W4 Reading

In Menges’s theory, the word performativeness is the quality of material systems that perform through deformation, or which visibly deform to self-organising and resist new external forces. All materials deform under stress, and have to be carefully calculated, however, in the new generation, such deformation can be visually structured or calculated by using digital modeling. Menges applies the logic of self-organising systems to structural systems of which the deformation under stress visibly quality structure. Nonetheless, even some unusual or irregular materials can also be structured or calculated, and this impossible calculating technique was developed recently. Due to these non-conventional materials or other irregular, natural materials, digital modeling shows its advantages by calculating and structuring such materials and fabricated by digitally controlled machines. This is a really useful technology in design industry as digital modeling visually shows us the structure and results of calculations, as the result, we can do any changes base on that and it is easier for us to find mistakes or any issues.

Parametricism is a new global style based on digital animation techniques, by using advanced parametric design systems and scripting methods. As the mass society that was characterized by a universal consumption standard has evolved into a diversified society, marked by multiple lifestyles and extensive work path differentiation, architecture and urbanism are going to organize or articulate the complexity of our society. Such animation, simulation, parametric modeling and scripting have inspired a new collective movement with radically new ambitions and values.

W3 Reading

As in 21 century, technology in different areas have been developed in to a very high level, smart phone, computer, internet etc. However, as all these technology have been developed, there is another thing that developed as the time past, and that is the vocabulary. Million years ago, human find out the “magic” about communication, about language, and start using them to show feelings. And after all these years developing, nowadays, a simple word may have a completely different meaning compare to past. As what Raymond Williams said in the book, the real developments of meaning, at each stage, must have occurred in everyday speech well before they entered the written record. This is the limitation of recoding meanings into a dictionary or any historical account. People have to keep changing their mind about these vocabularies, because the meanings of these words are changing as well. Using “old mind” to face the “new meanings” will limited our thinking ways.

Computer is very common in normal life now, and smart technology help us calculating or solving problems that we faced in designing. So what is computation? Simply, computation means a technology that helps the designer to make the conceptualized in designer’s mind become true or become possible. It is good to use computer to display our ideas, because using visual to describe what in our mind is the straightest way and computer can help us calculate all the necessary calculations with no errors. It also provides a framework about the design to help us understand even further about the design work.

W1 Reading Assignment

As I was reading the COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA, there is one sentence attract me, which is “Everything is possible with calculation and invention when you have tools of sufficient perfection, and these tools exist.”. This sentence reminds that, everything is possible in design if we calculate with the right way, and make the calculation really accurate. For example, the Chinese CCTV Headquarter had been built in 2012, the shape of this building is very interesting because one edge of the building is un supported, which means half of the building is suspending in the sky. This is a fantastic design with the right calculation of how the impact, the gravity and the pressure were taken off from the building and transfer them into the ground. And other examples such as the world tallest tower – Dubai Khalifa tower. Engineers using computers to calculate, and using calculations to solve every single problem to make sure the building stand straight and never fall down. No doubt, all these seems unphysical buildings were born from the combination of human brains and computer. And this sentence also tells me that never stand still, taking challenges in our life, never fault anything before trying. However, this does not means that we can take risk in designing, all the calculations have to be accurate, as this is as important as human life. For myself, design is a way to discover, finding new concepts, ways of solving problems that we might facing when we are trying to design something in the future and I have faith on it.