GHASSAN ALSERAYHI
MSc. Arch, M. Arch, B. Arch, Assoc. SCE
ARCHITECT + EDUCATOR + RESEARCHER
Making the Invisible Visible
Reconceptualizing Materiality and the Problem of
the 'Real in Relation to Perception and Technology
the 'Real in Relation to Perception and Technology
Using digital fabrication as an example, the relationship between robotics and architecture is under scrutiny, highlighting the innovative characteristics birthed from this convergence, reminiscent of Manuel De Landa's insights on emerging properties (1991). How does robotic technology influence architectural practices? Is such technology truly necessary for the field? Defining "architectural robotics" involves understanding its integration and potential to reshape our tech-driven society. How can a technology once viewed as intrusive align with architectural principles? Robotics is merging synergistically with human tendencies. We inherently strive to devise systems, reflecting our technological nature. Modern architecture is gravitating towards interactivity, blending seamlessly with technology and its surroundings. It represents a melding of the organic and inorganic, real and virtual, animate and inanimate, taking center stage in contemporary design. A symbiotic bond with nature is evident, and robotics accentuates this relationship. Architectural designs evolve based on feedback, erasing boundaries between the digital and physical. Through robotics, a fusion of design, material, and spatial artistry emerges. Architecture connects the physical with the conceptual, and spaces can be perceived as adaptive rather than static. Robotics accentuates this perspective, reshaping conventional views of space and time, and enhancing architectural innovation. However, translating digital ideas into tangible realities presents challenges due to digital accuracy constraints. Inspired by robotic motion-control, both form and function are directed, granting them distinct behaviors and functions.
Knowledge construction is one crucial aspect that influences and lives within the process of translating and switching between the tangible and intangible and the material and immaterial realms. In the age of digital media, the dynamics between technology-driven cultural exposure and the distinctiveness rooted in isolation from mainstream culture becomes pivotal. For instance, in textual mediums like magazines and newspapers, hermeneutics explores the issue of comprehension. How do we interpret a text? Is our understanding based on the author's intent or the reader's interpretation? This dilemma leads us to two distinct philosophical perspectives: the intentionalist and the nihilistic approaches. In contexts where tangible resources for construction are scarce, the logical alternative becomes intangible or digital technologies. The concept of "materiality" then shifts from a mere physical understanding to encompass mental representations and events influenced by certain technologies and media. These alter our perception of the tangible, especially when media play a dialectical role in shaping cultural practices. This was evident, for example, in the media of the 20th century. It paves the way for the exploration of ‘possible worlds,’ where the projected reality is questioned, leading to a deeper intellectual and mental engagement with spaces or objects.
This reconceptualization of materiality delves into events and their impact on the evolution of architectural ideas. Users, when engaging with architecture, become akin to computer RAMs, inundated with ideas and mental images. This inundation influences cultural output, often leading to homogenized thought and creation. In contrast, those devoid of such technological influences, insulated from mainstream culture, often exhibit unique thought patterns. Their discourse stands out due to the diverse range of knowledge and information sources. It's essential to analyze the limitations of tangible practices in fostering intellectual and imaginative engagement. Several pertinent questions arise: Can individuals truly detach their perception from their accumulated knowledge? To what extent does our understanding of the technologies integrated into architecture shape our perception of the built environment? Considering materiality as a state rather than just substance, we face pivotal questions: Does matter possess an inherent essence that transcends its observable properties? Can we distinguish between the unseen essence of objects and their observable attributes? Is the underlying assumption about the essence in natural entities, similar to inherent human traits and essence?
In the contemporary era of technology and information, the architectural domain is rapidly evolving, integrating new design languages through innovative tools. Alongside this evolution is an urgent need to define a foundational theory for this emerging "New Paradigm." This research segment explores the concept of "elegance" both as an aesthetic and, more critically, as a symbol that encapsulates the defining features of this "New Paradigm." While the term "elegant" currently denotes notions like sophistication or finesse, it presents a unique opportunity to be redefined with novel interpretations. Within the context of the "New Paradigm," this study underscores elegance's intrinsic connection to prevailing design trends, notably "Parametricism," a movement deeply influenced by digital culture. Although architects and critics frequently reference "elegance" in relation to this trend, its meaning in architectural dialogues varies significantly. The objective of this research is to consolidate and elucidate these diverse interpretations of the term. The study delves into the understanding of aesthetic and elegance in the digital age by analyzing emerging design languages and their foundational methodologies. Additionally, it contrasts the aesthetic of elegance with architectural complexity theories, illustrating how elegance is embodied in practical aspects of architectural design. Examples include the utilization of intelligent, adaptive systems to address intricate design issues or optimize material consumption. The research also emphasizes the aesthetic dimensions of elegance. As the term "elegance" continues to accrue deeper significance, understanding its nuances becomes essential for the advancement of digital architecture, which is worth asking, what are the implications for aesthetic criticism, political examination, and cultural integrity associated with technology applied to architecture?
Language has become more compressed as it materializes. In the past, such compression was avant-garde. Now, many use Twitter's 140-character constraint, effectively expressing themselves within this limit. Language, a dynamic entity, evolves across digital and textual realms, necessitating the creation of new meanings by repurposing existing texts. In his book, "Uncreative Writing," Kenneth Goldsmith delves into two 20th-century movements: “concrete poetry” and “situationism,” noting their shared emphasis on materiality. The Situationists introduced three pivotal ideas: dérive, détournement, and psychogeography, to infuse daily life with wonder. People often adhere to routines, seldom deviating. Dérive, or 'drift,' offers an escape from such repetitiveness, promoting exploration without specific intent, leading to unforeseen discoveries. While not advocating aimless wandering, the idea is to enhance our city comprehension through psychogeography, which charts emotional currents. For example, in New York City, after visiting main attractions, one might explore lesser-known areas. Psychogeography reinterprets traditional city mapping, focusing on emotionally significant places. Détournement transforms existing objects and ideas, with vast potential applications ranging from book titles to symphonies. These concepts are foundational cultural steps towards altering daily existence. Some artists, accentuating language's importance, remove text from advertisements, only leaving images. This shift makes us keenly aware of language's omnipresence in our lives and its varied styles and tones. The second 20th-century movement, concrete poetry, presented non-traditional poems resembling corporate logos more than profound meanings. This movement aimed for a universal writing style, accessible to all. However, its enduring impact on modern media is debatable, and its prominence has waned. The movement tried to bridge literary history with design and technology. While some contemporary designs echo concrete poetry, they often miss its linguistic essence.
In our modern age, technology, alongside other factors like language, has exerted a widespread influence, allowing prevailing norms and their creators to evade critical analysis. This absence of aesthetic and political scrutiny means that these norms often remain unchallenged. This could potentially lead to stagnation in ideation and transparency in communication. It is imperative to evaluate the role of technology in shaping these norms and ensure that they undergo rigorous critique. Tracing the development of technology reveals how digital tools have not only changed the aesthetic outcome of architectural products but also the intellectual input behind them. Over time, craft techniques have evolved into distinct architectural styles and standards, underscoring technology's significant role in guiding our artistic endeavors. Recalling our ancestors who used simple inscriptions in sand as a communication method, comparing that with today's advanced technologies, highlights significant queries about technology's role in precision and potential errors during the creation process.
When studying architectural elements like ornaments, it's essential to recognize their multifaceted roles: structural, aesthetic, symbolic, and as conduits for technological and political narratives. For example, Gulf country tribes have intricately woven their social norms and material culture with technology. Subtle gestures during social interactions, influenced by design elements like the "Finjal" coffee cup, hold significant meaning. The technological and material nuances in producing these items, like the coffee beans and pots, differ among tribes, leading to variations in design, form, and size. Such intricate cultural codes underline how technology and materiality significantly influence aesthetics, spatial experiences, social norms, and even politics. Observing these details reinforces the idea that technology's role in production heavily influences aesthetics, cultural norms, and political ideologies, which raises the question of the intersection between aesthetic conceptions driven by technology with society and politics. Analyzing design processes through the perspective of technology is akin to observing a continually evolving dialogue, encompassing topics from necessity versus luxury to how one transitions into the other with technological advances. For instance, tools that once were deemed luxurious due to their novelty and cost often become indispensable for professionals to stay competitive. On the other hand, elements like brick and mortar, which were necessities in construction, now symbolize luxury in certain contexts. This ebb and flow between necessity and luxury, facilitated by technology, aesthetics, and society, underlines the ever-shifting trends and ideologies in architecture. Therefore, a crucial question poses itself: how has technology served as a medium for delivering both technological advances and political ideologies within architectural practices?
Throughout history, philosophy and architecture have evolved concurrently, with intertwined trajectories. Ancient essentialist theories, which anchor Transcendentalism, posit a divide between form and matter, emphasizing the intangible Idea over the tangible Object. Yet, as Relativist philosophies came to the fore, they stressed the importance of the human body in perceiving and molding the physical environment. As a result, the Transcendentalist view, commonly tied to theocratic societies, paved the way for hysterics. This perspective aligns with post-humanistic ecologies, where material production is a collaborative effort between human and non-human forces. The early 21st century witnessed the rise of Digital Architecture. In a period characterized by economic turbulence and evolving humanistic values, this architectural style drew from egalitarian societal constructs. It not only reshaped the designer's role, combining the practical skills of a craftsman with the visionary tools of a modern architect, but also revisited the classic form-matter relationship. Harnessing technologically-advanced materials, architecture adopts a morphogenetic method, signaling the advent of New Materialism. This paradigm champions material vitality and fosters a comprehensive worldview, moving beyond merely defining current architectural practice.
In the digital age, architecture's foundation is shifting from modernist space-time constraints to a globally interconnected realm. The integration of digital technology into formative processes has ushered in a fresh architectural paradigm, challenging traditional design norms and expanding our grasp of representation, production, and spatial experience. Architectural methods are now less about deterministic approaches and more about adaptive strategies that respond to ever-evolving built environments. Designers delve into emergent virtual constructs born from bottom-up processes rather than mere form-making. Drawing from mathematical concepts, digital tools allow architecture to transcend strict Cartesian boundaries. Reevaluating architecture's bond with materiality, substances have become central in form generation. This strategy capitalizes on qualities found in living systems, emphasizing notions like self-organization and unpredictability. Designs now embody multifaceted geometries, emphasizing organic elements and embracing fluidity, adaptability, and diversity. Within the digital realm, materiality is celebrated for its intricate richness, heralding the benefits of tailored production. The element of time, signifying continuous evolution and decay, is incorporated into design strategies through advanced digital tools. Thus, once static materials gain dynamism, aligning architectural concepts closer to the vitality of life. This digital evolution in architecture bridges conceptualization and fabrication, promoting an integrated approach to creating novel forms. Such convergence emphasizes the enhanced interplay between spaces and their inhabitants, a cornerstone of modern design philosophy. The versatility of contemporary tools, challenging established standards, underlines the profound bond between the tool and its user. In this context, 'emotion' emerges as a pivotal facet of the digital design vocabulary.
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