Computational Structures for Design Democratization
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Design-for-Empowerment-for-Design: Computational Structures for Design Democratization by Theodora Vardouli Diploma in Architectural Engineering National Technical University of Athens, Greece, 2008 Post-Graduate Diploma in Architectural Design - Space - Culture National Technical University of Athens, Greece, 2010 SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF SCIENCE IN ARCHITECTURE STUDIES AT THE MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY JUNE 2012 © Theodora Vardouli. All rights reserved. The author hereby grants to MIT permission to reproduce and to distribute publicly paper and electronic copies of this thesis document in whole or in part in any medium now known or hereafter created. Signature of Author: Theodora Vardouli Department of Architecture May 22, 2012 Certified by: George Stiny Professor of Design and Computation Thesis Advisor Accepted by: Takehiko Nagakura Associate Professor of Design and Computation Chair of the Department Committee on Graduate Students Terry Knight Professor of Design and Computation Thesis Reader Arindam Dutta Associate Professor of the History of Architecture Thesis Reader Design-for-Empowerment-for-Design: Computational Structures for Design Democratization by Theodora Vardouli Submitted to the Department of Architecture on May 22, 2012 in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Architecture Studies ABSTRACT The vision to engage non-architects in the design of their habitat through the mediation of computer aids, dates back to the early computational era (1960s-1970s) and is currently being recast under cyber-cultural and technological influences. The computational tools enabling this architectural do-it-yourself-ism have been traditionally conceptualized as mediating “infrastructures:” neutral and non-defining control systems, which ensure the validity of the designs produced by the non- expert users without distorting their personal hypotheses. Through a critical comparative analysis of two basal computational systems for design “democratization,” as discussed in Yona Friedman’s and Nicholas Negroponte’s early 1970s writings, this thesis illustrates that the “infrastructure” metaphor was engendered and still resides in a positivist paradigm of design, allowing for little freedom or intuition on behalf of the user. Rather than denouncing the internal contradictions of the “structure for freedom” model, this thesis inquires into the computational structures of Friedman’s and Negroponte’s proto-computational proposals in order to identify and critique the assumptions which underpin their optimism about the non-paternalistic character of their control systems. By exposing the discursive role of the internal workings of the two systems in their authors’ arguments, along with their cultural and historical biases, this research aims to problematize inherited approaches to computational tools for user empowerment in design which persist until the present, and to hint to new programmatic agendas. Thesis Advisor: George Stiny Title: Professor of Design and Computation 3 Acknowledgements George Stiny for the unique intellectual stimulation, ideas and provocations throughout this research. I feel deeply indebted to him for his confidence in my work and for his active involvement in my explorations. His new ways to look at things have decisively shaped my approach to Design and Computation and inspired future trajectories of research. Terry Knight for her insightful guidance, close collaboration and valuable advice, which have been key in forming the foundations of my inquiry into Design and Computation. Her comprehensive feedback has been a constant motivation for improvement in this thesis and throughout my studies in SMArchS. Arindam Dutta, for his astute critique and for providing me with an armature of tools and methods to pursue this research. His questions and arguments have been key in problematizing the “humanizing” and “democratizing” claims of technology. Patrick Winston, for his invaluable academic and personal support, which defined my experience at MIT. The breadth and depth of his visions and questions regarding the infinitely interpretable idea of “intelligence,” has been a continuous source of inspiration for inquiry into cognition, perception and computation. I am grateful for his trust in selecting me as his teaching assistant and for making my interview with Yona Friedman possible. Leah Buechley for immersing me into the questions of user empowerment in design since my first days at MIT and for guiding my investigations in the “open source everything” trends. She has been a valuable collaborator, co-author and co-traveler throughout my graduate studies. I am thankful to her for preparing the ground for my encounter with Nicholas Negroponte. Yona Friedman for accepting me in his home in Paris and gratuitously sharing with me stories, anecdotes and contemplations on his life’s work. His visionary books and projects have formed the landscape of my research since my studies in Athens, allowing me to dream of Architectures of another world. Nicholas Negroponte for twice fitting me in his busy schedule and for transferring me back to his early explorations with the Architecture Machine Group. His input was crucial in weaving a network of people and ideas who played a leading role in shifting of the computational metaphor toward visions of humanism and creativity. 5 Guy Weinzapfel for offering me details and trivia about his collaboration with Nicholas Negroponte and Yona Friedman at the Architecture-by-Yourself project at MIT. His comprehensive descriptions were valuable historical material for this research allowing for new connections and associations between its protagonists. The Fulbright Foundation in Greece, the Alexander S. Onassis Public Benefit Foundation, the Leventis Foundation and the MIT Department of Architecture, for financially supporting my studies at MIT. Everyone in the Design and Computation Group, in the SMArchS and PhD Program, for creating the rich intellectual climate which fostered this research. My dear friends and colleagues from the 2012 Class of the Design and Computation Group, for the wonderful discussions and exchanges which made every day of these past two years count. Thank you Carolina, Katia, Sarah, Carl, Will, Moritz, Josh, Alan and Masoud, for your continuous support during these two years. All the members of the 2012 Read DCG for the generous sharing of their thoughts and ideas which helped shape new pathways in this thesis. Special thanks to Daniel, Onur, Asli and Moa for their friendship and insight on my research. My sister Rodanthi for always impressing me with her sharp comments. This thesis would not have been the same without our endless conversations. My parents, Dimitris and Fani, for their love and support and for making everything that I do now possible. This thesis is dedicated to my family. 6 Empowerment Computational Structures Democratization Table of Contents pp. 11...... 1. Introduction pp. 13....... 1.1. Hypothesis pp. 15....... 1.2. Method pp. 17....... 1.3. Steps pp. 18....... 1.4. Intended contributions 2. Problem Statement: Cyber-cultural trends and design pp. 19..... democratization pp. 21....... Foreword for Chapter 2 pp. 21....... 2.1. Some observations on Open Source culture pp. 22....... 2.2. Influences and metaphors: Open Source (in) Architecture pp. 27....... 2.3. Implementations: Tools for the user-as-designer pp. 31....... Afterword for Chapter 2 3. Method: The “digital liminal” or, creating one’s pp. 33...... precursors pp. 35....... 3.1. Why Yona Friedman? Why Nicholas Negroponte? pp. 36....... 3.2. Why Yona Friedman and Nicholas Negroponte? pp. 37....... 3.3. Why just Yona Friedman and Nicholas Negroponte? 4. History: Two paths to computational tools for pp. 39..... Architecture-by-Yourself pp. 41....... Foreword for Chapter 4 pp. 41....... 4.1. Yona Friedman: Architecture, the “People” and (computational) Systems pp. 46....... 4.2 Yona Friedman and Nicholas Negroponte: From the airport incident to the Architecture-by-Yourself project pp. 47....... 4.3 Nicholas Negroponte: Computers, the “People” and Architecture pp. 53....... Afterword for Chapter 4 5. Description: Intentions and implementations in Toward a Scientific Architecture and Computer Aids to Participatory Architecture/ Computer-Aided pp. 55...... Participatory Design pp. 57....... Foreword for Chapter 5 pp. 57....... 5.1. Diagramming Toward a Scientific Architecture pp. 66....... 5.2. Diagramming Computer Aids to Participatory Architecture/ Computer-Aided Participatory Design pp. 71....... Afterword for Chapter 5 9 6. Analysis: The role of the Infrastructure, the Interface, pp. 73...... the Graph in the debates of “non-paternalism” pp. 75....... Foreword for Chapter 6 pp. 75....... 6.1 Yona Friedman: The graph as a tool for objectivity and science pp. 81....... 6.2 Nicholas Negroponte: The graph as a tool for subjectivity and conversation pp. 87....... 6.3 Computational allegories of control pp. 90....... Afterword for Chapter 6 7. Reflections: Recasting design-for-empowerment-for- pp. 91...... design pp. 93....... Foreword for Chapter 7 pp. 93....... 7.1 Reflections on “take-aways” pp. 94....... 7.2 Reflections on the current state of the participatory enterprise: Persistent computational metaphors pp. 97....... 7.3 Reflections on new agendas: Toward another computational analogy pp. 101.... 8. Contributions and concluding remarks pp. 103....