Margaret Kirk | California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo (original) (raw)
Papers by Margaret Kirk
Proceedings: Poetics+Pragmatism, 2017
Building, as a practice, occupies an interesting and complex paradigm in seeking to reconcile the... more Building, as a practice, occupies an interesting and complex paradigm in seeking to reconcile the poetics of design with the technicalities (pragmatics) of construction. What is sought-the collaboration of a team that is to envelop both through a design project-is itself a paradox. Although they are to work seamlessly on the same project, the partnership between architects, engineers and other disciplines that could add value to the design process are often separated from each other-thus partitioning system design which should evolve towards integration with the use of advanced fabrication techniques and access to technology. This paper shall explore the roles collaboration (in multiple forms) should take if the design process is to evolve in regards to integrative system design as it relates to technological architecture. The content of this paper examines the common ground, through process, in which design teams comprised of multiple disciplines partner and face the shared problem of designing a building to be symbiotic with the environment in challenging scale and network.
ASC International Proceedings of the Annual Conference, 2018
Rethinking how architecture evolves related to technology
Building, as a practice, occupies an interesting and complex paradigm in seeking to reconcile the... more Building, as a practice, occupies an interesting and complex paradigm in seeking to reconcile the poetics of design with the technicalities (pragmatics) of construction. What is sought-the collaboration of a team that is to envelop both through a design project-is itself a paradox. Although they are to work seamlessly on the same project, the partnership between architects, engineers and other disciplines that could add value to the design process are often separated from each other-thus partitioning system design which should evolve towards integration with the use of advanced fabrication techniques and access to technology. This paper shall explore the roles collaboration (in multiple forms) should take if the design process is to evolve in regards to integrative system design as it relates to technological architecture. The content of this paper examines the common ground, through process, in which design teams comprised of multiple disciplines partner and face the shared problem of designing a building to be symbiotic with the environment in challenging scale and network. This project-starting with the conception of architecture as an organism-seeks to abstract the design process in order to divorce discipline (in function as well as in task) from expected and assumed roles. Through this abstraction, the problem opens itself to a larger field, breaks down rank and thus, the network of collaboration is blurred. This, in turn, spawns a new level of creativity through innovation to take architecture out of its proverbial box-both literally and figuratively-via the auspice of connection-that of a broad and encompassing definition.
Manimal In UNStudio's ar cle Hybridization , we are introduced to the Manimal -the output of a ma... more Manimal In UNStudio's ar cle Hybridization , we are introduced to the Manimal -the output of a man, lion and snake as the result of so ware. The existence of a Manimal in and of itself as a technological deriva ve explores the role of computa onal technology in design. The Manimal is devoid of historical context-a product of the endless scape of the technosphere, the manifesta on of the collapse of me in its birth, an orphaned construct as a Frankenstein of Photoshop. This creature, a technological freak show (based upon our own historical proximi es and establishments), is defined as such in its ambiguous family tree or the means through which it has come into being. The arguments made through the Manimal in Hybridization ques ons the limita ons of architecture, collage, me and dimensionality. And although this argument was made almost two decades ago, it is very much akin to the role through which we must address building technology. Building Technology The Manimal is analogous to building technology and architectural language in regards to its central role of being within the larger dialog of technology and historicity. When confronted with the Manimal as this analogy, we are confronted with a rela onship of architecture and technology and thus, a ques on of history. Where the Manimal obliterated the collage (a disjointed but recognizable historicity through boundaries and edge condi ons) in its realism, technology does the same for the architectural language. Building as Text In ques oning architectural language as text, we ques on the historicity of architectural elements as architecture and as architecture against other disciplines which may inform it-hence, its authen city. This essen ally dislocates text-and thus architecture. It ques ons the being/authen city of architecture, much like the being/authen city of the Manimal and may do so in a nega ve way. With the accompanying descrip on, we know that the Manimal combines a lion, snake and human. In viewing the Manimal with that knowledge, we separate the parts from the whole and in doing so, we are breaking it down to the known (in order to accept/understand it). In seeking that acceptance, we are injec ng meaning into it. However, the parts may be construed as greater than the whole (in that we are able to understand the parts more than the whole and thus, greater value is put on the parts) and therefore, the whole becomes devalued (the Manimal is only a frac on of a lion, etc). Technology Where this interpreta on from the parts may be considered an innate form of interpreta on and thus understanding, there needs to be a disloca on from the text in order to understand the being on the whole. The being, created as a product of technological processes, should be reviewed on the whole in order to find its holis c value and thus, its meaning. There is no separa on of the parts to the whole and thus, the whole and the parts are one in the same. The Manimal cannot be separated into a lion, snake and human, nor can we extract the lion, snake or human from the Manimal . Technology has created something new-a manimal. The interpreta on of technology in this manner is consonant with the role of technology in architectural design-calling into ques on historicity, authorship and architectural form. In order to examine architecture on this level, we must look to disloca ng our understanding of the parts and look to this technological architecture as one whole. In Architecture Architecture and building technology ( technological architecture ) are increasingly ques oned for authorship, especially in regards to parametric and computa onal design. Through this process, design is o en perceived as
This research seeks to integrate piezoelectrics with structural logic, specifically the building ... more This research seeks to integrate piezoelectrics with structural logic, specifically the building skin, in creating effective architectural surfaces for renewable energy collection. It examines the role of a nouveau geometry symbiotic with technology and the strategy of form configuration through computational design.
This paper investigates the criticism of digital and computational design in architecture. It gi... more This paper investigates the criticism of digital and computational design in architecture. It gives the example of a project in development that looks to find form in the network
The cities will be part of the country; I shall live 30 miles from my office in one direction, un... more The cities will be part of the country; I shall live 30 miles from my office in one direction, under a pine tree; my secretary will live 30 miles away from it too, in the other direction, under another pine tree. We shall both have our own car. We shall use up tires, wear out road surfaces and gears, consume oil and gasoline. All of which will necessitate a great deal of work ... enough for all."
We cannot live only for ourselves. A thousand fibers connect us with our fellow men; and among th... more We cannot live only for ourselves. A thousand fibers connect us with our fellow men; and among those fibers, as sympathetic threads, our actions run as causes, and they come back to us as effects." Herman Melville.
Currently, we are exposed to this though various global conflicts. On one end, there citizens whi... more Currently, we are exposed to this though various global conflicts. On one end, there citizens while Israel has started an online campaign expressing the desire of ordinary people not to want conflict between the two nations.
Drafts by Margaret Kirk
Musings on the meaning of technological architecture
Proceedings: Poetics+Pragmatism, 2017
Building, as a practice, occupies an interesting and complex paradigm in seeking to reconcile the... more Building, as a practice, occupies an interesting and complex paradigm in seeking to reconcile the poetics of design with the technicalities (pragmatics) of construction. What is sought-the collaboration of a team that is to envelop both through a design project-is itself a paradox. Although they are to work seamlessly on the same project, the partnership between architects, engineers and other disciplines that could add value to the design process are often separated from each other-thus partitioning system design which should evolve towards integration with the use of advanced fabrication techniques and access to technology. This paper shall explore the roles collaboration (in multiple forms) should take if the design process is to evolve in regards to integrative system design as it relates to technological architecture. The content of this paper examines the common ground, through process, in which design teams comprised of multiple disciplines partner and face the shared problem of designing a building to be symbiotic with the environment in challenging scale and network.
ASC International Proceedings of the Annual Conference, 2018
Rethinking how architecture evolves related to technology
Building, as a practice, occupies an interesting and complex paradigm in seeking to reconcile the... more Building, as a practice, occupies an interesting and complex paradigm in seeking to reconcile the poetics of design with the technicalities (pragmatics) of construction. What is sought-the collaboration of a team that is to envelop both through a design project-is itself a paradox. Although they are to work seamlessly on the same project, the partnership between architects, engineers and other disciplines that could add value to the design process are often separated from each other-thus partitioning system design which should evolve towards integration with the use of advanced fabrication techniques and access to technology. This paper shall explore the roles collaboration (in multiple forms) should take if the design process is to evolve in regards to integrative system design as it relates to technological architecture. The content of this paper examines the common ground, through process, in which design teams comprised of multiple disciplines partner and face the shared problem of designing a building to be symbiotic with the environment in challenging scale and network. This project-starting with the conception of architecture as an organism-seeks to abstract the design process in order to divorce discipline (in function as well as in task) from expected and assumed roles. Through this abstraction, the problem opens itself to a larger field, breaks down rank and thus, the network of collaboration is blurred. This, in turn, spawns a new level of creativity through innovation to take architecture out of its proverbial box-both literally and figuratively-via the auspice of connection-that of a broad and encompassing definition.
Manimal In UNStudio's ar cle Hybridization , we are introduced to the Manimal -the output of a ma... more Manimal In UNStudio's ar cle Hybridization , we are introduced to the Manimal -the output of a man, lion and snake as the result of so ware. The existence of a Manimal in and of itself as a technological deriva ve explores the role of computa onal technology in design. The Manimal is devoid of historical context-a product of the endless scape of the technosphere, the manifesta on of the collapse of me in its birth, an orphaned construct as a Frankenstein of Photoshop. This creature, a technological freak show (based upon our own historical proximi es and establishments), is defined as such in its ambiguous family tree or the means through which it has come into being. The arguments made through the Manimal in Hybridization ques ons the limita ons of architecture, collage, me and dimensionality. And although this argument was made almost two decades ago, it is very much akin to the role through which we must address building technology. Building Technology The Manimal is analogous to building technology and architectural language in regards to its central role of being within the larger dialog of technology and historicity. When confronted with the Manimal as this analogy, we are confronted with a rela onship of architecture and technology and thus, a ques on of history. Where the Manimal obliterated the collage (a disjointed but recognizable historicity through boundaries and edge condi ons) in its realism, technology does the same for the architectural language. Building as Text In ques oning architectural language as text, we ques on the historicity of architectural elements as architecture and as architecture against other disciplines which may inform it-hence, its authen city. This essen ally dislocates text-and thus architecture. It ques ons the being/authen city of architecture, much like the being/authen city of the Manimal and may do so in a nega ve way. With the accompanying descrip on, we know that the Manimal combines a lion, snake and human. In viewing the Manimal with that knowledge, we separate the parts from the whole and in doing so, we are breaking it down to the known (in order to accept/understand it). In seeking that acceptance, we are injec ng meaning into it. However, the parts may be construed as greater than the whole (in that we are able to understand the parts more than the whole and thus, greater value is put on the parts) and therefore, the whole becomes devalued (the Manimal is only a frac on of a lion, etc). Technology Where this interpreta on from the parts may be considered an innate form of interpreta on and thus understanding, there needs to be a disloca on from the text in order to understand the being on the whole. The being, created as a product of technological processes, should be reviewed on the whole in order to find its holis c value and thus, its meaning. There is no separa on of the parts to the whole and thus, the whole and the parts are one in the same. The Manimal cannot be separated into a lion, snake and human, nor can we extract the lion, snake or human from the Manimal . Technology has created something new-a manimal. The interpreta on of technology in this manner is consonant with the role of technology in architectural design-calling into ques on historicity, authorship and architectural form. In order to examine architecture on this level, we must look to disloca ng our understanding of the parts and look to this technological architecture as one whole. In Architecture Architecture and building technology ( technological architecture ) are increasingly ques oned for authorship, especially in regards to parametric and computa onal design. Through this process, design is o en perceived as
This research seeks to integrate piezoelectrics with structural logic, specifically the building ... more This research seeks to integrate piezoelectrics with structural logic, specifically the building skin, in creating effective architectural surfaces for renewable energy collection. It examines the role of a nouveau geometry symbiotic with technology and the strategy of form configuration through computational design.
This paper investigates the criticism of digital and computational design in architecture. It gi... more This paper investigates the criticism of digital and computational design in architecture. It gives the example of a project in development that looks to find form in the network
The cities will be part of the country; I shall live 30 miles from my office in one direction, un... more The cities will be part of the country; I shall live 30 miles from my office in one direction, under a pine tree; my secretary will live 30 miles away from it too, in the other direction, under another pine tree. We shall both have our own car. We shall use up tires, wear out road surfaces and gears, consume oil and gasoline. All of which will necessitate a great deal of work ... enough for all."
We cannot live only for ourselves. A thousand fibers connect us with our fellow men; and among th... more We cannot live only for ourselves. A thousand fibers connect us with our fellow men; and among those fibers, as sympathetic threads, our actions run as causes, and they come back to us as effects." Herman Melville.
Currently, we are exposed to this though various global conflicts. On one end, there citizens whi... more Currently, we are exposed to this though various global conflicts. On one end, there citizens while Israel has started an online campaign expressing the desire of ordinary people not to want conflict between the two nations.
Musings on the meaning of technological architecture