[ISEA2010] Paper: Georg Vrachliotis – Simply Scripting, Milling, Printing? On the Resistance of Materials and the Question of Precision in Digital Architecture and Fabrication

Abstract

Looking back to classical architectural theories the concept of materiality and construction was regarded as the sole and consistent topic in architecture. In the 19th century architect and theorist Gottfried Semper has complained that they could cut granite, such as cheese. He criticized that the technical progress would overcome the resistance of the material and that architecture runs the risk to lose control over the building process. What would Semper have said to current developments in digital architecture and fabrication?

  • Dr. Georg Vrachliotis (DE/CH) is Academic assistant at the Institute for the History and Theory of Architecture at the ETH Zürich, and guest lecturer in architectural theory at the Institute of Architectural Theory of Vienna University of Technology. He is the co-editor of Context Architecture. Fundamental Concepts between Art, Science and Technology.

Full text (PDF) p.  85-86