Digitalisation of Architecture
The digitalisation of architecture has been a boon to the industry. It has made design more sustainable by developing technology to understand and calculate climatic and other necessary data more efficiently. Moreover, digital tools like Virtual Reality visualisation and modelling tools have made it easier to present ideas as tangible representations, which help the stakeholders experience the space dynamics.
The Rise of Digital Tools
With the introduction of modernism as an architectural concept, digitalisation saw a rise. Minimalism and complex geometries became the guiding principles, and digital tools mastered the art of creating such structures and thus started becoming more prominent in practice. They are seamless and accurate, which makes work easier and more effective. Additionally, some of them, like BIM, are engineered to perform energy analysis and aid in the construction of low-carbon footprint designs, which truly is the need of the hour. Tools that conduct the testing of buildings before construction starts have helped rectify defects that cut costs in the construction phase and ensure safety.
This also gave rise to a whole new domain of architecture, which includes Parametric Design, isomorphic design, generative design, etc. They foster collaboration and develop structures so futuristic that they seem unthinkable, in terms of form, function and material.
The Missing Piece
Inclusivity on a physical level is being incorporated well, but on a contextual level, it is often overlooked. Theoretical knowledge of a regional and cultural context creates structures, not spaces. The thin line between them is the humanness of the latter. The one thing people can do better is make spaces contextually relevant and more inclusive. Digital tools may not be trained well enough to design intuitively in a way that seems natural to the human brain. Like the difference between what will be awe-inspiring and what will be overwhelming, or how will the location of the building and its surrounding context affect its perception by people?
What is Vernacular Wisdom?
Vernacular wisdom means something “belonging to, developed by, and used by the people of a particular place and time”, as per the Oxford Dictionary. In the Indian context, it has always been about generations of culture, comfortable living and adapting by nature. This includes the use of local materials or traditional construction techniques that align with passive heating/cooling or promote culture. For example, in Rajasthan, jharokha windows with jaalis are employed, and thick mud walls are designed to prevent heat gain or in Meghalaya, bamboo huts with sloping roofs are made to accommodate the rains. It is a matter of realising material efficiency in terms of its use, availability and climate resistance.
At the same time, vernacular wisdom doesn’t provide the tools to survive in the modern world. A question that arises here is whether and how they can be adapted as per the increasing vertical expansion, such that they are still climate-responsive and budget-friendly.
The Way from Earth to Algorithm – Digital Vernacular
A relatively newer term, “digital vernacular” or “hybrid architecture”, is gaining popularity. It stands for the collaboration of the two, the development of digital tools that include locally relevant materials and construction techniques. This term is discussed by Stevens and Nelson in their book “Digital Vernacular: Architectural Principles, Tools, and Processes “, where they speak about how an architect returns to his or her roots while innovating and creating anything.
This will help create more comprehensive tools and also initiate a global conversation that will be a game changer for the architecture fraternity all around. This will bring up some of the most eco-friendly, innovative solutions that will revolutionise the construction industry. Local communities will have a platform to discuss and understand local cultures, incorporating them into architecture.
Global Examples of Digital Vernacular Fabrication
In Argentina, a digital fabrication lab developed a frame loom structure out of digitally cut wood, which helped the natives weave their cultural patterns.
German architect Markus Kayser created a device called the solar sinter that concentrated the sun’s energy to melt silica, fuse it with sand and create a glass-like material. The sand reacts chemically with a binding agent and creates a hard material. This experimental method was highly successful and called the “D-Shape Process” and was used as a new method of 3d printing and fabrication. D-shape components are compared to reinforced concrete in terms of tension resistance and are aimed to be used as full-fledged building materials soon.
In India, such a collaboration was seen between FabLab at Lawrence Technological University and New Delhi architect Ayodh Kamath. Inspired by the chimneys of 17th-century England, dome-like structures were created using laser-cut moulds for shaping locally sourced clay into blocks of the required shapes. Holes for light and ventilation were created in blocks using a CNC machine, and Local craftsmen were employed to arrange the blocks based on computer-generated calculations.
Conclusion
The amalgamation of these two aspects of the architecture domain marks a significant step. The human-ness of vernacular wisdom and the analytical power of digital tools together will create a tool that enables construction that is quicker, cheaper, more efficient and greener. Though these tools are at the development stage now, whenever they reach their full potential, humans and the environment could both immensely benefit from such a collaboration. So, when Earth meets Algorithm, Architecture becomes what it truly is- a healer.
Citations:
- Etherington, Rose. “The Solar Sinter by Markus Kayser.” Dezeen, 28 June 2011, www.dezeen.com/2011/06/28/the-solar-sinter-by-markus-kayser/
- Gattupalli, Ankitha . “The Digital Divide: Can Technology Support Vernacular Architecture?” ArchDaily, 16 Oct. 2023, www.archdaily.com/1008305/the-digital-divide-can-technology-support-vernacular-architecture.
- Ghisleni, Camilla. “Hybrid Architecture: Combining Digital Design and Vernacular Crafts.” ArchDaily, 23 Sept. 2021, www.archdaily.com/968825/hybrid-architecture-combining-digital-design-and-vernacular-crafts.
- Hadjadji, Narimane, et al. “Impact of Digital Architecture: The Impact of Digital Technology on Ecological Formations and Its Effect on Determinants of Identity and Culture in Architectural Design.” Journal of Engineering Research, vol. 12, no. 3, 7 Sept. 2023, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2307187723002092, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jer.2023.09.004.
- Nasir, Osama. “The Impact of Digital Fabrication in Modern Architecture.” Parametric Architecture, 12 Aug. 2024, parametric-architecture.com/the-impact-of-digital-fabrication-in-modern-architecture/
- Stevens, James, and Ralph Nelson. Digital Vernacular: Practice and Pedagogy.
