"Last few days Archinect has been overrun with parametric people (assuming it's more than one person posting). Very cult-like attitudes. Weird. The overall feeling is that it/they know very tittle about construction, if anything at all."
They know very little about construction as it stands, but everyone knows construction has a lot of room to innovate, in fact, construction is the least innovative of all industries in terms of its size and importance to the economy (at least here in New Zealand).
"I doubt that, even Rusty still doesn't quite fit in."
Yeah, but my case is special.
"but everyone knows construction has a lot of room to innovate, in fact, construction is the least innovative of all industries in terms of its size and importance to the economy"
I find the industry to be trying really hard to embrace new technologies. It's frigging hard. There are examples of tools that are really good at doing one thing really well, but there is nothing out there right now that will marry the entire process together from SD to CA. I'm all for parametric process (in my mind parametric means completely different thing than what it does to script-kiddies), but it's not quite there yet. One day. There are so many aspects of my daily work that could be automated, but our 'intelligent databases' aren't that smart still.
rusty fits in fine. and i'm not saying that just cuz we're both from the same socialist nation up north. sure there were some complaints once or twice but he's still here. so like i said, do feel free to jump in. just don't expect to not be yelled at or whatever. that isn't part of the deal.
i agree with you rusty about innovation. we find it hard just to keep up with the software sometimes. that the end goal is so unclear probably adds to the mess. for now we prefer to work with physical models (quelle horreur!). i can do rhino and recently we have a person working with us who is great with revit, but i don't quite see the need to use it just yet, and certainly not as religion like some of the scriptees do. in the meantime whatever works is cool with me.
I've started using the iPad at job sites for notes and confirming shop drawings. That's about as high tech as we are, but even that gets frustrating. They still don't have tools available to truly fit my needs.
What "shared bias" are you talking about, the nothing? I'm honestly confused by all this.
A lot of people are saying whatever tool you use to get you to whatever end you're after, cool. Now let's place that tool and goal in a larger framework of architecture as a discipline that touches on theory, culture, and construction and make some comparisons and see where we get. What is biased about that view?
Let's say you're using wood studs to frame a building. That wood stud is a 2x4, which is 1.5" wide. That 1.5" isn't actually within that 1/32" tolerance. When the framer uses a tape measure to put those studs at 16" o.c., they would be lucky to get 1/8" tolerance not to mention 1/32". I think it would be generally impractical and not expected for people building a rough opening to be within a tolerance that tight. That's why we have shims and we include trim to hide the shims.
In a shop you can often create some sort of jig or however you do it to make that tight of a fit. You're tolerances are tighter because you can achieve tighter tolerances. Tolerance for putting steel up with a crane can be like 2". That's a lot.
Also, we use nominal dimensions, especially for stuff like doors, because we often don't know what the contractor is going to put in. That's the sort of thing I've found a contractor will often change on their own without even telling anyone. If they have a particular supplier their used to, they can get a better deal and as long as the finish matches and whatever sort of performance requirements are met, no one ever complains. We keep it vague and hope we pick up the mistakes reviewing shop drawings.
if parametricism is indeed, as herr schumacher states,"the most potent movement and avant garde architectural style there is today" well, i think that is just great. i welcome it. a sea change in architecture may be happening right under our no line bifocal wearig noses and i understand that with it new terms and, idneed, a new language may be emerging with it. perhaps the difficulty is that several thousand years of developed discourse about design exists and is not just going to go away and, therefore, the work still needs to be translated and explained into those not quite dead languages. at least, for awhile anyway. you get no protests from me. bring on the new. i excited to see what you can create. see you in the new post fordist networked world.
What is possibly sad is that while our discipline blathers over whether what Schumacher said is correct or not some dude with a tech school degree will figure out how to use parametric(ism)s to create some skeuomorphic architectural-ish bullshit that appeals to the masses and nets a trillion dollars and our opportunity to use it to actually challenge the mass perception of design will go straight down the toilet.
And us old people know this because we saw it happen with Modernism, and Post-Modernism, and DeCon already.
Man, these parametric peeps are worse than the 'occupy' ones.
But what do they want?? Can't they come up with a list of demands? (bullet point, large font, can't see well no more) Why don't they just get a job or something? At their age I did all my parametricism with india ink and a drafting mouse. Uphill. Both ways.
Whoa, a Vado Retro sighting. I made a wish and threw a penny behind my shoulder. It works!
hey vado! and et al. (is that proper usage?) good to see some new faces jla-x and the nothing.... although bit confused by Will using the logout? did someone change name or get deleted?
Wisconsin has been "fun" can't wait to be back in FL/home....
also loving the tolerance discussion and enjoying the current flame wars that are the parametric threads. Plus as others have pointed out if herr schumacher states that it is a style not sure why all the kids think it will "change" the profession... Unless it is just a tool that can be applied to any style right?
Duck and cover!!! It's scary outside of my little TC bubble. I have no idea what they were talking about. That one design looked like a Bilboa copy, so is Gehry the father of Parametrics? Then the others went all protester on the subject, and I'm left even morea confused. Is this where the worship of fractals got us?
And welcome, Kevin.
I like curtkram, so I shall quote him: I like modernism.
Hi Kevin!
I had a jobsite visit today and was reminded how freakin' easy our jobs can be compared to putting on roofing shingles on a steeply pitched roof facing south on a 90 d. day. So glad I don't have to do labor every day.
don't think gehry is into parametric the way the youngsters are. he uses it as tool not as justification.
dunno. As an old guy i've worked directly with one of the archigram guys, and have spoken about metabolism to one of its founders, and get the feeling all this stuff only makes sense in hindsight, even for the people who are at the front.
i guess movements take vision and perhaps that means a certain kind of truculence is inevitable, although most often in the followers not the leaders...
as far as it goes, algorithmic design is otherwise quite normal in my work at university but completely unrelated to my work at the office. it is hard to bridge the gap somehow. right now i see algorithms influencing us more in our work at the scale of urban planning, where we are able to use it to extract important information from GIS based data. But it isn't something we have felt compelled to use to generate form with yet. That's not a bias, it just isn't required yet. The knowledge that parametrics represents is fascinating and could really change how we build, but I don't think it is the end game by any means. Bigger issues are more interesting for the moment...
you're teaching algorithmic design in school? Isn't that sort of unethical somehow? Just so we're on the same page, this is what wikipedia says an algorithm is;
an algorithm is an effective method expressed as a finite list of well-defined instructions for calculating a function.
Now I'm a big fan of algorithms. I made a vba routine in autocad that puts door in walls that is just awesome. and it doesn't even have all of the profession breaking crap autodesk included in ADT. It's full of algorithms. But the end goal, as stated above, was to calculate a function.
So how do you relate that to architecture? You randomly generate a form from fractals, or your spirograph or something? Are you using algorithms to create form, or is it something like computing a function related to how the user interacts with the environment/restrooms/whatever (<-- whatever that means. that's why they needed a new language)? Can you really reduce form or some other aspect of architecture to calculating a function?
I don't think there is a right answer to such things. Some people think form follows function. Some people think form follows context. Some people think form follows swoopy lines. Whatever. If you really like algorithmic form generating stuff, I would attribute that to being an opinion I disagree with, and I generally think it's fully acceptable for people to have opinions that are different than mine. But it sort of seems this particular path ignores a lot of what actually exists in real life, and maybe isn't the best thing to pass to the next generation.
shhhh...we don't want to wake them....after their long night of enjoying listening to themselves pontificate on and on and on...sleeping in their parents basement, and partaking in asian anime-porn. Let them sleep...please.
Where's that "layoffs.... layoffs..." thread again? I'm fine, for the time being. But 100's of our fellow professionals are having themselves quite a shitty long weekend... profits are not 'where they need to be'. This profession is a harsh mistress.
Indeed....my firm had yet another round of lay-offs last week...This time too close for comfort, my production guy was sent packing...it is clear that ability to do it all is some tiny bit of job security..here, even though we are big mega global, you still have to be able to model, mark up, manage, have excellent commication and people skills, and do CA.....and be able to market. Mad computer skills will not secure your spot, if you are an asshole, or a one trick pony!!....I know I know.."cool story, bro"....
that sucks. not looking forward to the fallout from the euro going nuts either.
@ curtkram, no we don't teach algorithmic design. it comes up as a side issue to other goals usually, although we have 3 profs who are expert in that sort of thing when technical know-how is required. We're a research-based university though and tend to work with climate scientists as often as with other architects so science is natural backdrop to our work (no pseudo science allowed). our goals are always outside architecture. very strange archi-education, i know.
Well in that case, I'm glad I work for guy who does über-rich people houses. They'll just keep getting richer. Heck, we ordered windows for one family that's building an indoor sports court, and another with an LED, pressure-activated, floating glass stair. Most of the time I'm shaking my head asking "why?"
Sarah....Texas Oil Boys! Shit they don't care how much it cost....just make it bigger and better than my neighbor...
On another thought: I was listing to Buzz from TV series "Route 66." A must watch program for any one born in 1953. It made me think of Orhan's article. He was talking about working with all the Hollywood Stars before they were stars. Robert Redford, Liam Nelison, Robert Di Val...(butchred that one) and a long list of others. The series was about two young bucks traveling along "Route 66" in a Corvette and their adventures. So it was sorta the Hollywood verison of Ken Kessy and the Marry Pranksters. Damn you gotta Love Merica.....screwed up as we are.
Great news today, about the space station. My brother in law worked on that arm dragging in the first commerical space module.
I was listing to about in on NPR...and Glenn Armstrong said he is waiting for someone to go back to the moon and pick up the camera he left behind, cause then it would prove that he was there.
hey all. It feels like I haven't been here in ages. It took me two and a half days to catch up on the 5 pages I missed. Great to see new faces, trolls and bots have joined the masses.
Interesting your commentary about tolerances Sarah, I've worked for firms in a variety of countries over the years each wanting to have smaller and smaller tolerances - or as I like think it is a general intolerance in the contractor adjusting anything. Professionally I love what the contractor and suppliers to the table and I have done projects with 10mm tolerances up to as much 15mm. And sadly this is unheard of, if not foolish to many.
there's not much talk about parametrics where I teach. Like many have said, it does seem like rebranding of the same topic, Tschumi was writing about algorithms on an urban scale in the late 80s and 90s - way before the software was able to catch up. Using parametrics to drive aesthetics does not impress me, but as a design tool to yield solutions to optimize passive cooling/heating, heat gain, etc as well at an urban scale to minimize traffic, etc really does.
parametrics : are we talking about a medical condition. "There is alot of dung in the universe so get your Shit detectors on." Quoting one of my High School teachers, who was in Berkley in the last 60's. There isn't a day that goes by when that thought doesn't pass thru my mind. It has served me well over the years.
I'd like to thank former Rolex machinist and brilliant architect Alfred Z. for introducing me to grappa lo those many days ago back at Cranbrook. Grappa is the drink of the gods, the archi gods for sure.
Gordon's Cups (gin muddled with cucumbers and lime), lamb burgers, syrah, pavlovas with fresh berries, grappa. Wonderful friends. Fireworks. Lovely evening.
Donna that drink sounds absolutely refreshing... I'm not a big gin drinker but infusion through muddling always cheers my palette. I think it's time to attempt another summer bbq. And yes summer has begun in Jamaica we've been having too many 30+ degree weather with the humidity of salty bacon/codfish to match.
David, it's two 1/2" thick rounds of peeled cuke, four lime slices, muddled, then pour on 1/4 cup gin, a tablespoon of simple syrup, and crushed ice. Shake and enjoy. Super refreshing on a hot day.
manta, Oana was a school blogger - from Romania? - and frequent commenter for awhile. Super smart and optimistic. Then she went I think to London then to NYC? And now she's designing canopies for famous people at Cannes. SO cool to watch the careers and adventures of people via Archinect! Thank you Paul!
Oana is one of the best writer/editors contributes to Archinect whenever she can. She is as original and natural as it gets. Congratulations Oana, it is only fitting your nomad soul would design a tent.
Here is one of my favorite pieces of her, "secret life."
And yes, her optimism was very humble:
The Shit
Two brothers. One an incurable optimist (O), the other a hopeless pessimist (P).
Christmas.
The pessimistic brother gets tons of expensive gifts.
The optimistic gets a horse shit.
O: What did you get?
P: I got so many expensive presents at once, that this is probably my last Christmas. I must have some disease. I am dying.
O: Well, I got a horse but it's hiding somewhere around here.
Oh yes!!! Thanks Donna, I well remember her now. I loved her school blog, read it every time she put something up. I remember her being disappointed with the quality of architectural education in Romania. It was fascinating to learn about such an under-the-radar country. Aha. I KNEW I knew "Oana" from something but couldn't for the life of me place it. Awesome!!!
A friend of mine is a high school teacher and has a student interested in some sort of architectural internship for the summer. Other than pointing in the direction of the local AIA office and the local USGBC office, are there any other options I'm overlooking? I was even thinking of the local Habitat for Humanity office? Any suggestions are greatly appreciated. Again, this is a high school student.
Hi friends. How are things? I miss you guys. I know I am out of the loop. I'm working on my exams right now and have one left to take in a month. After I pass it, I was hoping to come back to Archinect as the newer, shinier, more licensed version of myself. And maybe then I'll actually contribute some value to the conversation once again. Until then, I'm just so busy...
Anyway, some of you know this already but I was trying to host an Archinect Family Reunion this summer in Portland. Totally informal, kind of a "everybody show up in Portland the last weekend in July and we'll hang out" sort of a deal. If we can get a good-sized group to commit, I'll arrange a bar night for us. I'd also love to take you on a bike ride of the city, if you are interested!
OK I have to get back to work now.
PS. Is anybody else thinking of learning programming language(s)? I figured I would get bored after I finished my exams, LOL.
Thread Central
"Last few days Archinect has been overrun with parametric people (assuming it's more than one person posting). Very cult-like attitudes. Weird. The overall feeling is that it/they know very tittle about construction, if anything at all."
They know very little about construction as it stands, but everyone knows construction has a lot of room to innovate, in fact, construction is the least innovative of all industries in terms of its size and importance to the economy (at least here in New Zealand).
I find myself getting more radical with age.
"I doubt that, even Rusty still doesn't quite fit in."
Yeah, but my case is special.
"but everyone knows construction has a lot of room to innovate, in fact, construction is the least innovative of all industries in terms of its size and importance to the economy"
I find the industry to be trying really hard to embrace new technologies. It's frigging hard. There are examples of tools that are really good at doing one thing really well, but there is nothing out there right now that will marry the entire process together from SD to CA. I'm all for parametric process (in my mind parametric means completely different thing than what it does to script-kiddies), but it's not quite there yet. One day. There are so many aspects of my daily work that could be automated, but our 'intelligent databases' aren't that smart still.
rusty fits in fine. and i'm not saying that just cuz we're both from the same socialist nation up north. sure there were some complaints once or twice but he's still here. so like i said, do feel free to jump in. just don't expect to not be yelled at or whatever. that isn't part of the deal.
i agree with you rusty about innovation. we find it hard just to keep up with the software sometimes. that the end goal is so unclear probably adds to the mess. for now we prefer to work with physical models (quelle horreur!). i can do rhino and recently we have a person working with us who is great with revit, but i don't quite see the need to use it just yet, and certainly not as religion like some of the scriptees do. in the meantime whatever works is cool with me.
easy to see why you, Rusty, and jla-x get along Will, nothing to do with Canada,
Some would call your shared bias religion as well.
I've started using the iPad at job sites for notes and confirming shop drawings. That's about as high tech as we are, but even that gets frustrating. They still don't have tools available to truly fit my needs.
What "shared bias" are you talking about, the nothing? I'm honestly confused by all this.
A lot of people are saying whatever tool you use to get you to whatever end you're after, cool. Now let's place that tool and goal in a larger framework of architecture as a discipline that touches on theory, culture, and construction and make some comparisons and see where we get. What is biased about that view?
Everyone is welcome in Thread Central.
Regarding your tolerances an such:
Let's say you're using wood studs to frame a building. That wood stud is a 2x4, which is 1.5" wide. That 1.5" isn't actually within that 1/32" tolerance. When the framer uses a tape measure to put those studs at 16" o.c., they would be lucky to get 1/8" tolerance not to mention 1/32". I think it would be generally impractical and not expected for people building a rough opening to be within a tolerance that tight. That's why we have shims and we include trim to hide the shims.
In a shop you can often create some sort of jig or however you do it to make that tight of a fit. You're tolerances are tighter because you can achieve tighter tolerances. Tolerance for putting steel up with a crane can be like 2". That's a lot.
Also, we use nominal dimensions, especially for stuff like doors, because we often don't know what the contractor is going to put in. That's the sort of thing I've found a contractor will often change on their own without even telling anyone. If they have a particular supplier their used to, they can get a better deal and as long as the finish matches and whatever sort of performance requirements are met, no one ever complains. We keep it vague and hope we pick up the mistakes reviewing shop drawings.
if parametricism is indeed, as herr schumacher states,"the most potent movement and avant garde architectural style there is today" well, i think that is just great. i welcome it. a sea change in architecture may be happening right under our no line bifocal wearig noses and i understand that with it new terms and, idneed, a new language may be emerging with it. perhaps the difficulty is that several thousand years of developed discourse about design exists and is not just going to go away and, therefore, the work still needs to be translated and explained into those not quite dead languages. at least, for awhile anyway. you get no protests from me. bring on the new. i excited to see what you can create. see you in the new post fordist networked world.
- vado retro.-
What is possibly sad is that while our discipline blathers over whether what Schumacher said is correct or not some dude with a tech school degree will figure out how to use parametric(ism)s to create some skeuomorphic architectural-ish bullshit that appeals to the masses and nets a trillion dollars and our opportunity to use it to actually challenge the mass perception of design will go straight down the toilet.
And us old people know this because we saw it happen with Modernism, and Post-Modernism, and DeCon already.
Hi vado!
Man, these parametric peeps are worse than the 'occupy' ones.
But what do they want?? Can't they come up with a list of demands? (bullet point, large font, can't see well no more) Why don't they just get a job or something? At their age I did all my parametricism with india ink and a drafting mouse. Uphill. Both ways.
Whoa, a Vado Retro sighting. I made a wish and threw a penny behind my shoulder. It works!
hey vado! and et al. (is that proper usage?) good to see some new faces jla-x and the nothing.... although bit confused by Will using the logout? did someone change name or get deleted?
Wisconsin has been "fun" can't wait to be back in FL/home....
also loving the tolerance discussion and enjoying the current flame wars that are the parametric threads. Plus as others have pointed out if herr schumacher states that it is a style not sure why all the kids think it will "change" the profession... Unless it is just a tool that can be applied to any style right?
Man, I must be getting old. I have no idea what this parametric stuff is. I guess I could duck out of TC for a while....
Sarah, parametric stuff just means your employer will soon start making paramecium shaped windows. Because future. She is here.
Is this where the "old luddites" hang?
Duck and cover!!! It's scary outside of my little TC bubble. I have no idea what they were talking about. That one design looked like a Bilboa copy, so is Gehry the father of Parametrics? Then the others went all protester on the subject, and I'm left even morea confused. Is this where the worship of fractals got us? And welcome, Kevin.
Who is this schumacher guy and why is he relevant? Shouldn't we be quoting curtkram? I know him, and i like him.
I like modernism.
That is all.
I like curtkram, so I shall quote him: I like modernism.
Hi Kevin!
I had a jobsite visit today and was reminded how freakin' easy our jobs can be compared to putting on roofing shingles on a steeply pitched roof facing south on a 90 d. day. So glad I don't have to do labor every day.
It has been some busy kind of week.....I just said to myself: "Now that is where I was when I got Lost."
don't think gehry is into parametric the way the youngsters are. he uses it as tool not as justification.
dunno. As an old guy i've worked directly with one of the archigram guys, and have spoken about metabolism to one of its founders, and get the feeling all this stuff only makes sense in hindsight, even for the people who are at the front.
i guess movements take vision and perhaps that means a certain kind of truculence is inevitable, although most often in the followers not the leaders...
as far as it goes, algorithmic design is otherwise quite normal in my work at university but completely unrelated to my work at the office. it is hard to bridge the gap somehow. right now i see algorithms influencing us more in our work at the scale of urban planning, where we are able to use it to extract important information from GIS based data. But it isn't something we have felt compelled to use to generate form with yet. That's not a bias, it just isn't required yet. The knowledge that parametrics represents is fascinating and could really change how we build, but I don't think it is the end game by any means. Bigger issues are more interesting for the moment...
i have a book from 1952 on Morphogenesis, from a Harvard professor. looks real interesting...
you're teaching algorithmic design in school? Isn't that sort of unethical somehow? Just so we're on the same page, this is what wikipedia says an algorithm is;
an algorithm is an effective method expressed as a finite list of well-defined instructions for calculating a function.
Now I'm a big fan of algorithms. I made a vba routine in autocad that puts door in walls that is just awesome. and it doesn't even have all of the profession breaking crap autodesk included in ADT. It's full of algorithms. But the end goal, as stated above, was to calculate a function.
So how do you relate that to architecture? You randomly generate a form from fractals, or your spirograph or something? Are you using algorithms to create form, or is it something like computing a function related to how the user interacts with the environment/restrooms/whatever (<-- whatever that means. that's why they needed a new language)? Can you really reduce form or some other aspect of architecture to calculating a function?
I don't think there is a right answer to such things. Some people think form follows function. Some people think form follows context. Some people think form follows swoopy lines. Whatever. If you really like algorithmic form generating stuff, I would attribute that to being an opinion I disagree with, and I generally think it's fully acceptable for people to have opinions that are different than mine. But it sort of seems this particular path ignores a lot of what actually exists in real life, and maybe isn't the best thing to pass to the next generation.
^-- i call this piece 'origin of parametricism'
made a portrait of you Curt
feel free to upload your architectural favorites.
..this is what I'm talking about.
For the most part dia is right.
Spirographs were awesome.
shhhh...we don't want to wake them....after their long night of enjoying listening to themselves pontificate on and on and on...sleeping in their parents basement, and partaking in asian anime-porn. Let them sleep...please.
Where's that "layoffs.... layoffs..." thread again? I'm fine, for the time being. But 100's of our fellow professionals are having themselves quite a shitty long weekend... profits are not 'where they need to be'. This profession is a harsh mistress.
Indeed....my firm had yet another round of lay-offs last week...This time too close for comfort, my production guy was sent packing...it is clear that ability to do it all is some tiny bit of job security..here, even though we are big mega global, you still have to be able to model, mark up, manage, have excellent commication and people skills, and do CA.....and be able to market. Mad computer skills will not secure your spot, if you are an asshole, or a one trick pony!!....I know I know.."cool story, bro"....
hi all,
HP will be laying off 27K over next two years.....
Yep...here in Silicon Valley, the news of nearly 30K jobs being lost, has quickly overshadowed the good news of the new Facebook millionaires.
that sucks. not looking forward to the fallout from the euro going nuts either.
@ curtkram, no we don't teach algorithmic design. it comes up as a side issue to other goals usually, although we have 3 profs who are expert in that sort of thing when technical know-how is required. We're a research-based university though and tend to work with climate scientists as often as with other architects so science is natural backdrop to our work (no pseudo science allowed). our goals are always outside architecture. very strange archi-education, i know.
Well in that case, I'm glad I work for guy who does über-rich people houses. They'll just keep getting richer. Heck, we ordered windows for one family that's building an indoor sports court, and another with an LED, pressure-activated, floating glass stair. Most of the time I'm shaking my head asking "why?"
Have a great weekend all....off to my little jewel box in the valley for 3 days...enjoy.
Sarah....Texas Oil Boys! Shit they don't care how much it cost....just make it bigger and better than my neighbor...
On another thought: I was listing to Buzz from TV series "Route 66." A must watch program for any one born in 1953. It made me think of Orhan's article. He was talking about working with all the Hollywood Stars before they were stars. Robert Redford, Liam Nelison, Robert Di Val...(butchred that one) and a long list of others. The series was about two young bucks traveling along "Route 66" in a Corvette and their adventures. So it was sorta the Hollywood verison of Ken Kessy and the Marry Pranksters. Damn you gotta Love Merica.....screwed up as we are.
Great news today, about the space station. My brother in law worked on that arm dragging in the first commerical space module.
I was listing to about in on NPR...and Glenn Armstrong said he is waiting for someone to go back to the moon and pick up the camera he left behind, cause then it would prove that he was there.
hey all. It feels like I haven't been here in ages. It took me two and a half days to catch up on the 5 pages I missed. Great to see new faces, trolls and bots have joined the masses.
Interesting your commentary about tolerances Sarah, I've worked for firms in a variety of countries over the years each wanting to have smaller and smaller tolerances - or as I like think it is a general intolerance in the contractor adjusting anything. Professionally I love what the contractor and suppliers to the table and I have done projects with 10mm tolerances up to as much 15mm. And sadly this is unheard of, if not foolish to many.
there's not much talk about parametrics where I teach. Like many have said, it does seem like rebranding of the same topic, Tschumi was writing about algorithms on an urban scale in the late 80s and 90s - way before the software was able to catch up. Using parametrics to drive aesthetics does not impress me, but as a design tool to yield solutions to optimize passive cooling/heating, heat gain, etc as well at an urban scale to minimize traffic, etc really does.
parametrics : are we talking about a medical condition. "There is alot of dung in the universe so get your Shit detectors on." Quoting one of my High School teachers, who was in Berkley in the last 60's. There isn't a day that goes by when that thought doesn't pass thru my mind. It has served me well over the years.
I'd like to thank former Rolex machinist and brilliant architect Alfred Z. for introducing me to grappa lo those many days ago back at Cranbrook. Grappa is the drink of the gods, the archi gods for sure.
Gordon's Cups (gin muddled with cucumbers and lime), lamb burgers, syrah, pavlovas with fresh berries, grappa. Wonderful friends. Fireworks. Lovely evening.
Donna that drink sounds absolutely refreshing... I'm not a big gin drinker but infusion through muddling always cheers my palette. I think it's time to attempt another summer bbq. And yes summer has begun in Jamaica we've been having too many 30+ degree weather with the humidity of salty bacon/codfish to match.
David, it's two 1/2" thick rounds of peeled cuke, four lime slices, muddled, then pour on 1/4 cup gin, a tablespoon of simple syrup, and crushed ice. Shake and enjoy. Super refreshing on a hot day.
well we've been having the hot days - I just need the drink now
Also a shake of salt on top of it all makes it even more crisp.
Did you guys read the comment I made on the Ha! OMA Works for Kanye thread? You will enjoy it, I think...
I'm a (fairly) old-timer but don't think I recognize the name... but I'm terrible with keeping track of who everybody is. Enlighten me?
just sent her a congratulatory message. i love oana and miss her!
amazing.
ah that's where she went. great! i thought she was taking off with family...
manta, Oana was a school blogger - from Romania? - and frequent commenter for awhile. Super smart and optimistic. Then she went I think to London then to NYC? And now she's designing canopies for famous people at Cannes. SO cool to watch the careers and adventures of people via Archinect! Thank you Paul!
Oana is one of the best writer/editors contributes to Archinect whenever she can. She is as original and natural as it gets. Congratulations Oana, it is only fitting your nomad soul would design a tent.
Here is one of my favorite pieces of her, "secret life."
And yes, her optimism was very humble:
The Shit
Two brothers. One an incurable optimist (O), the other a hopeless pessimist (P).
Christmas.
The pessimistic brother gets tons of expensive gifts.
The optimistic gets a horse shit.
O: What did you get?
P: I got so many expensive presents at once, that this is probably my last Christmas. I must have some disease. I am dying.
O: Well, I got a horse but it's hiding somewhere around here.
Oh yes!!! Thanks Donna, I well remember her now. I loved her school blog, read it every time she put something up. I remember her being disappointed with the quality of architectural education in Romania. It was fascinating to learn about such an under-the-radar country. Aha. I KNEW I knew "Oana" from something but couldn't for the life of me place it. Awesome!!!
A friend of mine is a high school teacher and has a student interested in some sort of architectural internship for the summer. Other than pointing in the direction of the local AIA office and the local USGBC office, are there any other options I'm overlooking? I was even thinking of the local Habitat for Humanity office? Any suggestions are greatly appreciated. Again, this is a high school student.
Hi friends. How are things? I miss you guys. I know I am out of the loop. I'm working on my exams right now and have one left to take in a month. After I pass it, I was hoping to come back to Archinect as the newer, shinier, more licensed version of myself. And maybe then I'll actually contribute some value to the conversation once again. Until then, I'm just so busy...
Anyway, some of you know this already but I was trying to host an Archinect Family Reunion this summer in Portland. Totally informal, kind of a "everybody show up in Portland the last weekend in July and we'll hang out" sort of a deal. If we can get a good-sized group to commit, I'll arrange a bar night for us. I'd also love to take you on a bike ride of the city, if you are interested!
OK I have to get back to work now.
PS. Is anybody else thinking of learning programming language(s)? I figured I would get bored after I finished my exams, LOL.
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