PARAMETRIC SURFACES AND ARCHITECTURE: Concepts, Design, and Production

By incorporating parametric surfaces and spline entities into the shape modelling computer systems, new design and production graphic tools have been created in the conceptual and poetic field of architecture; thus allowing an intuitive approach to the fast production of complex shapes with a minimum amount of data and specific knowledge. The analogous production systems (constrained by the material resources and constructive procedures present in the local existing technologies) are challenged by design and virtual simulation systems, suggesting new relationships between the architectural features and their representation: the creation of a symbolic and dynamic information space where the representation affects the identity of what is being represented. Taking into account this current challenge, we have decided to work in the mixture, without reciprocal exclusions or substitutions, proposing some work alternatives to approach the issue under discussion in the Architecture Workshop. 1. Geometry And Architecture Some departure hypotheses are enunciated that try to describe the situation regarding which the new relationships are generated between geometry and architecture starting from a historical coexistence of means that crosses the moments of creation, development and production of the discipline: ● The post-mechanical thing cohabits with the pre-industrial thing. ● The systems of digital creation challenge the similar production systems in being able to sum up and to materialize many of the ideas that are manifested virtually. ● New relationships on the architectural thing and their representation. The creation of a symbolic and dynamic space of information where the representation usurps the identity of that represented. ● Re-definition of concepts like reality, perception and memory. Eclipsed by concepts like cyberspace, cyberception and the synthetic image. ● The systems CAD-CAM-CAE redefine the pre-figuration instances and representation of the disciplines linked to the design. They condition and they transform processes of production and construction, they modify their operational methodology forcing to leave the strictly graphic thing, enlarging horizons.