Application of Local Manufacturing Technologies

to Architecture and Design:

The JOURNAL OF ARCHITECTURE AND BUILDING-ENGINEERING(AIJ:No.5/February,2007)has just come to hand.It's a special issue with it's regular stream focussed on: 建築ものづくりのフロンティア.Pretty good number of Technical Research papers have taken place inside.The title you find at the top of my post is what my eyes stuck on, while having a glance upon the index last week.I'm not going with details of the paper,just talking about the inspiration of these kinda researh.

As you know 'Rhino-3D' specializes mainly in free-form NURBS modeling,architects and industrial designers get a lot of preveilege to visualize ideas by the grace of Rhino and these sort of virtual simulators.Again 'CAM' (computer aided manufacturing) made possible to construct the real object by its Rapid Prototyping function with 3D printer or Laser Cutter device.Along with advanced architecture schools,some fabulous architects of present time like Zaha Hadid Architects and Ghery partners are dedicated to adopt their Cybernatic Digital experties into Architectural design process.In most of the cases the typical design process is nothing but the application of shipbuilding and aircraft technology into Architecture.

The world famous Japanese motor company YAMAHA is also a prospective veteran in this field.This particular paper is about the construction process of an experimental 'Curved Surface Structural Unit'named 'Uni-Ring',where YAMAHA played a vital role(See in the picture above) to shape up the concept.

A few days ago I was reading a collection of some papers of PennArch,which are sort of similer in essence.They skillfully demonstrate how manufacturing methodologies are poised to transform building construction.Both of the Japanese Architects and American researches have came to the same conclusion that,we,the students of architecture at early millenium,have to look at the automobile,shipbuilding and aerospace industried to find out the way to the new horizon.People,who are dealing with so called mainstream architecture might say that it's a mere wastage of time,but I think,the architecture of near future is gonna talk about substance of architecture.Not about style,rather about the very methods and process that underlie making.The new age of architecture is just waiting in front of the door of our studio.We have to open the door.It's the time to re-evaluate and update the basic design and construction methods.I'm really fortunate that my generation is gonna constrain the building industry throughout its history,gonna start a new era where segregation of intelligence and information is the norm.

For the time being,we got a big task of learning about other Engineering streams.Let's wait and see what's possible in our age!

CHEERS !!!!

(UTOPIAN MANIFESTO/ ZOHA)