Romi Jin – Looking Outwards 02

For this week’s Looking Outward blog post, I was curious about the correlation between architecture and algorithmic systems and discovered an a computational architect named Michael Hansmeyer. He initiated a project that overlays a 1960s theory (founded by a biologist named Aristid Lindenmayer) with the field of architecture. This theory is called L-Systems, which follows a string-rewriting algorithm to model plants and how they grow. This system is now being applied to architectural practices in two steps: first, by further analyzing the theory of L-Systems using mapping schemes and turtle graphics, and the second, expanding the system to include parametrics that would allow architectural design to benefit from the algorithms.

In this link, a step-by-step interpretation of an example of an L-Systems string is shown, based on algorithmic processes that are still being developed and further improved. It is fascinating to see how math, science and architecture can weave together to create something so beautiful. Though the product is astounding, the process itself is even more intriguing.