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Omar Khan, assistant professor in the Department of Architecture, School of Architecture and Planning, is co-director of the Center for Virtual Architecture.
The term "virtual architecture" seems to be an oxymoron. What does
it mean?
Since we normally associate architecture with the built
environment, virtuality would imply something that is not yet built.
This we see as a positive attribute since it implies multiple potentials
for materialization, placing emphasis on the possible, rather than the
actual. A second definition uses virtual as a euphemism for digital
computing. In this regard a virtual architecture would imply one that is
built through and possibly within digital technologies. The
definition that we are working with is a combination of both. It
suggests a speculative architecture that sees in digital technologies
new ways of thinking about architectural space, designing and
fabricating architectural components and communicating architectural
ideas to a larger public. It does not see any difference between bricks
and mortar and pixels and processors. They are all components of this
new responsive architecture.
What kinds of new computer and other applications are used in
virtual architecture and how?
The specific computer applications
are not so relevant as they keep changing with the requirements of our
research areas. Suffice it to say that we are working with 3D modeling,
animation, digital video and interactive media authoring software. At
the same time, we also are using digital/analog machines like digitizers
and laser cutters for fabricating our prototypes. The use of these
technologies is in the service of conceiving, designing and
communicating architectural ideas. Some aspects of the software that are
important to highlight are the speed by which 3D studies can be
generated, animated and viewed immersively, and communicated through
multimedia means. Moving beyond these formal qualities, the software
provides a useful means to prototype responsive environments since
conventional methods are inadequate for the task.
How has the use of the tools of virtual architecture changed your
own practice?
The tools that we use are not all particular to
architectural application. In fact, we find ourselves borrowing the
digital tools of graphic designers, Web designers, animators,
videographers and programmers. This is to be expected since these
disciplines have taken center stage in designing our modes of
communication. As architects, we need to be engaged in this evolving
phenomenon since our ideas of function, use and aesthetics are
contingent upon these developments. My practice with my wife, Laura
Garófalo (adjunct instructor, Department of Architecture), has changed
dramatically in two ways. In the first instance, we see that to
accomplish this type of work we need to collaborate with people working
in the media disciplines. It is impossible to work on these problems
alone and from a single disciplinary position. Secondly, attaining some
expertise in these tools has opened our practice to new forms and
materials that facilitate the integration of networked and projective
technologies into architecture. This has changed dramatically our
understanding of what architecture can be.
How does virtual architecture better explain the world to us? What
are some future applications you envision?
I don't want to
characterize "virtual architecture" as a product, but as a process for
making more responsive environments. Currently, there are products being
developed under the designation of "smart" technologies that influence
lighting and environmental controls for better energy performance and
comfort. We are not working in this area. Our interest lies in the way
digital technologies assist us as architects and as users to become more
aware of the nuances of our built environments. As architects, these
technologies allow us to design for very particular situations, as well
as simulate manifold possibilities. As users, these technologies once
properly embedded in our architecture enhance our perception and
pleasure of that environment. In the future, we see new possibilities
for human and computer interaction that makes lived space the vehicle
for this communication. Areas that would greatly benefit from this
include educational (schools, libraries and museums), performance
(theater, galleries) and entertainment (shopping, tourism)
environments.
What is the Center for Virtual Architecture?
The Center
for Virtual Architecture (CVA) is a research center in the School of
Architecture and Planning that was founded five years ago by Shahin
Vassigh (assistant professor), Jean LaMarche (associate professor) and
Wassim Jabi (former faculty member in the School of Architecture and
Planning). I joined the center in 2002 and it presently is co-directed
by Vassigh, LaMarche and myself. The center's areas of research include
screen-based learning environments, digital/analog design and
fabrication and digitally enhanced interactive environments.
What are some of the center's recent projects?
Screen
Based Learning Environments:
Interactive Structures: Interactive Structures is a multi-media learning tool that utilizes digital graphics, computer modeling, animation and audio narration to demonstrate the principles and application of structural science and building technology. Interactive Structures is built on a pedagogy that responds to the skills, disposition and learning needs of architecture students. It harnesses the capabilities of advanced multi-media graphics and Internet-based communications technologies to provide a tool that improves the content and delivery of structures instruction. The Content of Interactive Structures has been developed under a grant from the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE), U.S. Department of Education. The project also has been supported by seed grants from the Educational Technology Grant Program at UB.
Visualizing the Temporomandibular Joint: This collaborative research project with the School of Dental Medicine looked at the possibility of using 3D models and digital video to teach the complex functions of the temporomandibular joint. Animation, with a combination of textual information and still images, became the main vehicle for communicating these ideas. The tool is to be used for instruction in the dental medicine program. The project has been supported by a grant from the Educational Technology Grant Program.
Digital/Analog Design and Fabrication
Cara(s)pace- Skin, Surface and Enclosure: Cara(s)pace's research agenda is to develop techniques for using digital modeling and fabrication tools to design complex structures. Students involved in this research look at skins, both organic and artificial, that exhibit self-organizational characteristics. These studies form the basis for developing virtual models using 3D NURBS, fabricating tiled and arrayed structures using the laser cutter, and creating analog equivalents in hybrid materials, including rubbers and plastics. Recent work has looked at sponge structures, tree bark, human hands and gestures and search engine-controlled virtual tattoos. New agendas in this research include cellular automata and sensor-embedded materials.
Digitally Enhanced Interactive Environments
Remote Space: A research agenda that looks at the potential of projection technology for designing and constructing architectural space. It involves studying the optical potential of projection systems, the informational and aesthetic possibilities of the projected image and the consequences of user interaction with the projection in a particular space. With a keen desire to move away from the purely cinematic experience—where the image dominates the space of viewing—these projective environments enhance the experience and understanding of the architectural spaces they occupied. The speculative prototypes include projective, and in some cases interactive, enhancements to escalators, subway trains, doors, rooms, road intersections, building interiors and building facades.
Home/Work: A study of gender ads of the contemporary workplace. The research establishes four criteria for reading these ads: the physical, digital and somatic boundaries in the image and the camera point of view of the image. The physical boundary refers to the architectural space, defined by walls, furniture and symbols. The digital boundary is the interface with networked technologies, usually an electronic gadget like a cell phone or computer. The somatic boundary is the body language of the protagonists, while the camera point of view is the way these boundaries are composed within the image, as well as the nature of the camera's gaze. This project has received funding from the Institute for Research & Education on Women & Gender (IREWG).
As the field develops, new academic opportunities have arisen at many
universities, including UB. One of these is the new master's degree
program involving the departments of Media Study and Architecture. Can
you describe this program and the kinds of professional and theoretical
training it offers?
The joint degree in architecture and media study
(MArch/MFA) is open to graduate students with an undergraduate degree in
architecture. It is one of the few programs of its type in the country
and fills the growing need of architects to become technically and
intellectually proficient to perform in a world dominated by new media
technologies. We are extremely fortunate to have a vibrant media study
program whose areas of study (film, video, virtual reality, net art and
media robotics) will expand on our own professional curriculum. Students
will engage faculty in both departments to formulate a focus in their
studies. In addition, we are offering courses jointly taught by faculty
in both departments that provide a venue for synthesizing
interdisciplinary ideas. Currently, I am teaching a seminar course with
Marc B�hlen (assistant professor of media study) entitled "Confluence of
Practices," where we are looking at new media and architecture practices
that are setting the agendas for this new type of work.
What question do you wish I had asked, and how would you have
answered it?
What role do you see the center playing in the
larger research and development agenda of UB? Architecture as a
discipline clearly locates itself on the boundary between the sciences
and humanities. The center has, and can continue to provide, unique
opportunities for cross-disciplinary research. We see that our work
benefits immensely from the content of other disciplines but it also
reminds us of the significant role architecture can play for those
disciplines. One way in which the university can assist in this is by
encouraging and funding research in these emergent areas. This requires
a sustained effort in terms of providing equipment, supporting research
staff and nurturing cross-disciplinary relations, which can yield
promising results in the years to come. Also, our participation in the
design of the university environment, especially those dealing with
teaching and or student life, would provide our work with a real life
laboratory and elevate the quality of the environments we spend most of
time in.