GEOMETRY AND COMPLEXITY IN ARCHITECTURE

Abstract

As Constantin Brancuși (1876-1956) said „Simplicity is complexity itself“, simplicity and regularity through the use of basic geometric forms has always played a central role in architectural design, during the 20th century. A diachronic perspective, shows as the use of geometry and mathematics to describe built form provided a common basis for communication between the processes of design, fabrication and stability. Classic ways of representing geometry, based on descriptive methods, favor precise language of bidimensionality easy to represent in a rectangular coordinate system. In recent years, the importance of geometry has been re-emphasized by significant advances in the digital age, where computers are increasingly used in design, fabrication and construction to explore the art of the possible. Contemporary architecture transcend the limitations of Euclidean geometry and create new forms that are emerging through the convergence of complex systems, computational design and robotic fabrication devices, but which can also achieve higher levels of performance. Freeform architectural shapes and structures play an increasingly important role in 21st century architectural design. Through a series of examples, the paper relates to contemporary architectural explorations of complex, curvilinear surfaces in the digital age and discusses how it has required rethinking the mode in which we traditionally operate as architects. The analysis creates the possibility of comparisons between original and current design.

Keywords

• Geometry; Free-form; Architecture; Design process.