Essay

Many sources today are writing about a renaissance of the “scientific revolution” in architecture – where architecture is once again influenced by science via its theories and findings. In the Seed Magazine article, “Architecture’s Scientific Revolution”, five examples are illustrated to show modern architectural designs that have been influenced by science. (1) So, where do we stand today?

It is important to not settle on simply inheriting structural forms and methods from science – it is critical that we interpret what science is discovering about how humans understand and navigate the world. Of course, architectural interpretations of how nature constructs itself are important to pursue; however, questioning why such constructions exist is also beneficial to architectural progress as a whole. We must ask how these constructions (and systems) can be applied to make life better.

Architecture’s scientific revolution should strengthen the architectural industry by contributing needed dimensions of knowledge about how and why systems work the way they do. Into the future, architecture will not refer to science because it can, but because it should.

Architecture and science are re-entering a partnership where each influences the other – where design and science meet to redefine architectural process. While architecture learns from “neuroscience and computation, complexity theory and embryology” (1), — architecture and science are crossing paths once again; each challenging the other to decipher and implement findings that hold value — to positively impact human living.

Reference:

(1) Kwinter, Sanford. Architecture’s Scientific Revolution. Seed Magazine. March 13, 2009.

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