Seminar on:

Hi Tech/Digital _ Revolution/Trend in Architecture

Prepared By : Mohammad Rafidul Islam
Reg : 02204014
Hi Tech/Digital _ Revolution/Trend in
Architecture
now a days Digital media is prominent in the practice of
Architecture uses of these tools [such as AutoCAD, 3d max, Corel
Draw, Photoshop, Sketchup, Google Earth etc.] makes significant in
the process of design and presentation.

there are both good and bad impact. digital drawing can be precise
but may not have the output same as the manual media with more
human touch. there are some new type of Architecture, which is
generated only because of the digital media. It is now used widely.
3d perspective, walkthrough/animation can make virtual reality
effects [although it takes lots of time and energy].

“Digital media/Manual media/hybrid media in which direction is

Architecture going??? “
-It is a fact which we should be aware of.

THE DEFINITION OF DIGITAL ARCHITECTURE: NEW TOOL?

NEW THEORY? NEW AGE? NEW REVOLUTION? Digital
architecture might be just a new tool. If the digital technology
does not influence the design thinking, design method and spatial
theory, then it can be treated as merely a new tool. Even though,
the digital technology will be another breakthrough as a tool, much
more powerful than the drafting invented in the Greek time or the
modeling in the Renaissance.

Anthony Ames * Tadao Ando * David Baker Associates * R.L.

Binder * Neil Denari * Steven Holl * Helmut Jahn * Kajima
Corporation * Kohn Pederson Fox * Morphosis * Eric Owen Moss *
Scogin Elam and Bray Architects * Smith-Miller + Hawkinson
Architects * Shin Takamatsu * Bernard Tschumi * Kenneth Yeang *
_Architects who uses the digital technology.

ARCHITECTURE IN THE DIGITAL AGE

Information technologies and the construction industry are coming

together in ways once unimaginable, and their union is changing
what people do inside buildings, as well as how buildings are
designed and built.
For the last 200 years, the basic construction paradigm has been
the factory, created for masses of people to work together to
make complicated products.
Now that paradigm is changing. With the rise of the virtual
workplace, physical proximity is becoming ever less essential. The
big research question today is what kind of building will we be
building in the next century? Perhaps lots of meeting places. After
all, the web is an electronic meeting place, but we will need physical
meeting places as well.

The Philosophy of Digital Architecture

THE EMERGENCE OF DIGITAL ARCHITECTURE. In the year of
2000, the end of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st
century, the applications of computer had already changed the
design method, especially the technology like the virtual reality,
CAD/CAM technology, and Internet. Through the computer, many
famous architects, for instance Frank Gehry and Peter Eisenman,
had designed various amazing spaces. Many of the architectural
elements had been redefined, such as function, form, volume and
space. This new type of architecture produced by the combination
of new architectural efforts and digital technology is generally
called digital architecture. After several years of development,
the debate of the computerization has been shifted from the more
technical issues into the issues related to the digitality of
architecture, such as "Is this a temporary phenomenon or a
permanent revolution?" "Will this tool hurt the architecture since
we're not familiar with it?" "Are we ready for the new revolution?"
"What's digital architecture?"

digital technology now has reached the stage where the

convergence of computer, telephone and television could reduce
costs of design and construction by as much as 30 percent.

In the early stages of its employment, architects approached

computer technology as an assistance technique that would enhance
architectural practice. The scope of this engagement was captured
in the phrase ‘computer-aided architectural design’. In the four
decades since that time, the role of computer technology in
architecture has gained a marked significance and led to a
different approach to physical production/construction. The scope
has now been extended for architects to contemplate ‘totally
digital architecture design/construction’.
Digital Architecture is a particularly dynamic field that is
developing through the work of architectural schools, architects,
software developers, researchers, technology, users, and society
alike.

Digital architecture might be also a new theory. If it can be used

to assist the design thinking process by internet-aided design and
web-based design, the design method based on the Bauhaus
pedagogy will be redefined. In the same time, the design theory
from the Renaissance will be also greatly changed by the computer-
aided design and design with computer. In addition, if our
cyberspace and networked space experience can ultimately
influence our spatial concepts in the physical world, following the
massy Egyptian space, geometric Greek space, mystic Gothic space,
dynamic Baroque space, modernism space, there will be a brand new
spatial theory, so called digitalism. On the other hand, if the
design method, thinking pattern and spatial theory are all changed
by the digital architecture, digital architecture will be more than a
theory.

The digital architecture might thus form a new age if it is

considered to have an overall impact on architecture. We should
pay attention because if the digital architecture really forms an
age, it will influence not only on architecture, but also the value
system (Why it is good) and new aesthetics (what is beauty).

Finally, digital architecture can be defined as a revolution. Every

revolution changes human history and life style: fishing and hunting
revolution, agricultural revolution and industrial revolution. Since
architecture is only a small part of the social evolution. We can
only wait to see what drastic socio-cultural changes will emerge in
the digital age.

In addition to these possibilities, we can also define the digital

architecture by its duration. The duration generally lasts for a few
months for a new tool, 10 to 30 years for a new theory, hundreds
to thousands of years for a revolution. Therefore, if the digitality
of architecture can last a few years, it might be regarded as a new
tool; if more than 10 years, it might be considered as a new theory;
if more than 30 years, it might be seen as a new age; if more than
even hundred years, it might be defined as revolution.

THE GAPS IN DIGITAL ARCHITECTURE. It is not easy to predict

the future of the digital architecture, although, it is still
progressing with the full speed. There are still gaps between the
architectural education, society culture, and digital architecture.

The first is the gap between the professional and non-professional. the revolution generally
causes controversy. Even though many people only use computer to type and e-mail, they don't
hesitate to criticize and question the digital architecture.

The second is the gap between two exiting generation and digital generation. We define the
generation every 10 years. It's not easy for the different generations to communicate with
each other. The generation gap between the existing generation and the digital generation can
be easily seen in the debate of architectural design process, presentation, space, volume,
concept and aesthetics (a Taiwanese architectural student almost got flunk for using the
computation presentation instead of tradition drawings and models). The gaps exist
everywhere in the world. For instance, the digital generation uses computer to white, thinking
the traditional writing time-consuming, while the other generation criticizes the writing in the
e-mail as "the writing without quality". This kind of criticism sounds familiar, we can trace it
back to seventy years ago, while the Chinese modern literature replaces the classical
literature. The Renaissance people who write in quill and brown ink may have the same
criticism towards the stationery today.

The third is the gap between the architectural and non-architectural field. Focusing more on
the arts, history and culture, architecture always reacts slowly for the technology revolution.
For instance, the communication has been totally digitalized, the architects still merely use
metal and glass to express the avant-guard architecture, without digitalizing the design
process. Meanwhile, the architectural education hardly puts any effort to keep up with the
rapid change of the digital technology. It's possible that the traditional architectural
education is still based on the philosophical, social, historical and psychological theory.

Last of all, we should use the tool whenever it is necessary and should use both methods
simultaneously [as hybrid method] as we have the opportunity to choose.