VARIABLE FORM GENERATION 125 Variable Form Generation MAIA SMALL ANDREW THURLOW Roger Williams University Introduction housing, teaching modules, construction trailers and franchise design. This lineage Over the last three centuries, as developing stems from not only the travel trailer industry, industrial techniques and architecture schools but early examples of packaged houses as propagated new design and construction well, such as the Buckminster Fullers models, architects saw opportunities to Dymaxion House and the Lustron House. employ social agendas through large-scale Another PP example would be the Sears production. In education, burgeoning Roebuck, and Company Catalog-bought modernists opined that beauty could be Modern home kits that presented the classified and rigorously taught to students as purchaser with factory cut and organized a matrix of components that would sponsor an materials for assembly on site. Early examples ideal, universal result. Likewise in the of urban models are corporate or profession, standardization created the institutionally controlled urbanism, such as paradigm of the prototype, a singularly factory towns or worker camps. While not designed component that could be mass- factory built, many developer designed produced and transported easily and sold in communities, such as Levittown, New York bulk quantities. Since one design could have continuing into today's MacMansion suburbs, such a large effect, architects hoped to bring could be classified as parallel production good design through production to the masses systems because their production efficiency and instead often failed with notorious stems from a highly similar repetition of consequences: a dogmatic simplification of materials and output on site. These models social roles, monotonous repetition that have generally been highly successful denied individuality and the reinforcement of economically because of their low cost and economic division. This trap has been caused mass scale, however, they have generated by one primary equation: the inverse industries of design that have mostly relationship between repetition and cost. More eliminated the position of architects and any recent models have sought to soften that pretense of social intention. In some cases, requirement to allow for increased variety and they have caused dangerous consequences in individuation to avoid a perception of cultural an American cultural environment that homogeneity, and to restructure the equation. promotes personality and independence; Below is a list of historical models in this area through the promotion of a generic blandness, of study: inhabitants have complained of a lost sense of individuality and an increased feeling of Parallel Production (PP) + Highly cultural detachment. Repetitive Kit of Parts (KOP) + More Similar, Less Parallel production models maximize design Unique sameness to maximize mechanical production cost and efficiency. These highly repetitious Kit of Parts systems describe a way to systems in architecture are found primarily in organize the design or construction of a factory built structures: manufactured building through pre-made building assemblies that can be organized or 126 GElTING REAL: DESIGN ETHOS NOW reassembled easily within the system. Prior to by combining them in different ways. I new forms of industrial manufacturing, KOP once suggested that nature herself is the systems are actually one of the oldest forms best standards committee, but in nature, of ideological pre-Modernism. For example, in standardization is practiced almost the 18th century, 3. N. L. Durand cataloged exclusively in the smallest possible units, canonical design elements and imagined how the cells. This results in millions of they could be refigured through different different combinations that never become programs or building types. This intention to schema ti^.^ codify geometry and proportion offered a detachment from the unique to the systematic CC systems allow for reasonable efficiency and propelled typology and universality in within predictable geometries, but are design. An urban example could be John inflexible and resistant to formal and material Nash's design for Regent Street in London in experimentation. (Aalto also complained about the early 1800s where the repetitive facade the limitations of standardized bricks in the elements modulated in terms of the urban U.S. when he tried to do rounded forms.) fabric. In manufacturing, the Kit of Parts While seemly infinite variation should occur, systems developed primarily after World War because of the economic and social pressures, I1 and the excesses of industrial steel and design tends to be limited to predictable large scale manufacturing technology for ship conventions: straight walls, ninety degree and weaponry construction. The Case Study angles, four foot dimensions, predictable wall housing program in California, specifically the thicknesses, etc. Because the degree of Eames House, was perhaps the most well factory production is limited and much of the known example, where the catalog purchased work is on site, the quality of construction is components could not only be assembled and dependent on labor skill. Anything that distributed during construction, but could deviates from a conventional system transfers ideally be reorganized or adjusted or replaced from the highly economically efficient category easily by the owner at a later date. While of "standard" to the unaffordable "custom," there is more variety possible through this typically only available left to high-end system, it is limited often to color, residential or museum construction. Also, composition and material type. The pieces are because variety is linked to cost, the division predetermined, and design comes through of interests (stereotypically: contractors = arrangement.' cost, architects = quality) leads not to partnership, but to conflict and, under the Cellular Construction (CC) + Similar pressures of time and cost, quality generally Material, Similar Form falls to ease. The most common type of American Unique Form Generation (UFG) 3 Unique construction, cellular systems essentially form, Similar Material balance between small unit repetition and custom, unique building. Based on models by UFG models include design systems that allow such engineers as Albert Farwell Bemis, for the mass production of entirely non- efficiency in this way of building relies upon repetitive form. These are found exclusively in standardized units and dimensions, for emerging technology and processes, such as example: the 4'x8' plywood panel, the 32" x large-scale 3D printing machinery that can 6'8" door, 5/8" gypsum wall board thickness, "print" a building out of concrete much like etc.' Alvar Aalto described its opportunities: their Rapid Prototyping powder-based 3D printing counterparts on the very small scale. One further phenomenon in architecture The advantages of these systems are that should be called to mind in this context, form individuation and customization could be the oldest and at the same tie the more highly complex and geometrically unique on a recent technique: standardization. very large scale, however, so far, they are Standardization is usually seen as a relatively untested and material options are method that makes everything uniform very limited. and schematic. It is clear that this is not so. Properly standardized building elements and raw materials are such that one can achieve a wide variety of results VARIABLE FORM GENERATION 127 Variable Form Generation (VFG) + More Another example of this era of repetitive and Unique, Less Similar variable models was the Hector Guimard's designs of Metro stations in Paris. The Because UFG are so limited in developing stations, a small-scale deployed urban technology and material output, their formal system, used standardized iron components in opportunities do not offset their required combination with custom and modulated sameness. Thus, we believe the current pieces to create a recognizable system of optimum option is the Variable Form entries that also responded directly to the Generation model. VFG systems allow for conditions of each site and neighborhood. mass custornization of form embedded within Their ornamental enthusiasm cloaked their the built material. Unlike the three types listed industrial processes and proved that the Art above, these systems do not constrain Nouveau did not rely on the Arts and Crafts repetition to cost. Some indulgent historical model of contextual, labor intensive, manual highlights: production. The formal, sinuous qualities both gave an aesthetic brand to the city and let The design for the idealized Industrial Cit6 by each entry have its own character and Tony Garnier in the early 20th century subtlety.' intended to employ the variable reinforced concrete systems of August Perr~.~ At the large scale, the 1930s development of Reinforced concrete could be employed in the Tennessee Valley Authority created a precast and cast in place manners and with system of landscape and infrastructure with high amounts of variability to accommodate the same methods and techniques, but with changes in housing or commercial density. highly contextual output. The systems here Reinforced concrete offered a way to create were not manufacturing, but a trained mass construction, quickly efficiently, using workforce, methods of material delivery and local materials and at the same time engender engineering models. The result was a multi- various