The Nexus Conference - Relationship between Architecture and Mathematics – gathered a number of researchers and academics from all over the world. Often, these people reunite regularly for the Venice Biennial or through the pages of the magazine. In the years, the main theme, involving various subjects, has managed to create a mutual scientific interest amongst a variety of different approaching methods throughout all of the levels of the project. Kim Williams stated, during the opening of 2008 San Diego conference, that the focus has shifted from a mostly history- oriented approach to a wider range of research subjects dealing with the appliance of mathematics to solve the project planning issues. Sometimes they don’t necessarily belong in the architectural world as such, in fact they might not relate to planning, urban requalification, industrial design or others. The evidence of mathematics in historical architectural forms or the appliance of geometry in representation continues to offer cues for new analysis and surveys; however the interest on “new” geometries and their effect on contemporary architecture have given way to new unpredicted perspectives, together with the practical appliance of new research methods in which mathematics and it are both involved. This new approach was confirmed two years later in Porto, where the spectrum of the contents amplified itself even more, showing the participants a newly structured image of the appliance of recent and non-recent mathematical theories and models. This appliance proved to be functional for all of the planning levels and subjects. Somehow, this diversification was able to underline the value of the initial assumption, which for a moment had seemed to be focusing on the past, confirming its relevance on any future out-take. The opening towards contemporary mathematical readings coincided with the growing interest of the younger generation such as graduate students, which confirmed the actuality of the mathematical contribution to the project. It was a reminder of how influential mathematics can be on the cultural education of young planners. There are, in particular, two newly graduated individuals, who chose to set their professional growth on a “university roaming” bases. They decided to study and travel across different countries outside the official exchanges channels and their experience suggested to place side by side the conference in Milan a day dedicated to youths, who represent the future of research and therefore the future of any academic community. The day organised for graduate students and the newly graduated ones is set to trigger the encounter between different worlds and ways of researching. The Nexus theme is meant to build a setting of ideas aimed to the future. The direct confrontation of methodological approaches, points of view and diverse scientific cultures is crucial for higher education and the growth of young researchers. It gains a special importance in a world where technology has written off the geographical distances and dissipated borders, but also in a world where the meeting of people is still vital to build direct relations in the spirit of potential new collaborations for the development of mutual interests. The international stages offered in doctor’s degrees programs are a fundamental qualifying element in the scientific education of young people, becoming a funding vehicle for the relations between research institutions with mutual interest. These stages are aimed to the specification of the research theme and therefore to its specialising development. This particular day, however, offers a confrontation based on a mutual connection, supporting diverse researches without being its own final goal but helping the projects by being a tool. New technologies have in fact highlighted the role of mathematics in all of the subjects for which Architecture might be only one of the scales. We believe in the incentive born from the discussion of different ideas, even when they come from works in progress, which is why we involved topics that might seem borderline compared to the more obvious and recognisable aspects of the relation between architecture and mathematics. Looking at things from a further distance can help catching the more general aspects of the altogether relations which are difficult to spot when one is too close to specific development of the research. This way, even the more distant contributions to the architectural issues can be helpful to highlight the support of mathematics to building of scientific processes in favour of new ideas The slightly patchy image of the many practical intakes that mathematics offers to the project in the formal arts deriving from architecture confirms the efficiency of abstracts concepts in the technical subjects in need of the appliance of pure science to the project, able to give concrete shape to theory.

Nexus Ph.D. Day. Relationschip between Architecture and Mathematics

ROSSI, MICHELA
2012-01-01

Abstract

The Nexus Conference - Relationship between Architecture and Mathematics – gathered a number of researchers and academics from all over the world. Often, these people reunite regularly for the Venice Biennial or through the pages of the magazine. In the years, the main theme, involving various subjects, has managed to create a mutual scientific interest amongst a variety of different approaching methods throughout all of the levels of the project. Kim Williams stated, during the opening of 2008 San Diego conference, that the focus has shifted from a mostly history- oriented approach to a wider range of research subjects dealing with the appliance of mathematics to solve the project planning issues. Sometimes they don’t necessarily belong in the architectural world as such, in fact they might not relate to planning, urban requalification, industrial design or others. The evidence of mathematics in historical architectural forms or the appliance of geometry in representation continues to offer cues for new analysis and surveys; however the interest on “new” geometries and their effect on contemporary architecture have given way to new unpredicted perspectives, together with the practical appliance of new research methods in which mathematics and it are both involved. This new approach was confirmed two years later in Porto, where the spectrum of the contents amplified itself even more, showing the participants a newly structured image of the appliance of recent and non-recent mathematical theories and models. This appliance proved to be functional for all of the planning levels and subjects. Somehow, this diversification was able to underline the value of the initial assumption, which for a moment had seemed to be focusing on the past, confirming its relevance on any future out-take. The opening towards contemporary mathematical readings coincided with the growing interest of the younger generation such as graduate students, which confirmed the actuality of the mathematical contribution to the project. It was a reminder of how influential mathematics can be on the cultural education of young planners. There are, in particular, two newly graduated individuals, who chose to set their professional growth on a “university roaming” bases. They decided to study and travel across different countries outside the official exchanges channels and their experience suggested to place side by side the conference in Milan a day dedicated to youths, who represent the future of research and therefore the future of any academic community. The day organised for graduate students and the newly graduated ones is set to trigger the encounter between different worlds and ways of researching. The Nexus theme is meant to build a setting of ideas aimed to the future. The direct confrontation of methodological approaches, points of view and diverse scientific cultures is crucial for higher education and the growth of young researchers. It gains a special importance in a world where technology has written off the geographical distances and dissipated borders, but also in a world where the meeting of people is still vital to build direct relations in the spirit of potential new collaborations for the development of mutual interests. The international stages offered in doctor’s degrees programs are a fundamental qualifying element in the scientific education of young people, becoming a funding vehicle for the relations between research institutions with mutual interest. These stages are aimed to the specification of the research theme and therefore to its specialising development. This particular day, however, offers a confrontation based on a mutual connection, supporting diverse researches without being its own final goal but helping the projects by being a tool. New technologies have in fact highlighted the role of mathematics in all of the subjects for which Architecture might be only one of the scales. We believe in the incentive born from the discussion of different ideas, even when they come from works in progress, which is why we involved topics that might seem borderline compared to the more obvious and recognisable aspects of the relation between architecture and mathematics. Looking at things from a further distance can help catching the more general aspects of the altogether relations which are difficult to spot when one is too close to specific development of the research. This way, even the more distant contributions to the architectural issues can be helpful to highlight the support of mathematics to building of scientific processes in favour of new ideas The slightly patchy image of the many practical intakes that mathematics offers to the project in the formal arts deriving from architecture confirms the efficiency of abstracts concepts in the technical subjects in need of the appliance of pure science to the project, able to give concrete shape to theory.
2012
McGraw-Hill Education
8386733330
design and mathematics; design theory and analysis; design grammars; Harmony and Architecture; parametric design; digital models; archeoastronomy
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11311/657544
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