The development of technology in design field brings enormous changes. It makes it easier faster and economical to create complex forms, that is by using computer program, it can be measured precisely and manufacturers become able to calculate the exact amount of material.
These days, there are many products and architecture which have complicated forms that might not be realized without the help of computer in the past. They are all incredibly beautiful and functional. I feel like they are from the future because of their shapes and I come to wonder that which is first new forms or computer program. Finally, I find that there are some similarity between buildings and products from 3D modeling and nature. Nature looks very chaotic, random and complicated but we can see definitely rules and orders in it. Likewise, architectures like Frank Gehry’s, for example, seem to consist of randomly arranged curves seemingly but if I look carefully, I can see that there are orders among cursive lines. From this resemblance, the pursuit of harmonization with nature seems to play a role as a result of digital evolution. In this sense, these designs are more humane although they are made in virtue of a computer which sometimes stands for inhuman things than box-shaped ones.
The Cinderella Table is manufactured by using CNC machine. The form of this table looks impossible to be made by hands with tools. It is unusual but also familiar because it comes from classic European style. It is like Neo- Classic mode in that the design of Cinderella Table steps up further thanks to digital innovation.
The use of computer program create a lot of possibility for visualizing ideas so, the limit of manufacture becomes nothing because ideas which are not realized are dead.
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Response
Eyebeam Museum of Art and Technology Project
Even though it is different between the intention of the artist and my point of view, this modeling, which seems to be real landscape by video montage, shows the atmosphere when the building is completed on the site. Because of architecture is dealing with unreal and expected space, we had just imagined until actual construction would finished. However, this kind of imagined anticipation can be prospected and corrected by evolution of computer software and CAD plan in more detail. This artwork illustrates how the real space can be transformed when the actual space and virtual structure are coexisted; in advance of just virtual image modeling on the computer monitor. I am not sure that this technology is the practical use in contemporary architecture industry, but this technology allows people to more actualize their plan; it is not only bringing the physical convenience but also making possible the things one time could not come true.
Now, designers can spread their idea, apart from structural and material issues, and computer aid system has the duty instead. In fact, I am not using this technology even though I am living in this digital era. In fact, my initial design tendency is like more physically touchable and instantly accessible way rather than formal output by computer; this kind of inclination brings more cordial and artistic feeling, although it is not keen and accurate in comparison to computer rendering or modeling. However designers need to know and learn this technology. This innovated technology makes possible even unimagined design before, and the technology itself can be another way of art.
Even though it is different between the intention of the artist and my point of view, this modeling, which seems to be real landscape by video montage, shows the atmosphere when the building is completed on the site. Because of architecture is dealing with unreal and expected space, we had just imagined until actual construction would finished. However, this kind of imagined anticipation can be prospected and corrected by evolution of computer software and CAD plan in more detail. This artwork illustrates how the real space can be transformed when the actual space and virtual structure are coexisted; in advance of just virtual image modeling on the computer monitor. I am not sure that this technology is the practical use in contemporary architecture industry, but this technology allows people to more actualize their plan; it is not only bringing the physical convenience but also making possible the things one time could not come true.
Now, designers can spread their idea, apart from structural and material issues, and computer aid system has the duty instead. In fact, I am not using this technology even though I am living in this digital era. In fact, my initial design tendency is like more physically touchable and instantly accessible way rather than formal output by computer; this kind of inclination brings more cordial and artistic feeling, although it is not keen and accurate in comparison to computer rendering or modeling. However designers need to know and learn this technology. This innovated technology makes possible even unimagined design before, and the technology itself can be another way of art.
John Maeda
John Maeda(1996)
He pursuits a humanistic technology as an artist and a scientist. He explores how the technology and an art can be for a contemporary human’s life. One of his themes is simplicity. Nowadays, a machine, software or a technology is very complicate to use with one’s intuition. Before we use it, the preparation is needed, reading lots of manual pages and too many menus. As a technology improve, it is too complicated. Also he criticizes how people show off their amount knowledge and get artificial satisfaction in over-expressive way, gathering and adding tremendous research information. Even if a technology has been developed to get more, it is dysfunctional if human cannot use it easily. In this point, he asks what the improvement is. It cannot be said as a true improvement. People want to get more from technology and get an easy access to approach to technology. He redefines improvement as something between complexity and simplicity under the principle of “needing less and actually getting more”, suggesting the direction to the future technology”.1.
In his “The Law of Simplicity”,
Maeda's first law of simplicity is "Reduce." It's not necessarily beneficial to add technology features just because we can. And the features that we do have must be organized (Law 2) in a sensible hierarchy so users aren't distracted by features and functions they don't need. But simplicity is not less just for the sake of less. Skip ahead to Law 9: "Failure: Accept the fact that some things can never be made simple." Maeda's concise guide to simplicity in the digital age shows us how this idea can be a cornerstone of organizations and their products--how it can drive both business and technology. We can learn to simplify without sacrificing comfort and meaning, and we can achieve the balance described in Law 10. This law, which Maeda calls "The One," tells us: "Simplicity is about subtracting the obvious, and adding the meaningful."2.
Then what’s the meaningful simplicity? I want to quote his comment about creativeness. His teacher, Ikko Tanaka told him that he has very creative, but there is two coin sides in creativeness. Good thing is a talent to think in various ways, but that ability interrupts you to complete. Even if you get an initial idea, another new ideas come over and over again. Finally the thought became more complex and remain as incompletion. However, Maeda asserts not to think any more, because you maybe already thought a lot and just do what you really want to do, depending on your intuition. This personal story is link to his perspective to think about technology. Human create computer and make it more complex by human’s creativeness. As Human expect computer to do more and more, a computer also became too complex for human to use. It makes us more confuse and drive us far from our fulfillments. In this case, human’s creativeness is incomplete because technology has been developed too much with absence of consciousness of a human’s simple goal.
John Maeda stress out a meaningful human’s life with technology. That is the technology can meaningful friend, not just a machine. To do so, human try to be an alchemist who have ability to extract something really meaningful.
1.http://mitpress.mit.edu/catalog/item/default.asp?ttype=2&tid=10933
2.http://mitpress.mit.edu/catalog/item/default.asp?ttype=2&tid=10933
He pursuits a humanistic technology as an artist and a scientist. He explores how the technology and an art can be for a contemporary human’s life. One of his themes is simplicity. Nowadays, a machine, software or a technology is very complicate to use with one’s intuition. Before we use it, the preparation is needed, reading lots of manual pages and too many menus. As a technology improve, it is too complicated. Also he criticizes how people show off their amount knowledge and get artificial satisfaction in over-expressive way, gathering and adding tremendous research information. Even if a technology has been developed to get more, it is dysfunctional if human cannot use it easily. In this point, he asks what the improvement is. It cannot be said as a true improvement. People want to get more from technology and get an easy access to approach to technology. He redefines improvement as something between complexity and simplicity under the principle of “needing less and actually getting more”, suggesting the direction to the future technology”.1.
In his “The Law of Simplicity”,
Maeda's first law of simplicity is "Reduce." It's not necessarily beneficial to add technology features just because we can. And the features that we do have must be organized (Law 2) in a sensible hierarchy so users aren't distracted by features and functions they don't need. But simplicity is not less just for the sake of less. Skip ahead to Law 9: "Failure: Accept the fact that some things can never be made simple." Maeda's concise guide to simplicity in the digital age shows us how this idea can be a cornerstone of organizations and their products--how it can drive both business and technology. We can learn to simplify without sacrificing comfort and meaning, and we can achieve the balance described in Law 10. This law, which Maeda calls "The One," tells us: "Simplicity is about subtracting the obvious, and adding the meaningful."2.
Then what’s the meaningful simplicity? I want to quote his comment about creativeness. His teacher, Ikko Tanaka told him that he has very creative, but there is two coin sides in creativeness. Good thing is a talent to think in various ways, but that ability interrupts you to complete. Even if you get an initial idea, another new ideas come over and over again. Finally the thought became more complex and remain as incompletion. However, Maeda asserts not to think any more, because you maybe already thought a lot and just do what you really want to do, depending on your intuition. This personal story is link to his perspective to think about technology. Human create computer and make it more complex by human’s creativeness. As Human expect computer to do more and more, a computer also became too complex for human to use. It makes us more confuse and drive us far from our fulfillments. In this case, human’s creativeness is incomplete because technology has been developed too much with absence of consciousness of a human’s simple goal.
John Maeda stress out a meaningful human’s life with technology. That is the technology can meaningful friend, not just a machine. To do so, human try to be an alchemist who have ability to extract something really meaningful.
1.http://mitpress.mit.edu/catalog/item/default.asp?ttype=2&tid=10933
2.http://mitpress.mit.edu/catalog/item/default.asp?ttype=2&tid=10933
Big Belt House, White Sulfur Spring, Montana
This century, we call the digital age, and when we look around, we find the connection with digital media easily. However, I am still not skilled in this technology, so when I see the exhibition “Digitally Mastered: Recent Acquisitions from the Museum’s collection” in MOMA, I am shocked by such developed techniques. Among the exhibitions, I am attracted by “Big Belt House, White sulfur spring, Montana”, an exhibition of an architectural model made out of laser-cut acrylic.
First, it does not look like an architectural model, because the under corners of this model have metal materials which seem machine- made. However, the body of the architecture is beautiful. There are many curves and lines. The characteristic of the material in this model is translucence, so the inside space which is hardly visible makes the viewers more interested.
Secondly, it looks like a mountain range. At this point, I can define the technological innovation. This model’s purpose is to “Visually rhyme”. The importance of this architecture is connection with the background. In order to do this, Massie examined the physical features of this area using a global positioning system. The real technological innovation in the architecture is developing with the surroundings and being concerned with the surroundings. The Willian E, Massie work is always concerned with the landscape, and the ideas of the house frame is also from the landscape; it is not just a curved structure. What I want to do after looking at this model is to consider the basic characteristics of that space first, and then use for that space, applying innovative technology. In this way, I can develop my skills and ideas more and more.
First, it does not look like an architectural model, because the under corners of this model have metal materials which seem machine- made. However, the body of the architecture is beautiful. There are many curves and lines. The characteristic of the material in this model is translucence, so the inside space which is hardly visible makes the viewers more interested.
Secondly, it looks like a mountain range. At this point, I can define the technological innovation. This model’s purpose is to “Visually rhyme”. The importance of this architecture is connection with the background. In order to do this, Massie examined the physical features of this area using a global positioning system. The real technological innovation in the architecture is developing with the surroundings and being concerned with the surroundings. The Willian E, Massie work is always concerned with the landscape, and the ideas of the house frame is also from the landscape; it is not just a curved structure. What I want to do after looking at this model is to consider the basic characteristics of that space first, and then use for that space, applying innovative technology. In this way, I can develop my skills and ideas more and more.
The Cinderella Table.
material : birch plywood, 57 layersdimensions: 132cmX100cmx81cmproduced by: ID PRODUCTIONS.
photo: IMM Clogne 2006, Ideal House
The"Cinderella Table" is on display in the Philip Johnson Architecture and Design Galleries on the third floor in MOMA. Jeroen Verhoeven,a founding designer of the Demakersvan (a design team comprised of three 29-year-olds, Joep Verhoeven,Judith de Graauw and himself)is inspired by 17th and 18th century Rococo-style shapes of tables. He used sketches of traditional table shapes to make the Cinderella Table's elegant lines. For making these delicate lines and shapes, he simplifies their outlines and puts them into a computer program. It translates the outlines into a three dimensional form. In this way, he is able to make the this industrialized piece of furniture with craftsmanship.
The "Cinderella Table" is manufactured by using CAD-CAM (computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing). The "cinderella table" is designed digitally, on screen. The computer files representing its shape in two dimensions are used to control the robot line that make its three dimensional form. Using birch wood,the table is sliced and “each of the 57 slices, each 8omm thick (a total 0f 741 layers of plywood) is manufactured by CNC (computer numerically controlled) cutting machines." There are normally used to shape steel, wood, other materials, “working on three, and sometimes five axes. Each slice is cut from the front and from the back to perfect the curves and undercuts, pushing the boundaries of the technology.” All the slices are glued together to form table and the whole table is finished by hand. Through these steps, he is able to make a wonderful curved shape and a hollow form.
In terms of using high tech machine, it is attractive to make details, something uniquely shaped as well as having a exaggerated lines. Even though we are worried about the lack of craftsmanship in technological time, we are able to make the special curved and decorated shapes as well as good designed quality in a brief period of time compare to hand-made crafts. It is also economical for mass production. By using computer, we are free to make geometric shapes and design something special to combine crafts and machines. As Jeroen Verhoeven said "the CAD-CAM is (in his words) a new modern craft". The "Cinderella Table" represents the possibility of using a high tech method as “craft”.
Seeing The "Cinderella Table" at first time, I am really interested in its design having the natural curve movements but now I am attracted by its concept and methods about connecting traditional shape and high tech machine. we have to develop connection between the designs and the computer programs in our modern society. However we also keep in mind that machines start working for us ,instead of following ourselves to be led by them, as so often happens these days.
Picture a city
Video for Bradford city Centre Master Plan, Bradford, West Yorkshire, England 2003
Single-channel video projection
Alsop Ltd., London
Squint /Opera, London
est. 2002
Squint / Opera made this short film as a part of the city project by the Alsop Architects. The film is about the renewal of Bradford city, an industrially depressed city in England. The derelict buildings in the city are deleted through the computer techniques and the new landscape is created instead. The master plan is composed of the four basic elements – the bowl, the Market, the Valley and the Channel. Alsop designed each zone having the specific scheme about the public facilities like parks, schools and residential sections. This film was commissioned by Bradford Centre Regeneration.
When I saw this video for the first time, it seemed my dream came true. My hometown Seoul, the capital city of South Korea, is too crowded. Most industries and facilities are concentrated and 10 billion people live in this small city. I used to imagine breaking all the signboards with neon sign, disordered apartments along the Han River, too many cars etc. While seeing this short video, my eyes are drawn into the revival of my imagination. Technological innovation can be explained through my experience I mentioned above. Producing something that is existed in only people’s imagination is literally “technological innovation”.
One of the advantages in this single-channel video projection is that the difficult architectural concept can be understood clearly only in a few minutes by not only the developers but also the uninterested public. The other merit is that this short film can bring up the 3D images from the 2D sketches and make people imagine their stories in it. Indeed, these films can be used any stage in development of designer’ concept. For my major, interior architecture, I could also use these innovative techniques as a means of impact for my clients and the quality of my design. However, I think the most important thing is that designers can communicate with people in interactive ways.
These days, design processing is being combined together. In this case, Alsop used architectural and film programs like Max, Maya and Houdini (a parametric modeling program) for the computer animation. Techniques enhance the rapid changes of the design world and these changes accelerate themselves. Therefore, designers are required to learn many different skills and have the point of view as the unity of design - i.e. art, technology and science.
http://www.squintopera.com/
Technologically innovative : Rapid Manufacturing
Technologically innovative is to bring advantage to designers (producers), consumers, and environment. Technologically innovative gives new challenges and flexible ideas to designers, no limited choice to consumers, and no waste of materials to environments. Many impossible aesthetical or complex products become real.
I chose two products used by ‘Rapid Manufacturing (RM)’, one of the most significant technologically innovative in an industrial revolution for the Digital Age. One is CS Solid Chair (2004) with epoxy resin by Patrick Jouin. Another is One-shot MGX Stool (2006) with laser-sintered nylon by Patrick Jouin. These products are intricate compositions and seem not to be mass products because of an originally innovative shape, looking like a sculpture. The spaces between lines of the products project beautiful shadow.
Rapid manufacturing (RM) is the use of rapid prototyping, rapid tooling and the direct use of layer manufacturing technologies to produce final products quickly. The process of RM is to scan 2D profiles and make 2D 3D under computer control without human labors. By using RM, products increase range of material, size, durability and design, and producers cut cost and time, make mass products in the short time, do not require considerable skilled hand labor, and reduce waste of materials.
In the past time, technology innovative satisfies people just in that it is to produce more rapidly, more easily and cheaper. However, now, people require that technology innovative is not only flexible choices for designers and consumers under rapid manufacturing, but reduction of waste materials. Behind mass production and mass consumption, mass disposal always coexist. Its problem is very serious at any age. Therefore, it is vital that technologically innovative maintain the balance of the desire of designers and consumers, and the attention of environment, and also develop together.
I chose two products used by ‘Rapid Manufacturing (RM)’, one of the most significant technologically innovative in an industrial revolution for the Digital Age. One is CS Solid Chair (2004) with epoxy resin by Patrick Jouin. Another is One-shot MGX Stool (2006) with laser-sintered nylon by Patrick Jouin. These products are intricate compositions and seem not to be mass products because of an originally innovative shape, looking like a sculpture. The spaces between lines of the products project beautiful shadow.
Rapid manufacturing (RM) is the use of rapid prototyping, rapid tooling and the direct use of layer manufacturing technologies to produce final products quickly. The process of RM is to scan 2D profiles and make 2D 3D under computer control without human labors. By using RM, products increase range of material, size, durability and design, and producers cut cost and time, make mass products in the short time, do not require considerable skilled hand labor, and reduce waste of materials.
In the past time, technology innovative satisfies people just in that it is to produce more rapidly, more easily and cheaper. However, now, people require that technology innovative is not only flexible choices for designers and consumers under rapid manufacturing, but reduction of waste materials. Behind mass production and mass consumption, mass disposal always coexist. Its problem is very serious at any age. Therefore, it is vital that technologically innovative maintain the balance of the desire of designers and consumers, and the attention of environment, and also develop together.
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