“So, what is a system? A system is a set of things – people, cells, molecules, or whatever – interconnected in such a way that they produce their own pattern of behavior over time. The system may be buffeted, constricted, triggered, or driven by outside forces. But the system’s response to these forces is characteristic of itself, and that response is seldom simple in the real world.” P. 2 Thinking in Systems A Primer by Donella Meadows
OlaOluwa Silva ARCH-DES 501
1. In viewing the interconnectedness of systems, is it important to examine the systems that make up the individual elements?
2. Systems run and operate over time: should time be considered an important or constant element in a system
3. Redundancies are important to a system, but also make for more complex entities: since no system is 100% efficient, Could redundancies be the weakest link in a system?
I hope this is in the right place…
Questions (and a comment):
1. Are there examples of “weakest links” in Architecture, beyond elements like fuses and sprinklers? Are there any common structural weakest links?
2. Diagramming seems like a good tool for assessing a building as a system, from many perspectives (energy, people, uses, etc.), as well as a good tool for determining system purposes. Are there other common tools, or particular types of diagrams? (The “Bathtub” model is appropriate for some analyses, but seems limited in its scope.)
3. It seems that much of the most interesting architecture designs for Usability, not Flexibility (Gesamtkunstwerk houses with integrated furniture, temples, concert halls, etc.). It is the specificity of the program that makes for interesting architecture. On the other hand, flexible spaces tend to be bland, with at best an interesting shell surrounding an open space (factories, stadiums, office buildings). Discuss(?).
1) Do Biophilic design and Phenomenology have shared commonalities, differences?
2) Catapult Designs talked a lot about social improvement and appropriate design. What is the difference between a flush toilet and a composting toilet in an emerging nation?
3)In what way might a building with very little technology be an example of systems architecture?