Computing with matter, shapes, and forces : toward material and structural primacy in architecture

Abstract

This thesis is motivated by my interest in addressing contemporary issues in architecture and design through historic inquiry. Taking a critical approach toward technology, a slow computation methodology will be proposed as a means of working between traditional architectural media: drawing and masonry construction. Working with compression-only material and constructive constraints offers a means of designing within the constraints of a masonry arch in a way that is neither mechanical nor deterministic. Rather, it is open-ended, imaginative and creative. By extracting rules from historic buildings, a new structural algebra (characterized by equilibrium constraints) will be specified that permits architects and designers to work visually and non-deterministically with material and structural primacy - to feel the forces in shapes. Although this methodological proposal does not extend to realizing complete designs, the rules are established with equilibrium constraints which offers a means of working that only produces build-able designs. This project is not about finding compression-only forms; rather it proposes to design [compute] with them. Learning to compute with matter, shapes, and forces, brings to light the relationship between current design technologies and methods, and the necessity to make breakthroughs in techniques of assembly and construction.