Tuesday, July 3rd, 2007
Technology and Architecture — Walls ARE Important
One of the first notations made in my notes from the ZapThink session (see Zapthink LZA Reviewed) was a subtle disagreement about the relationship between Architecture and Technology. ZapThink asserts that “Architecture is not about technology.” They paraphrase “physical”* architects stating that buildings are and should be designed “for the space.”
What the Classics Say
While this is not untrue, a review of classic architectural writings reveals a fuller and more enlightened perspective. In point of fact, Architecture is about the spaces and the structure and the foundation. Physical Architecture does in fact concern itself in no small manner with the structure and foundation of the building. Without a solid and proper foundation, even the best and most suitable “spaces-based” Architecture will fail. The spaces based viewpoint might come from the fact that in the world of physical Architecture, structures and foundations are usually a known quantity, as a great deal of experience has been recorded over the past few thousand years. However, whenever a new material or technology is introduced, inherent unknowns often produce failure. With this failure and its study comes further understanding.