Week 01: Endless Architecture

“Endless Architecture” (Sadler, 2005). What if all architecture was modular and interconnectable.  The architecture used would have “Infinite extension” capabilities like Mies van der Rohe’s “infinite grids” as stated by Sadler (2005). The modular orthogonal shape or squares efficiently connects together forming architectural extension whilst considering the space outside.  This could be applied into a context of a large scale for instance an entire city, or section of a city, or suburban area, or in a regional setting, or a single module, or even to the finite detail of the module it’s self.

Image 1: Infinite Grids

Futuristic visions of robot and machine driven controlled assembly production lines.  Producing mass produced architectural entities.  These entities are all interchangeable, connectable and moveable.  The Cities, suburban regions and regional areas all have buildings, architecture that are easily replaced, connected, interchangeable, expansive and moveable.  The ability to readily expand and add on and interchange existing architectural entities give a sense of endlessness.  It see’s the city expand and rise up into the sky’s they dominate the surrounding scenery with capabilities of relocating.  Humans living in these architectural entities have greater connectivity, community wise, living, working, entertainment. The modular architecture also houses infrastructure, transportation nodes in the form of super fast vertical, horizontal elevators/transporters.  Spaces or left out entity nodes allow for outdoor areas, vertical farming spaces.  Strategically placed voids control natural light to penetrate from the cities stratosphere to the foundations and entities submerged in the ground.

This raises the question how are the entities and the function/operation planned and organized within the entire entity.  Maybe you decide who you neighbors will be? Controlled socio-grouping selection.

Is the decision controlled by human governance?

Maybe it is a decision determined by Robots or artificial intelligence.

Through years of war etc. brought on by human desire to consume, greed and individuality/deference that results in detrimental conflict to all civilization.  United Nations and world leaders agreed that a system would be put in place that would make decisions for humans. Based on what would be the most beneficial for the majority.  Resources, trade, food production, and economies governed by a single entity.

The role of the architect could be planning and arranging the connective entities from the behind the scenes, the architect disappears. Not literally but from the public eye. Machine implement changes.  

                                     

                                                       Image 2: Infinite Module Reproduction

References: 

Sadler, S., 2005. Beyond Architecture. In Archigram: Architecture Without Architecture, Cambridge, Mass: MIT Press. pp90-138. Accessed via QUT blackboard website.