Virtual Architecture

Virtual architecture is one of the many advantages of 20^th/21^st century technology and advances in computer systems. Virtual architecture was born in 1982 when the first version of Auto-CAD¹ (Auto computer aided design) was released.

The power of the virtual world

Auto-CAD is used in a large number of fields (product design to civil engineering) and it allows the user to create a virtual product. The evolution of 3D engines and advanced programming has allowed virtual architecture to be precise, this allows blueprints and plans to be created and edited very quickly (similar to word processors vs. typewriters).

An advantage of the computer interface and process is the ability to run a sim (virtual simulation) of how your product can react with the real environment with materials used². Architecture is also a mathematical science and computers understand numbers best, limitations and rules can be applied³.

Second Life is also a popular for designing buildings (and cities) very quickly and cheaply. Though it does not have the same power as auto-cad, it is much faster for creating the design of a building as opposed to its structure. The SL virtual structures will also hold less detail than CAD or physical designs due constraints on the area and the number of primitives (objects) used to create said structure. A fine example of this is the virtual London hospital in the healthlands area of Second Life. The physics engine of SL currently cannot replicate environments the same way as auto-cad but in the future the havoc engine will create opportunities for second life architecture.

The unrealistic sense of the SL modeller has its strengths. Structures impossible in architecture can take shape in the virtual world. Imagination is more important that knowledge⁴ in second life.

These processes are usually used to create real world buildings; they can be used as a grounding for developing real world projects and are usually the starting point for any architect.

The dark side of virtual architecture

The problem with this system is that it is not perfected; humans have learned to build houses and developed the art of architecture from the beginning of our existence.

“a computer does not help you do your job better – it helps you to do what you do faster”⁵

As most projects go, theory and virtual simulations are not enough to create a perfectly working model, modifications, trial and error and overhauls are a part of project lifecycles and sometimes the computer can cause more problems than it can solve i.e. if the overhauls are extensive hand drawn plans may be better as more thought is put in to their development.

The computer is not perfect, neither is the human, computers do what humans tell it to do, I believe that virtual architecture will evolve in the future but for the time being, virtual developments should stay mostly in the virtual world. People rely on spellcheckers/calculators more than ever, how long will it be before we rely on computers to tell us our mistakes (or what computers think are mistakes) in architecture?

Reference:

1. Auto-CAD, Auto-CAD Wikipedia article, [accessed 02 Mar 2008].

2. Advance Concrete, Advance Concrete Plugin, [accessed 03 Mar 2008]

3. Mario Salvadori, “Can there be any relation to mathematics and architecture”, [accessed 02 Mar 2008]

4. Albert Einstein, “Albert Einstein quotes”, [02 Mar 2008]

5. Tom Caira, “Professional and Ethical Issues in computing” Lecture Notes, University of the West of Scotland, 2006