Doug Wilder

Field conditions in architecture does not mean the same as it does in physical sciences. In physical sciences, it refers to one or an individual moving to the masses or many. Whereas in architecture it means how the users of an architectural field behave with it. Both, however, are not a one-time behavior but are intervals of repetition. 

Craig Reynolds, an A.I. theorist from the late 80s created a simulation with computer programming of the flocking behavior of birds. The autonomous birds were given rules, maintain a minimum distance from everything, match speeds of others, and move toward a center of mass. Without Reynolds even telling them to do so, the A.I. birds naturally formed flocks and all sizes showed the same structure. 

Elias Canetti looked at the characteristics of crowds through open and closed and through flows of rivers and pilage of crops. He found that crowds have four common attributes. They always want to grow, they have equality within, they love density, and they need direction. From this, he realizes crowds can be both confining and liberating, good and bad, happy and sad. 

In classical architecture, elements are organized by geometric systems of proportions. Ratios were intended to have relationships with geometry even though they could be expressed with numbers. There is a well-known axiom that expresses organic geometric unity from Albertis, saying beauty is a whole made of parts and nothing can be taken or added. As used in classical architecture were not only proportions of individual elements are used but the relationship between them. 

Barnett Newman decided to change his style of art forever by using a sequence of plane/line/plane. He and many American artists were doing this, changing their style. They thought complex art was too complicated and wanted something more simple. That’s when minimalism emerged in the late 60s.