Essay by Martin Summers (edited by Brent Sturlaugson) about the "Point of Departure" project and pedagogical implications of "Disruptive Continuity" was published in "Off Ramp 12: Tolerance." Off Ramp is SCI-Arc's online academic journal, edited by the Post Graduate Design Theory and Pedagogy Program.
Essay can be found here: (Link)
From the Editors' Preface:
"In this issue of Offramp we seek to interrogate what might remain as a tool, or tools, for producing the idiosyncratic in a technological era of increasing precision. The term tolerance has historically been defined in the practice of architecture as a degree of dimensional variation that takes into account variables that will affect the accuracy of construction. Woodwork may require tolerance as small as 1/64 inches whereas concrete footings can be acceptable within a variance of up to 2 inches. Through the digital turn we are capable of precision that was previously unattainable. The human eye, however, craves a degree of the imprecise, thus this “allowable amount of variation” has drifted from material application to the design process itself. The role of the architect has thereby shifted from acting as a decisive instrument to operating as the definer of constraining behaviors within a field of possibilities.
The projects presented in this issue are considered categorically as the effort afforded by multiple inputs within carefully considered rulesets. These rulesets pertain to tolerances of construction but also to aesthetic outcomes - be it through a glitch, the incorporation of solar data into the design process, or the use of interactive surfaces - the final result of which is not directly controlled."
Contributors Included:
Jason Payne
Elena Manferdini
Graham Harman
Kallipoliti + Theodoridis
Sehwail + Zimmerman
Michael Rotondi (Discussion with Henry H. Yang)
Mari Beltran
Ted Krueger
Martin Summers
Maya Alam
Josh Taron
