“Diffusive Architectures”

Living Architecture Systems

The theories of Ilya Prigogine, the great 20th century physicist, proposed a set of paradigms that seem to dramatically contrast with core assumptions that have guided western architecture. Seemingly opposing the stable world of Vitruvian architecture,  Prigogine proposed diffusion and dissipation as key terms for understanding how materials could interact in a dynamic, constantly evolving and self-organizing world. Framed within a general exploration of interactive architecture, this workshop will follow readings and design explorations related to the dynamic form-languages implied by these new conceptions.  ’Quasiperiodic’ geometries organizing complex systems, active chemical metabolisms and networks of sensing and memory will be imagined and described, seeking  hybrid topologies composed of multiple interconnected and interdependent systems. Material from the Living Architecture Systems Group of Waterloo Architecture, Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Knowledge Integration will be included.

Through a combination of demonstration, sketching, and writing, the workshop will explore the potential qualities of complex spatial organizations and interconnected systems, seeking renewed paradigms for design.

photo credit: PBAI