Has the introduction of computer technology changed our perception of space?

[maca]

Hi all, I'm currently writing a paper for my architectural degree and would love to hear an opinion from you guys.

 

With the introduction of computer technologies in our practise, we've recently started using computer software terms such extrusion/protrusions to describe the plasticity of space. I am arguing that a change in language has changed the way we think and thus our experience of space has changed.

 

If any of you folks have any thoughts and references that would be of help that would be fantastic

[SgWRX]

back when i first took a course on modeling autos, i started looking a new cars and thinking "they've meshsmoothed that". technology drives creative expression more than ever. or should that be creative expression drives technology?

[jkletzien]

yes, it has. Though I think it'll be difficult to truly pinpoint how until more time has gone by, and we've had a chance to reflect on it.

 

Every couple of years I go back and re-read Panofsky's Perspective as Symbolic Form which is a fabulous (short) read, and talks about these same topics circa 1500 as we moved from medieval to renaissance ideas of space.

 

My own particular hypothesis is that the computer is actually pushing us away from the high modern/cartesian contiuum conception of space and back towards a medieval strong figure/ground, scared/profane idea of space.

 

Being able to do focused boolean searches, isolate objects, and the like....the internet and drawing programs I think dispose us to see the world a certain way much more like the medieval model of independent cities seperated by swaths of lawless wilderness, than like the high modern idea of a green city where the ground plane was something that extended forever and we all shared.

 

But what the hell do I know.

 

Good stuff, and good luck!

[mattclinch]

Personally, i wouldn't say that a particular person will ever change the way they view/feel/experience a space because of a change in language driven by computer programming terms.

A person will have an emotive response to a space driven purely by the space itself regardless of the language they use. The majority of people will not think in terms of 'extrusion' and 'protrusion' anyway, unless they are in the industry.

People already in the industry may analyse a space in those terms, but that is simply a different emotive response - call it an 'architecturally termed emotive response' if you will, and only differing in the language they use to describe a space and its pros/cons.

 

I will enjoy a space whether or not i know a term for a particular architectural detail, or they way a certain facade is constructed. If there has been any gain from the use of computer technology terms it would be that architects have the language to describe in 3D more accurately.

 

But i'm not an architect so.... just my 2p.

[ronll]

You might want to look at Anne Friedberg's book, "The Virtual Window. From Alberti to Microsoft". 2006 MIT Press ISBN 13:978-0-262-06252-7