This is a must see conference for everyone around LA interested in the status quo of computational design techniques and urban design sensibilities. To put it in a Hollywood term: A Blockbuster!
Intensive Fields: New Parametric Techniques for Urbanism
Conference, Harris 101, University of Southern California
12 December 2009
For some time now, digital technologies have had a substantial impact on architectural design. From the use of standard drafting packages to the more experimental use of generative design tools. But how might these digital technologies – and parametric design tools in particular – help us to design cities?
The conference brings together USC Professors Francois Roche, Marc Fornes, Roland Snooks, Qingyun Ma, Neil Leach, Roland Ritter and Anne Balsamo alongside other leading experts from the world of digital technologies, cultural theory and urban design, including Patrik Schumacher, Manuel DeLanda, Tom Kovac, Marcos Novak, Benjamin Bratton, Hernan Diaz Alonso, Elena Manferdini, Casey Reas and Greg Lynn.
First, we're happy to announce that the team has identified and fixed the issue with the YouTube conduit; you can now find and add videos from YouTube to your library and posts. As always, thanks for your patience!
The other news we have today is about a new addition to the Six Apart family: TypePad Micro, a new free level of TypePad that is streamlined for microblogging. We see a new form of blogging emerging that lives between the quick status updates of Twitter and Facebook and the long-form posts of "classic" blogging; TypePad Micro is designed to meet that need. You can read more about TypePad Micro in Chris Alden's post on the Everything TypePad blog.
A lot of the new capabilities we've added to TypePad this year were actually inspired by some of the best things about Vox: favoriting, member profiles, a dashboard to follow other bloggers, and easy ways to post content from other social media sites. But the things that make Vox different from TypePad are still there: Vox has always been -- and still is -- the best place for "friends and family" blogging, where you're in control over who sees what. TypePad, on the other hand, is built for the blogger who wants, no, craves, attention.
Do you have a passion or interest you want to share with people beyond your Vox neighborhood? If so, we'd love it if you tried out TypePad Micro. Maybe you've always wanted to start that obsessive blog that's just about waffle restaurants. Or want a place to share videos of your favorite band (Jonas Brothers, anyone? Anyone? ...). TypePad Micro's great for those topic-specific blogs. Take it for a spin and let us know what you think.
On the Vox front, our designers are working on some cool new themes (coming soon!). We'd also love to hear your thoughts about where we should take Vox in the coming year. What are the key things you'd like to see for Vox? If you've had a chance to use TypePad this year, what are the features there that we should bring over to Vox? And, if you're thinking big thoughts, how could we connect the Vox and TypePad communities in order to bring together bloggers and their shared passions? Your feedback is really important to us, so please leave a comment here, or shoot me a message.
And again, thanks for your patience as we found and fixed the YouTube bug!
~ daisy
As many of you have noticed, the YouTube Conduit is not working. I am so sorry about this; I know how frustrating it is.
The team is looking into how to get this fixed and I will update you as soon as I hear something. In the meantime, not all is lost... There is a work-around for posting videos.
When you're in the Compose Screen, just click on "embed." Ignore the fact that it says "Widget" before everything because you can definitely use this to embed videos as well. You'll just need to input the embed code from the video, enter a title (if you want) and hit OK.
It might not show up perfectly in your compose screen, but when you hit "Save," your video should appear just the way you wanted it to.
Hopefully this will allow you to keep posting videos while we figure out what's happening on our end.
As always, thanks for your patience.
Go forth and fill your libraries with media.
Seriously, thanks to everyone for being so amazing and patient. You are the reason I love Vox.
The main qualities for the project formed the mainframe of the topological surface. The software output consisted of an extensive array of subtly varying surface conditions. According to their performative behavior the population of over one hundred individual entities where scrutinized for their fitness according to different criteria, such as the potential to fulfill the program, the performance as structural entity and the affect generated by its appearance. This process reduced potential candidates to a very small number. Finally this candidates ran trough a series of algorithms (various remeshings, subdivisions, optimizing the size of the spatial pockets etc.) which eliminated all candidates but one.
This technique can be described as an evolutionary process driven by a series of intensive forces, such as the specific compartmentisation of the pouches, the loadbearing qualities of curvilinear conditions and the allover sensual experience of the space. The numerous explorations and investigations of SPAN into the nature of topological bodies, throughout the recent years, served as basis for the design process. One of the results of these investigations was a series of models only dedicated to seamless, continuous circulations within architectural bodies and apertures in complex curved geometries. These two fundamental architectural conditions, opening and circulation, are discussed in the project of the Austrian Pavilion for the Shanghai Expo 2010 in an alternative way.
The lecture describes the design process of the Austrian Pavilion for the Shanghai Expo 2010, as well as the construction method. The lecture depicts the advanced fabrication methods involved in the construction of the Project, such as the use of simulation softwares, building information modeling and CNC fabrication.
I was just told that the Amazon Conduit will be fixed by tomorrow. I will post here as soon as I get word that it's back up and running.
I know this has been frustrating and I am sorry there wasn't more I could do to make it less so. I really appreciate your patience though.
Cheers,
t<>p lecture .1 _
Matias del Campo - Sense and Advanced Sensibility
Vienna based Architecture Firm SPAN, headed by Matias del Campo and Sandra Manninger, is driven by a compulsive desire to speculate about architectural opportunities in the presence of animated matter, organic entities and their underlying geometrical and mathematical presence. Their award winning architecture designs are informed by a manifold variety of sources reaching from Science Fiction and Fashion to Biology and Botany. The multiplicious inspirations are fused into projects applying the most advanced digital design tools and casted into form by computer controlled machinery. Their activities include Architecture Design, exhibitions and lectures as well as teaching in various countries and institutions, such as the University of Applied Arts Vienna, the Bauhaus Dessau and the ESARQ in Barcelona.
Bad news. As many of you have probably noticed, the Amazon Conduit was not fixed in the last week's release. Unfortunately, there was an undetected bug that is preventing the conduit from working.
We are working on this bug fix and hope to have the Conduit back up and running this week.
I will keep you posted.
Thank you for being so patient.
Blog Action Day is every October 15th, when blogger are asked to post something about a single issue to show our strength and conviction as an online community. It's a great way to feel connected to the greater good, and the participation of so many bloggers to support the world's leading non-profit organizations is something you can do to help, right now. By blogging today, you're supporting some of the world's leading non-profits and sharing your voice for change.
This year's topic is climate change, and we'd love to read your thoughts on the topic. If you participate, leave us a link to your post in the comments, so we know to check out your post!
Go to www.blogactionday.org to learn more, get a badge for your blog showing your participation, and see some ideas for your post on climate change.
Can't wait to read your posts!
~ daisy
[overhead shot of a table in an expensive modern-european restaurant. It's not a capital, but it's one of those cities on the thinktank/summit-circuit that treaties get named after. Two people are talking. A man in his fifties and a woman in her mid thirties. Both are understated in appearance, but obviously expensively dressed. Both of their smartphones are turned screen-down on the table. It's unclear to us who is the most important. And it's unclear which one is saying the following]
Governments and corporates know me as 'Switchboard', which is how I like to keep it.
I have an aptitude.
Well, a few aptitudes.
But, mainly - I'm very good at people.
Especially those who can't really be described as people anymore. I know what they're good for, what they want and - how to get hold of them.
I've never saved the world, but I've probably had lunch with someone who has.
I'm who you call if you have, y'know - a *really* big problem.
[ringtone]
