When one thinks of the process of architecture, what are the first thoughts that come to mind? Drafting, planning, aggregation, appealing to the client, and the overall building of the structure, for these would seem to be the likeliest transcendence of events in creating a finished architectural product, correct? Well, what if before every previous event likely to happen, one was enlightened to a new breakthrough technology that would ultimately change the thought process of architecture entirely? That is exactly the idea that Berkley School of Architecture designer, Rachel Armstrong presented to her audience at her TED talk in Oxford, England. Her idea is, that carefully engineered micro-"organisms" called ProtoCells, which do not actually contain DNA (therefore not truly being considered an organism) can be used to change the field of architecture forever. Developed by her and a colleague at Berkley, these cells are created through a careful process of genetic engineering contain within themselves their own unique traits of moving, changing, and interacting with the environment, all in an entirely holistic manner. These creations of "almost-alive" inert mass are designed specifically to react to conditions in the outside world as various factors change on a regular basis. They can move, change shape, molt, and even collect carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and transform it into carbonate, or solid carbon. Pertaining to the architectural aspect, this material has the ability to undergo complex chemical transformations that allow it to "grow" into materials such as sandstone or other common physical materials. Her idea, encompassing both the modernity of genetics and the power of originative, anti-sequential thinking is, that if proven pragmatic by further scientific research, is sure to rock the architectural world for decades. In the hopes of Armstrong, this new material is to be used to create a more stabilized base of the city of Venice, rather than allow the city's current wooden base to rot into oblivion, ultimately reducing it to a pile of non-eloquent material.
In her TED talk, Rachel Armstrong provided the audience with an excellent presentation of ideas using clear, concise, understandable facts. One particular flaw in her talk, however, was tat it only lasted a little over seven minutes long, and in a critical eye this is far too short to fully explain an idea. Aside from the length, one other mistake that Rachel made was her inability to express detail and further information on her idea, and led the viewer to get an overall sense of unpreparedness in her work, especially with how the ProtoCells are made, how they work, and what they actually look like in action. This made the viewer get a feeling that the technology that she was presenting was still a work in progress, and wasn't ready yet to be unveiled to the public. In a broad sense though, her presentation was informative and thought-provoking, and it is an idea that can be processed and used in many different ways by many different, giving it the label of being an idea worth spreading.
The interesting thing about this new breakthrough, is that it is something that can be used in almost any situation in our world, whether it be construction, architecture, repair work, visualization, or any other type of action that involves using a physical medium. In schools, this technology can be used to create a more energy-efficient means of building and repair in newer classrooms, artwork, or any other physical manifestation. The self-creating material would also make this new invention a perfect medium for the first step in creating buildings, for it would allow the builder to sculpt a design from the cells without harming the environment or putting people's train-of-thought through a hellish, time consuming task of creating a building from scratch. This outdated method produces buildings only by means of outside-materials unnatural to the ecosystem being incorporated into a structure that only reflects the boring attitude of the people put in charge of designing it. Instead, one could work their creativity on the building as it is being erected, making it more and more holistic to the environment surrounding it, rather than being apart from the natural flow of energy in that particular region. This idea is one that may not have a major significance in the sense of being a world-issue, but it does challenge the lifeless conformity of today's building codes, and it may be the starting-point to an entire new world only dreamed about by architects for this world of infinity possibility is seeming closer than ever.
In her TED talk, Rachel Armstrong provided the audience with an excellent presentation of ideas using clear, concise, understandable facts. One particular flaw in her talk, however, was tat it only lasted a little over seven minutes long, and in a critical eye this is far too short to fully explain an idea. Aside from the length, one other mistake that Rachel made was her inability to express detail and further information on her idea, and led the viewer to get an overall sense of unpreparedness in her work, especially with how the ProtoCells are made, how they work, and what they actually look like in action. This made the viewer get a feeling that the technology that she was presenting was still a work in progress, and wasn't ready yet to be unveiled to the public. In a broad sense though, her presentation was informative and thought-provoking, and it is an idea that can be processed and used in many different ways by many different, giving it the label of being an idea worth spreading.
The interesting thing about this new breakthrough, is that it is something that can be used in almost any situation in our world, whether it be construction, architecture, repair work, visualization, or any other type of action that involves using a physical medium. In schools, this technology can be used to create a more energy-efficient means of building and repair in newer classrooms, artwork, or any other physical manifestation. The self-creating material would also make this new invention a perfect medium for the first step in creating buildings, for it would allow the builder to sculpt a design from the cells without harming the environment or putting people's train-of-thought through a hellish, time consuming task of creating a building from scratch. This outdated method produces buildings only by means of outside-materials unnatural to the ecosystem being incorporated into a structure that only reflects the boring attitude of the people put in charge of designing it. Instead, one could work their creativity on the building as it is being erected, making it more and more holistic to the environment surrounding it, rather than being apart from the natural flow of energy in that particular region. This idea is one that may not have a major significance in the sense of being a world-issue, but it does challenge the lifeless conformity of today's building codes, and it may be the starting-point to an entire new world only dreamed about by architects for this world of infinity possibility is seeming closer than ever.
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