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Class in the Spotlight
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Professors use organic models in architecture, electronic design
 Photo by Jeremiah Jossim Dihua Yang (left) and Ming Tang incorporate an interdisciplinary approach to their work in architecture and electronic design. By Monique Bos Published: Friday, April 20, 2007 The built environment may seem to have little in common with organic growth, but that’s not what Dihua Yang and Ming Tang, professors in the Savannah College of Art and Design’s School of Building Arts, think. In fact, they draw on scientific concepts from evolution to paleontology, as well as computer art applications, for their award-winning designs. Most recently, the duo received honorable mention in the 07 Skyscraper competition sponsored by eVolo Architecture. The competition, in which they placed among the top eight out of 295 entries, asked participants to design a building that would remain functional and aesthetically appealing for the next 70 years. Rather than trying to predict the lifestyles and needs of people in the future, Yang and Tang took a different approach: using evolutionary and genetic theory to create an organic, adaptable building plan. “Cities change because of changes in society, culture, economics and even politics, so we went to evolution, especially Charles Darwin’s theory that all species constantly develop new forms in response to the environment,” explained Tang, who is head of the electronic design minor at SCAD. “It’s like morphing or progressive adaptation.” They started with the idea of two parents, whose children can inherit a range of features and characteristics. “The [project] started with a similar idea — how to blend building forms to produce a large number of offspring based on genotypes,” said Tang. “With computers, we actually simulated the process; the computer generated hundreds of solutions for us. We can pick the right one and make a second generation and a third generation, using this system.” The design allows for multiple changes and possibilities, depending on user needs and alterations in the urban landscape. “The building actually grows along with the city, so we’re not trying to design a specific form,” said Yang, who teaches both architecture and electronic design courses at SCAD. “It’s a prototype that can evolve … It can respond to the city and work together with a society’s needs. If some aspect isn’t working, it’s going to become extinct.” They developed a sculpture design based on similar concepts for the Miami Monument Design competition in 2004 and won second place. “The challenge was to create a sculpture for the riverside in Miami,” said Tang. “We used a similar theory … We used math equations to generate the 3-D form of a flower, to show the flower in the act of blooming, so a sequence in animation could be captured in a static structure.” Both professors received degrees from Tsinghua University in Beijing, China, and they said the curriculum there is based on engineering and scientific principles. They both are committed to an interdisciplinary approach to architecture; Yang is writing a book that incorporates ideas from paleontology into urban design. She is looking at street patterns at two sites each in two cities — Savannah and Beijing — to trace the development of buildings and other structures. “Paleontologists basically research the skeletons of animals; after such a long time, all the soft tissue is no longer there. Paleontologists look at the structure of the animal or plant and try to interpret it from just the skeleton,” she explained. “That’s one foundation of my research. In cities, buildings change, but street patterns almost never do. This is something closely related to paleontology, and the way paleontologists perform research could be helpful for us in the way we look at the city.” So she’s approaching streets: as skeletons that can provide information about previous incarnations of their cities. “Fossils are buried in layers of earth, so paleontologists read the evolution of the area through the layers,” Yang said. “Cities are the same; buildings are constantly torn down and built up later. For example, after the Chicago fire, the whole city had to be rebuilt. So a city is not a flat image, and if we’re very careful we can trace the layers.” She plans to travel to Beijing this summer to continue site research. She said the process of writing the book and developing a new approach to architecture already has affected how she teaches her classes. For his part, Tang draws on an interest in computer art and virtual reality, subjects he began researching as a graduate student at Michigan State University. “My research is really connected with digital technology,” he said. “I’m looking at how to use game imagery to develop architecture visualizations. I’m also quite interested in visual effects and how to use programs to write scripts that generate 3-D forms.” “I’m also interested in computer art from previous experiences,” said Yang, who earned a Master of Architecture degree from the University of Maryland. “I want my students to think about how to use computer technology to realize their designs. The architecture discipline is very interesting; it’s not just engineering, not just art, but a combination of both … The interdisciplinary approach is very helpful, very important for the future.” SCAD has provided both professors with plenty of opportunities to pursue multiple ways in which other disciplines interact with architecture. “Last year, we did an interdisciplinary charrette with the fashion, furniture design, graphic design, interior design and architecture departments,” Yang said. The assignment was for students to use their various disciplines to develop, design and decorate concepts for a restaurant. “I’ve never participated in such an interdisciplinary charrette before,” said Yang. “It was really inspiring.” “At SCAD, visual effects, animation, art history — all these areas work together to contribute to design philosophies,” said Tang. “I think that’s something unique.”  |
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