Projets utopiques de ville oblique, «Les ondes» - Claude Parent, 1971
© Fonds Claude Parent - collection DAF/ Cité de l’architecture & du patrimoine,
Archives d’architecture du xxe siècle
*filigree assemblage by Sean Canty
I had said that the parametric revolution would position architects as catalysts for design which evolves.
The question reminds me of something Yona Friedman wrote about decades ago in Towards a Scientific Architecture. There, he suggested that architects could abandon the creation of discrete building forms, in favor of producing portfolios of building components. His theory was that architects could become (again?) trusted advisers, guiding clients through the implications, opportunities, and dangers of selecting particular building components or systems.
While this form of professional practice is dramatically different than our current one, it does align closely with the parametric design process. In both scenarios, the architect has a wealth of components to choose from, but he/she is also becomes responsible for the harmonious and discerned composition of the elements.
While the idea of using building components is not new (think of Le Corbusier’s Maison Dom-ino, or the high-tech building style of the eighties), the idea of allowing clients to have a direct influence over their composition is new.
To read the full article, go to: y_architect
*drawing by Yona Friedman
