UNIT 1 DRAFT

UNIT 1

The article, From Pencils to Pixels: The Stages of Literacy Technology, the author Dennis Baron explains the evolution of the pencil, once the greatest tool for data collection and self-expression, to a more current contender, the computer. Illustrating the innovations and shortcomings of each new iteration along the way. The paper pertains to technology in its inexplicable dialogue for the history and heritage of the tools of self-expression. 

The paper itself is written through the use of a computer, today's contemporary pencil, this acts quite eloquently as an example of the effect this tool has for communication. This spread of technology is what gave us the lineage of the computer, all starting with the physical manifestation of text, “The development of writing itself illustrates the stages of technological spread.” 

From an architectural standpoint, this article demonstrates the evolution of technologies on many fronts, the pencil being a symbol of architects for centuries has in many ways been superseded by the computer. It is in this, one can understand the delicate nature of our tools, they are always changing, becoming more advanced, and with a profession like architecture, there are always new tools to familiarize oneself with.

Baron, Dennis. "From Pencils to Pixels." Accessed September 17, 2018. http://www.english.illinois.edu/-people-/faculty/debaron/essays/pencils.htm.

In the article, “Will Architecture in the Future Be a Luxury Service?” written by Duo Dickinson, the question of the overall integrity of my studying profession can be questioned, as new forms of designers can take on roles that historically were performed by many. This phenomenon transcends computer savvy designers and highlights robots new roles in the field of architecture and design. The overall tone is not a warning of the future, but a hesitant question of our survivability. “In architecture, new technologies will inevitably mean that building consumers and contractors will have more ability to bypass architects entirely.” This is a real possibility as innovations in Artificial Intelligence evolve, to help in the creation of self-designing software, systems initially designed to cut out the designer.

The article is successful in bringing up important points of artificial intelligence in the world of architecture, as well as highlighting the positives of innovation in the field, with the negative side of eliminating jobs. This fact is a daunting one to the architect but holds a level of clout in its ability to start a dialogue between designers.

Dickinson, Duo. "Will Architecture in the Future Be a Luxury Service?" ArchDaily. August 02, 2018. Accessed September 17, 2018. https://www.archdaily.com/899483/will-architecture-in-the-future-be-a-luxury-service.

Drones in our built environment superseded almost everything we understand about building design, privacy, communication and countless other subscripts in our world. The short documentary, aptly titled, Elevation, describes a current world in which drones are already being implemented as a source of labor, communication, and surveying, in many ways being seen as a toolset rather than a disturbance. The film mainly pertains to the field of architecture and the possible outcomes of implementing drones into the surveying, documenting and even building process. In many ways a direct change to the environment of design, one in which would certainly have complications in the future, if not now.

Drones being portrayed in the film seem to do the medium justice, for the most effective way to visualize flying is to see it. This form of media also exemplifies one of the main changes drones would have on our environment, the concept for the reorientation of structures so that the roofs become the main attraction rather than the ground level. This new approach to architecture can only truly be visualized through drone footage, applying realism to a conceptual idea. The film succeeds as a description, if not the definition of the drone as well as possible implications of the tool in the architectural environment. As an example, “Architecture will change dramatically as the ground floor entrance is replaced by rooftop landing, parking and charging zones and deliveries arrive via specially constructed portals on the sides of buildings, or rooftop platforms, built to accommodate drones.” Other changes to the built environment will take shape as drones evolve, in essence aggregating existing typologies into drone based systems.

In succession with the evolution of architecture through technology, drones offer us many possibilities for the future of design and while this film only skims the surface, there are many insightful topics to discuss. 

ELEVATION. Accessed September 17, 2018. https://www.dezeen.com/elevation/