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Field Conditions

From Object to Field:

How I determine this section on Object to Field was about describing the mind and how the design process and theory form. To me, Object and Field are a duality, such as light and dark, high and low, and close and far. Stan Allen explains that “Field conditions are loosely bound aggregates characterized by porosity and local interconnectivity”, meaning that field conditions at least according to me are the parts of a site, building, and condition that are all connected and determine the design. It is the building blocks in which Architects restrict themselves in, so that design may prosper.

Walking out of Cubism:

What I thought the main point of Walking out of Cubism was, was to keep architecture simple and not to overcomplicate situations that shouldn’t be overcomplicated. For example, a building should only have a flare that is useable. Most modern architecture is designed to be very flashy rather than useful and there’s a lot of wasted space. Architecture, with minimalism, should be designed around strong centers, which determine the flow of the building. Allen states that “minimalist work of the sixties and seventies sought to empty the artwork of its figurative or decorative character in order to foreground its architectural condition. ”

Thick 2-D Moires, Mats:

Thick 2-D Moires. and Mats was about describing the architectural use of grids and saying “all grids are fields, but not all fields are grids”, which describes that grides are more than just a simple organizational plane and that there can be different local scales. patterns, and cultural implications. This shows that grids, or fields, are adaptable to change and can determine the structure of a unique form at any point.

Flocks, Schools, Swarms, Crowds:

The point of this section is to say that gathering in groups is an instinctual and naturally accruing phenomena in nature. To relate this to architecture, the design of a building should support the duality of the public and private, celebrating the contrast between the two. It is extremely important to cherish not only the public space, which allows people to flock together for social gatherings, and the private, which allows for retreat and shelter against the harsh elements of our society. It also explains the difference between the behavior of crowds and flocks and how flocks are more organized than crowds. The video on this blog shows that there is a system to bird flocks. Humans, on the other hand, crowd, which is chaotic and highlights the importance of have private spaces. These private spaces allow for safety and order amidst the chaos.

Distributed Institutions:

This section is the explanation that how people think about architecture is solely determined by the cultural conditions at the time. He says that the axis and symmetry of classical buildings were built upon the understanding of the world at the time. For example the cathedrals and their alignment like a cross to represent holiness. He also explains that our modern notions of certain structures are determined by what we think they should be, like a library or museum. In my opinion, this paragraph is an outcry for change, to diverge from what is culturally “normal” and to have the shock factor of the design be the divergence from “what should be” from our cultural conditions to “what is designed” from the situation in which the building is placed.