“Fabricating the Future” by Neil Leach and Phillip F. Yuan.
 
Critical essay by Hristo Kovachev explains the development of the parametricism trend, digital fabrication style, use of materials, approach of design, tectonic methodology and logics. Those themes are presented as an evolution of new fabrication techniques that are using a complex, multi-dimensional materials in architectural practice and indicate they emergence throughout the conventional concept of craftsmanship and use of traditional materials.
 
Digital fabrication has to be operated using computing machines in order to provide accuracy of composite materials during building process. However computational design should not be seen as a supporting service for visualizing design since it can also provide learning possibilities for machine and material to help with the design strategy.  It appears as a new style in designing process rather than just an improvement of design aesthetic values. Opportunity for form to follow logic profoundly affects the exploration stages of a design and assembly of the project. Exchange of the data between computational system and physical material enhances complexity of a form and speed up the fabrication process. Appliance of this complex network in varied scales creates an opportunities for advanced assembly between machine and material, between the process of design and construction as well as between architect and fabricator.
 
Digital tectonics has it’s origins in traditional fabrication techniques that control the development of material and structure. As a result when we talk about digital fabrication we need to employ use of automated machines in order to enrich functionality of tectonic material and possibly create a successor that has an increased performance and extended life cycle. For it’s efficiency and sustainable qualities, eg, decreased mass waste and time of assembly, parametricism can be easily shared and manufactured in worldwide scale according on the site needs, economic possibilities etc.
 
Improved materials and new technologies inform conceptualization and production of architectural design and put into motion the concept of mass fabrication and mass customization. Development of techniques and structural properties of the materials can produce continuous geometry surface that optimizes the material usage, cost and possibly is widely available. Construction of single unit from eg, unfolded two-dimensional material into three-dimensional unit brings opportunity for structural stability capable of bearing greater loads.  Moreover the ease of components to assemble and disassembly enhances prospect of temporary constructions.
 

Differentiation and complexity of our society brings a constant demand for development of new techniques and tools, which will enable for visualization of harmonious interaction between the physical form and it’s inhabitants. Parametricism is a new way of perception, developed as a style that consists of shared data of correlations between regional elements and their values.
 

Efficiency of connections that don’t loose accuracy while applied to different scales becomes a unique strategy that is free of boundary and without repetitive characteristics.  Moreover possibility of reconfiguration in response to varying and changing patterns allow for suppressed yet compound adaptation.
Unlike Corbusier insistence on reaching classical geometry order between connections, parametricism perceive self-organisation in a hidden mathematical regularity that takes its inspiration from biological forms.

 
Each style should have of core of negative and positive guidelines that are rooted in preserved past methodologies.  When applied to urban scale where density calls for complexity articulation, fundamental configurations break down into primary, direct, minimal routes and elements that enhance correlation. Deformation articulates multi system differentiation and deviates from redeeming adaptations.

 
Donkey’s path represents a line of connections with least resistance, instead of following rational steps the movement is unplanned and has a free flow between encountered obstacles. Since each is unique and rich of complexity implementation of accuracy and correlation has to be backed up by new values in form of styles and technologies.

 
Parametricism brings to design a systematic innovation that can be applied in principal at any time, at any place.  The style is recognized by its aesthetic and connection efficiency, yet can it be applied despite varied cultures and atmospheres of particular place? Can we create styles that apply to our rational decision making while finding a way or that reflect and enhance sociological perception of space?

As a functionalist archetype, the nest is prepared to provide comfort for residents, while the cave remains ‘different’; it exists no matter of convenience or other people’s needs who inhabit it. Upon entering the cave, mankind can skillfully assimilate into the landscape by subjecting interpretation of surfaces that are in various scales of horizontal and vertical axes. Cave is not organized in the name of functionalism, but it provides a spectrum of possible space uses – an environment that is provocative and unrestricted. The nest regulates its scale by merging inner and outer surfaces, which leads to flexible, layered and diverse architecture.

Similarly Fujimoto uses gradation of gray scale to represent the richness of possible connections. Each starting point gives rise to countless architectural possibilities, as forest alike, it results in both transparency and opacity.  The space origins become intuitive. Regardless the scale of units such as city/house/room, each should merge with gradation in order to ‘blend in’ and feel like there are an infinite number of starting points instead of one legitimate beginning.  Further more harmonious order should exist in a space, similarly as melody is generated from sounds – each note is regulated by local relationship yet it remains unique and dynamic.

Primitive future is full of promising opportunities and open possibilities.  The discussion on the future architecture should interlock relation between domestic and natural environments and use it a key source at the design process. Cities are growing in size, limiting the amount of open space and cause zoning of the areas where we work, live and entertain ourselves. Can we control the layering of the zones so they are distributed equally according to our activities?  In cities such as London in response to the high land prices high-rise structures are mainly driven by a demand for maximizing return on investment. In the face of growing private interests, public realm is shrinking compelling architects and urban designers to accept limitations on their ability to influence the shape and quality of urban life. Spatial homogeneity becomes a challenge. Is it possible to re-assimilate into the existing landscape such as high-rise?  I am interested in looking at the subject of high-rise topology that could represent analogy for city within the city: an microorganism in the macro scale context that progresses horizontal idea of the city into vertical dimension.

My interpretation of “The Shard” in London