From Control to Design: Parametric/Algorithmic Architecture [Paperback]

Michael Meredith (Author, Editor), Aranda-lasch (Editor), Mutsuro Sasaki (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 8496540790 | ISBN-13: 978-8496540798 | Publication Date: October 15, 2008

Along with the new architectural freedoms offered by contemporary technologies come new questions. increasing importance has been given to the role of parametric design, a process based not on fixed metric quantities but on consistent relationships between objects, allowing changes in a single element to propagate corresponding changes throughout the system. In parallel, recent developments in algorithmic design processes have opened the way to scripting and other procedures that allow complex forms to be grown from simple iterative methods while preserving specified qualities. If the parametric is a technique for the holistic control and manipulation of design objects at all scales from part to whole, the algorithmic is a method of generation, producing complex forms and structures based on simple component rules. The question today is how these related but distinct techniques - the parametric and the algorithmic - will affect design practice. Leading practitioners of parametric and algorithmic design will be invited to contribute research and projects that illustrate their view on the new possibilities offered by these new technologies, their similarities and their differences. Rather than a compilation of individual projects, the next Verb monograph presents the work of each author as an extended contribution, through research and projects, that reflects a particular attitude towards the potentials of parametric and algorithmic design today.

Editorial Reviews

Review

A solid companion to any student of architecture's studies, From Control to Design is a strong choice. --The Midwest Book Review

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Actar (October 15, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 8496540790
• ISBN-13: 978-8496540798
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.9 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #323,638 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An absolute "must-have" for anyone striving to keep abreast of current challenges in the field, December 9, 2008

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Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: From Control to Design: Parametric/Algorithmic Architecture (Paperback)

Created with contributions from a wealth of experts and featuring a conversation between architecture writer Sanford Kwinter and GNUFORM studio co-founder Jason Payne, Control to Design: Parametric/Algorithmic Architecture is a thoughtful presentation of six independent practices that each engage in current applications of parametric and algorithmic design techniques in architectural production. A step well beyond the first generation of digital modeling techniques, parametric and algorithmic architectural design may well be the future of architectural practice - but what precisely do they offer the discipline, and what are their weaknesses? Extensive black-and-white photography and diagrams, as well as some color photographs, illustrate this fascinating look at the cutting edge of a modern industry. An absolute "must-have" for anyone striving to keep abreast of current challenges in the field.