The Human Limit of the Human Being
Thursday
2nd May 2024 | 13:00 – 14:30 CET
Aula 201 Lingotto | Streaming on YouTube
INTRODUCTION
With the advent of the modern sciences and the perception of natural phenomena in terms of indeterminacies, the discipline of architecture has marked a shift from an idealistic expression of the world to the unleashing of performative systems that reflect its instabilities. This perennial interest in transforming the fixity of the architectural model into a system of potentialities has generated many theoretical assumptions that often referred to the cybernetic nature of living organisms. In a recent conference, French philosophers and theorists Michel Serres, Henri Atlan and Roland Omnes assert the living organism acts similarly to an open system that can only be assessed rather than defined because of its recombinant qualities.
This consideration of the living organism as an information system provides a breeding ground, almost literally, for experimental architects who do not hesitate to position the informed architectural object on the same ground. Here, the term “informed” suggests that architecture is more than ever sensitive to its internal and external milieus. This condition prevails in the mutation of the architectural object into a techno-engineered organism. An organism that is profoundly influenced by human limits. The lecture will address the theoretical and technological consequences of such limits across a series of on-going research at the MTRL Lab, Technion.
BIO
Aaron Sprecher is an associate professor at the Technion Faculty of Architecture, where he founded the Material Topology Research Laboratory (www.mtrl.tech). His research and design work focus on the synergy between media theories and computational design examining the way in which technology generates transdisciplinary approaches to design processes. Aaron Sprecher is co-editor of Architecture in Formation (2013, Routledge) and Instabilities and Potentialities (2019, Routledge).
Contacts
Aaron Sprecher’s talk is about into how architecture and technology shape our lives. He starts by talking about how modern science has changed how we see the world and how architecture reflects this change. Sprecher talks about how living things are like open systems that can’t be easily defined. He also mentions the importance of information and communication, using quotes like “The human use of human beings” by Wiener, to show how technology is a big part of our lives. He explains that technology is just a lot of information and discusses how architecture can do more than just copy things from nature. Sprecher gives examples, like Tammar Nix’s project, to show how modern tools can help us do old things in new ways. Nix managed to crochet a surface. With intense analysis and teaching it the movement of human mimes, it was able to perform the work and it shows that of the capacity of technology. It is an ancient technique, crochet, but we are able to perform it with modern tools, like robotic arms. It was really fascinating the outcome of the projects he shared with us.
The lecturer started his speech by exploring various philosophical perspectives regarding the limitations of human potential. He then delved into the evolving constraints faced by humanity and our ongoing efforts to understand and harness nature for innovation. Introducing the concept of object informatization, he shared three compelling examples from his team’s projects. Among these, I found their endeavor to blend tangible and intangible history particularly captivating. The lecturer provided a detailed overview of their process in digitally reconstructing a dilapidated house in Israel, employing a diverse array of resources, both formal and informal. With the aid of HBIM tools, they successfully recreated this intricate architecture, incorporating multiple layers. Notably, the presenter highlighted their innovative use of natural and ancient materials in the first and last projects. They demonstrated how soil or traditional textile techniques like crochet can be repurposed in contemporary settings with the assistance of modern technology. In my opinion, this lecture significantly expanded horizons by showcasing how evolving technologies facilitate the transcendence of human limitations.
The lecture unfolded a new and creative direction for application of design knowledge. In the lecture there was a perspective about how the skillsets of architects can also be used in future in domains like scientific research, maybe developing the structure and design of molecules. There were projects discussed upon the topics intensity, extensivity, and potentiality. A project which inspired me a lot was how human intelligence and sensing was used to develop a robotic machine which could mimic the human gestures of doing crochet. This machine design was patented and an installation was created by it by using robotic weaving technique. When asked upon the future of robotic weaving by the speaker, he threw some light about the sustainability aspect of the material and technique as it was made by crochet threads. Overall, the session broadened the horizon and showcased a new perspective questioning the limits of architecture.
Aaron Sprecher’s lecture appears to delve into the fascinating intersection of architecture, technology, and biology, exploring how buildings and environments can be conceived as “informed” or responsive systems that mimic or integrate biological characteristics. His use of the term “informed architecture” suggests a shift from traditional static structures to dynamic, adaptive, and potentially interactive architectural forms that respond to both their environments and their inhabitants. By viewing a building as a techno-engineered organism, there’s an implication of seamless integration between the structure and technological innovations, such as AI, sensors, and other smart technologies. These integrations make the building more than just a shelter or space but a dynamic entity capable of growth and adaptation.
The lecture likely explores how human physiological and psychological limits can guide and inform architectural design. This could involve considering how spaces affect human health, mood, and productivity, and how architecture can be optimized to enhance human well-being. Sprecher’s lecture likely challenges conventional notions of architecture and proposes a new paradigm where buildings are not static constructs but living systems capable of interacting with their users and environments in complex and meaningful ways. This could have significant implications for future architectural practices and urban development strategies.
The lecture delved into the intersection of technology and architecture, particularly focusing on how information technology has influenced our understanding of the built environment. The discussion extended to the blurring boundaries between living and non-living organisms due to advancements in information science, leading to a reevaluation of our perception of reality. The lecturer highlighted how technology has accelerated evolutionary processes, particularly in fields like genomics, biochemistry, and computational biology. They also discussed the concept of extensity, intensity, and potentiality, suggesting that architecture is no longer confined to traditional boundaries but is increasingly influenced by a wide range of interdisciplinary knowledge.The lecture emphasized the transformative impact of technology on architecture, shaping it into a dynamic and responsive entity that interacts with its environment on multiple scales. The discussion was rich in examples and insights, showcasing ongoing research and projects that exemplify the evolving nature of architectural practice in the digital age.
one of the project that inspired me a lot was the one that explores the integration of historical and contemporary architectural knowledge through a multidimensional approach, aims to create a mixed reality model, blending virtual and augmented reality, to preserve and present architectural heritage while addressing conflicting narratives and historical strata. By leveraging Lidar, photogrammetry, and AI.
Based on some philosophical theories, Aaron Sprecher evaluated what the role of information and technologies is into controlling lives. Technologies have intensified time and raised the limits of the human comprehension creating a continuum between the conscious and non conscious being. This raise of limits is reflected also by architecture which is destined to respond in the same way.
Projects like Tamar Nix’s Robotic Crochet explores the potentialty of technology by mimicking human hand’s movement which is able to reproduce an ability which only humans were able to and to expand its results to bigger projects. Meanwhile Eytann Mann’s project deals with the built heritage preservation in the age of mixed reality and is trying not only to connect information but also to see how it networks. By doing an assemblage rather than a reconstruction it is possible to have more connections in order to gain a higher perception of reality.
The lecturer’s main point of view, as I understood, was how to embed information to the depth of objects and define the architectural materials not in terms of their appearance or function, but as an organization of informative parameters capable of forming objects. That is a radical view and very different from the traditional way of looking at materials. The two interesting parts of the lecture for me were the discussion about Intensity and Extensity.
Intensity as considering the ancient methods to harvest the desert by creating microclimates. The lecturer’s colleagues are investigating ways to create tree shelters that are capable of generating climatic conditions for the growth of seedlings. The containers are made out of local materials that are distributed into highly engineered forms. The shelter stems from the ground and provides not only protection to the seedling but also nurtures it. The envelope, its materiality, thickness, porosity, and height are calculated to provide optimal light exposure, humidity level, and airflow for the seedlings of the trees.
Extensity as the preservation project in the neighborhood of Vaadi Salim, in the north of Haifa. in the heart of the city, there is a facade of the building being held by the scaffolding, hiding the empty interior of the house. Architectural preservation attempts to stabilize the structure and its history, but such preservation offers a flat urban landscape, making the word preservation problematic, since preservation is associated with a sort of deference to the past over the needs of the present. To question the stability of the traditional preservation model, a series of dichotomies can be addressed: the past versus the present, the object that is divided from the subject, and the archive that is usually distanced from the site. Instead, we can propose a model of preservation that is a mixed reality or the crossing of virtual and augmented reality.
Il ruolo delle tecnologie digitali e la loro crescente infusione di informazioni, la ricerca avanzata attraverso metodi di progettazione derivanti dalle interazioni uomo-macchina, sono il filo conduttore della lezione tenuta dal professore Aaron Sprecher.
All’interno del laboratorio di MTR di cui il professore è il fondatore, i ricercatori adottano nuove procedure di progettazione integrata dei materiali e l’ottimizzazione delle tecniche di produzione digitale con l’obiettivo di ridurre il consumo di energia dei materiali e i costi ambientali.
L’introduzione della tecnica di apprendimento automatico sostiene il professore può essere utilizzata come strumento di progettazione urbana, in grado di apprendere e riprodurre modelli complessi che esprimono le qualità spaziali uniche degli insediamenti non pianificati
L’architettura dice il professore non è più chiusa nei confini tradizionali il costruito non è un’identità fissa e immutabile perché sarà sempre di più permeata da altri campi della conoscenza, questa intensificazione di informazioni ha aumentato la relazione simbiotica tra forma e funzione in tutte le sue manifestazioni.
Il sistema architettonico così concepito è dotato di una capacità esponenziale di assorbire risorse informative combinandole incessantemente per garantirne le prestazioni funzionali.
Il professore Sprecher fornisce molti esempi di interazione tra uomo e macchina, come ad esempio il progetto di Tamar Nix, i progressi negli strumenti di progettazione computazionale all’uncinetto, che con l’analisi dei gesti delle mani e i percorsi degli strumenti dell’uncinetto, introduce un innovativo dispositivo di fabbricazione digitale su misura per strutture robotiche all’uncinetto. Questo dispositivo evidenzia i vantaggi unici dell’uncinetto rispetto ad altri metodi di fabbricazione. È una tecnica antica, l’uncinetto, ma siamo in grado di eseguirla con strumenti moderni, come i bracci robotici. È una tecnica antica, l’uncinetto, ma siamo in grado di eseguirla con strumenti moderni, come i bracci robotici.
È stato davvero affascinante l’esito dei progetti che il professore ha voluto condividere con noi.
Aaron Sprecher explores in his lecture how technology has blurred boundaries between living and non-living organisms, accelerating evolutionary processes and influencing architecture. The architect invites us to debate the intersection of technology and architecture, emphasizing how advancements in information technology have reshaped our understanding of the built environment. He presents examples of projects blending tangible and intangible history, notably digitally reconstructing an old house in Israel using diverse resources and modern technology. Moreover, Sprecher discusses along his presentation philosophical perspectives on human potential limitations as well as the role of the architect, leading into discussions on harnessing nature for innovation and object informatization. He highlights the concept of extensity, intensity, and potentiality, showcasing examples of projects integrating historical and contemporary architectural knowledge through mixed reality models, preserving architectural heritage with Lidar, photogrammetry, and AI. The professor’s lecture underscores the transformative impact of technology on architecture, illustrating how it shapes dynamic, responsive environments interacting with their surroundings.
Aaron Sprecher’s talk seemed to dive into the intriguing nexus of biology, technology, and architecture, examining how settings and structures could be thought of as “informed” or responsive systems that replicate or incorporate biological traits. The use of the term “informed architecture” implies a shift away from conventional static buildings towards dynamic, adaptable, and potentially interactive architectural forms that are responsive to their environment and the individuals who occupy them. A building as a techno-engineered organism integrates advanced technology like AI and sensors into its structure, making it a dynamic organism capable of growth and adaptability, rather than just a place to live or work.
The presentation explored how architectural design can be influenced by human physiological and psychological limitations and how it can be improved to enhance human well-being. Sprecher’s talk challenged traditional ideas about architecture and presented a new perspective in which structures can be thought of as living systems that can interact significantly with their surroundings, potentially impacting future urban development and architectural practices.
It looks like Aaron Sprecher’s talk delves into the intriguing nexus of biology, technology, and architecture, examining how settings and structures can be thought of as “informed” or responsive systems that replicate or incorporate biological traits. His usage of the phrase “informed architecture” alludes to a move away from conventional static buildings and toward dynamic, adaptable, and possibly interactive architectural forms that react to their surroundings as well as the people who live there. The idea that a building is a techno-engineered organism implies that technological advancements like artificial intelligence (AI), sensors, and other smart technology are seamlessly integrated into the building’s structure. Through these linkages, the building becomes a dynamic organism capable of growth and adaptability rather than just a place to live or work. The talk probably looks at the ways in which architectural design can be influenced and guided by human physiological and psychological limitations. This might entail thinking about how environments impact people’s productivity, emotions, and general health as well as how architecture can be improved to improve human well-being. Sprecher’s talk probably questions accepted ideas about architecture and puts out a fresh perspective in which structures are seen as living systems that can engage in intricate and significant interactions with their surroundings rather than being static structures. Future urban development plans and architectural practices may be significantly impacted by this.
In this lecture Aaron looked at how the modern sciences and the idea of the unpredictable nature of nature have changed architectural practice. The transition from an idealistic perspective to performative systems emphasizes how architecture has adjusted to take into account environmental instability. The cybernetic character of living things, as explored by French philosophers Michel Serres, Henri Atlan, and Roland Omnes, who characterize living things as open systems with modified properties, provides a theoretical basis for this evolution in many cases.
The speaker discussed this viewpoint, which pushes experimental architects to see built objects as knowledgeable systems that are aware of their surroundings, both internal and external. The talk focused on how architecture evolved into a technologically advanced creature that was greatly influenced by human constraints. It explored the intersection of architecture, technology, and biology and delved into the theoretical and technological consequences of these advances, presenting ongoing research at the Technion’s MTRL Lab.
In this lecture titled (The Human Limit of the Human Being)Aaron Sprecher examines man’s relationship with nature and technology from an architect’s point of view.He talked about the limitations of human beings in the age of technology and the physical effects of technology on our world with this data in mind, he talked about the redefinition of humans through the lens of physics and abstract laws and the effects of this redefinition and change on architecture.As an example of this change, he gave the example of the projects they did at Mt Lab. For example, using 3D printer technology and digital design and analysis methods, they designed seedling support systems suitable for the desert climate they work in.
Aaron Sprecher mentioned that these new systems are not limited to creating a product and that 3D scanning methods, digital data models, 2d digital photo and document analysis and traditional information gathering methods such as sound recording and interviews can be blended with new programs and a ruined building can be preserved in a digital environment.
Professor Aaron Sprecher’s lecture focused on the transformative role of digital technologies and the increasing infusion of information in architectural design. At his MTR lab, researchers integrate new design procedures with material optimization and digital production techniques to minimize energy consumption and environmental costs. Sprecher highlighted machine learning as a powerful urban design tool capable of replicating complex patterns that capture the unique spatial qualities of unplanned settlements.
He emphasized that architecture is no longer confined to traditional boundaries; the built environment is an evolving identity, increasingly permeated by other knowledge fields. This information intensification has strengthened the symbiotic relationship between form and function, enabling architectural systems to exponentially absorb and combine informational resources for enhanced performance. Sprecher showcased examples of human-machine interaction, such as Tamar Nix’s computational crocheting project. By analyzing hand gestures and crochet tool paths, Nix introduced an innovative digital fabrication device for robotic crochet structures, demonstrating crochet’s unique benefits using modern tools like robotic arms. Additionally, Sprecher discussed how generative design algorithms, big data, and AI are revolutionizing design, emphasizing interdisciplinary collaboration among architects, engineers, and computer scientists. The outcomes of these projects were fascinating, illustrating the future of architecture as a dynamic and responsive discipline.
Aaron Sprecher’s talk connected biology, technology, and architecture, exploring the idea of environments and structures as “informed” or responsive systems that emulate or incorporate biological traits. He discussed the concept of “informed architecture,” suggesting a shift from traditional static buildings to dynamic, adaptable, and potentially interactive architectural forms that respond to their environment and inhabitants. Sprecher described conceptualizing a building as a techno-engineered organism, involving the integration of advanced technologies like AI and sensors into its structure, transforming it into a dynamic entity capable of growth and adaptability, rather than simply serving as a space for living or working.
Sprecher’s talk also examined how architectural design can be influenced by human physiological and psychological constraints and how it can be enhanced to improve human well-being. He challenged traditional architectural ideas and presented a new perspective of structures as living systems capable of significant interaction with their surroundings, potentially impacting future urban development and architectural practices.
The topic of Aaron Sprecher’s discussion is how technology and architecture affect our daily lives. He begins by discussing how contemporary science has altered our perception of reality and how architecture reflects this shift. He discussed the limitations placed on humankind in the era of innovation, as well as the tangible effects of innovation on our planet with this knowledge in mind. He also discussed how people’s definitions have changed as a result of material science’s emphasis on unique laws and the implications of these changes for architecture.He provided the example of their ventures at Mount Lab as an example of this shift. . Sprecher emphasised the potential of machine learning as a potent tool for urban planning that can replicate intricate patterns that represent the distinctive spatial characteristics of unplanned settlements. He underlined that the built environment is a developing identity that is becoming more and more infused with other knowledge areas, and that architecture is no longer limited by conventional constraints. The symbiotic relationship between form and function has been increased by this intensification of information, allowing architectural systems to combine and absorb informational resources exponentially for improved performance.
Aaron Sprecher, professor at the Technion Faculty of Architecture, begins his lecture with an interesting introduction on how communication and finding the right code to pass information has been fundamental for the evolution of the humankind. The lecturer emphases the role that science holds to enable the acceleration of evolutionary processes and to allow reality to be in constant extension. In the last century this concept has evolved further, and our challenge is to learn and master how to pass information from humans to machines, in order to use technology to benefit humans and the environment.
The professor analyses how the digital architecture, started in the 1970, has gradually established a bond between technology and architecture, creating new dynamic ways to analyse, understand and interact with the environment on multiple scales.
The analysis of ongoing research and projects carried out at the Material Topology Research Laboratory was a practical example on how we can combine different types of technologies from biology and physics, analysis of structural data, to AI, Lidar and photogrammetry. It was inspiring and fascinating the use of these new ways of combining methods applied to extreme diverse fields of architecture.
This lecture showed how we as architects can expand our realm of design with a multi-disciplinary innovative approach, exploiting the floating definition of architecture that collides in many aspects with other subjects, from crochet to cognitive science and memory. Professor Aaron Sprecher demonstrated how digital technologies and the infusion of information are transforming architectural design into a dynamic, responsive discipline that transcends traditional boundaries.
Sprecher showcased fascinating examples that merge architecture with fields like material science, human-computer interaction, and biology. Tamar Nix’s computational crocheting project introduced novel digital fabrication methods by analyzing crochet gestures and tool paths. Other projects incorporated generative algorithms, machine learning, and artificial intelligence to optimize designs and capture the unique spatial qualities of unplanned urban settlements.
Moreover, Sprecher explored the notion of ‘informed architecture’ – buildings as techno-engineered, reactive systems that dynamically adapt and interact with their environments and occupants, akin to living organisms. This multidisciplinary approach considers human physiological and psychological factors, allowing architecture to enhance well-being through responsive, human-centric designs.
Aaron Sprecher’s lecture explored the transformative impact of technology on architecture, delving into the philosophical perspectives on human potential and the evolving constraints we face. He introduced the concept of object informatization and shared examples from his team’s projects, such as digitally reconstructing a dilapidated house in Israel using HBIM tools to blend tangible and intangible history. Sprecher discussed how traditional materials, like soil and crochet techniques, can be repurposed in contemporary settings with modern technology. This intersection of old and new was exemplified in projects focusing on intensity and extensity, like the robotic machine mimicking human crochet gestures and the preservation project in Vaadi Salim, Haifa, using mixed reality. These examples highlighted how technology facilitates the transcendence of human limitations, enabling dynamic, adaptive architectural forms that integrate biological and technological innovations. Sprecher emphasized that boundaries are not constraints but essential elements that guide and shape creative processes, ensuring coherence and purpose in design. The lecture broadened my perspective on how architectural practices can evolve by integrating advanced technologies, ultimately questioning and expanding the limits of architecture and human potential.
Aaron Sprecher’s lecture is very interesting and lively! I was deeply shocked when I saw the Construction Customized soil-based tree sheiler all over the mountains and plains of Yatir Forest. These installations are very much like some kind of monumental complex, they seem to have some kind of symbolic meaning, like they are actually meant to give birth to saplings.
Sprecher’s lecture navigates architecture’s evolution amidst modern sciences’ indeterminacies, emphasizing dynamic, performative systems over static ideals. Influenced by French philosophers, it likens architecture to living organisms, embracing adaptability and sensitivity to surroundings. This perspective fosters experimental design, shaping buildings as “informed” entities responsive to internal and external factors. Sprecher promises insights into the theoretical and technological ramifications of human limitations on architecture, showcased through ongoing research at the MTRL Lab, Technion. This discourse signifies a profound shift towards architectures that mirror the fluidity and complexity of living systems, promising innovative approaches to contemporary design challenges.