Scientific Realism – that there are universal truths that can be discovered. That there can models and teories of how the universe works.
Gilles Deleuze (1925-1995)
What is form in relation to matter, science, and design?
1/ Body without organs(?)
2/ Stratification (prison) – strata, layer, belts. Imprisoning intensities, containment.
| Actual Structure | Intensive Structure (Body without organs - flows) |
|---|---|
| Length | Temperature |
| Area | Pressure |
| Volume | Speed |
| Mass | Density |
hmmm... maybe an easy way to think of this is discrete vs continuous, or static vs dynamic.
Change in Actual Structure results in a difference in degree (i.e. the amount of a thing e.g. bigger, longer, heavier etc).
A change in intensive structure creates a difference in kind - a change in structure (e.g. ice to water to steam).
A cascade of symmetry changing events (phase change - transition)
Kleens - Classification of Geometries
Intensive Matter is more Interesting. Actual Matter as a manifestation of an intensive principle.
(This is a very similar theme to the "Things That Matter" text as it talks about the Platoism of Matter - the idea of matter (sign, meaning) etc being more important than the thing/object itself). Although it seems the angle here is slightly different basically that there is an underlying level or layer to matter).
Intensity causes the form
Extensivity is just a slowing down.
Think of the world as an intensive place - that there is a pattern, or blueprint underlying things.
Frei Otto
Experiments in Form Finding. Experiments in light-weight structures.
Not matter obeying laws but matter wanting to be matter (?)
Munich Olympics. Soap Bubble Experiments.
Hyperbolic Paraboloids. MW Architects. Olympic Games - Watercube 208.
Scientific - inert mass that is commanded by the idea of the law to submit to a form.
Designer - materials are heterogenous.
- Herb Simon
- Horst Riltel
- Melvin Webber
- Gilles Deleuze
Axiomatics - repeatability. Method?
Problematics - doing knowledge. When you design something everytime it is a new creation.
Hylomorphic - forms come form outside (Aristotle).
Homogenised Material - processed
Heterogeneous Material - natural
Design becomes a reproduction of form regardless of material.
Thoughts:
I remember this lecture generating quite a lot of debate at the time.
The two main things that stood out for me was:
1/ Designers should deal with or engage with the essence of a material/thing (intensive structure) versus the extensive side.
2/ Design becomes a reproduction of form regardless of material.
1/ Well the first seemed a bit vague for me. As a designer it doesn't give you much to work with. What is the essence of a form? The Louis Sullivan quote springs to mind "What does a brick want to be?". Defining the essence of a material seems very subjective and individual. After all it relates to my own perception, and spiritual or emotional relationship with an object.
2/ A big assumption here is that a change in material necessitates a change in form because of the differences in material qualities. I don't agree with this. What is the driver of form? Materiality or Functionality or something else again? Changes in material may necessitate changes in construction, and even in surface/texture, but not necessarily changes in form. Engagement with the material could be implemented in the design in other ways.
There was also the view postulated that somehow homogenised/processed materials are bad because the original intensive qualities are ignored. I argue that it is only by understanding the intensive qualities of a material that we are able to manipulate them to the extent that we do. Thing of Kevlar vests, and carbon-fibre bikes and boat masts. Would we be able to do this if we didn't understand a materials intensive qualities?
Standardised materials allow us to build safely and efficiently (i.e. more sustainable) because we know that they perform within certain tolerances, and can therefore use less of them. If we used non-standardised materials we would need to have higher saftey margins in order to compensate for fluctuating qualities of individual materials.
That is not to suggest that only standardised material should be used in design, but that the strengths of each can be used in a balanced and complementary way.
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