The new infrared project was installed today in Aristotle Square, Thessaloniki. More info here.

A new infrared project is almost ready to launch. Meanwhile, this a video of the previous one. More info on the previous project here, and for the new one will follow...

This year's class of Digital Representations has just ended. Here are some images of the projects.

Fields have been an issue in architectural discourse, at least for the last 25 years. Stan Allen in his – now classic – text “from object to field” specifies some of the properties of a field. One is multiplicity. Fields are always multiple, since they are made out of a large number of individual elements, but most importantly because they allow multiple connections/relations between those elements. Then, they have a non-hierarchical character. Each element of the field is equal to all others, and gets differentiated from them due to local conditions. Also fields are inherently expandable (Allen uses the example of the Cordoba Mosque to illustrate that): A field can be expanded, virtually to infinity, without changing its inherent rules and syntax.

Computation added the tools necessary in order to study such field conditions. The element of a field is in its essence – no matter what its visual representation is – a vector. A vector has – at least in Euclidean space – a length (or magnitude) and a direction. Therefore a field of vectors becomes the ideal tool to represent, to study or to create flows (of energy, of matter, of information). And it is as such that the field has been used most successfully in computational experiments in architecture. Object-e has been involved in several such experiments during the last 5 years, which resulted in several (projects) but also in several tools created in order to extend the functionality of existing software in such directions. So this post is one of a series that will present some of those (simple but sometimes useful) tools and make them available for download (provided that I find the time to sort and clean those scripts a little bit…)

Orientation_field.ms is a script of this kind that does what the name implies: alters the orientation of a field of objects based on the distance of each object from several attractor points. Therefore focuses on one of the properties of the vector (direction) and it does so quite literally. The script is simple enough, but it serves as a good base in order to expand it more and enrich it with more functionality (and meaning). An earlier and even more primitive version of that script was used for Axi:Omes’ Digital Fabrication Lab project, 3 years ago. Of course the really fun part was actually (and manually) building that nice and clean digital model, which meant cutting, bending, sanding, drilling, threading and putting in place hundreds of steel bars, each one of different size and rotation. I think that it was all that work that gave meaning to the project. I miss those days…

The results for the OEK-SIKA 2010 Competition have just been announced, where we are awarded with a honorable mention. The competition concerns the design of a housing project at the outskirts of Thessaloniki. Congratulations to our hardworking team: Theodora Christoforidou, Sebastian Duque, Dimitris Gourdoukis, Roumbini Makridou, Vasilis Ntovros, Spyros Papadimitriou, Katerina Tryfonidou, Fotis Vasilakis.

Two abstract landscapes, exploring the notion of vertical algorithmic growth. A CA is the basic algorithm, and it then gets interpreted into geometry. Those two images are actually early sketches. Hopefully more will follow in that direction.
Also, I am afraid that I drove my pc to its limits with this model counting 7.870.016 polygons. Somehow you always seem to need more computational power...

Algorithmic Body and Urban Performance are featured on the latest damdi special Issue publication, "Architectural Models Lead to Design" that is focusing on physical modeling and its relation to the design process. Here is a link to the book webpage.

F(lying).I(nfo).C(ollectors) is a proposal for the Piraeus Tower 2010 competition that was asking for the ‘reformation’ of the facades of an existing tower in Piraeus, Greece. Our proposal is a swarm of mechanical 'birds' that covers the facades of the building (when the 'birds' are nesting) while it visually communicates information (when the 'birds' are flying). More information for the project here.

Damdi Publications just released 'portfolio', a collection of 5 books featuring work from 107 offices from around the world. Among them object-e. Features What if NYC Competition, Para*site, MAP, Algorithmic Body, Space Sound and the KU School of Architecture. Here is a link to the book page at the damdi website.