A narrative in computational software

pp. 12-13

in: Margot Krasojevic, Dynamics & de-realisation, Berlin, Springer, 2011

Abstract

Time is a key aspect of narrative. It can advance a story, illuminate its role in our daily lives and help us understand how events unfold. Dynamics and De-realisation is an interdisciplinary work using philosophy, narrative and developments in computer science to define perceptions of reality and how these influence architecture — in essence what Merleau-Ponty called the "primacy of perception ". We first perceive the world, then we do philosophy, exploring what was once considered an illusion and how it has since become reality. The design projects have been developed as part of an ongoing investigation that looks at the reasons for using computational design methods and software from a sociological point of view, questioning the production of formal investigation and examining the emergent relationship between digital tools for design, communication and architectural manifestation as a result of theoretical analysis. The collection of design projects included in this manuscript provides an overview of philosophical theories that focus on what appears to be real, presenting a range of methodologies and a set of tools for addressing this discourse. The contents have been divided into five sections, each chapter developing a design criteria process that refers to one of the following areas in philosophy: hyperreality and the simulacrum within postmodern philosophy, with reference to Jean Baudrillard; semiology and the authority of form; complexity and noumenon/non-Euclidean geometry; the exhausted confines of structuralist theory according to Roland Barthes; and lastly, authenticity, with the hope of further exploring how we perceive reality and the urban fabric. Incorporating the ontological potential of space into a design process and as part of design criteria will help us to develop an understanding of the conditions under which forms have been generated. The metaphysics of space and architecture in exploring the changing definitions of real and virtual have become a high-concept topic of discussion, reflecting the onslaught of social networking, cartel technology and virtual-world identities. Perception and the mind's interpretation formulate the basis for understanding new definitions of architectural design interventions. With the expansion of computer software tools, the emergence of new technological capabilities and the growth in demands by society when implementing technology, architects are forced to consider how the material products they create interact with human subjects.