Computer-Assisted Design, Not Computer-Driven Design
response to "Digital Morphogenesis" reading

The architectural design process is in the midst of change. Computer programs and tools once reserved for rendering completed work are becoming more integrated into the design process itself. Computer-aided design now allows for topological transformations that are curved and highly irregular in contrast to the boxy, Euclidian geometries of which most traditional architecture consists. The emergence of these digital design tools is a benefit to the design community that has for so long remained (for the most part) greatly simplistic. Digital transformation tools that are used to further a project’s effectiveness- whether it is through relationships, performance, or sustainability- are a benefit to the profession. Only when the process revolves around nothing more than the creation of a complex form does the computer become a hindrance.

Technology can be used to create dramatic spatial relationships that were simply not possible with earlier design methods. This is accomplished through a breakdown of the black-and-white of architectural concepts; for example, indoor and outdoor cease to be the only two options. A plane does not have to choose between wall and ceiling. This is possible because of the dramatic involvement of gradient in architecture being created in the Information Age.

The computer’s incorporation of complex mathematical equations into design software is responsible for the expansive middle ground that is now present between two planes, poles, points, etc. By manipulating key points, the curve is making its way into the architecture of tomorrow. When used effectively, the irregular curve can clarify the intended idea in spite of the complex form. Examples of these forms include the Mobius strip and the Klein bottle. Both forms could be considered nothing more than “blobs” when taken at face value. However, their complexity is the result of very gradual changes that make it impossible to tell where exactly the change takes place.

Digital morphogenesis is also being used to improve a building’s performance. This could be in the capacity of economics, material conservation, environmental impact, or any other category that can be measured using statistics. There is no question that the computer can be an invaluable tool in calculating a building’s performance. In fact, there are companies that exist for the sole purpose of digitally evaluating structures and providing avenues for improvement.

An interesting development in environmental design that digital technologies has encouraged is biomimicry. Architects like John Frazer utilize technology to emulate organic systems found in nature. Frazer in particular has examined the biological process of chromosome reproduction, which he tries to mimic using spline curves that are repeated and mutated. Processes like this one attempt to create an organizational structure that reaches beyond pure form. Using the generative idea of nature, Frazer is able to bring life to space through the use of machine.

In all of these instances, the computer is intended to be a tool for manipulation. This implies that the designer has complete control over the transformations that are taking place. By manipulating spline lines and altering surface conditions, the designer is the one creating the work with the assistance of a computer.

Greg Lynn views the computer’s role differently. In his opinion, it is acceptable to let the computer do the work after the designer has entered in the parameters and requirements. The machine then spits out several variations of the design, leaving the architect to select one. In this case, “the designer essentially becomes an ‘editor’ of the morphogenetic potentiality”, as author Branko Kolarevic puts it. The design now seems to be detached from the living world which it is supposed to serve, because it is not the product of a person’s imagination.

I draw the analogy of translating a passage from one language to another. Using a person who is fluent in both languages as an interpreter will ensure a sensible translation, free of any confusing or misleading words. The same passage typed into a machine will almost always give a confused, ambiguous, or downright false translation.

So it is with computers. If the design is nothing more than an endless sum of equations, chosen at random by a computer to meet certain criteria, it will be missing the imagination and creativity that every building design should include. Design technology can bring the most fantastic designs into reality, but it can only accomplish this as a tool or the designer, not as the designer.