Theories of Architecture and Design Essay

Theories of Architecture: Illustrated

UBLMYV-15-3

Essay

2022/2023

Clint Cabahug

20005097

Ba(Hons) Interior Architecture

Context and Aims INTRODUCTION

THEORETICAL ANALYSIS

Restructuring Experience - Deconstructivism

Potential of the Digital

The Glitch as a design language

Programme and Use

CRITICAL SUMMARY

REFERENCES

The integration of digital technology into society has made significant progress in the past 3 years. There has been a mass post-digital movement appearing over the course of COVID – 19. As a result we have seen industries, such as education, change and evolve into a technologically orientated experience.

The merging of virtual tools within educational institutions has provided learning opportunities that are more flexible and efficient, allowing learning to occur in times where it has been difficult to meet face to face – i.e., Quarantine, International education. Digital learning services such as Zoom, Google Meet, Blackboard, Canvas, etc has been developed and implemented as a virtual space/ classroom – often simulating the experience of an educational environment (Knox, J. and Jandric, P. 2022). We find ourselves in a time where the distribution and sharing of learning materials and submissions are solely done online, even after the effects of COVID-19 (Knox, J. and Jandric, P. 2022).

However, introducing the “virtual” into modern society has remodelled traditional practices, particularly in education (Lamb, J., Carvalho, L., Ghallager, M. and Knox, J. 2021). As a result, the attitude towards education has also shifted – the post-digital has done damage to student engagement and motivation (Knox, J. and Jandric, P. 2022). There is no longer a strong incentive to attend in-person lectures if its available online (Knox, J. and Jandric, P. 2022). Technology has made it easy for students to become complacent in their approach to education.

This shift into the post-digital highlights a rapidly approaching digital world that students and staff need to adapt to (Knox J. 2020). Which raises the question of how do we balance the virtual as a tool in conjunction with education, instead of a replacement? (Lamb, J., Carvalho, L., Ghallager, M. and Knox, J. 2021)

My thesis project aims to explore this issue and propose a possible solution of integrating the digital into the built environment as a productive tool that acts as a method of exhibition, or reinterpretation of visual media through digitisation. I will expand on the main design theories and philosophies that have influenced my work - covering how it has guided my thinking process and design decisions, and explaining why it relates to the cause that I am designing for.

Restructuring Experience - Deconstructivism

The Architectural theory of Deconstructivism, as defined by Peter Eisenman, is a method of “deconstruction” in architecture and traditional forms (Eisenman, P. 1999). It was a movement emerging from the late 1980s to the early 1990s, aiming to challenge conventional understanding of spatial experience (Eisenman, P. 1999). Deconstructivist Architecture often adopts abstract forms and fragmentation to create a sense of displacement and uncertainty within space (Eisenman, P. 1999).

I decided to adopt a Deconstructivist approach when designing my Digital Archive Observatory as it held a lot of similarities in the way that deconstructivism is an exposure of conflict and a shift from Contemporary Architecture (Wigley, M. 1993). Likewise, the virtual world acts as a displacement of contemporary life, creating a new “spatial” experience that only exists within the virtual (Lamb J., Carvalho L., Gallagher M. 2022).

As Deconstructivism embraces a broad range of design strategies (Jencks, C. 1997) – I started to research how the nature of the Digital could act as a deconstructivist method of design. Peter Eisenman highlights the potential of Digitisation in architectural design – suggesting that the shift from analogue to digital has introduced a new level of depth within drawings and representation (Eisenman, P. 2004).

Unlike analogue drawings - which are direct channels of visual communication between viewer and architect, referred to as an “index” by Eisenman, it is proposes that digital architectural drawings have an underlying codex of information which is defined by rules and relationships between signs or icons (Eisenman, P. 2004).

This discovery of the codex has also introduced a new method of viewing space – Eisenman regards the codex as a path of new possibility in designing architecture, and that there is an opportunity to create spaces that move away from the conventional indexical way of seeing space (Eisenman, P. 2004). Eisenman believed that this new way of representation could offer forms of architecture that are more adaptable to the evolving needs of society – i.e., PostDigital Education (Eisenman, P. 2004) (Knox, J. 2020).

The Glitch as a Design Language

In the book “Drawing Futures”, we can see how Eisenman’s theory on the Digital is being applied to Architecture (Eisenman, P. 2004). Architects are starting to utilise and explore the digital codex as an experimentation tool, acting as a method to find a design language (Allen, L., Migayrou, F., Sheil, B. and Pearson, L. 2016). It proposes the idea that the lines of digital architectural drawings are fundamentally abstractions of data, pixels, colour, binary, coding, etc. and that this relationship of drawing and data can affect the way we use digital drawings. (Allen, L., Migayrou, F., Sheil, B. and Pearson, L. 2016).

For example, by giving different values to the data that constitutes the drawing – we can “glitch” the conventional plan or section to create new spaces/spatial understanding (Allen, L., Migayrou, F., Sheil, B. and Pearson, L. 2016). The concept of the pixel array is introduced, and how it relates to the architectural drawing. In Figure 1, we can see Architects have data bent the pixel array of the Barcelona Pavillion and re-applied it to the plan, creating a three-dimensional interpretation of the glitch. (Allen, L., Migayrou, F., Sheil, B. and Pearson, L. 2016). By undertaking this exercise – we can remodel our understanding of existing Architecture to create space that is more dynamic and atmospheric to the users.

Figure 1: Process of applying the pixel array to the Barcelona Pavillion plan. - Drawing Futures.

The Glitch as a Design Language

We can see the glitch becoming a design language in the Nam June Paik Gallery by Metis Architecture, where they have utilised scans, and interference patterns from an analogue TV, reprojecting it to create a matrix in which they base their design on (Metis Architecture. 2003). They use the reprojections to create fragments of space, then re-arranging them into a coherent program for the gallery (Metis Architecture. 2003). This resulted in an Architecture demonstrating qualities of Deconstructivism (Fragmentation, abstract geometries) through Glitching – resulting in a viewer experience that immerses and engages the senses of the user.

By using fragmentation through a glitching process, Metis has implemented voids and transitional space (Metis Architecture, 2003). The use of indeterminate transitional zones enhances the architectural experience, as users are encouraged to discover the architecture for themselves. (Eisenman, P. 2008) - which is an aspect that I intended to include in my proposal.

Figure 2: Process of using distorted scan lines to create Architectural form - by Metis Architecture.

The Glitch as a Design Language

After studying how the glitch has been present within Architecture and other precedents, I started to research how it could be present within my project. I did this by researching methods of Glitch – which lead me to the discovery of Nick Briz’s thoughts on Glitch Art. In his online essay, Nick Briz covered a method of glitch called Data Bending – which is where we take the data of an image and modify it in an incompatible software, which would give us unpredictable results when re-displaying the data as an image (Briz. N. 2015). Figure 4 shows the results of my own attempts at data bending an early spatial concept for my observatory.

Adopting Metis’ approach - I extracted, from the glitch, a matrix in which I can discover a spatial arrangement. Figure 5 shows the process of layering and rotating the glitched grid onto an existing architectural plan – where I identified “Virtual Zones” in which post-di occur, signified by the yellow shaded areas. I then adopted the approach of these zones into 3-dimensions, as it was done in Drawing Futures, to create circulation routes that permeated in and out of these zones.

Figure 3: Process of applying patterns, extracted from data bending, to the existing Arnolfini 5th floor plan to discover new spatial configurations.

I was interested in creating an emphasis on the transition between virtual and reality spaces after researching the theory of In-between spaces and Void. My design thinking is heavily based on Eisenman’s thoughts on voids – where he states that this spatial ambiguity of in-between zones provides a flexibility for architecture, creating a responsive experience between the user and their environment (Eisenman, P. 2008).

By defining the virtual zones through isolated, free-standing walls – I can create large openings in between the circulation routes and the viewing areas. Including these transitional spaces helps my design to be more responsive in how users interact with the digital environment – it creates an uncertainty within my architecture that encourages people to explore and interact with the virtual zones (Eisenman, P. 2008) (Chard, N.J. 2012).

Figure 4: Creating transitional space from the 3D geometries extracted from the glitch plan.

Implementing ambiguity and in-between spaces through the use of digital glitching into my architecture helps to highlight the relationship/ use of Digital technology into contemporary Architecture. My design encourages users to travel in-between the virtual and reality zones, with no clear definition of an intended route. This indeterminacy of space responds to the nature of humans – encouraging exploration, curiosity, and observation to take place (Chard, N.J. 2012).

By creating unclear definitions of what space is intentional or not, I can introduce flexibility in how the space is used. For example, the virtual zones (screens) could be used as a tool to watch seminars remotely or display educational lectures for students to come in and watch. Alternatively – it could also act as a means of display for design students to show their work e.g., Presentations, end of year degree shows, or even as a tool for students to reinterpret their work through the glitches within the display screens.

Figure 5: Ambiguity in circulation space.

Figure 6: Mixed use digital display system.

In conclusion, the architecture of my design draws from Eisenman’s Deconstructivism design approaches by utilizing the nature of the Digital as a design process and language. This essay showcases why I decided to utilize the philosophies and theories about the Digital and how it has impacted the experience and the engagement of the users within my building. I hope that this project has highlighted the relationship between post-digital education and Interior Architecture using glitches and transitional space, and provided a rich proposal in how we can tackle the issue of integrating technology into Contemporary Architecture.

Lamb, J., Carvalho, L., Ghallager, M. and Knox, J. (2021) The Postdigital Learning Spaces of Higher Education. Postdigital Science and Education [online]. 4 (1), pp. 1-12. [Accessed 11 March 2023].

Knox, J. and Jandric, P. (2022) The Postdigital Turn: Philosophy, Education, Research. Policy Futures in Education [online]. 20 (7), pp. 780-795. [Accessed 11 March 2023].

Eisenman, P. (1999) Diagram Diaries. New York: Universe Publication.

Wigley, M. (1993) The Architecture of Deconstruction: Derrida’s Haunt [online]. London: Mit Press. [Accessed 11 March 2023].

Jencks, C. (2002) The New Paradigm in Architecture - the Language of Post Modernism. Federation Square, Melbourne: Yale University Press New Haven and London.

Eisenman, P. (2004) Digital Scrambler: From Index to Codex. Perspecta [online]. 35, pp. 40-53. [Accessed 11 March 2023].

Allen, L., Migayrou, F., Sheil, B. and Pearson, L. (2016) Drawing Futures: Speculations in Contemporary Drawing For Art and Architecture [online]. University College of London: UCL Press. pp. 14. [Accessed 11 March 2023].

Metis Architecture (2003) Nam June Paik Gallery: Studio as scan-line module, site as screen, interference pattern, and re-projection. Available from: http://metis-architecture.com/projects/nam-june-paik-gallery/ [Accessed 11 March 2023]

Briz, N. (2015) Thoughts On Glitch[Art]v2.0. Available from: https://nickbriz.com/thoughtsonglitchart/ [Accessed 11 March 2023]

Eisenman, P. (2008) Ten Canonical Buildings, 1950 - 2000. New York: Enfield: Publishers Group.

Chard, N.J. (2012) Drawing Indeterminate Architecture, Inderterminate Drawings of Architecture. University College London: University College London.