IS DIFFERENT
2. IGNORANCE IS USEFUL
3. ENCOURAGE RANDOM NUMBERS
4. LOOK FOR PATTERNS IN THE SIGNS
5. PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR NEIGHBOURS

THIS SHOW THAT THE EMERGENT SYSTEMS ESSENTIALLY INCORPORTAE PRINCIPLES OF SELF ORGANIZATION, STYGMERGY, FLEXIBILITY AND ROBUSTNESS.
ARCHITECTURE HAS JUST STARTED UNDERSTANDING IDEA OF EMERGENCE WITH ITS BOTTOM UP APPROACH AN ALTERNATIVE TO THE TOP DOWN APPROACH. THE BOTTOM UP APPROCH INVOLVES CELLULAR ORGANIZATION WHERE EACH CELL CAN BE CONNECTED TO THE NEIGHBOURING CELL BY MEANS OF MATHAMATICAL PRINCIPALS DERIVED FROM LOGICS OF THE BIOLOGICAL SYSTEMS. THIS INDUCES FLEXIBILITY WITHIN THE ORGANIZATION. WHAT DOES IDEA OF FLEXIBILITY AND ROBUSTNESS MEAN TO ARCHITECTURE? EACH ELEMENT HAS THE POSSIBILITY T ADAPT TO THE CHANGES IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD AND RECONSTRUCT ITSELF. OBJECTS ARE LINKED WITH OTHER OBJECTS BY RELATION. THESE RELATIONS CAN BE LOGICAL OR GEOMETRICAL. THE SELF ASSEMBLAGE OF CELLULAR AGGREGATION CAN PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN THE ARTIFICIAL SYSTEMS FOR EXAMPLE ARTIFICIAL RESOURCE DISTRIBUTION NETWORKS SUCH AS TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM OR UTILITY GRID. AS OF NOW WHICH DEPENDS UPON TOP DOWN DESIGN PARADIGM LAID BY BEST ANALYTIC METHOD AVAILABLE. MODIFICATIONS ARE MADE IN ADHOC MANNER. TOP DOWN MANAGEMENT APPROCH TO COMPLEX SYSTEM BECOMES MEANINGLESS. SO IT BECOMES IMPORTANT TO STUDY THE IDEA OF EMERGENCE AND THEREFORE CELLURAL AGGREGATION. THE MORPHOLOGICAL PRINCIPLES BEHIND THEM.
ONE EXAMPLE IS OF SLIME MOULD.





PART II (EXAMPLE OF CELLULAR AGGREGATIONS SLIME MOULD, LICHEN/ EXAMPLE OF CELLULAR GROWTH SMOLUSCAN SHELL)

SLIME MOULD: DESCRIBING SLIME MOULD BY ITS MORPHOGENESIS AND DETAILING OUT THE PARADIGMS BEHIND ITS SWARM BEHAVIOR.
HOW CAN IT BE USED IN DIFFERENT FIELDS? A GOOD EXAMPLE IS SLIMEBOT (ROBOTICS)
ANOTHER EXAMPLE IS OF ‘LICHEN’ COLONIES OF SYMBIOTIC ALGAE AND FUNGI WHICH GROW ON THE ROCKS FORMING INTERESTING AND INTRICATE GROWTH PATTERNS. THEIR MORPHOGENESIS CAN BE STUDIED BAED ON THE AVAILABLE LITERATURE.

IMAGE OF LICHEN ON ROCK FORMATIONS

MADE FOR YOU

“YOU CAN HAVE ANY COLOUR YOU LIKE AS LONG AS ITS BLACK”
THIS WAS THE MOST USED PARADIGM OF THE LAST CENTURY WHICH WAS DOMINATED BY THE IDEA OF MASS PRODUCTION. THE IDEA OF MASS PRODUCTION WHICH IMPLIED AFFORDABILITY AND STANDERDIZATION ON ONE HAND DENIED SOCIAL AND CULTURAL HETEROGINIETY ON THE OTHER. ALTHOUGH SOME ATTEMPTS WERE MADE TO OFFER PERSONAL CHOICE BUT FAILED SPECTACULARLY. ‘FOR EXAMPLE IN 1940 WALTER GROPIUS DEVELOPED FACTORY BASED MASS PRODUCTION SYSTEM TO OFFER HIGHLY CUSTOMIZABLE HOMES ’THE PACKAGED HOUSE’. THE IDEA WAS TO MEET CLIENT’S DESIRE FOR INDIVIDUALITY AND PLEASURE OF PERSONAL CHOICE BY PROVISION OF INTERCHANGABLE PARTS. HOWEVER HE SOON REALIZED THAT IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO OFFER PERSONAL CHOICE WITH THEIR SYSTEM AND THE FACTORY WHICH WAS BUILT TO PRODUCE 10,000 HOUSES / YEAR CLOSED BEFORE MANUFACTURING EVEN 200.’ (A+U) TODAY MORE THAN HALF CENTURY LATER THE DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES OFFER US FLEXIBLE AND AGILE SOLUTIONS OF CUSTOMIZATION COMPARED TO INFLEXIBLE SYSTEM OF MASS PRODUCTION. THE USE OF CAD-CAE-CAM TECHNOLOGIES NOT ONLY OFFER CUSTOMIZATION AT EVERY LEVEL (DESIGN/ENGINEERING/MANUFACTURING) BUT ALSO SMOOTH TRANSITION BETWEEN EACH OF THEM. THE DETAILS OF THIS NEW PRODUCTION SYSTEM CAN BE FOUND OUT IN CASE STUDIES OF NIKEID, DELL OR TOYOTA. ALL OF THEM OFFER THE CONSUMER; NUMEROUS CHOICES OF THE PARTS TO SELECT FROM AND TO CREATE A PRODUCT BEST SUITED TO HIS IDENTITY. THUS THE PARADIGM OF THIS CENTURY IS NOT ‘LESS IS MORE’ BUT ‘LESS IS BORE AND MORE IS DIFFERENT’
THE IDEA OF CUSTOMIZATION IN ARCHITECTURE MEANS ‘ONE BUILDING ONE DETAIL’. THE SIMULTANEOUS DEVELOPMENT IN THE FIELD OF DIGITAL VISUALIZATION AND DIGITAL FABRICATION MADE IT POSSIBLE FOR ARCHITECTS ACTUALIZE THE TECTONICS OF NEW TERRIOTORIES. THE EXAMPLES CAN BE SEEN IN THE CONTEMPORARY WORKS OF FRANK GHERRY, KAS OOSTERHUIS, FUKSSAS AND MORE. WHERE EARLIER ATTEMPTS OF CUSTOMIZATION FAILED BECAUSE OF BEING ECONOMICALLY UNSUSTAINABLE, THE DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES ALLOWED PRODUCTION OF CUSTOMIZED PRODUCTS WITH THE SAME ASSEMBLY LINE. FOR EXAMPLE IN THE MILLING PROCESS WHERE VARIATION IN DESIGNS IS OBTAINED BY CHANGING THE MILLING TOOLS OR MILLING PARAMETERS. THE OTHER IMPORTANT ASPECT ABOUT DIGITALLY CUSTOMIZED PRODUCTS IS THEIR PRECISION AND CONTROLLING THE WASTEAGE. THE PRODUCTS CAN BE SEEN AS A SET OF INFORMATION AND THEREFORE CAN BE CONTROLLED AND MANIPULATED BEFORE PRODUCTION OR IN SOME CASEES DURING THE PROCESS OF PRODUCTION. TO CONCLUDE THE IDEA OF CUSTOMIZATION BRINGS UNIQUENESS TO THE DESIGN AND THEREFORE SHOULD BE SEEN AS A DESIGN TOOL IN ORDER TO OPTIMIZE ITS LIMITS.
Interesting article to read here: http://www.di.net/articles/archive/2054/

Abstracts List

Abstracts submitted until now:

12.11.07
G06: "Forms and Tectonics of Cellular Aggregation"
G12: "Collective intelligence in the process of real-time environment reprogramming"
G07: "Tradition Revised"
G10: "Clouds in the Bottles"
G18: "Zaha Hadid"
G01: "Rejecting Materiality: In-Forming Forms"
13.11.07
G03: "Mass Customization and the Prefab House"
G14: "The Abaqus Unified FEA application in the field of architecture and industrial design."
G05: "Nanotechnology and Architecture"
G02: "Advanced Design Processes"
G09: "Bio-materiality"
G15: "HYPERBODIES: Complex Adaptive Dynamic Multi-Agent Systems as Self-Sustainable Environments of Inhabitance."
G04: "Emergent Form"
G13: "Ubiquitius Computing"
G17: "Coherence and Chronology in Digital Design Manifestation"
14.11.2007
G08: "Scripting: Emergent Design Process"
15.11.2007
G16: "Digital Technologies's Implementation on Urbanism"
G11: "Tech is More? (UnStudio Design Models)"

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The 3 groups missing should submit their abstract using the Form as soon as possible!
The submission order is the sequence that we will follow to discuss the papers next week.
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RE-invention

The subject of re-inventing brings a lot of words that can explain this as the innovation of something. This is something that came as a natrural path of development in the human world. The re-invention in our day is something that comes with a obvious concept, Sustentability. We are agree that if the re-invention of materiality had to be, in some way part of the solution in this new era.

In somehow the re-inventing of a material became more in re-conscience nature. Sustentability in materials in our idea is part of the brands that are coming out, Intelligents material, synthetic material. Now we are looking for materials that are more concience about the balace of create new from others waste like Quarella that has a large range of stone products that are suitable for counters, bench tops and tiling applications. And their products are made from recycled marble. quartz or limestone which is mixed with a polyester resin, creating a hard wearing natural looking product. The water used in their manufacturing processes is filtered and recycled. Other way is the combinations from recycle and mix other for create a suplement, like the Husque which is a range of products are the result of melding recycled macadamia nut shells with a polymer to form a dense mould able material similar to Bakelite from the 1930s. Like this examples we what to show that part of the re-inventing materility is also be in the path of the sustentability of the world.

In other form, the subject re-inventing materiality is act with that. As we were talking of sustentable materials, desing is other way to innovate in materiality. Part of the constant develop of new materials is the requirements of the architecs of today. The creativity is the key for ideas that can change the use of some particular material or create the need for it, like desings for shelters that in some point re-think the ideas and the concepts to bring with new ones.

To conclude this, we think that is important the way to re-innovate something. In our days the balance with nature and human develop is not equal. That’s why we talk about the re-invention as a re-thinking of materials.

Complex Geometry: Reinventing the Paradigm

With ‘mobius house’(torus house) the use of complex terminology started, the research going on for decades and the constant flux of digital information continuously tries to reinvent the logic between architecture and geometry. For some time after venturi’s complexity & contradiction in architecture architects tried to establish an analogy between complexity in program and its manifestation into architectural form. The advent of digital technologies (cad-cam) supported the process. Lot of conceptual models developed (blobs etc.)New terminologies evolved eventually like kinetics, supple, pliant etc.
Some architects used this to produce functional concepts. A new aesthetic of digitally manufactured spaces can be seen today .however architect like koolhaas uses it rarely.

Is FOA’s Yokohama Port Terminal a complex geometry? Is it complex just because we are not used to this kind of surfaces? Will we still consider it complexity when we see it in 2050, when maybe we all will know how to manage this kind of geometry with the help of better computer software? Is it more complex than some Venturi’s buildings or OMA’s Universal project just because our difficulty on drawing it on a paper? Is Ben van Berkel’s Moebius House complex because of its geometry or because of its program? What is complexity in geometry? Does geometry’s complexity depend on our ignorance about new technologies? Aren’t more interesting the shapes that follow complex programs than the free surfaces that respond only to a free game?

Maybe we are in the middle of a process, but something is happen in the new proposals of architecture. The fight between architectural process and architectural easthetic (form), come by the creation of new materials, lenguage, software, etc… and this is a dilema that with the time we will know for the final answers. The complexity of the shape is not new and the programs of the buildings are changing with the new needs of the people. There is the true; the competitibity and the demanding world are creating this kind of development in design and technologies.

To finish this, we can’t forgot that the function and the concept of one project and the column of the architecture. And if in the process during the time we lost this, we will lost, in my way of think, the meaning of being architects

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