Reading Response

"Relations: Information Exchange in Designing and Making Architecture"
By Kevin Klinger

A response to the reading above:

In brief, the article discusses the connection between digital information technology and the architecture profession. Looking at both the current connection and also what the future might bring. The content of the reading was directly related to the beliefs and ideas of the Design to Production firm. They both discussed the connection between bringing complex geometries and forms into the world of architecture and the great need for the digital information to be able to break those geometries down into many simple forms, organize them, and eventually produce them. One of the main issues that I found most intriguing in the article was the idea of "consultation". This is an issue that many people tend to overlook or look past in the design process. The idea that many other professions and parameters factor in to the overall design and production of a building. Such things as the size of trucks available to move parts for the manufacturer to the site and the restrictions of size that a CNC mill can physically cut. These factors and others can then set the rules in which the master model breaks down the geometry in order to insure that the process runs smoothly from start to finish. Another important idea that was presented in the article was the current day disconnect between the architect, manufacturer and the builder. There are currently laws set in place in order to regulate the amount of discussion that can be had between an architect and manufacturer before a contract is signed. The article however argues that there is a great need with the push of digital technologies and manufacturing to not only allow architects and manufacturers to talk but to essentially collaborate on projects in order to create a more efficient process.