standardised architecture

[erjavi]

Hi Djswan, how are you?

I used the computer of a flat companionship and he received 250 virus coming from here some weeks ago, since then I use cybercafés and others places. Afterwards, during some days, I had the impression all was better and then I tried write quickly. Since 4-5 days I begin to be worry again, but if I consider more important write something then I risk. Somebody told me is very easy get personal keywords of mails, then I suppose many people knows my correspondence, and that is why I try write few relevant things (anyway is a phantasy think we control something beginning for our own life).

It is possible too than in any moment somebody can enter in this forum with my keyword trying create confussion, but I noticed this possibility. Anyway I am not worry, I expressed myself with total liberty till limit (my liberty do not depends of other´s attitudes, nature, or myself), talking about all important questions, with the pleasant discovery of be massively heard. And this has been a discovery for me, like I suppose for many people. And I hope this fact will be repeated in many forums too till limit (after the “standard” limits of democracy there are not lions too jajaja)

What is true is now publicity is more aggressive. (I hope you will understand it produces the opposite effect in me, please do not confuse the context and the non standard proceedings of this forum with other situations).

But Djswan, like I commented in the last reply somebody is new now, routine, you know when I tried explore big scale sustainable landscaping all was new, fascinanting and tired, and now I feel this period in some aspects has passed, now everything is more quiet for me. Now I am relax, looking this profession like any other, without hurry. I do not feel talk many more in many questions, independently is the profession itself is unlimited.

This is not standard proceedings because tools I exposed can change suddenly, are just an initial approach, and this is wonderful because because I found a creative routine than do not implies standards, all can happens in any moment; I can be – and I desire it, I have the right to enjoy too jajajaja - massively overpassed with your talents, in fact this is part of my job like landscaper, loosing in the way all my approachs, this is not important. And note in this case apparently new “standards” could appear, in many senses just an explicit recognition of human ignorance, nothing more.

Of course human knowledge is accumulative, but we can not learn it, it is so big, and all this big historical knowledge is nothing. Some people argue we use the 5-10% of our brain. This is false, nobody knows nothing, in fact this affirmation is only a standardised approach for understand our brain, ourselves (imaging the people which is “experimenting” with human gen manipulation, after some prudent limits they enter into a awful chaos, with implications to others, if you want a “standardised” approach to it, a DNA is a flexible-dynamic matriz de matrices de fractales, so premature death of Dolly lamb will be followed soon by other “lambs”, their sons and grandsons).

A poet, Juan de la Cruz, said talking about vertical landscaping “sin entender entendiendo” (without understand understanding), imagine for horizontal landscaping. If your base is a limited advance of human knowledge, or just a work proceeding, or a limited experience, then you forget of yourself for concentrate on details.

A controller mentality leads to the attempt of standardise reality, classifying all thinking than in any way then we control reality, or better our life. Dominate nature do not means standardise it! Jajaja Come on Djswan, a napkin sketches is waiting for you, that of Venice, Venice for discovers. Maybe I´ll auction the originals of Llley Project for create a foundation, promoting next paths in sustainability (at this speed, well, is it not the better), or donate them to an existing one working in an interdisciplinary team, always focused in a precise area. But this napkin sketches, Djswan, is waiting for you (that is why the gondola is empty)

Or for other USAer, or people from other countries than approach like discovers to Venetians. And, in this case, if aftewrwards you decide make discover´s paths, we will crash the “standard” proceedings - like you call it- showed in this forum creating new ones, continuing the party (may be next time you will ask me “somebody knows where the party continues?”)

Somebody knows where the party continues?

[erjavi]

Good practices and standardisation, which is the relation between them? I do not know, I´m just going approach to this subject looking implications in architecture.

If the car costs the 10% at the entrance of the factory, how much costs the house? Buildings are a mix of pre-industrial (artisan) consume good, economy-space organizers and think tank about work proceedings and economy “evolution”. People do not make still building for use and throw, together with money probably houses are singular commodities, associated with stability. Are more important food and clothes but people tends to undervalue them respect first.

Few machines are present in a construction building compared with other commodities so the work time is artisan, and the models innumerable. Then is this field is easier, and socially accepted, essay numerous tests for launch sustainable proceedings than serve adapt economy to sustainability, not only architectural solutions but economy-technology solutions, without leave richness of creativity for do not fall into the black hole of paradigma (whatever), fixed, almost traumatic for change in a short time.

Good practices are bigger than standard methods, the first covers the seconds and expands to other fields. But the important is than the firsts are usually more related with common sense, the less used of senses (which implies constant poverty at all levels).

Then the matter is not when one stops in general terms of research for launch the machinery, the proceedings, the benefits, the IT related, etc; the matter is not changing all the time substituting continuing almost all, loosing richness (really rooths in all senses) for accumulate experience in change more than in accumulative knowledge change. Maybe the matter consists in employ the better of both, good practices and stable standards, and this implies stop change the future, an irony, for enjoy the present.

Employ the better of both implies too a brainstorming of pleasure, use and enjoy objects and proceedings better than use and throw them in a constant no way out (una huída hacia delante). In this context conceive work like fix standard methods has not sense, and not because standard I´m brainstorming moving (everybody, but because the focus is not a proceeding that advances with my knowledge together with elections between new perspectives, I do not surf with scientific knowledge, I surf with pleasure.

Surf with pleasure not necessarily is related with the last scientific advance, or related with an specific group of work standard methods. So they are not important for define a job. Try, I underline try because it never works, robotise workers, ourselves, is ridiculous.

Then forgetting moving standards trajectory (what is more, even selecting a target is impossible select the better combination of standard methods for solve it, in this case too the good practices are more useful than standardisation, reduces uncertainty through experience) the focus is enjoy (we are in a constant party, isn´t it?)

Talking now about SIMO, just comment if you install a terminal intelligent portion cable in your cable terminal you obtain a cable operative system able to separate entrances from the information highway, and it lets too incorporate different operative systems inside a unique computer. I think is a measure more helpful than the polluter air wifi. Partition of cable and operative system, like now is made with the hard disk, let user work with security because there are area linked but not connected, and intermediate transcription areas, manual, or digital. All the power of IT is conditioned by links, in this sense is weak, Stone Age, IT has lost autonomy, like many machines, in the erratic way of modern economy net.

In this sense just comment a curious matter. Still nobody has invented the interface between hand and copy, I mean a satisfactory machine imitating hand has been not invented, so scan libraries still is an ephic matter. Few years ago the unique big world library than digitalised all documents (manually I supposed) is the National France Library. And note than many manuscripts are not even discovered in present libraries, and not all new books are sent to them.

[erjavi]

Good practices and standardisation, which is the relation between them? I do not know, I´m just going approach to this subject looking implications in architecture.

If the car costs the 10% at the entrance of the factory, how much costs the house? Buildings are a mix of pre-industrial (artisan) consume good, economy-space organizers and think tank about work proceedings and economy “evolution”. People do not make still building for use and throw, together with money probably houses are singular commodities, associated with stability. Are more important food and clothes but people tends to undervalue them respect first.

Few machines are present in a construction building compared with other commodities so the work time is artisan, and the models innumerable. Then is this field is easier, and socially accepted, essay numerous tests for launch sustainable proceedings than serve adapt economy to sustainability, not only architectural solutions but economy-technology solutions, without leave richness of creativity for do not fall into the black hole of paradigma (whatever), fixed, almost traumatic for change in a short time.

Good practices are bigger than standard methods, the first covers the seconds and expands to other fields. But the important is than the firsts are usually more related with common sense, the less used of senses (which implies constant poverty at all levels).

Then the matter is not when one stops in general terms of research for launch the machinery, the proceedings, the benefits, the IT related, etc; the matter is not changing all the time substituting continuing almost all, loosing richness (really rooths in all senses) for accumulate experience in change more than in accumulative knowledge change. Maybe the matter consists in employ the better of both, good practices and stable standards, and this implies stop change the future, an irony, for enjoy the present.

Employ the better of both implies too a brainstorming of pleasure, use and enjoy objects and proceedings better than use and throw them in a constant no way out (una huída hacia delante). In this context conceive work like fix standard methods has not sense, and not because standard I´m brainstorming moving (everybody, but because the focus is not a proceeding that advances with my knowledge together with elections between new perspectives, I do not surf with scientific knowledge, I surf with pleasure.

Surf with pleasure not necessarily is related with the last scientific advance, or related with an specific group of work standard methods. So they are not important for define a job. Try, I underline try because it never works, robotise workers, ourselves, is ridiculous.

Then forgetting moving standards trajectory (what is more, even selecting a target is impossible select the better combination of standard methods for solve it, in this case too the good practices are more useful than standardisation, reduces uncertainty through experience) the focus is enjoy (we are in a constant party, isn´t it?)

Talking now about SIMO, just comment if you install a terminal intelligent portion cable in your cable terminal you obtain a cable operative system able to separate entrances from the information highway, and it lets too incorporate different operative systems inside a unique computer. I think is a measure more helpful than the polluter air wifi. Partition of cable and operative system, like now is made with the hard disk, let user work with security because there are area linked but not connected, and intermediate transcription areas, manual, or digital. All the power of IT is conditioned by links, in this sense is weak, Stone Age, IT has lost autonomy, like many machines, in the erratic way of modern economy net.

In this sense just comment a curious matter. Still nobody has invented the interface between hand and copy, I mean a satisfactory machine imitating hand has been not invented, so scan libraries still is an ephic matter. Few years ago the unique big world library than digitalised all documents (manually I supposed) is the National France Library. And note than many manuscripts are not even discovered in present libraries, and not all new books are sent to them.

[djswan]

[erjavi]

Hi Derek,

Design space implies let born something from our empty (vacío), design a house i.e. like a flexible net implies forget most of the fix standards in projections, eco-design such net implies forget most of the standards in materials, design it for be enjoyed not seen implies forget most of the standards in society, then standards are just optional details, details than helps create a burst of richness, just the opposite function of today.

From this perspective design a landscape implies accept all is possible, more than we ever dreamed together, less than is expecting us in…other landscapes.

Sorry Derek, the first phrase is a little bit big.

[erjavi]

Hi again Derek, just let me introduce some ideas. USAers are in practise more than in theory philosophers, practitioners of Hume and others (empiri-cism) in contrast of the “continental” school, more rationalist. This “cism” tends to focus in practice things more than in theory, Tocqueville noticed something about it, so USAers are excellent disciples practising but bud theoretical “masters” because they usually do not thing to much about it, forms part of the aesthetic, a complete legitimate aesthetic, exactly like any other of the world.

And this can be a deep reason about why USAers have specialised so strongly not only with standard products but with standard mentality too, it is a modern philosophy option with national characteristics, and never will be successful in be exported worldwide, successful for influence, but not successful for change other “national” disciplines.

But, and this is the paradox, extremes are connected if they are not balanced, so the standard “faith” is finally rationalist, an axiom.

Of course modern Western philosophy schools are just a little part of modern-contemporary Western philosophy, which is only a part of human thinking, which is only a part of human being.

I comment this because maybe the initial – brainstorming – brainpleasuring point in architecture is not, like you know in theory and practise, a standard, but philosophic culture sometimes are stronger than be believe if we do not make a stop.

Interesting conversation, Derek

[erjavi]

Derek, your answer is very good, it made continue thinking about the subject.

Global Transition Questionnaire:

1) Pre standard good practices poll:

- Moore´s and Murphy´s Laws have any relationship with fashion?

No, ask representatives of Paris, Milano and other Parlamentaries.

2) Post standard good practices poll:

- Which is the relationship between Moore´s Law and efficiency in cars in the last 30 years (the 10%)?

I do not know where more efficiency has been achieved, in factory process or in oil consume and others services to driver.

- Which is the relationship between Moore´s Law and efficiency in energy in the last 30 years?

Carlos´s Law? My oncle told me all the process involving solid state better than mechanical ones are with time more efficients. http://www.nanosolar.com/technology.htm , http://www.elblogsalmon.com/sectores/nanosolar-el-asesino-de-las-huertas-solares http://www.physorg.com/news144940463.html http://www.wattwatt.com/pulses/340/solar-cell-absorption-rates-whats-the-big-deal/ and others


- Which is the relationship between urban & infrastructure Murphy´s Law and Mandelbrot´s Law natural design promoting big scale sustainable landscaping?

Aalto´s Law, natural standardisation of urban design avoid exponentially Murphy´s effects.

- Which is the relationship between biodiversity Murphy´s Law and eco-machines(10% or less for get secondary raw materials)?

Todd´s Law? Exponential activity of microorganisms promotes exponential new secondary raw materials supply.

- Which is the relationship between Moore´s Law and eco-machines efficiency?

Mandelbrot´s Law?

- Which is the relationship between Moore´s Law and efficiency in pharaonic IT projects?

Ford´s, Mandelbrot´s, Alvar´s Laws and Carlos´s Laws? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjvtJFEqSQw

3) Standard good practices poll.

Did you asked retired people parlamentaries which launched new initiatives after a life of routine, creative or not?

Derek, I can not propose any initial, intermediate or final standard for design or build a house, for me a standard is just like a tool more inside the bag of a carpenter. In fact I can get any of them and adapt for make it artisan so finally I would be managing only artisan tools, even for make standardised houses.

Anyway, I do not know if I´ll continue thinking in this, the question is so good, and can be helpful in this global transition times.

[erjavi]

All standards together now, the coming challenge, and even more.

A friend told me many years ago a genial idea: design a machine than fabricates only defectives products. It do not includes an automated hammer at the end of conveyor belt but organise pieces for fabricate individually designed defectives pieces at industrial speed and scale.

Think about it, fabricate imperfection is not so easy like appears.

More many years ago there was a funny British TV program called “Rubbish” or something like that (I did not found it http://jenesaispop.com/2009/06/17/top-10-series-britanicas-de-humor/ ), this humour fiction dealed about an executive working in a company than fabricated useless products, i.e. a teapot with the handle and the spout in the same side.

The difference between both cases is than the first one can personalise (fashion) the mass consume society modifying products at little scale, and the second can personalise the eccentricity.

But even in both cases the final consume products are defect with (m)any perfect mental model. Or not? What do you understand for perfection, something you and the others can perceive with the five senses? With the six (intuition)? With the I do not what you talk about?

Think in consume aesthetic perfection is quickly imitated, i.e. fan(atic). The Barbarian document (in the sense of foreign of myself) has more pages we imagine.

British launched industrialisation like a way for well being themselves, and afterwards they were courageous for accept loose and even film the loss of such “splendid isolation” when peace initiatives were developed by people nationals today of India and Pakistan, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gandhi_(film) a perfect example not followed by millions worldwide (see i.e. new populist neooligarchies forming in Latin America and golpismo tradition answering them, both at far distance from Spain democracy, believe is easy crash automaldición standards).

Afterwards USA launched standardisation for enlarge this well being and thanks their democracy they have been able of expand it worldwide. Is this fact perfect, or standard? Big challenges times like present, uniques in many senses, will be passed succesfully only by societies with internal solidarity, otherwise urgence for changes will be source of new injustices, in contrast with other societies, a many nations will take note of event, try after change image country. Architecture is a think tank for work methods respect industrial standard mentality, like artisans are a think tank for architecture standard proceedings (i.e. timber carpenters like http://www.tfguild.org/, new artisans i.e. like www.- abuse alert -/enu/ or a Canadian corkfloor manufacturer announced here, etc). Solidred, what do you think about it?



Footnote: more islands are incorporating to the sustainable archipelago, http://en.cop15.dk/news/view+news?newsid=1738 . The Greek architecture project for protect buildings of earthquake is http://www.marneris.gr/Profile/Default.asp? (thanks for announce again).

[erjavi]

Wow, a spam manufacturer just announcing now in the forum appeared like forum abuse! (Svetla, from Volvograd).

Just add than pioneers nations tends to be the first to deal with new challenges, in this sense U.K. has a long tradition in explore ways for conciliate tradition with modernity, artisans and industrial standards. Give colour to the All Together Now will be not difficult.

I think than a human family member will be always more important than a room in the common house, see the Jewish, they are a nation even without land. Northern Islands till Svardvald have an special necessity of solidarity like societies.

I only was one time in the UK, four days in London, and I ´d like visit the Fringe, a festival of creativity more and more needed in predator standardised times, and based of peace and mutual understanding afer the Second World War. This year the priority is Israel, the next one the UK (the National British Tourism has announced via publicity inside my email, together with a company of low cost flights for visit the island, thanks, and other German low cost flights company is announced flights to Berlin, thanks to them and to Slovenians too).

[erjavi]

Sorry by these continue mails, I am leaving the forum. When Derek asked me recently about routines and standards I tried explain about creative routines without standards, but in some aspect I felt a period is passed, like when I finish a book. I do not come back to it after. This weekend I went to the mountains on holidays and the feeling of distance was bigger, and comments respect announces in private mail are just the indirect ways people is connecting in this standardised forum, not any other connotations, and because I am leaving the forum it was just a comment for thanks them their approach.

I think is time for new personal paths, insists more in this forum is boring for me and you, I perceived these months many fantastic initiatives are launched. I have not any objective reason for argue it but I think the rhythm of such activities and the extent of public dialog is not sufficient. I insist that I do not know the future and than I have not objective data for talk in this way, is just a personal feeling, subjective.

Even if I auction the originals of Llley Project I accept the rhythm society wants, so in this case I would just launch geoinformation maps on wildlife corridor and good architectonical practices proposals related with them, no more considerations.

I introduced risks of non sustainable practices in IT, I am not sure if I will write something about SIMO. I am leaving the forum, inside me I give thanks for all happened. I learnt in life after some intense activity periods arrives others of calm for be able of receive next paths.

Thank you everybody (Architecture Week Staff, I found a place of democracy in USA, not just a healthy project). Bye.

Javier

[djswan]

[djswan]

[briklight]

I have no hope (or wish) to be as prolific, nor to carry it as far afield as some contributors to this forum topic, but I hope that discussion of this topic can continue. I am also not sure that I have the intellectual firepower, nor the time which some contributors seem to have at their disposal.
Is true that one class of objections to "standardized architecture" in this discussion are really objections to 1) homogeneity of design and 2) Non-responsiveness to the characteristics of the specific site on which a building is built?
One thing that did occur to me way back on page 3 or 4, is that these objections seem to gain and lose validity at different scales.
For example:
Homogeneity: Stories 4 through 54 of a high rise building are identical. If one can accept the notion of high rise buildings, the homogeneity of these 50 floor plans is probably not objectionable, so why should there be an objection to 50 houses in a single tract development being similar? and
Responsiveness: Siting a house design on a lot on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State, and the same house, in the same orientation on a lot in Hawaii might be objectionable for homogeneity reasons, but not for homogeneity reasons. Conversely, the same house oriented the same on two adjacent lots in Hawaii are vulnerable to a homogeneity complaint, but not a responsiveness complaint.

Neither has much to do with how standardized the profession of architecture is, or thinks it should be. My own sense is that our profession puts too much emphasis on being original and unique - qualities which are only of real value if they result in some improvement in the status quo. More often, they aspire only to change the direction of style for a little while. My sense is that on balance, we lose more than we gain by striving for originality.
The main quality which the craft of design (or any other craft for that matter) has to offer is not in originality, per se. It is in the excellence of execution and the resulting utility of the product. Originality is the territory only of the master craftsman. Art is another matter, entirely. Is that what we are talking about?
Ronchamp kicked the conversation off six months ago. Perhaps the discussion needs re-grounding? What were you really asking, ronchamp? and what insights have you gained?

[solidred]

I think the trick to balancing the responsiveness/homogeneity quality you suggest lies in that infinite subtlety which identifies all people as 'basically the same' - a crying child in Africa is a crying child in Manhattan - and 'all unique'.
Originality in architecture is overrated in the sense that it's outrageous novelty and hence ultimately shallow and transient. However, the underlying and deeper joy in architecture that tries to be different is that it expresses a form of sincerity towards the unique times and situations each of us experiences: our environmental artifices should reflect the way we perceive the world and shouldn't imply that the only thing that changes in a life is the weather.

[Checkpoint43]

The architect can be as creative as he wants to be, but that doesn't mean his design will become a structure.
Isn't that decision made by some committee in the case of high rises, some land developer in the case of tract land, or the consumer in the case of individual houses?

The committee is more concerned about attracting potential tenants and making the most money from renting the space.

The land developer is interested in cutting costs whenever possible.

The consumer is interested in location (is it near schools and shopping?) or "Keeping up with the Joneses.

Standardized architecture?
You'd better believe it!

The customer is running the show.
There's only a small chance that someone would want to buy and build your "Inverted Dome", regardless of how "Innovative" or "Green" or "Artistic" it is.

It's not about the art, as much as it is about the economy.

So, in my own humble opinion, unless the entire architectural community refuses to design anything else but Inverted Domes, (removing typical choices from the equation), the consumer is going to choose mostly standardized architecture.