Hensel, Spiller, & Burry

Hensel’s Vigorous Environments is centered on the mobile relationship through space. He sees animation as a tool to understand the space-time continuum and its relationship to design.  Similarly, design relies heavily on time influencing the environment.  He suggests that modeling and other mediums allow for an iterative design process, which strengthens the overall concept.  “Current technology can provide the ubiquitous enabling infrastructure that can facilitate real-time exchange between subject and milieu, and yield a generative immersive field of material and ambient effects.” 

This idea reminded me of a performance company, Diavolo, who uses movable structures as an integral part of their performances.  Their concept of ‘architecture in motion’ relates to time impacting design.  In this case, I see animation enhancing the project and its concept, if ustilzing effectively.  Here, motion is a fundamental  element of the work and depicting it through a time-based medium is essential. 

Neil Spiller argues that animations can hinder a project, as they are impersonal and used incorrectly.   Spiller states that architects are too eager to use animation software, which leads to a neglecting of a ‘rigorous approach to architectural space.’  I thought his analogy of books and film lent itself perfectly to this discussion.  How often times do we say that a film created from a novel was better than the original text? Almost never.  In the same capacity, film making software should be used sparsely or very carefully in architecture.  Far too often do we see student animate models, when perspective graphics would serve equally as well if not better. 

Burry argues that animation should break the boundaries of traditional filmmaking and question architectural and spatial perception.  He cautions its use by reminding reader of animation’s intended use for the film industry.  Users should not rely on the software to generate design, but use it as a medium to convey.