"Algorithmic Sustainable Design: The Future of Architectural Theory"

A series of 12 Lectures, approximately 1 hour each.

 

ARCHIVED VIDEOS AND POWERPOINTS OF THE LECTURES

Click below to access either the streaming video, or the web slide presentation. The RealPlayer videos are made available by the UTSA Distance Learning Center. We will be posting the lectures in other video formats soon on other sites.

 

1. Recursion and the Fibonacci sequence. Universal scaling. Biophilia. RealPlayer VIDEO

     1. Recursion and the Fibonacci sequence. Universal scaling. Biophilia. SLIDES

2. Geometric Recursion and Fractals. The Sierpinski gasket. Perforation, bending, and folding. Anti-gravity anxiety. Architecture of the horizontal. RealPlayer VIDEO

     2. Geometric Recursion and Fractals. The Sierpinski gasket. Perforation, bending, and folding. Anti-gravity anxiety. Architecture of the horizontal. SLIDES

3. Universal distribution of sizes. Fractal design, ornament, and biophilia. Sustainable systems. RealPlayer VIDEO

     3. Universal distribution of sizes. Fractal design, ornament, and biophilia. Sustainable systems. SLIDES

4. Cellular automata. Sierpinski carpets and sea-shells. Design in hyperspace and connection to the sacred. RealPlayer VIDEO

     4. Cellular automata. Sierpinski carpets and sea-shells. Design in hyperspace and connection to the sacred. SLIDES

5. Harmony-seeking computations. Architectural harmony. Alexander's theory of centers. Design as computation. Computational reducibility. RealPlayer VIDEO

     5. Harmony-seeking computations. Architectural harmony. Alexander's theory of centers. Design as computation. Computational reducibility. SLIDES

6. Alexander's 15 Fundamental Properties. Three laws of architecture. RealPlayer VIDEO

     6. Alexander's 15 Fundamental Properties. Three laws of architecture. SLIDES

7. Biologically-inspired computation. Genetic algorithms. Computation versus memory retrieval. Evolutionary regression. RealPlayer VIDEO

     7. Biologically-inspired computation. Genetic algorithms. Computation versus memory retrieval. Evolutionary regression. SLIDES

8. Emergent systems. Examples from Artificial Life. Inhuman experiments. Architectural education. RealPlayer VIDEO

     8. Emergent systems. Examples from Artificial Life. Inhuman experiments. Architectural education. SLIDES

9. Symmetry production. Symmetry breaking. Classical moldings. Elementary particle symmetries. Binding energy. RealPlayer VIDEO

     9. Symmetry production. Symmetry breaking. Classical moldings. Elementary particle symmetries. Binding energy. SLIDES

10. Generative codes and their application to building and urban morphology. Secularization destroys public space. Spiritual architects. Legalizing codes. RealPlayer VIDEO

     10. Generative codes and their application to building and urban morphology. Secularization destroys public space. Spiritual architects. Legalizing codes. SLIDES

11. Duany-Plater-Zyberk (DPZ) codes. The New Urbanism. Stephen Mouzon's project. Tall buildings. RealPlayer VIDEO

    *Tall Buildings -- the last part of lecture 11 pertains to the Expo 2015 in Milan. This VIDEO is presented separately on the TEO website, encoded in various different formats.

     11. Duany-Plater-Zyberk (DPZ) codes. The New Urbanism. Stephen Mouzon's project. Tall buildings. SLIDES

12. Implementation of generative codes in design. Urban plazas. Designing for children. Favelas and social housing. RealPlayer VIDEO

     12. Implementation of generative codes in design. Urban plazas. Designing for children. Favelas and social housing. SLIDES

 

ARCHIVED VIDEOS OF THE LECTURES -- available free from the UTSA Distance Learning Center (same RealPlayer videos as above).


You will need Real Player installed on your computer to be able to view these videos.
After clicking on desired link, respond "Yes" if prompted by security window.

 

Instructor: Nikos A. Salingaros (HOME PAGE) is a professor of mathematics at the University of Texas at San Antonio, and is a practicing Urbanist and Architectural Theorist. He is also affiliated with the architecture faculties of the Universities of Delft, Holland, Rome III, Italy, and Queretaro, Mexico, and supervises thesis students from all around the world on architectural and urban topics. He is a member of the International Network for Building, Architecture & Urbanism (INTBAU) College of Traditional Practitioners, and is on the INTBAU Committee of Honor.

Description: Application of cutting-edge mathematical techniques to architectural design. Fractals and algorithmic processes. Cellular automata that generate the Sierpinski carpet. Harmony-seeking computations. Generative codes, and their difference from static New Urbanist codes.

Text: We will use the monograph "Harmony-seeking computations" by Christopher Alexander, to be published in a special issue of the International Journal of Unconventional Computing, Volume 4, 2008 (available online). We will also use extracts from Alexander's "The Nature of Order", Books 1, 2, and 3 and Stephen Wolfram's "A New Kind of Science".