The casing of the earth (or landscape) is an intricate network of seismic plates constantly in flux. No part of any plate can be considered in isolation as any landform created by a seismic shift or otherwise, has a bearing on and relation to its neighbouring surroundings. An analogy can be made to man-made structures. Any building that is constructed has a bearing on and relationship with and to its immediate surrounds and wider context. As ihabitants of a society in constant flux it seems inconsiderate to design structures that are fixed in space and time.

Buildings can be parralleled to naturally occuring structures such as plant-life. Trees are located at a fixed point in the ground. This point is the spot from which both root and branch systems evolve. These systems evolve together as a feedback loop and inform the growth potential of the tree. The more nutrients, the more material that can be grown, the greater the surface area for photosynthesis........the more nutrients needed etc.
Similarly, a tree takes cue from its surrounds in that, if it is isolated in a sheltered area it will grow its branches horizontally and have a maximum of leaf coverage to maximise its potential for photosynthesis. If conversely the same tree is in an environment such as a forest it will necessarily need to grow tall and narrow branches that have the most foliage at the top of the forest "canopy". The tree adapts to its environment based on various inputs and stimuli.

Buildings should have similar systems in place to adapt to their environments. They should have the ability to be displaced and deformed due to various forces and fields of exertion. They should anticipate the desires and needs of their users and adapt accordingly. How can we facilitate these adaptive spatial organisations and what processes do we need to investigate in order to help them come to fruition?

Efficient: Activities performed effectively with minimum of waste or unnecessary effort, or producing a high ratio of results to resources.

Optimise: make optimal; get the most out of; use best; "optimize your resources"

Presentation thingy:

New Tools and New Materiality - digital (r)evolution in architecture

1. IMPACT OF NEW MEDIA

Architecture has shifted into a new paradigm through the advent of computational technology. Moore's law states that the amount of information storable on a given piece of semi-conductor (silicon) will roughly double every year. The same trend appears in processors and thus computing power will rise exponentially over relatively short periods of time. Peter Zellner asserts that a similar analysis can be made of digitally driven architectural innovation and suggests that we can look

forward to a revolutionary moment in architecture about once every 18 months. (Peter Zellner, "Ruminations on the perfidious enchantments

of a soft, digital architecture OR: how i learned to stop worrying about the blob")

When thinking about new media within architecture what immediately comes to mind is software and its position as the interface between

architect and design (output). At its inception CAD techniques were used as a purely representational tool - a quick way of drafting. As computer power has increased and

software has become more and more complex it has broadened the scope of digital techniques to encompass generative design tools and

complex form-making. Traditionally the software used by arhcitects was developed for other disciplines - engineering and animation software has been

appropriated as the new media of generative design and form fabrication. Perhaps the most widely used software specifically created for architectural practice is Archicad which positions itself as a purely

representational tool emulating current, real world design and building techniques. In terms of forward thinking there is absolutely no

facility for emerging technology to permeate the software thus it overlooks new strategies of form production and generative design

systems. It remains a tool for the production of 2D architectural drawings created for the average builder.

Another main issue is about a conceptual understanding of tools, techniques and processes in the current digital climate. It appears that those who can use the tools don't really know why they are using them and/or how to use them effectively, while those who

might understand the tools better don't actually know how to use them. "The master stands over the acolyte, points to the screen, and asks him to move the element a little to the left. The finger smudges on

the screen are the residue of the technical gap between the generations of architects" - Peter Lipson

1. JUSTIFICATION

Architects consistently find themselves needing to justify the use of any systems (software or otherwise) that are not created

specifically for the field. When it comes to generative design this usually involves citing natural systems and/or physical models. The use of engineering software is easier to justify as it can be argued that it has a direct correlation to the fabrication process.

1. FABRICATION

The overarching question for current architectural practice appears to be about design definition and representation i.e. how we design

(what tools and techniques) and how that design can be represented and fabricated.

“…Architecture depends upon its time. It is the crystallization of its inner structure, the slow unfolding of its form. That is the reason why technology and architecture are so closely related. Our real hope is that they will grow together, that some day the one will be the expression of the other. Only then will we have an architecture worthy of its name: architecture as a true symbol of our time” (Mies van der Rohe, 1950).

1. MATERIAL POTENTIALS & IMPACT ON DESIGN

With the advent of some astounding new material technologies architecture has the possibility to go further than it has ever been in terms

of the fabrication of dynamic responsive environments. Technology such as electro-chromic glass, electro-polymeric glass, contour crafting (automated concrete printing) and programmable atoms

are creating a new realm for architectural design. how are these new materials and techniques going to effect architectural practice and

the way we design.