The McKnelly Megalith: A Method of Organic Modeling Feedback (2016)
article⁄The McKnelly Megalith: A Method of Organic Modeling Feedback (2016)
abstract⁄Megalithic civilizations held tremendous knowledge surrounding the deceivingly simple task of moving heavy objects. Much of this knowledge has been lost to us from the past. This paper mines, extracts, and experiments with this knowledge to test what applications and resonance it holds with contemporary digital practice. As an experiment, a sixteenfoot tall megalith is designed, computed, and constructed to walk horizontally and stand vertically with little effort. Testing this prototype raises many questions about the relationship between form and physics. In addition, it projects practical application of such reciprocity between architectural desires and the computation of an object’s center of mass. This research contributes to ongoing efforts around the integration of physicsbased solvers into the design process. It goes beyond the assumption of statics as a solution in order to ask questions about what potentials mass can contribute to the assembly and erecting of architectures to come. It engages a megalithic way of thinking which requires an intimate relationship between designer and center of mass. In doing so, it questions conventional disciplinary notions of stasis and efficiency.
|
|
| Year |
2016 |
| Authors |
Clifford, Brandon. |
| Issue |
ACADIA 2016: POSTHUMAN FRONTIERS: Data, Designers, and Cognitive Machines |
| Pages |
440-449 |
| Library link |
N/A |
| Entry filename |
mcknelly-megalith |
