Friday, January 4, 2008
From design to theory ,
The famous graphic designer Joshua Davis that is known for his daring prints and ad's for different clients started at one point to launch all kinds of theories related to what is the internet and how does it work . The ideas that he launched are quite interesting because of the fact that he is basically(http://www.joshuadavis.com/) a graphic designer and sees things quite different from most of the science fiction writers and outer graphic designers that tend to give a visual meaning to their theories . Starting from the praystation website that was constructed on different engines that worked together giving an experimental way of looking at what a website can be to the way he designs trough programing and letting the computer choose randomly the ways in witch the outcome graphic texture is generated his work embodies all kinds of different notions about the abstract ways in witch things can work and be related to . One of his theories that is related to what is the internet says that the internet is a black hole and for him on a personal level the internet is just amazon , wikipedia and porn . I have to say that until a certain level I must agree with him because of the fact that the internet surfing phenomenon is more and more a real event and that more and more people are using the net for surfing and spending time on all kinds of different types of sites , social networks , chat hubs and online games . This fact can transforme the internet in a “black hole “ . The black hole theoretically works like a vacuum machine that sucks in the near by planets or constellations so does the internet on some level generating some kind of addiction and sucking in the user . The web would not work without the users and the information that is stored on it because the main idea that is related to it is the fact that it is an information keeper and carrier structured around websites , networking sites , search engines etc ... a lot of them work in tandem offering the user the possibility of going from link to link jumping from one string of information to another transforming the web experience in an endless raw of links that are read and pieces of them are assimilated by the user . So if we look from this perspective to the way internet works it can be compared with “black hole “ a place where all the information is thrown in a “space” that gathers users and in some cases it keeps them addicted to the flow of information that is distributed trough different mediums like web pages , videos or even games that can generate a whole new type of life style that is completely dependent on the virtual as an example that can be given is the fact that there are gamers that play online games and purchase virtual items that they are selling on the ebay to outer users that buy the game items for real money , so the players are becoming part of some sort of economical where the items that where made in the course of the game are trade in outer online places and that keeps the users online all the time . This type of lifestyle is completely dependent on the online users and on the sites that make the trade possible thus keeping connected to the computer and implicitly to the medium of the online game the user . This permanent connection to all kinds of online communities and all kinds of outer information sources is the main thing that makes the theories of Joshua Davis to be real . The web 2.0 is still a young medium in witch people are expressing themselves in one way or the outer interconnecting more and more avatars or transforming the world more informed place .
Unbuilt architecture
There is a wide range of modeling softwares that can generate forms , shapes and different textures with witch designers in general can play or build buildings . In a lot of cases the work can become a complicated process because of the client architect and construction managers interconnection . Budgets and market economy are elements that can transform the initial concept or idea in something completely different and in a lot of cases generate all kinds of different results that remain unbuilt . What can happen with these virtual models that will never be realized as projects ; can they be considered some kind of waste or become archived in the architect's archive ? .
With the emergence of all kinds of games and outer computer generated virtual spaces we can start thinking about the fact that these” experimental “ models that will never be build in the physical space can have a new type of use , they can become useful in the world of second life interactive game as buildings that are avatars . So all these test buildings that will never be build can be recycled in this un material world that has no physical rules and that can accommodate all kinds of styles of architecture because it does not have any history or theoretical rules that will filtrate the impute material . So if we start thinking about things in a new aura we can see that architecture still has a purpose in a world where major projects are taken by the big architectural enterprises . The virtual world of online games can bring for the architectural world questions that had not been asked before . Starting from questions like how will we build in a world where there are no newtonian laws to the questions that will require a new type of architectural theory to emerge because of the fact that a lot of game users and gamers communities have become already acostonmed with some sort of type of game architecture that run on game engines that can be avalibel from all kinds of games that are already in use . This approach makes things be transformed in a new type of multilayered form of architecture in witch an online user goes trough a space that is created from virtual architectural models . The games that imply some sort of social network in their game scenario have to be bound to a world made out of “space” and that space is the space generated under the form of this virtual architecture . As a starting point we can look at the second life example that is basically a virtual world that is subjected to the laws of the real world : physical laws , economical and social rules that make the users interact and understand the second life world in a normal way . But what if we think about this place called second life as a complete new type of world where the rules witch already make the place function are just normal social rules that keep things together ? If we go and think about an universe like the universe of the World of Warcraft we realize that has surreal rules compared with the rules that reflect the real world in the second life world.
So back to the beginning we can see and realize the fact that these new tools of generating spaces like the software for architecture can be implemented in games that make users interact because interaction is not generated only by the social networks or the rules of the game but by the architecture that is found in the place too . If the game is a reflection of the real then like in the real world architecture brings people together so does in the world of the virtual establishing points of meeting or gathering users together . Architecture has always tried to reflect some sort of principles or even become on a larger scale reflection of a pattern found in nature or outer places . Back to the world of games we can make some sort of classification between the types of architectures and landscapes found in games in general . Things tend to be somehow connected to what a game is about or the scenario of the game . If we are faced with a game where the action takes place in a remote place from of the galaxy we start seeing science fictional forms of architecture ; from spaces ships to alien landscapes things tend to have
some sort of graphical representation , on the outer hand if we look at games that are strategy based in witch one person plays with communities of characters ( workers , craft men or soldiers ) we see that the things tend to be represented in an axonometric display where the user no longer sees the space trough the avatar but sees it under the form of a larger display in witch one plays with a map or with an entire area . In the shooter games the landscape architecture is in general connected to the scenario of the real where the user is situated in the character's body and he does not see the character with witch he plays like in outer games . The second life game is different because the way things tend to imitate the real from the space or architecture to the fact that one can buy or sell land and outer virtual goods and different companies that are based in the real world choose to advertise in the world of the second life . It is a new therytory that has much to offer in terms of exploring and building . The surface is unlimited and the economy is real . People that will never meet in the real world will meet in the world of second life in a real way ( hanging out or simply going for a virtual dinner ) .
With the emergence of all kinds of games and outer computer generated virtual spaces we can start thinking about the fact that these” experimental “ models that will never be build in the physical space can have a new type of use , they can become useful in the world of second life interactive game as buildings that are avatars . So all these test buildings that will never be build can be recycled in this un material world that has no physical rules and that can accommodate all kinds of styles of architecture because it does not have any history or theoretical rules that will filtrate the impute material . So if we start thinking about things in a new aura we can see that architecture still has a purpose in a world where major projects are taken by the big architectural enterprises . The virtual world of online games can bring for the architectural world questions that had not been asked before . Starting from questions like how will we build in a world where there are no newtonian laws to the questions that will require a new type of architectural theory to emerge because of the fact that a lot of game users and gamers communities have become already acostonmed with some sort of type of game architecture that run on game engines that can be avalibel from all kinds of games that are already in use . This approach makes things be transformed in a new type of multilayered form of architecture in witch an online user goes trough a space that is created from virtual architectural models . The games that imply some sort of social network in their game scenario have to be bound to a world made out of “space” and that space is the space generated under the form of this virtual architecture . As a starting point we can look at the second life example that is basically a virtual world that is subjected to the laws of the real world : physical laws , economical and social rules that make the users interact and understand the second life world in a normal way . But what if we think about this place called second life as a complete new type of world where the rules witch already make the place function are just normal social rules that keep things together ? If we go and think about an universe like the universe of the World of Warcraft we realize that has surreal rules compared with the rules that reflect the real world in the second life world.
So back to the beginning we can see and realize the fact that these new tools of generating spaces like the software for architecture can be implemented in games that make users interact because interaction is not generated only by the social networks or the rules of the game but by the architecture that is found in the place too . If the game is a reflection of the real then like in the real world architecture brings people together so does in the world of the virtual establishing points of meeting or gathering users together . Architecture has always tried to reflect some sort of principles or even become on a larger scale reflection of a pattern found in nature or outer places . Back to the world of games we can make some sort of classification between the types of architectures and landscapes found in games in general . Things tend to be somehow connected to what a game is about or the scenario of the game . If we are faced with a game where the action takes place in a remote place from of the galaxy we start seeing science fictional forms of architecture ; from spaces ships to alien landscapes things tend to have
some sort of graphical representation , on the outer hand if we look at games that are strategy based in witch one person plays with communities of characters ( workers , craft men or soldiers ) we see that the things tend to be represented in an axonometric display where the user no longer sees the space trough the avatar but sees it under the form of a larger display in witch one plays with a map or with an entire area . In the shooter games the landscape architecture is in general connected to the scenario of the real where the user is situated in the character's body and he does not see the character with witch he plays like in outer games . The second life game is different because the way things tend to imitate the real from the space or architecture to the fact that one can buy or sell land and outer virtual goods and different companies that are based in the real world choose to advertise in the world of the second life . It is a new therytory that has much to offer in terms of exploring and building . The surface is unlimited and the economy is real . People that will never meet in the real world will meet in the world of second life in a real way ( hanging out or simply going for a virtual dinner ) .
Thursday, January 3, 2008
landscape
Layers are part of the landscape of the city , in a lot of cases these “ exterior “ layers that are part of buildings are the most important elements of the exterior that is revealed to us trough the act of movement . Although more and more exterior layers and facades of different buildings are in a continuous metamophing of things . They are the first elements that are reshaped to change the texture of the streets or the way streets are seen in general. In some cases the facades are made out of layers too the advertising and the texture that is generated by different types information or displayes makes the elements that formed the facades to be different and new . More or less part of what can call the facade is changed in many cases by the way that the basic elements of the buildings are changed and remodeled trough the interface of the city . The facades have an important dynamic flat and surface oriented they become important elements for expression of the main idea of what the space offers in terms of function and concept . The “outside “ is important because of the fact that it makes the transition between the actual space an the pietonal zone or the exterior of the building . This transition is the actual place where the information is kept . In a lot of cases things tend to be part of this way positioning spaces and surfaces ( facades) . What is important is the way information is “stored” and sended out under the form of a composition that has the purpose to attract customers . Architecture has the pourpousse to connect things in a harmonical way arranging them with an organic logic giving an imput to what the person that enters feels and experiences . The architecture that generates the space has to have some sort of effect over the person that is going trough the certain space . The space has to have a sort of normal way or trajectory that makes the person that goes trough the space to get a sort of visual imput to create a set of feelings in the visitor ,viewer or the buyer .In a lot of architectural works in our days we see some sort of mix of events that where brought and put together by the hand of the creator . This fact can be seen in a lot of places today buildings are becoming some sort of mixed used living enteties that bring together multiple functions . In today's world from the malls to cinemas all of them have multiple functions they are not so separate anymore because of the fact that there is a need for multiple functions that generate an entire experience . The mixed used buildings give a notion to what is the contemporary architecture goes and how we should combine different elements to obtain new type of environment or inhabitable space . Combining functions can make things slightly different or complex . This kind of approach can modify not only the process but the end result too . When we look at a mixed used building we can observe the fact that in a lot of cases the designer thought about it in a slightly different way . The way of conciving it not as usual as it seem . Things tend to become different in the way the start concept is made , the way the building was thought about and built in many cases can be opposite to what we are facing in general as a direction of thinking . A mixed used space is not thought about in an esthetic way or even a modern way of working with the elements that are at the disposal of the builder , the mixed used term makes one think about things in an new light transforming the modern notion of architecture in a function-first based way of looking at things . The main functions of the building shape can change the way things are prioritized in the construction field . The space or the final construction has new types of elements that are inserted and that have in some cases unusual functions so the project as a whole has to be thought of starting from function and structure and not as a sculptural object .
Layers
Layer is term that can be found in many places from a layered form of thinking until a software level we can find notions bounded to layers .Layers can in many cases give the definition for an organizational structure of for the symbiotic way in witch a structure can work .Layers can be sub systems that work together to generate the outcome experience . Each layer can be structured in different parts and functions but as a main descripion a layer is a homogenus surface that gives shape and meaning to the outer parts that constitute the whole . the layers can be looked at like the parts that constitute a sandwich . The sandwich is the whole and the bounding between the layers that make it give the taste to the outcome that is the sandwich . this is a simple example that should give us the idea about to what can we relate the term and what is the notion of a layer . In some cases layers can even have historical meaning being seen as historical periods that constitute what was an epoque in ancient times trough layers we see how a specific period was structured and in some cases layers can give us clues about the transition between one moment in time and another . Layers can produce energy because of the friction that can be found between them and together can give birth to the whole that we see with our sight .
Layers can be found in painting many masters had a clear understanding of what the layers can mean in a painting and how the mix of color layers can give birth to another final color . Layers can be looked at in an abstract form and understood as simple elements that can be put together to generate in a time spam wisdom or knowledge . Layers are present in all kinds of situations and the lack of one or more layers can determine the end result of things determining the outcome or the result of whole process of overlaying .
Layers can be distributed in different directions things can take an horizontal ,vertical or enclosed circular way of distribution . In the same time layers can be tridimensional and one layer can be an entire structure that can be covered with outer multiple tridimensional or just simple outer layers .
A story can be composed out of different layers and using an analytical mind we can dwell into the whole story by understanding every individual layer that makes it . A story can have another type of layers too the layers of understanding the action or the characters that are part of the story ; sometimes in a story line a character or multiple characters can be discovered in a layered way at the beginning we can have one understanding of things and later on we can see things in a different way because of the layers that have been put away by the storyteller or the story in general . Layers are important elements that constitute a big part of our surrounding universe making it more interesting to dwell in it .Same as the universe that surrounds us are the theories that try to explain it and make it more understandible for the mind .
Layers can be found in painting many masters had a clear understanding of what the layers can mean in a painting and how the mix of color layers can give birth to another final color . Layers can be looked at in an abstract form and understood as simple elements that can be put together to generate in a time spam wisdom or knowledge . Layers are present in all kinds of situations and the lack of one or more layers can determine the end result of things determining the outcome or the result of whole process of overlaying .
Layers can be distributed in different directions things can take an horizontal ,vertical or enclosed circular way of distribution . In the same time layers can be tridimensional and one layer can be an entire structure that can be covered with outer multiple tridimensional or just simple outer layers .
A story can be composed out of different layers and using an analytical mind we can dwell into the whole story by understanding every individual layer that makes it . A story can have another type of layers too the layers of understanding the action or the characters that are part of the story ; sometimes in a story line a character or multiple characters can be discovered in a layered way at the beginning we can have one understanding of things and later on we can see things in a different way because of the layers that have been put away by the storyteller or the story in general . Layers are important elements that constitute a big part of our surrounding universe making it more interesting to dwell in it .Same as the universe that surrounds us are the theories that try to explain it and make it more understandible for the mind .
