VIRTUALISM IN ARCHITECTURE
This subject was suggested as a possible topic from the course outline. As it is an area of much interest and controversy was chosen as the direction of study for the paper. Previous research into Virtual Reality (VR), coupled with a particular interest in its architectural application also proved motivating. However, although the direction of the initial research appeared straightforward, after further investigation it became obvious that there were in fact two distinctly different interpretations that could be drawn from the area of Virtualism in Architecture. This division was between whether VR was used FOR architecture (VR used as a tool to aid in architectural design). Or whether it was used AS architecture (architectural design within the world of VR). Therefore this paper will be divided into two sections, each discussing the two different ideas with the aim of applying a necessary critical perspective.
Firstly, what is virtual architecture and how does it fit into the definition of architecture? Dace Campbell, Graduate student of the Human Interface Technology Lab at Washington University Seattle, offers his explanation. It is the ordering and definition of meaningful space as developed in response to a need or program. An expression of society in spatial experiential form. Thus virtual architecture, Campbell adds, is that which embodies and expresses values of society or culture in electronic form, with polygons vectors and texture maps as opposed to bricks and mortar (www.uni-weimar.de). The use of polygons and texture maps instead of bricks and mortar has an obvious advantage. It saves money. Bruce Sterling, a speaker for the Electronics Frontier Foundation (EFF) encapsulates it well. 'Nothing ever rusts, nothing breaks, nothing collapses… it just gets diskwiped.'; (www.eff.org) Problems which could eventually become costly can be eliminated cheaply and efficiently. Architectural 'walkthroughs' as they are referred to, are what a few architects are using as their tools for designing buildings. They possess many advantages. As humans are spatial creatures they respond better to 3-Dimensional visuals as opposed to 2-Dimensional or 'blueprint' style plans. Both the client and architect are able to view the same plan, and no grand 'leap of the imagination' is required so there are no differences in each others ...
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...ce. As this is a new technology there is much potential for hype to emerge versus actual practical and useful application. Is it merely a new form of communications escapism, or is it a whole set of new problems surrounding by a convincing amount of hype? By assuming that the use of technology is solving problems are we in fact creating a whole set of new problems, as well as managing to avoid sorting out the ones that already exist. Problems such as environmental degradation and a decline in social cohesiveness don't just go away because we are immersed in a virtual environment they are there to greet us when we come out. As with any technological advancement there is a need to balance out what the technology can do versus the inflated hype that invariably will accompany it.
References
Benedikt, Michael (ed), 1993, Cyberspace: First steps, The MIT Press, Cambridge.
Larijani, L. Casey, 1994, The Virtual Reality Primer, McGraw-Hill, New York.
Sherman, B., & Ladkins, P., 1992, Glimpses of Heaven, Visions of Hell: Virtual reality and its implications, Coronet books, London.
URL's
www.blaxxun.com
www.eff.org
www.geocities.com
www.hitl.washington.edu
www.uni-weimar.de
The advancement of technology is a controversial topic that has been debated since the start of technology. Perhaps it would not be so controversial if people did not let it seep into every aspect of their lives. If you think about it, we, as humans, need technology to function now. We use our phones and electronic devices much more than we probably should, in my opinion. I am guilty of it too, but I see no way of discontinuing my technology uses at this point in time. This is similar to the world Ernest Cline developed in his book, Ready Player One. Reading this book made it evident that everyone needs to come to his or her own realization that the real world is better than the virtual world.
As capitalism runs its course and develops new technologies, society is left to pick up the pieces and figure out where these new technologies will lead them. Ever since I learned to use the Internet as a child, I have become accustomed to seeing more and more fascinating technology developments that have changed the way I communicated as the years went by. Now that the Internet has infiltrated more aspects of human life, it has become necessary to reflect on how this critical juncture will continue to affect our society. In Digital Disconnect, Robert McChesney provides an analysis of the arguments that the celebrants and skeptics used to express their views of the Internet. McChesney then moves past these arguments to explain how the PEC plays a key role in determining the direction that the Internet is heading towards. By assessing McChesney’s views, I hope to develop my own interpretation of the Internet’s impact on society.
Zaleski, Carol & Zaleski, Philip (eds.), The Book of Heaven: An Anthology of Writings From Ancient to Modern Times, (USA: Oxford University Press, 2000).
In conclusion, the debate between aesthetics and functionalism has been around for a long time. It becomes clear however, through research, that the first thing architects consider is function, and then aesthetics. It is because of this approach that aesthetics becomes somewhat of a by-product of the whole design process. By looking at examples of various buildings, it is apparent that aesthetics is important to structure and in many instances has been successfully coupled with function. But in no circumstance should aesthetics take precedence over the function and practicality of a building. It seems more likely that a happy medium between function and aesthetics can be reached, on a project by project basis, and then applied to the design process of creating the building.
This technology destroys our view of truth and meaning. The basic presupposition of the Information Superhighway is that it contains information on any subject and can answer any question. It causes people to search places other than God for direction, truth, and meaning. Involvement with the technology serves to replace our involvement with reality. There is a tendency for people to start thinking of themselves and others in terms of their online personalities. Many people develop a whole other life on-line and some even end up being unable to separate their on-line identity from their real one. Recent movies such as The Matrix and Bicentennial Man serve to further blur this already fuzzy line.
Normally, three-dimensional geometric models, which are used to present architectural and engineering works, show only their final form, not allowing the observation of their physical evolution. The use of techniques of virtual reality in the development of these educational applications brings new perspectives to the teaching of subjects in the area of civil engineering (A.Z Sampaio & P.G Henriques, 2006).
People are made of complexities and contradictions. Venturi recognized that buildings should be complex and complicated, too. He theorized and built buildings inspired by this principle, and succeeded because of his emphasis on individual experience and the interaction between humanity and architectural forms. In pursuit of this goal, his pluralist and revolutionary style of architecture embraced difference and ambiguity and rejected the rigid rules of modernism. While undoubtedly influenced by Venturi’s ideas, later postmodern architects failed to live up to his principles by forming their own inflexible rules and not concentrating on the human experience with buildings.
The essence of modern architecture lays in a remarkable strives to reconcile the core principles of architectural design with rapid technological advancement and the modernization of society. However, it took “the form of numerous movements, schools of design, and architectural styles, some in tension with one another, and often equally defying such classification, to establish modernism as a distinctive architectural movement” (Robinson and Foell). Although, the narrower concept of modernism in architecture is broadly characterized by simplification of form and subtraction of ornament from the structure and theme of the building, meaning that the result of design should derive directly from its purpose; the visual expression of the structure, particularly the visual importance of the horizontal and vertical lines typical for the International Style modernism, the use of industrially-produced materials and adaptation of the machine aesthetic, as well as the truth to materials concept, meaning that the true nat...
The book as a description of modern architecture, its styles and influence succeeds but falls short as a prescriptive methodology. His work is still recalled for the need by modernists to categorize everything into neat little boxes, not necessarily for the sake of uniformity, but for sake of some ambiguity. The ambiguity may be the triumph of this book as post modern architecture era is supposed to create more questions than the answers.
Virtual reality is not just a fantasy world for entertainment but it has also been used by many professionals for information and research purposes. Engineers, Dentists, Doctors, Archaeologists and even the Military have used virtual reality for over thirty years.
The author explains architecture as an identification of place. Architecture starts with establishing a place. We define ‘place’ as a layout of architectural elements that seem to accommodate, or offer the possibility of accommodation to, a person, an activity, a mood, etc. We identify a sofa as a place to sit and relax, and a kitchen as a place to cook food. Architecture is about identifying and organizing ‘places’ for human use.
Virtual reality can be defined as a, "technology that enables users to enter computer generated worlds and interface with them three dimensionally through sight, sound, and touch" (Newquist 93). Virtual reality combines computer simulation and visualization into a single, coherent whole (Peterson 8). Researchers say it embodies an attempt to eliminate the traditional distinction between the user and the machine. Virtual reality is intended to provide a means of naturally and intelligently interacting with information (8). Virtual reality is contending to be the interface of the future, allowing ordinary users to use their senses to interact with complex data.
In conclusion, although the development of modern architecture and the intervention of computer technology to advocate this development, the contemporary architectural outcomes have became more complex and complicated with potential formulation problems. As a result, the new architecture theories came to put boundary lines between being in the range of these problems and producing elegant modern built environment. The seduction of computer-produced form also enhances architects to involve in seeking for new theories to develop the discipline and work to combine formulization with materialization. Finally, some of these theories are accepted and some other still a controversial aspect in architecture.
Behind every architectural work there is an architect, whether the architect is one man or woman, a small group, or an entire people. The structure created by any of these architects conveys a message about the architect: their culture, their identity, their struggles. Because of the human element architects offer to their work not just a building is made, but a work of art, a symbol of a people, a representation, is also created.
Abstract: New forms in current world have been testimony to the contemporary style of postmodern architecture and are the strength of today’s generation for creating significant architectural standards. Post modernism has blurred the borders between contemporary and traditional construction classical concepts and simply in the field of art and literature. The architectural elements like domes, arches, and classical shapes have lost their identity but the post modernism tries to bridge between these historical forms and contemporary styles. The related architects not only struggled to achieve the image for the buildings but also rejected oversimplified diagrams for living. The post modernism here tries to achieve theoretical base for their designs that creates the excitement in the design program.