Week 11-Project 3

Joshua Frater-Florian Heise-Dab510

Neil Spiller: Towards an Animated Architecture - Against Architectural Animation

1. It is an interesting fact that Spiller was a technology enthusiast, stating the many uses of technology in architecture, yet he is still worried about the use of animation in architecture.

2. I think it is interesting that there is a general fear from a few individuals within the architectural profession that believe that the use of animation is converting the design process from a well thought out process of designing good spaces into a process of making pretty videos.

3. Spiller clearly states that animation was created for graphics and the film industry, not architecture. “The architect is asking an apple to be an orange.”

Neil Spiller: Towards an Animated Architecture - Against Architectural Animation

4. “They may be pretty to look at, but they say nothing; they are mindless eye candy, rotting away the mind as sweets do one's teeth.” This is an interesting statement, considering that the use of animation in today’s world is generally just a tool used to display the final product in a more understandable form for the client, whereas this statement is reflecting that the design process of the form is being let go so that an animation can be born. I think that it is important to understand that to have an animation, one needs something to show and animate first.

5. The graphics in these animations also lead towards a representation of ideals, made possible by the less restrictive rules of cyberspace. How is this different to the computer generated models that are created in programs such as CAD or BIM products?

Neil Spiller: Towards an Animated Architecture - Against Architectural Animation

I think it is understandable that some people are concerned that the introduction of new state of the art presentation mediums is going to harm the “old-school” design process. However in terms of developing the profession and also the outcomes that can be produced, it is important to continue to develop the processes used as well.

Building Evolution