From the Ground Up: New Architecture Technology

As real estate continues to recover from the collapse in 2008, those who aren't incredibly rich struggle to find residences that are affordable yet spacious. In response to this, architects have been using new technology to experiment with building designs that are as functional as they are eye-catching.

Space-making Software

One of the drawbacks of using computers to design living spaces is their inability to factor in human comfort. How can programmers get people to believe that a computerized design could just as easily have come from human hands?

Image via Gizmodo.

Miguel Nóbrega, recently a grad student at UCLA, created Superficie with the intention of giving the cold, calculating design of coded blueprints a more human touch. Using CNC markers that are standard for blueprint artists, the program designs geometrically functional residences in ways that are remarkably human. Nóbrega's groundbreaking program demonstrates that even a machine can account for personal needs.

Breaking the Mold

It's said that a true innovator can look at seemingly unremarkable things and see limitless possibilities. But the real question is always whether the innovator will create something that is actually useful and not simply creative. It was that challenge which Finnish designer Janne Kyttanen decided face head-on when he created his 3D-printed furniture.

Image via designboom.

Kyttanen's inventions were influenced by naturally occurring elements and forces, from rock formations to volcanic eruptions. He has even used volcanic obsidian to create coffee tables, trays, and stools. "If we're able to use explosion-welding to join materials that wouldn't naturally fuse together," Kyttanen says, "what would happen if we could control this force digitally? What kind of hybrid matter could we create?"

Warm Hearth

Our ability to create shelters of our own is one of the most intriguing human instincts. While we've come a long way from dwelling in mud huts and caves, our perennial need to paint the walls and keep our loved ones near remains. As the way that homes are built changes with technological advancements, our ability to make them uniquely ours stays ever the same.