The two weeks international workshop SYNTHETIC AESTHETICS was an introduction to this year’s ASAE2010 symposium and the topic of “Architecture and Beauty”. Sixty students were analyzing visual effects and identifying elements that are defining ”Beauty” in the eye of an observer. Beauty is an aesthetic appearance that evokes pleasant feelings, but it’s never something absolute and it is constantly changing throughout history and its epochs. It is dependent on various factors of cultural aspects, countries, ethics and languages and is successfully described in fashion, arts and architectural styles.
Looking into synthetic processes, generated in digital space, we were discussing and arguing the form in architecture. The workshop was focused on techniques that definitions of various morphologies and exploration of the notion of beauty in rendered images, line drawings and theory.
60 Students were studying natural and organic beauty as well as the difference between artificial and synthetic aesthetics. Artificial beauty relates to superficial imitation of natural bodies or processes, on the other side synthetic has same properties as its original and it is devised, arranged and fabricated for special situations of replacing usual realities.
There is a systematic approach where one can outline at least 10 effects for generating beauty. Some of those effects are voluptuous curvature and surface, modulation of detail and components across the surface, a scale shift of a large interior out of components, or a large scheme out of components and gradient color. Greg Lynn calls them qualitative effects which create inherent aesthetic that an audience understands.
The software tools such as MAYA, RHINO and ADOBE were introduced to the students and used to design a small-scale building typology, first starting with the case study. The case study was a quick design of a fragment or artifact, a small meteorite which has qualities from another world “Something fallen from the sky”.They explored the relation of synthetic and natural beauty.
Further on, the focus was on imaginary atmospheric effect of capturing outer space and translating it into an architectural spatial experience in form of GROUND BASED OBSERVATORY (looking at spacial qualities, building systems, structure, lighting, cladding, gravity and horizon).
The goal of the workshop was for students to develop (in groups of four), a set of architectural techniques within basic geometry and volume, silhouette and outline, continuity, components, figure ground relationship, effects and further to achieve certain software skills which give the students the ability to process their ideas through 3dimensional digital tools.
Workshop tutorials:
