IT in Architectural Competition - Article Example

Download file to see previous pages IT can be used only as a tool and nothing more in the context of architectural competitions. One is not suggesting that sophisticated computers and software programmes can replace the invaluable experience, intuition, and feel of experienced professionals. Professional experience when combined with the amazing computing power and versatile graphic imagery that IT enables, can bring the process of evaluation to a higher level.
Qualitative aspects of the architectural parameters pose tough challenges and to the best of my knowledge, there are no programmes that can fully replace human judgment. Competition works are evaluated from aesthetic and functional angles, such as spatial composition, cityscape values, and sensation. Judges are using words like spatial cognition, texture vividness, light, shadow, sensation, habitability, and pleasantness. The element of personal feelings as an aspect of the quality of a work is evident from these descriptions. IT enables enhancement of a judge’s feel for a work and hence it is reasonable to propose that IT be used as a tool for the judicial process and as a return medium for a competition. Objectivity aspects of presentations are important and discussed separately.
On the other hand, quantitative aspects, by definition, are quantifiable and IT can be a good tool here too. Buildings can be evaluated in terms of codes, energy performance, sustainability etc. Once mandatory codes have been met, evaluating for sustainability essentially looks at a building holistically in terms of energy and resource use. These aspects are quantifiable easily and objectivity of judgment is retained while evaluating them.
A judgment is supposed to be based on the information made available. However, it has been the experience for a very long time that the information provided to facilitate judgment lacks objectivity and this has resulted in restrictions being imposed on some kind of information. ...Download file to see next pagesRead More