representation and reproductions

8/13/2019 Representation and Reproductions

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Representation and Reproductions

Overview

Our ultimate end is to probe the possibilities of building architecture as a poetic translation, not

a prosaic transcription of its representations. Alberto Perez Gomez

efore we start discussing the significance of the built environment, we should e!plore the

wa"s, possibilities and meaning of the designer#s modus operandi. $n this wa", we can then

establish a communication channel based on the discipline#s tools of interaction.

%an" argue that ever since we found a wa" of communicating through other media,

architecture#s & or what some would call realit" & power as a communication tool diminished.

'rawings and models became the media through which we shared ideas and the natural and

built environment & its actual cities, buildings, sculptures and landscapes & were no longer the

medium through which philosophies were taught and (nowledge was shared.

)he goal of this section is to understand that architecture has not alwa"s been dependent on

strict methods of representation *drawings, models, renderings, etc.+ and to thin( criticall" about

how the following statement affects our relationship to the design, creation and e!perience of

the built environment

)he tas( of the architect is not to -ma(e# buildings but rather the mediating artifacts that ma(e

significant buildings possible.

And so, when reference is made to mediation that is

to establish a relation between two differing persons or things,


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we are tal(ing about finding a wa" to represent architecture *a building, space+ through

something else *a drawing, a model, etc.+

$f one consults -representation# in /i(ipedia, one will find that

Representation refers to the use of signs that stand in for and ta(e the place of something else.

$t is through representation that people organize the world and realit" through the act of naming

its elements. 0igns are created in order to form semantic constructions and e!press relations

between things and ideas.

1or man" philosophers, both ancient and modern, man is regarded as the 2representational

animal2 or homo s"mbolicum, the creature whose distinct character is the creation and the

manipulation of signs things that 2stand for2 or 2ta(e the place of2 something else.

)he term 3representation3 carries a range of meanings and interpretations. $n literar" theor",

3representation3 is commonl" defined in three wa"s.

4)o loo( li(e or resemble

4)o stand in for something or someone

4)o present a second time 5re&present6

)o represent is then 2to bring to mind b" description,2 or also 2to s"mbolize, to be the

embodiment of2

A representation is a t"pe of recording in which the sensor" information about a ph"sical ob7ect

is described in a medium.

Once something an ob7ect, space, idea or realit", is re&presented b" another entit", then it

becomes an abstraction.

Abstractions ma" be formed b" reducing the information content of a concept or an observable

phenomenon, t"picall" to retain onl" information which is relevant for a particular purpose.

)he concept of representation can be e!plored in Rene %agritte#s famous painting )he

)reacher" of $mages where it shows a pipe and below it, written, it sa"s 28eci n3est pas une


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ut when e!actl" is the ob7ect called AR8>$)?8)@R? born9

/ith habitation9

$n other words, when the occupants move into the building and start living their lives in the

building, ma(ing an imprint on the structure with their dail" lives. $s that when the architecture

can be said to be complete and finall" realized9

After it has been full" described b" drawings and models9

%a"be architecture can be said to be born when the design idea has escaped the mind of the

architect and is available for all to see. /hen drawings and a model are presented to the


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public, that is a moment when the future building is no longer 7ust internal to the architect#s

mind, but is e!ternal and observable.

At the point of conceptualization b" the architect9

/hen the building e!ists as a glint in the e"e9 %a"be the real point of birth is when the idea first

7umps into the mind of the architect. After that point ever"thing else is 7ust wor(ing through the

details.

@pon construction9

%a"be the first time the architectural ob7ect is trul" realized is when the building is finall"

erected, but before users start using the building. )his state probabl" is most li(e the architect#s

vision && a structure devoid of people and the simple pla" of light and shadow on surfaces. :o

grim" paw prints in this vision.


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$t is difficult to precisel" answer the ave "ou ever had an idea thatonce it is thought seems to have its own rules and direction that are independent of "ou9 ou

thought it and as soon as "ou did the thought began to dictate things "ou had not anticipated.

At that point the thought seems other than "ou. 8ould we sa" it has a presence because it

seems different and outside of "our control9

$n the first e!ample above, the birth of the building is when the building is inhabited and in use.

>ow else could architecture be measured and appreciated if it is not when people use it9 $n the

last e!ample, architecture is seen as more pure, more li(e an art ob7ect than something

determined or defined b" function. @pon construction, the structure is the largest scale modelbuilt to date. $t is a full&size realization of the architect#s vision. )o complicate matters 7ust a bit

more... man" buildings continue to be designed and built after the (e"s are turned over to the

owner. People inhabit a building and continue to change and alter it to reflect their new needs

and desires. 1rom this perspective we could sa" that the process of design is a never&ending

process.

Process and product

)he intimatel" coupled relationship between p r o c e s s *act of design+ and product *ob7ect of

design+ is difficult to cleanl" separate into two distinct realms when we loo( at the word design.

process ... product

)he solving of architectural problems, and most environmental problems, involves a process

that leads to a desired product && usuall" a plan of some sort. 1or an architectural problem the

output is most often a new structure, a renovation, or a combination of both. )he output for

environmental problems is often a plan of action or a set of policies that will lead to the desired

outcome. /hat we wish to do in this section is to understand the nature of problems, the

processes used to solve problems as well as the relationship between these two categories.


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Gaining insight into the process of architectural problem solving can benefit from the wealth of

literature written to describe problem investigations, decision ma(ing, creative problem solving,

and the development of good ideas. )his module provides an overview of this literature

lac( o! versus Glass o!

>ow we ma(e decisions and the process we use to arrive at creative solutions to problems is an

important area of academic investigation. /e all want to (now more about how creative people

thin(. /h"9 0o we might learn their process and duplicate their success when confronting our

own challenging problems. >ow did Picasso imagine the ull#s >ead from a bic"cle seat and

handlebars9 >ow did Apple come up with the iPhone or iPad9 /hen an architect is thin(ing

about a solution to a problem and is activel" engaged in the act of designing, how does she

thin( about the problem and how does she arrive at the form9 )his is the creative process we

want to understand. $f we can gain an understanding of how one goes about finding creative

solutions, we can duplicate that effort and produce e


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'escriptive %odels

1ortunatel" for us there has been some speculation on creative problem solving. )hese

descriptions tend to be focused on thought processes that are rational and observable. %a"be

not observable b" a neutral and ob7ective third part", but observable in the sense that creative

problem solvers have reflected on their process and shared their thoughts. ut first additional

clarit" on some general terms we are using && decision ma(ing and problem solving.

'ecision ma(ing usuall" refers to a rational process of deductive thought processes that leads

to a desired outcome. %an" tend to view the decision&ma(ing process as a logical and rational

se


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'ecisions can commence once the problem is defined and a direction is set. $t is important to

(eep distinct problem anal"sis and problem see(ing from the decision&ma(ing process.

'ecision&ma(ing ta(es over once the ob7ective has been established and the decision ma(er is

read" to state performance or measures of success.

Problem solving is a higher order cognitive process that builds upon the use of s(ills and more

foundational (nowledge. )o solve a problem presumes that there is a clearl" articulated goal orproblem statement that one sets out to solve, and that it is possible to select the most

successful solution. $nherent in problem solving is an abilit" to articulate a new and improved

state to be achieved through a series of actions.

)he interesting thing about loo(ing at the design process as a problem&solving process is that

the formulation of the problem has the potential solutions embedded within the statement of the

problem. /hen one states the problem to be solved one constrains the set of possible solutions

and therefore implies what the solution can be from the ver" beginning of the search. /hat does

this mean9 Cet#s sa" a couple approaches "ou to design an addition to their home. 'uring

discussions with them the" e!plain that the" re


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to a design is alwa"s governed b" e!ternal things such as the time available, resources at hand,

or the desire of the designer, and not b" some rules internal to the problem itself. )here is no

correct or true answer to a design investigation.

?ach of the above observations about design thin(ing can be combined and classified into the

following models for the creative problem&solving process.

)he design process can be described as a linear process, where one step leads to another

step which leads to the ne!t, and so on. A linear process t"picall" refers to four se


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when building a plastic model of an airplane. $t does not seem to adeowever, most

problems we confront do not lend themselves to a listing of se


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)his model of the creative problem&solving process has its shortcomings. Once the c"cle isstarted it is ver" hard to brea( out in a new direction. $terative thought processes can lead to

tunnel vision. )he model also does not give us a clear indication of the variables that should be

considered at each step in the iterative process.

0ome designers prefer to view the design process as a process governed b" intuition, the use

of creative, non&rational insight. )his view of the design process suggests the most important

part of design occurs deep inside the designer#s ps"che and is out of his or her conscious

control.

)here are man" designers who concur with this view. )he" feel that man" aspects of a design

solution, a solution in which one has considerable confidence, lie outside of our abilit" to

describe how this solution was obtained or to completel" describe the solution#s merits. $ntuition

is an important counterpart to the deductive reasoning *deductive reasoning I reasoning based

upon (nown principles+ abilities that we emplo". Recent ps"chological e!periments have shown

that when sub7ects were presented with a


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is this creative insight that defines the act of design since the subseowever, after

thoroughl" loo(ing at the e!isting circumstances, what is, and finding that the situation is

unsatisfactor" because we envision something better, what ought to be, then a problem has

been identified. Problems emerge because there is a discrepanc" between what is and what

ought to be. /ith this realization we have identified two (nowledge t"pes that a problem solver


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will reowever, it is important to note that the facts are not

necessaril" the truth. )he description of the e!isting state is controlled b" the (nowledge that

we use to describe the current situation. Our description ma" be flawed.

Once a discrepanc" between -what is# and -what ought to be# has been identified, it is necessar"

to e!plain how this discrepanc" e!ists. $n other words we re


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being in different rooms or spaces that are too small for ever"one to comfortabl" sit together. $n

other words "ou need a new famil" room. :ow that we have e!plained wh" the discrepanc"

e!ists && no common and comfortable room for all && we are read" to develop the list of tas(s that

need to be done to get a new famil" room. ou might need to visit "our ban(er and secure a

loan, "ou might consult local codes to see what zoning restrictions appl", "ou might as( friends

to recommend contractors to build an addition onto the house, and perhaps "ou could startloo(ing at pictures of the room "ou envision. ou might decide to hire an architect to do some of

these things for "ou. )hese tas(s and man" more would have to be accomplished before "our

new addition would be a realit". )he listing of the tas(s to accomplish the addition to the house

is $nstrumental Jnowledge at wor(.

/hat is 'esign9 *cont.+

)he :ature of Architectural Problems

Architectural problems, li(e most environmental problems, share some attributes that ma(e

them distinct from man" of the other problems we confront in our dail" life. /hat are these

characteristics that separate architectural problems into a different class9

Architectural problems increasingl" involve multiple client groups and large teams of

professionals. )hese groups can hold different values that lead to different and conflicting

viewpoints on the appropriate or best solution to the problem. )he disagreement between

ever"one reflects a disagreement involving deontic (nowledge and factual (nowledge && at the

root is a disagreement over the appropriate problem formulation. >ow does this occur9

)here are multiple reasons such a disagreement emerges. )he fragmentation of the client into

multiple groups can challenge an architect#s abilit" to gain a common understanding on the

problem or the appropriate solution. )he groups are so different in their values and ob7ectives

that s"nthesis can be problematic. Another reason for disagreement might stem from a distrust

of the architect or professional advice in general. Groups might thin( the architect#s deontic

(nowledge is not dispassionate and the architect comes to the pro7ect with an underl"ing bias.

'isagreement can also come from a lac( of clarit" over who is in charge and who has the

ultimate authorit" over the building#s design. %an" building pro7ects for large organizations

separate the client, the one who has decided the building pro7ect should be underta(en, from

the users who will eventuall" inhabit the building. )his separation can lead to confusion and

differences between the client and users over desired outcomes. )his situation is easil"illustrated if we imagine a new universit" building. 1or such a pro7ect we might naivel" sa" that

the obvious client is the universit". " such a statement we might be referring to the president

of the institution or ma"be the state government, if it is a state supported universit". $n either

case the vast ma7orit" of college buildings are not designed specificall" for these people, though

the" do have a (een interest in the pro7ect outcome and general appearance. $nstead, students,

facult" and staff who will inhabit the building who as users could be considered the clients. $n


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addition to these groups the -client# can be e!panded to include the facilities management

department for the universit". )he" are the professionals who represent the universit"#s interest

in the pro7ect and ensure that the long&term financial interests of the universit" are met through

technical re


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)he information needed to solve the problem depends on one#s point of view as to how it can be

solved. @sing the description above regarding the structure and (nowledge of problems we can

sa" that with nast" problems there is agreement that a discrepanc" e!ists between what is and

what ought to be, but there is little agreement as to the e!planation for wh" the discrepanc"

e!ists. )he reason for this is that the contentious e!planation is ideological or fundamentall"

political in nature.

F. )hese problems have no stopping rules.

/ithout a definitive statement of the problem there can be no definitive answer, and therefore

no clear signal that an optimum solution has been reached. $n actualit", there are competing

solutions that can activate a great deal of discord among team members and sta(eholders ali(e.

)he problem seems to mutate and transform as "ou wor( on it. )he designer never (nows when

to stop and therefore stops because the" run out of time, out of mone", or the problem 7ust

stops being interesting.

. ?ver" wic(ed problem is uni


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%an" internal aspects of a nast" problem can be considered as s"mptoms of another wic(ed

problem. /here in the hierarch" of levels for a problem should the designer focus his energ"9

. 0olutions to these problems are not true or false answers but better or worse.

0olutions to wic(ed problems are not right or wrong, merel" better, worse, good enough, or not

good enough. )here is a high degree of sub7ectivit" and each sta(eholder brings her own

perception to the table, causing discord.

:ast" problems are firml" rooted in architectural design and most creative problem solving

involves communities or groups of constituents. /hat ma(es design problems nast" problems

is the contemporar" relationship between architects and their clients. $n contemporar" societ"

the design of a building is complicated b" at least two issues E+ the client is more often than not

a fragmented group consisting of owners, users, managers of the environment, and financial

interests that are not often combined into one coherent person or point of view, "et each has an

interest in the pro7ect and its design. %a(ing matters worse is the fact that the architect cannot

count on sharing values with one or an" of these groups. 8onseulme describing the creative


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Perhaps the best we can hope for in see(ing a definition of design is an agreement that there is

an activit" and a product that results from the activit". ut this simple statement re


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purchase sufficient calories to sustain themselves. our soc( selection has impact on political

power and social 7ustice.

>ad toda" been "our wedding da" the design decisions would have been in an entirel" different

arena. )he conventions of the ritual would have come to bear on the selection of "our clothing.

'epending upon "our traditions, "ou would li(el" have wrestled with the conventions of

ceremon" && for e!ample, white for the bride s"mbolizing purit" and a morning suit for the groom

to reflect the st"le of dress of successful men.

)he morning selection of m" soc(s seems to stretch from a comment on m" self image, to m"

perceived social role, and finall" to the ecolog" and health of the environment. $t even impacts

whether m" toes are warm or not.

Our simple e!ample of design has owever, if we can find a wa" around this parado! we will reveal e!actl" the (ind and

depth of (nowledge an architect re


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1ilarete *c.EHMM& c.EHK+ wrote his treatise between EHE and EHH. $n general, 1ilarete

subscribes to Bitruvius3 agenda for the education of an architect. )o Bitruvius3s long list of

letters geometr", philosoph", music, astrolog", medicine, and civil law, 1ilarete adds in his

)reatise on Architecture the following re


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representation and reproductions

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