The problem of why

Now that we are starting the final project for Smart Surfaces, Ive been doing a lot of thinking about the design processes we've been using, and what the best way is to settle on a proposal for the final project. This class has given me an opportunity to explore new design techniques and strategies. In normal studio settings, I am given a set of problems which I then find an architectural solution for. However, in this class things are sort of turned around. We are given constraints about what our solution must be (a heliotropic smart surface), but not given a specific problem. This has been directly reflected in many of the projects which I have worked on this semester, especially the Hoberman aperture which my team designed last week. In that instance we designed a mechanism which was well thought out, but still had no specific reason for existing. Julian Bleeker was present for our project review, and had some excellent insight on our method of working which he wrote about on his blog.

As the deadline for the final project proposal closes in, I think that the most important task at hand is for us to synthesize our design strategies. We cannot simply produce work. We need to design our own "why", and also settle on an implementation strategy. Both of these need to be in place for us to have a strong project.