Image of Radiolaria from Christan Toche, Radiolaria Project, eCAADe 07 Conference Proceedings, Frankfurt, Germany
Text _ Parametricism – A New Global Style for Architecture and Urban Design, Patrik Schumacher
How brave one can be to proclaim a new dominant and single style in architecture nowadays? Even though Patrik Schumacher defines the style as design research program, going far away from what we usually consider under this term, it can be argued that this declaration is too strong.
The author is writing the text from the position of certainty, which does not leave much room for questions. But still, his writing has launched plenty of doubts in reader’s mind. One of the first doubts is whether it is convincing enough to verify this proclamation with a need to organize complex post-fordist society. If the main characteristics of this society are diversity of life-styles and desire for customization, does this immediately call upon various research programs rather than believing one can respond to everything. The author claims that Parametricism does not only consist of a new set of techniques, but is complimented by widely shared design problems and similar ways of approaching them. Without these new techniques and tools Parametricism wouldn’t be able to fulfill all 5 agendas specified in the text hence they have enormous significance for the development of the aforementioned design approach. On the other hand, style defined through these agendas and in correlation with Frei Otto’s work on natural structures assists in deciphering the logic behind the appearance and computational skills. At the same time, their purpose could be understood as emphasizing advantages of new techniques, and not as an argument for the annunciation of the style. Additionally, could these explanations be (mis)understood as an attempt to justify parametric design.
I am not convinced that architecture that belongs to some other “style” couldn’t be able to answer all demands of customization. I believe that Parametricism has its own aesthetic recognizability, despite all ideas and logics that stand behind this recognizability. Upon this, I wonder does parametric design appears as customization at all.
This idea of emerging need for customized design relates to the topic I am personally interested in. Further research could go back to the moment in history where everything was handmade, and as such, customized, and make a comparison with the moment of thrill when mass production was achieved. In reference to this idea, the recognition arises that now we are in a very different historical moment. We presently desire to combine both, and to have customized production, which would lead to greater understanding of the process of making and simultaneously help us, as individuals, achieve greater control of it.
Image _ http://urban.arch.virginia.edu/arch544/startpage.html