Protocol Infrastructure

Protocol Infrastructure attempts to approach the design of infrastructure in an alternative, bottom-up fashion, that is not based on master planning but instead on the development of a protocol that would allow infrastructure to ’self-organize’, adapting at the same time to the conditions that it encounters. The characteristics of such an approach are illustrated through the example of a structure, designed for the San Francisco Bay, which aims to the development of a system that would allow for a settlement to face the rising of the water level because of global warming. The model proposed, instead of following a ‘long term’ plan adapts itself to the situation that it encounters (water level, population needs) and grows in height following an algorithm designed for that reason. Machines are used from the system as the agents that would allow self organization to happen and the means to build the structure. More information here

object-e.net

Object-e has a new home here. This blog will of course continue...

object-e.net

Fields of noise

Noise is an unwanted random addition to a wanted signal [...] In Information Theory, however, noise is still considered to be information... (from wikipedia.org)

I would add, that sometime noise is the information. In these images an array/field of boxes is created, using the noise3, noise 4 and fractalNoise functions that MaxScript provides. The function is affecting each time the scale of the boxes.

Pattern Formation on Algorithmic Design

Algorithmic Design is a new book published in Japan that focuses on the integration of algorithmic processes in architectural design. It features a reference on the Pattern Formation class that I was teaching last year at Washington University, in the last part of the book that discuses algorithmic design and education.

More CA...

I was playing with MaxScript, trying to see how I can rewrite the .mel ca script and at the end I came up with a much more elaborate version for 3ds max, that implements 18 different sets of rules.
CA are quite critical for what I am researching right now (self-organization that is...). It is really impressive how different classes of rules produce different results, from quickly normalized ones to totally chaotic (rule 30).
The script is available for downloading at the tools section.

Folding the Suburbs / UIA 2005 proceedings

This is a project, already quite old, that we presented at the 2005 UIA conference in Istanbul. It looks like it took some time but finally they published a selection from the presentations, including ours, under the title "Folding the Suburbs". I hope that it still makes some sense after five years... It was written and presented in collaboration with Vana Tentokali, Katerina Tryfonidou & Magdalena Pantazi.

Axi:Ome books

Both Axi:Ome books are finally out! The first one (spacial practice) contains the earlier projects and the second one (damdi is.32 - between practice and education) the latest projects. It might sound strange coming from me, but I don't think that there are many practices with such quality and consistency of work, so these two books are really valuable!
You can find the first one here and the damdi here.

Cellular automata examples

I finally found some time to wrap the ca mel scripts with a UI and to upload the at the /tools section of the blog. The following images are some examples where I used the ca in orders to generate geometry; surfaces in these cases.

Temporary Gallery Space

The design for a temporary gallery space. Dimensions 10’X20’X10’. It explores the idea of having two ‘layers’ of transparency. One defined by the transparency/translucency of the material of the panels; the other defined by the size of the holes of the panels.


The grasshopper definition for the panels here.

KU project selected for the World Architecture Community Awards.

The project for the New School of Architecture at Kansas University was awarded in the 2nd cycle of the World Architecture Community Awards. Here is a link to the project page and here a link to the posters. Thanks to those who voted for it!