The Revolution of 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 the modifications in design have become extremely rapid, it becomes highly convenient to transfer or share data and information between the team members of a project, at times sitting across the globe. It also offers great precision as compared to manual work The word 'Digital architecture' refers to the architecture that is generated with high end computer technology.

Such architecture is not only about designing of forms but also about 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 of some recent projects. 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.

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 uses the computer technology for deriving the conceptual form and refining it to the end into a precise creation of architecture. The use of computer begins with the generation of conceptual form and its analysis to impart appropriate developmental changes, testing the design alternatives against specific loading conditions and climatic effects and finally carrying out the process of construction with the appropriate application of programs in material calculation and in transferring the complex geometrical shapes to building elements on site.

The important part is the fact that digital models provide the