Construction
Construct: Cumulate Schindler
Previous Chapter | Next Chapter
AimThe aim is to bring an abstract space and a simulated real space together in one workspace in the application TOPOS. The workspace can be seen as a parametric space or as a representation of an architectural design process. TOPOS has the ability to place a wide range of documents in the same context – a metaphorical space – and to manipulate these documents. As the user is located ‘within’ the model in Topos, different workspaces can be selected corresponding to different ‘setups’ or manifestations of the documents such as virtual models. Parts can be visible, corresponding information can be displayed as the different parts of the model is displayed. This function will expand the traditional selection of layers in CAD applications, since the interface is in the same ‘space’ as the objects themselves, and that the content of the different workspaces may consist of a diverse range of text-documents, web pages, other models, cameras etc.
Space is primarily a metaphor for the average user in TOPOS – an easily comprehensible way to arrange, visualize and manipulate documents (Fabrikant). However, this metaphorical use of the workspace is changed as architects and designers place spatial objects in the workspace metaphor – adding ‘real’ spatial dimensions to the arrangement of hyper textual signs in the metaphorical space. In this way, workspace in the form of TOPOS can be seen as a hybrid between a simulated real space and a metaphorical space.
The workspace is collaborative and may be shared with multiple users. Each user may see a different manifestation of the information that is placed in the workspace. This raises the question of a possible distributed spatial design process.
Accumulate Schindler was conducted by using the spatializing potential of the application TOPOS(1) to create a design space(2). However, the investigation of Schindler’s Kings Road House provided a much more specific context for a diverse range of objects; from abstract ideas in writing to photographs and 3D models of the real building. Therefore, the primary investigation was the mixture of real spatial data (the architectural model and the spatial mapping of the unit system) and objects that were given spatial data, which they did not have before (the text, the pictures and the animation). In the discussion the subject matter was more or less ignored, hence the section of the Kings Road House and the spatialized data objects were only examples of objects. The secondary investigation was that of Schindler’s architectural production and what this constructed mixture of data objects in TOPOS could tell us about the Kings Road House. In this investigation, the subject matter was vital.
ConstructionPrimary applications TOPOS, RHINO, Form•Z, FireWorks
DiscussionWe could argue that the design space of TOPOS had all these ‘areas’ present at the same time. The anteriority of architecture was in this case the basic xyz-coordinate system and the perspective projection of the space as these structures were defined before the investigation was carried out and draws heavily on a traditional western concept of space and spatial projections. The exteriority of architecture was in this case the material and descriptions collected from outside the ‘architectural work’ – the site data, the textural descriptions, references and so on. In this particular case, I positioned a webpage containing notes from a lecture on Schindler’s Kings Road House I held, some photographs from the construction of the house and a QuickTime animation of the Schindler Frame in the same design space. All of these elements may be considered exteriority of architecture. The interiority of architecture was present in the form of Schindler’s design methods related to the unit system and the section of the Kings Road House. In this case, the 3D model of the section was placed in different proxies or ‘work spaces’(3) according to the material used in the final building (glass, concrete and wood) together with a diagrammatic representation of Schindler's unit system, which had different degrees of transparency. The individual proxies in TOPOS could be turn on and off and manipulated in position, scale, rotation and transparency and to some extent color and lighting.
The use of this cumulative design space is two-fold: In a design situation the external references may be present in the same space as the objects that are being designed, which is usually not the case in common CAD applications. In an investigative situation it means that one may build a diagrammatic space, in this case of Schindler's unit system, while investigating how it was realized in a final building through photographs etc. In other words, the use of a cumulative space is both found in the very beginning of a design process, when only data from a site or a program is present, and in the very end when the final product will be evaluated or studies further. Overall, it makes it easier for the designer to control all the materials that are involved in the design process through an active use of space in which the design process takes place.
The cumulative space builds on well-known procedures of spatial manipulation, while it also adds entirely new potential. The manipulation of spatial properties of the design space is similar to that of common 3D design applications; location, rotation, scale, transparency and to some extent color. The spatial organization is also similar to the use of classes, layers, groups and parents in common CAD applications, even though the TOPOS terminology of proxies and workspaces is more precise regarding object structure. However, what sets the cumulative space apart from common CAD applications is the ability to cumulate a wide range of data objects with different formats in one space and to have a live update of these data objects by proxies and thereby offering the designer an active and interactive use of the design space. The design space may even be distributed among an unlimited range of users who will all have the ability to analyze and discuss its content. Next phase could examine how the abstract and the simulated reality could interact, be manipulated and maybe integrated further. Later this entire workspace could be mediated as a full size interactive environment in CAVI’s panorama or Holobench.
(1) The application TOPOS is one of the results of the research project ‘WorkSpace’ which is a joint group of The Aarhus School of Architecture, The Department of Experimental Computer science at Aarhus University and Sociological Studies at Lancaster University.
(2) I refer here to the concept of Stankiewitz as explained earlier in the chapter Design Space.
(3) Could also be seen as layers or classes in a traditional CAD context.
|
|
