Brian O'Hanlon Posted August 17, 2006 Share Posted August 17, 2006 A point, I tried to draw out in my recent thread, was the idea of the mini-computer in modern day work environments. I was asked for a further explanation of what I meant by mini-computer. http://www.cgarchitect.com/vb/18646-article-computing.html Well, I think a playstation with two hand controllers attached to it, and two players using them, is probably a mini-computer. The idea being, the software is centralised between the persons, the data, and its manipulation happens in the middle. The real trouble for me with VIZ, Revit, ADT, AutoCAD etc, etc,... with all of their many attempts to make collaboration possible, everyone still has their own box, with there own files very often. There is a sense of ownership of the individuals work. There is precious little idea of collective authorship in computer aided design, even today. The first problem for me, is the applications mentioned above, and many more like them, have to be installed separately on different 'boxes'. Someone always gets a better box, than somebody else. Peoples' installations are inevitably different. One machine contains a bug, which affest that one user. Another person may not have a full time workstation, and has to reset their environment on each sucessive machine they use - their preference for icons, or toolbars or command variables, should follow them whereever they go. They should wear it like clothing. Unfortunately, until the CAD application gets installed on a central system, and everyone is working in the one 'space', we will not see a substantial rise in collaboration amongst different CAD users. We are still stuck in the world, of network admins deciding policies and literally dictating to us, when we aught to be creative or not. For instance, when I help to design industrial buildings, I don't have access to all the thousands of man hours worth of information and toil, that CAD designers before me have contributed. All I see, on the current network is my own tiny little space. This can be a real bitch, when working in project management. There is no time dimension, it is as if the past never even occured. It did occur, and the in-house network 'boss' has succeeded in putting it away 'safely' on some backup solution, where people cannot touch. Do enjoy the following series of articles I have scribbled myself to try and understand the work place a little more. Together, with my mini-computing paper previously posted, they form together into some sort of picture of things I hope. Brian O' Hanlon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian O'Hanlon Posted August 17, 2006 Author Share Posted August 17, 2006 Enjoy, Brian. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian O'Hanlon Posted September 6, 2006 Author Share Posted September 6, 2006 Earlier publications, http://www.cgarchitect.com/vb/13835-technology-articles.html B. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian O'Hanlon Posted November 26, 2006 Author Share Posted November 26, 2006 Glenn Murcutt Speaks in Dublin: http://www.archiseek.com/content/showthread.php?t=5568 Brian O' Hanlon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian O'Hanlon Posted December 5, 2006 Author Share Posted December 5, 2006 Some more ramblings of mine, you might be interested in. Brian O' Hanlon. http://www.archiseek.com/content/showthread.php?t=5606 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
William Alexander Posted December 8, 2006 Share Posted December 8, 2006 Brian, Been a while since having time to read and absorb your links to and commentaries. The last two are very accurate, imho, and well stated. Most interesting is the architect-firms role in defining the 'conceptual' components of a project/design in the management sense. Witht he many to many broadcast nature of the information environment and proper utilization I really believe it will make it possible for the "Greater" Ideas and the underlying discontent with current trends to come out. Not by great and large firms but rather resourceful and inventive individuals/small firms as equal in value and presentation. Always an interesting read! WDA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian O'Hanlon Posted December 11, 2006 Author Share Posted December 11, 2006 No kidding, time management went right out the window with me last week. Because of my writing last week, unfortunately, I am knee deep in it right now. Ah well. I comment from time to time at a group blog, many.corante.com. This Design debate arose there earlier this year, and one of the sites bloggers has incorporated notions about design into the lecture she delivers at the moment about social networking sites. http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5675891136267463664&q=danah+boyd You will notice some under currents of what you talk about, in her language and description of events as they stand in design of these online spaces. Murcutt showed us a really cool thing he does with his 360 panorama site photos. He tapes them together and makes them into a cylinder, and then he puts his little models of his houses into the middle of the cylinder of his 360 degree panorama site photo! I think he then sticks his head up underneath and kinda gets a notion of the building as if built on site. I must try it sometime. Most logical thing I ever saw. You could kind of do the same in VIZ too using cameras etc, I am sure. It does show you the degree of effort to which Murcutt will go to relate his building to the site. How many average developments would consider these issues? Zero? B. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian O'Hanlon Posted December 12, 2006 Author Share Posted December 12, 2006 On that many to many culture, especially on how it might affect education, here is some more: Do have a listen to Howard talking about 'many to many' etc here: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7232735133455680605&q=Howard+Rheingold Howard posted this link recently, http://www.cooperationcommons.com/cooperation-commons/los-alamos-lab-collective-decision-making-site Started this thread of discussion here at aceshardware: http://www.aceshardware.com/forums/read_post.jsp?id=120071772&forumid=1 Earlier blog entry I commented at earlier this year: http://www.cooperationcommons.com/cooperation-commons/connexions-and-other-free-textbook-projects One Laptop Per Child. http://laptop.org/ B. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian O'Hanlon Posted January 1, 2007 Author Share Posted January 1, 2007 Find attached, the piece I did before the holidays on the 'Production of Space'. Knowledge of Marxism etc might be useful to have, to understand Henri Lefebvre's writing, but I am only getting into his book at the moment. Older entry about history and computing: http://www.cgarchitect.com/vb/7288-ever-wonder-how-all-started.html On computing and Java http://www.cgarchitect.com/vb/8109-uplinking-alien-computer.html Brian O' Hanlon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian O'Hanlon Posted January 1, 2007 Author Share Posted January 1, 2007 How long does a Platform really last? http://www.aceshardware.com/forums/read_post.jsp?id=115149703&forumid=1 When will software empower Architects? http://www.cgarchitect.com/vb/21009-when-will-software-empower-architects.html Brian O' Hanlon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now