The Resolution of Architecture in the Digital Age

Abstract

The resolution of architecture is a measure of the spatial density of information inherent in a building. This paper demonstrates how the confluence of advances in computational design and additive manufacturing has recently led to a paradigm shift in potential architectural resolution. Buildings can now be designed and fabricated with elements at the threshold of human perception. This resolution can be used to replicate existing architectural styles ever more efficiently and accurately. Yet as with the introduction of other new technologies, architects must now explore the latent potentials and determine what kind of new architectures become conceivable. Specifically, what architectures can adequately express this enormous resolution and the unlimited geometric complexity within reach? With the project Digital Grotesque, we present the first human-scale, enclosed structure that truly exploits these opportunities. Algorithms are used to articulate and orchestrate the geometry from the macro scale down to 1mm small details. The structure is enriched with local information at a previously unseen resolution. A unique language of form is developed that transcends rationality and celebrates spatial expression: a digital exuberance.