This essay by Michael was published in the book "form defining strategies", a book about experimental architectural Design. Edited by Asterios Agkathidis, Markus Hudert und Gabi Schillig
Beyond doubt the use of digital technology in architecture led to a simplification of workflow, especially in the pragmatic execution of an elaborated design. On the other hand side these developments had resulted also to an absence of identification and readability. By intensive dealing
with these programs, not with the architecture that is created hereby, the intellectual design-approach concentrates on a process of form finding, based on the particular capabilities of this animation software. Per se this don’t has to be poor, but also the use of a formal approach needs the background of a overall conceptual strategy, for strengthening the project. The partly loss of this approach is not only justified in the fascination of digital media and technique which exerts a pull on the user, it is also a case of a political and social change in the society, the education of the Individual right up to its indiscrimination.
Near the end of the eighties, a development applied in the western world, which gave priority to the individualization of the Individual. This process was supported by the governments then in force, with all available devices. By creating the new value of personal uniqueness, the integration of the individual into a system was ensured and therefore the assimilation into a collective which stood beyond political and social control could be banned. An important result in this relation, which was successfully reached, turned towards material values, detrimental to social and humanistic ideals. This development was supported by a media industry, which sent their main figures, good looking and equipped with the needy accessories, via TV series like “Miami Vice” into the houses of the people. It had not to do any more with content. These content was subordinated to superficially structures like fashion, accessories, cars and others. Not the being, but the appearance dominated henceforth the personal awareness of a growing up generation. The byproduct to that was the questioning of the definition of capitalism by Karl Marx, who determined capitalism as class society. The governmeents in charge took it further. As soon as the proletariat does not have the feeling, that the accumulation of social richness consists on their own exploitation, the two-class-society will not be experienced any more, respectively a third class will be established. The traditional interest of the classes will change, the problem shifts downwards. Exactly this happened.
These changes affected creative processes as well, as we can see it inter alia in architecture. The scenario described above leads to a superficial view on architecture and space, in which the contentual conceptual debate does not happen anymore. In
the result we can observe an interchangeability of projects and their design. Only a few architects worldwide attempt the conceptual approach to strengthen the project, which then develops structure and form. Unfortunately, not at least due to the possibilities of the worldwide media-industry, these results get copied and fielded at another place. One cannot fail to note, that these projects often have a quality of style, which is not based on own design-procedures, but on the use of digital technique and the effects coherent to those. That way appear formal objects, which add to the theory of the “Iconic Building” a new meaning. Should one declare this as another crisis in architecture, this would not be a housemade one, but the result of a development of the society, which to criticize architects are reluctant to. Critique always means dispute, the ability for this seems to be aborted.
If one considers work of students, it is easily to find out, that these young architects in general use similar approaches worldwide. The work is more or less changeable. Was it possible in the past to recognize the Alma Mater due to the work of the Universities and Academies, it is nowadays nearly out of any question. Lowest common multiple : the net. Prerequisite : control of digital programs like 3d-max, Rhinoceros or Maya.
Against this background it will be interesting to observe, how identity of the building and identification with the urban situation will be evolved. There is the chance, if we take the globalization-process into consideration, that there will be an identification with the condition, less with a place. The needful intellectual discussion could lead to a highly interesting conceptual approach for buildings and architecture, which shows projects producing an immaterial transparency. This transparency then has to be changed into materiality without any hierarchy of approaches of design or procedure.
A generic something.
(all projects seeing on this post by michael's students hamza and moustafa)
