Week 4 Readings

From architectural Design and the image of technology to technology and the image of design: a preliminary survey of the shifting landscape

Morphogenesis and Emergence - Michael Hensel, Achim Menges & Michael Weinstock.

Morphogenesis is the biological process that allows the creation of shapes, determinate of life forms generating to one organism.

Morphogenesis approach to design such as parametric script in lieu of genetic coding with complex system of non-linear behaviour and self-organisation. The core concept behind this theory is the self-organising system both in tectonics and thermodynamic aspect toward building design. Michael Hensel, Achim Menges and Michael Weinstock strongly to identify the differences of nature and machinic production and how they could interact with each other. Especially, Menges strongly collaborate behind the logic of self-organising system to structural system as he described as “silent quality - figural as well as structural” (Carpo 2013, p 158).

Menges configuring his research base on physical materials and how they counteract when the materials deformation under stress, through this deform to self-organising with the research of unusual or irregular materials such as soap bubbles, perforated membrane, post-tensioned timber tiles etc. To some extent not all materials was able to calculate due to the non-scability of structural test. With the technologies that's available today, the behaviour of the non-linear materials could now to some extend be calculated. Morphogenesis theory is the new era that enables the capability of transformation and self-organisation possible.

Reference List
Carpo, M 2013, (Morphogenesis and emergence 2004-2006, pp 158-159).