Architectural Forms in the Computer Age - Essay Example

More evidently it has resulted in the translation of complex geometrical forms into architectural designs. This can be perceived by observing the innovative and complex forms that the later buildings predominantly adopt. As seen by Bart Lootsma (Zellner 1999), "instead of trying to validate conventional architectural thinking in a different realm, our strategy today should be to infiltrate architecture with other media and disciplines to produce a new crossbreed." Computational design processes is characterized by flexibility, speed, precision and the fact that it allows one to clearly visualize the forms and spaces with the help of animation and rendering.

Hence the use of computer technology in architecture is highly rewarding and leads to solutions for a number of issues. The common most positive outcome is that it has become increasingly easier to conceptualize complex geometrical forms and perform various calculations upon it to generate a design that can be practically executed. The technology also allows performing complex structural and environmental calculations with the output data giving precise information regarding the building's performance in various aspects.

Further, the modifications and improvements in design have become extremely rapid and it has become highly convenient to transfer or share data and information between the team members of a project, at times sitting across the globe. This technology also offers great precision as compared to manual work. The word 'Digital architecture' refers to the architecture that is generated with this kind of high end computer technology. Such architecture does not only deal with the designing of forms but also with the construction and fabrication of the building on site with the use of computers.

This essay explains and describes the computational architectural technology in the digital age through design process, design analysis and building construction process of some recent projects. The role of CAD-CAM It is only since the last few years that the Computer Aided Design (CAD) and Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM) have began influencing the field of architecture. Realizing of complex and geometrical shapes became possible with the inception of this technology. This has helped in realizing possibility to design and construct buildings which seemed to be difficult and expensive when designed in the traditional manner.

Note the below placed images of the Empire State building and the millennium tower in Tokyo, the former resembles the architecture of non-digital age as in 1930s. These forms predominantly rely upon repetitive geometry to achieve structural stability. The latter is a product of digitally generated form with the geometry that changes with its height. This is precisely controlled with computed calculations. The design of the digitally evolved form is more complex geometry and depends primarily upon its form for its structural stability rather than it's mass.

The present essay discusses the use of computer technology in some of the advanced buildings designed by Foster and Associates. The digital architecture