futureacademy

Devices of Design

"Whither thine boundaries, o Architecture, in a networked, cognitive, interactive universe? Is architecture still single? Does the architecture of networks qualify as architecture?
If we could answer some of these questions, we would be in a better position to propose strategies for evaluating, selecting, and distributing architectural design in digital and networked as well as more traditional modes of support, distribution, and access. Not being an expert, I perhaps have more questions than answers concerning the archiving of architectural design. How does one distinguish between architecture and design in a total information environment? Indeed, we are collectively transiting through a digital phase of electricity in the wake of the analogic phase that brought us light, heat, and energy. The novel thing about electricity today is that it has become cognitive. We now have three distinct yet related domains in which architecture and design are operative: physical space, mental space, and cyberspace. Much of our design activity, from conception to production, is mediated by a screen, where all three kinds of space coincide. There, too, reigns a hidden architecture – that of software."

posted by Chris @ 1:15 pm