Recently I did see the Kinetower. The Kinetower is Kinetura’s concept for a building whose façade elements responds to the sunlight or for the user inside.
It is all the new rage of design studios in the universities. Anything comes fast into the scene like that lasts about three to five years. Look what happened to parametric design.
To put some blinds is obviously also possible, but what fascinates me is their concept. To add a new kinetic dimension to common static design in architecture. I think this design and concept is more rooted in reality as to parametric design so the duration could be much longer. Via KineticArchitecture.Net I found already built objects of moving elements in architecture. There you can find also kinetic engineering for those who like window treatments...
It could be A step, I dont see any reason why it would be THE next step at all
I imagine the blinds comment was partially tongue in cheek, but unless this solution is somehow more cost effective than blinds, it seems like a really expensive way of shading the building
I didnt go too in depth with the links, the video seemed a little generic in its renderings, but does it address anything beyond sun shading?
im just saying that re-inventing the wheel for the sake of novelty is total bullshit and the reason that people dont take our profession seriously anymore
this topic has been simmering for a long time, going back to viollet-le-duc if you want, if not before...all the way to vitruvius
wiilliam zuk has a book on kinetic architecture; then there is the kinetic design group at MIT in the mid to late 90's with the seminal involvement of Michael A. Fox, whose robotecture website used to have a matrix charting many designers of the 20th century who have done kinetic architecture. there there is chuck hoberman's work, omar khan at buffalo, wes jones doing mechanized design, adam culkin's house, phillip beeseley's explorations, some of the living's work, keith green's animated work environment, that Sterk dude's work in Chicago, the ocean design research collaborative, AEDAS is doing a tower in the middle east with an actuated facade, i believe, and there are several others, jeanne gang's performance pavilion, REX's performing arts center in Houston or some texas city, mark goulthorpe's DeCOI wall (or however he spells it), steven holl's got some work in this vein, too, though not mechanized, diller+scofidio did the expo pavilion in manhattan for fashion week that glides on gantry cranes, among others...and of course some of calatrava's outstanding kinetic, sculptural buildings.
beautiful video you linked to. this person calls it dynamic architecture. it is also referred to as kinetic architecture, kinetic design, architectural robotics, interactive architecture, robotecture, among other terms
and you can cross over into ubiquitous computing, tangible computing and ambient environments, assistive robotics, or even neuro-ergonomics.
it has its place. it may work better for kiosk design, temporary designs, temporary partitions and meeting rooms, exterior solar shading, concert halls, installation art, mission critical, high performance environments like operating rooms, or any place where spatial change on the time scale of minutes to hours to days is expected.
Jean nouvel anybody? 20 or 30 years ago.
No the future are buildings that grow themselves. Architects will be planners of seeds that turn into building material that turn into buildings.
We made "moving architecture" in Wes Jones studio. Was fun, but far from realistic (can you say money!). He had some interesting ideas, interesting guy.
The argument in the studio was "How do you make moving architecture that is not a spectacle" (or something to that nature). The conclusion, imho, was you don't. Calatrava is/was a good example of this spectacle, but he doesn't hide it - it is 'cool' for the sake of being 'cool', and that's ok, for simple sculptural buildings.
This is all for show. Get something that generates electricity, efficiently, or does something that translates into $$ somehow and you've got my ear (my skeptical ear, as things break, when they do, they cost exponentially more to fix and usually the owner won't bother, leaving a half working hunk-a-metal).
so....**yawn**
(and someone should really help them with their renderings/animations if they are going to promote a full video)
Mdler, I actually don't mind moving architecture like. The reason I don't mind it is that it is easily repairable.
If the moving architecture in question operating parts can't be bought for a tool store, made by a local metalworker or spot welded back together... it reaches that point of being "past appropriate."
But I would more or less categorize that as "machine architecture" rather than "kinetic architecture" or "robotic architecture" as the movement in question is an extension of the human rather than being solely dependent on some sort of electric or circuit based aspect.
But I doubt you're going to be able to operate a multi-story moving system with a simple bicycle crank.
you can have louvers that are all controlled by a central computer system that has been pre-programmed by somebody. The problem with this approach is that it does not address the needs of the individual in the individual office that may be hot/cold
When I was in jr high/ high school, my building's HVAC system was controlled by some third party company in Texas (I went to school in Ohio). There was no way to adjust the temperature of the classrooms. Needless to say, there were may days when things got to hot or cold
As much as technology can save the world, the human hand is still better at doing so
kaz oosterhuis' work with the hyperbody group
john frazer's experiments at the AA
Gordon Pask's experiments
Cedric Price's fun palace and potteries thinkbelt
Archigram and Superstudio (at least in concept)
Nicholas Negroponte's writings on soft architecture machines
i think this stuff may have more a a future in specialty applications -- mission critical specialty applications -- clean rooms, operating rooms, labs, rehabilitation facilities, deployable disaster relief structures ---
and as pre-built plug and play components inserted into structures, not as the structures themselves --- kinetic/intelligent/responsive components built in factories where production can be controlled to higher tolerances and software and hardware integration can happen more efficiently
i take stephen gage's distinction between 'architecture' and 'design' as illuminating here --- this sort of approach seems to me to fit better into the designed spaces within architecture --- though my thoughts on this issue continue to develop
Mar 1, 11 6:39 am ·
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amazing kinetic skyscraper facade
Recently I did see the Kinetower. The Kinetower is Kinetura’s concept for a building whose façade elements responds to the sunlight or for the user inside.
In the following article they say that
"…kinetic architecture is the next step…"
via http://blog.kineticarchitecture.net/2011/02/kinetura_kinetower/
video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0C1sWImmvAE&feature=player_embedded#at=33
so what do you think? Could this be the next step?
It is all the new rage of design studios in the universities. Anything comes fast into the scene like that lasts about three to five years. Look what happened to parametric design.
why not just put in some blinds?
Remember, mdler... architects hate window treatments.
To put some blinds is obviously also possible, but what fascinates me is their concept. To add a new kinetic dimension to common static design in architecture. I think this design and concept is more rooted in reality as to parametric design so the duration could be much longer. Via KineticArchitecture.Net I found already built objects of moving elements in architecture. There you can find also kinetic engineering for those who like window treatments...
laser, bitches!
the "kinea" on their website is used as liberally as the "Mc" at McDonald's.
kinetic means it moves!
I'm not sure if the 'designers' of that skyscraper featured in the video understand how buildings work.
i love when people jump on the bandwagon that is quickly heading towards the edge of the cliff
"Could this be the next step?"
It could be A step, I dont see any reason why it would be THE next step at all
I imagine the blinds comment was partially tongue in cheek, but unless this solution is somehow more cost effective than blinds, it seems like a really expensive way of shading the building
I didnt go too in depth with the links, the video seemed a little generic in its renderings, but does it address anything beyond sun shading?
A few avantgarde would push that direction and that is promising enough. However, I don't think that will become the next step of Architecture.
im just saying that re-inventing the wheel for the sake of novelty is total bullshit and the reason that people dont take our profession seriously anymore
this topic has been simmering for a long time, going back to viollet-le-duc if you want, if not before...all the way to vitruvius
wiilliam zuk has a book on kinetic architecture; then there is the kinetic design group at MIT in the mid to late 90's with the seminal involvement of Michael A. Fox, whose robotecture website used to have a matrix charting many designers of the 20th century who have done kinetic architecture. there there is chuck hoberman's work, omar khan at buffalo, wes jones doing mechanized design, adam culkin's house, phillip beeseley's explorations, some of the living's work, keith green's animated work environment, that Sterk dude's work in Chicago, the ocean design research collaborative, AEDAS is doing a tower in the middle east with an actuated facade, i believe, and there are several others, jeanne gang's performance pavilion, REX's performing arts center in Houston or some texas city, mark goulthorpe's DeCOI wall (or however he spells it), steven holl's got some work in this vein, too, though not mechanized, diller+scofidio did the expo pavilion in manhattan for fashion week that glides on gantry cranes, among others...and of course some of calatrava's outstanding kinetic, sculptural buildings.
beautiful video you linked to. this person calls it dynamic architecture. it is also referred to as kinetic architecture, kinetic design, architectural robotics, interactive architecture, robotecture, among other terms
and you can cross over into ubiquitous computing, tangible computing and ambient environments, assistive robotics, or even neuro-ergonomics.
it has its place. it may work better for kiosk design, temporary designs, temporary partitions and meeting rooms, exterior solar shading, concert halls, installation art, mission critical, high performance environments like operating rooms, or any place where spatial change on the time scale of minutes to hours to days is expected.
apologies for sloppy post.....don't have time to look up proper names and references for some of these right now
Jean nouvel anybody? 20 or 30 years ago.
No the future are buildings that grow themselves. Architects will be planners of seeds that turn into building material that turn into buildings.
A friend of mine had Wes Jones do a project for him in LA with moving floors...the thing cost 10x what it was supposed to, and the floors dont work.
Does Nouvel's Arab Institute facade work?
We made "moving architecture" in Wes Jones studio. Was fun, but far from realistic (can you say money!). He had some interesting ideas, interesting guy.
The argument in the studio was "How do you make moving architecture that is not a spectacle" (or something to that nature). The conclusion, imho, was you don't. Calatrava is/was a good example of this spectacle, but he doesn't hide it - it is 'cool' for the sake of being 'cool', and that's ok, for simple sculptural buildings.
This is all for show. Get something that generates electricity, efficiently, or does something that translates into $$ somehow and you've got my ear (my skeptical ear, as things break, when they do, they cost exponentially more to fix and usually the owner won't bother, leaving a half working hunk-a-metal).
so....**yawn**
(and someone should really help them with their renderings/animations if they are going to promote a full video)
TK and his consultant's well designed gizmos. yawn. next gimmick, per piacere?
a few years old, but still a great idea...curtains!!!
Mdler, I actually don't mind moving architecture like. The reason I don't mind it is that it is easily repairable.
If the moving architecture in question operating parts can't be bought for a tool store, made by a local metalworker or spot welded back together... it reaches that point of being "past appropriate."
But I would more or less categorize that as "machine architecture" rather than "kinetic architecture" or "robotic architecture" as the movement in question is an extension of the human rather than being solely dependent on some sort of electric or circuit based aspect.
But I doubt you're going to be able to operate a multi-story moving system with a simple bicycle crank.
you can have louvers that are all controlled by a central computer system that has been pre-programmed by somebody. The problem with this approach is that it does not address the needs of the individual in the individual office that may be hot/cold
When I was in jr high/ high school, my building's HVAC system was controlled by some third party company in Texas (I went to school in Ohio). There was no way to adjust the temperature of the classrooms. Needless to say, there were may days when things got to hot or cold
As much as technology can save the world, the human hand is still better at doing so
few more references worth noting:
kaz oosterhuis' work with the hyperbody group
john frazer's experiments at the AA
Gordon Pask's experiments
Cedric Price's fun palace and potteries thinkbelt
Archigram and Superstudio (at least in concept)
Nicholas Negroponte's writings on soft architecture machines
i think this stuff may have more a a future in specialty applications -- mission critical specialty applications -- clean rooms, operating rooms, labs, rehabilitation facilities, deployable disaster relief structures ---
and as pre-built plug and play components inserted into structures, not as the structures themselves --- kinetic/intelligent/responsive components built in factories where production can be controlled to higher tolerances and software and hardware integration can happen more efficiently
i take stephen gage's distinction between 'architecture' and 'design' as illuminating here --- this sort of approach seems to me to fit better into the designed spaces within architecture --- though my thoughts on this issue continue to develop
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