Wednesday, December 10, 2008
On the relationship between electronics and architecture
Science and technology goes at its own pace seemingly without regard to its affect on society. The consumer demand of the fast-paced, emotionally void, and irrevocably selfish upcoming generations pushes our market to constantly further the scientific realm of electronic technology for the development of new toys or cool gadgets that could cut time or make us more efficient. Do you think that this demand and consummation of technology in our society is healthy? Do you think the emphasis on the technology will take away or water-down our opportunity to express ourselves through the creation of structures in a senatorial or emotional manner if we had to create "hybrids" between computers and the built environment such as the 'intelligent buildings' suggested in Mitchell's e-topia?
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2 comments:
To answer your first question Yes I do believe that the constant search for the newest technology is healthy. I believe in this technological age people are constantly trying to rethink the way we preform everyday tasks, and to create more efficient ways to get to the same outcome. As far as the world of Architecture is concerned I, for one, am excited about the possibilities that could be realized by adding newer technologies. Yes there will be a re-invention of architecture through the addition of, as Mitchell says, innovative smart places, but in my opinion this doesn't mean an end to architecture as we know it today.
You said the new technology is great because it can 'create more efficient ways to get to the same outcome'. I was saying the same thing with my comment that all of this is brought about so that we could cut time or make us more efficient; I also called us a fast-paced society. Don't you think that, if all we care about is getting from point ‘a’ to point ‘b’, then we will miss out on all of the things between our starting point and our destination? We would be loosing the essence of the journey. I think that our society is so wrapped up in what we are doing that we need to learn to slow down and enjoy life. To love what is going on, the every-day joys that we can get.
I think that technology is really cool in the realm of architecture. Look at the 'first' computer formed building, Frank Gehry's Dancing House in Prague. I think it's one of the coolest things, maybe not the best looking things, but it's the idea that a guy was able to tweak some things on a computer, make the forms albeit vaguely look like dancers, for a dance hall - a dance hall nick-named after the most popular dance duo of the 1930s and 40s (Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers). I'm also excited about what could happen with the technology, but I wouldn't be overjoyed with a society completely dependent on a computer program such as Second Life.
Like Mr. Brooks asked us: if all of life came to being lived through a virtual world such as Second Life and you were a successful architect, one that people would have come speak, paid big bucks to design these virtual buildings, and people even sent you letters saying 'through this Second Life Church I have been able to believe in a higher being" would you still be satisfied?'
I didn't have to think a split second. I know that I would not be happy with that. I know for a fact that if, in 25 years, that is what society was like, I'd quit architecture and go live in the part of the Philippines where there is no electricity or running water.
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