Popper's Mosquito Swarm: Architecture, Cybernetics and the Operationalization of Complexity

For the architecture theorist Charles Jencks, Frank Gehry's Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Peter Eisenman's Aronoff Center in Cincinnati, and Daniel Libeskind's Jewish Museum in Berlin are architectural replies to the question of the cultural outgrowths of ‘complexity science'. In the light of new technologies being used in architecture, it seems necessary to explore Jencks's position from new perspectives and to ask: in the context of architectural production, is it possible to discuss complexity not only as an artistic-aesthetic category, but also as a fundamental technical-constructive idea? Contemporary information technologies confront architectural-theoretical discourses with developments that call for an expanded theoretical instrumentarium. It remains unclear which architectural language might be used best to approach the concept of complexity associated with information technologie

The Floor Strategy: Wayfinding Cognition in a Multi-Level Building

This short paper is concerned with strategies and cognitive processes of wayfinding in public buildings. We conducted an empirical study in a complex multi-level building, comparing performance measures of experienced and inexperienced participants in different wayfinding tasks. Thinking aloud protocols provided insights into navigation strategies, planning phases, use of landmarks and signage. Three specific strategies for navigation in multi-level buildings were compared. The cognitively efficient floor strategy was preferred by experts over a central-point strategy or a direction strategy, and overall was associated to better wayfinding performance

De la maquette à la modélisation. La recherche architecturale de Frei Otto

La pensée de Frei Otto se caractérisait par une volonté d'expérimenter. Il a développé des instruments pour rechercher des processus d'auto-organisation dans la nature, des tables de mesure pour déterminer la répartition des forces, des appareils pour l’étude des formes de construction pneumatiques ou des maquettes de réseaux de filigranes pour optimiser les structures tendues complexes. Les maquettes d’architecture de Frei Otto – si l’on peut encore parler ici de maquettes au sens classique – fonctionnent non seulement comme des objets statiques, mais aussi comme des objets dynamiques, c’est-à-dire comme des modélisations de processus valables pour l’environnement. Dans toute leur fragilité poétique, les maquettes d'Otto incarnent une esthétique opératoire qui oscille entre la précision des instruments scientifiques et l'imagination des instruments artistiques. Les techniques de modélisation, de dessin, de mesure et d'évaluation ont jeté les bases d'une culture artistique soucieuse de l'étalonnage continu entre l'œil et la main, de l'observation scientifique et des compétences techniques – une auto-adaptation artisanale et intellectuelle, dans laquelle l'architecture pourrait signifier à la fois l’interdisciplinarité et la production de savoirs innovants ainsi que le point de départ d'un discours collectif sur la société du futur.Frei Otto’s way of thinking was distinguished by a keenness to experiment. He developed instruments for researching self-organizing processes in nature, measuring tables for determining the course of forces, apparatus for researching pneumatic construction forms or filigree net models for optimizing complex tent structures. Frei Otto's architectural models - if models in the classical sense can still be spoken of here at all - function not only as static, but rather as dynamic objects, i.e. as process models of the environment generated by media technology. In all their poetic fragility, Otto's models are telling stories of an operative aesthetic that oscillates between the precision of scientific instruments and the imagination of artistic artifacts. The techniques of modelling, drawing, measuring, and evaluation formed the basis of an artistic culture concerned with a continuous calibration of eye and hand, scientific observation, and technical skill—a manual and intellectual self-adjustment, in which architecture could mean both interdisciplinary and innovative knowledge production as well as the starting point for a collective discourse on the future of society.Frei Ottos Wirken war von einem besonderen Experimentierstreben geprägt. So hat er Apparaturen zur Erforschung autoorganisatorischer Prozesse in der Natur entwickelt, Messtische zur Bestimmung der Kräfteverteilung, Instrumente zur Untersuchung pneumatischer Konstruktionen oder auch Modelle filigraner Netzwerke, um komplexe Tragwerksstrukturen zu optimieren. Ottos Architekturmodelle – wenn hier überhaupt noch von Modellen im klassischen Sinn die Rede sein kann – fungieren also nicht nur als statische, sondern vielmehr als dynamische Objekte, das heißt als medientechnisch generierte Prozessmodelle der Umwelt. In all ihrer poetischen Fragilität erzählen Ottos Modelle Geschichten einer operativen Ästhetik, die sich zwischen der Präzision wissenschaftlicher Instrumente und der Imagination künstlerischer Artefakte bewegt. Modelltechnik, Zeichentechnik, Messtechnik und Auswertungsmethode bilden die Grundlage für eine apparative Experimentalkultur, bei der es um eine fortwährende Kalibrierung von Auge und Hand, wissenschaftlicher Beobachtung und technischem Geschick geht, eine handwerklich-intellektuelle Selbstjustierung, in der das Entwerfen sowohl individuelle Erkenntnisproduktion als auch Ausgangspunkt für einen kollektiven Diskurs über die Zukunft der Disziplin bedeuten kann

A double shunt technique for the prevention of ischaemia of a congenital, solitary, pelvic kidney during abdominal aortic aneurysm repair: a case report

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>Congenital solitary pelvic kidney is a rare condition, and its association with an abdominal aortic aneurysm is even more unusual. To the best of our knowledge, only two such cases have been reported in the literature to date.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>We report the case of a 59-year-old Caucasian man with a congenital solitary pelvic kidney, who was found to have an abdominal aortic aneurysm 83 mm in diameter. Abdominal computed tomography angiography clearly identified two renal arteries, one originating from the aortic bifurcation. and the other from the proximal portion of the right common iliac artery. At surgery, renal ischaemia was prevented by introduction of an axillofemoral shunt (consisting of two femoral cannulas and a vent tube of extracorporeal circulation) from the right axillary to the right femoral artery, and a second Argyle shunt from the right common iliac artery to the origin of the left renal artery. A 20 mm Dacron tube graft was then implanted. Our patient's postoperative renal function was normal.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The renal preservation double shunt technique used in this case seems to be effective during abdominal aortic aneurysm repair.</p

Effects of testicular microlithiasis on Doppler parameters: report of three cases

BACKGROUND: Testicular microlithiasis is a rare, usually asymptomatic, non-progressive disease of the testes associated with various genetic anomalies, infertility and testicular tumors. According to our literature search, there is no specific data about Doppler findings in this disease. CASE PRESENTATION: Doppler findings of three cases of testicular microlithiasis during last two years in our institution are presented. CONCLUSIONS: Although our hypothesis was to find increased Doppler parameters due to intratesticular arterial compression, our findings suggest that there are no Doppler findings specific to testicular microlithiasis

Calcium Scoring and Cardiac Computed Tomography

Although recent advances in noninvasive imaging technologies have potentially improved diagnostic efficiency and clinical outcomes of patients with acute chest pain, controversy remains regarding much of the accumulated evidence. This article reviews the role of coronary computed tomography (CT) angiography in the assessment of coronary risk, and its usefulness in the emergency department in facilitating appropriate disposition decisions. Also discussed is coronary artery calcification incidentally found on CT scans when done for indications such as evaluation of pulmonary embolism or lung cancer. The evidence base and clinical applications for both techniques are described, together with cost-effectiveness and radiation exposure considerations

“Classroom without walls”: Van teaching machines tot machine learning

The intersection of learning, space, and technology has become a significant focus in recent years. The design of educational environments for the future has emerged as a critical concern within campus architecture. These new university buildings often bear concise brand names that are abbreviated keywords, such as ‘collaboration’, ‘creativity’, or ‘flexibility’. Notable examples include UN Studio’s ‘Echo’ and ‘Pulse’ by ector hoogstad architecten, designed as new and innovative learning centres for the TU Delft campus. Despite their different architectural qualities, these projects share a common conceptual thread—integrating space and technology to create immersive learning experiences. In light of the rise of artificial intelligence, it is essential to consider how learning spaces can be adapted to this new era. Moreover, in a data-driven society, it becomes critical to question the nature of learning itself. The origins of these inquiries can be traced back to the mid-20th century’s experimental era of cybernetics, where the convergence of human and machine learning left an unforgettable mark on architectural history.Het samenspel tussen leren, ruimte en technologie is de afgelopen jaren een belangrijk thema geworden. Het ontwerpen van onderwijsomgevingen voor de toekomst krijgt bijzondere aandacht in de architectuur van universitaire campussen. Deze nieuwe universiteitsgebouwen dragen vaak beknopte merknamen die verwijzen naar sleutelwoorden, zoals ‘samenwerking’, ‘creativiteit’ of ‘flexibiliteit’. Opvallende voorbeelden zijn UN Studio’s ‘Echo’ en ‘Pulse’ van ector hoogstad architecten, ontworpen als nieuwe en innovatieve leercentra voor de campus van de TU Delft. Ondanks hun verschillende architecturale kwaliteiten hebben deze projecten een gemeenschappelijke conceptuele rode draad: de integratie van ruimte en technologie om meeslepende leerervaringen te creëren. In het licht van de opkomst van kunstmatige intelligentie is het essentieel om na te denken over hoe leerruimtes kunnen worden aangepast aan dit nieuwe tijdperk. Bovendien wordt het in een datagestuurde maatschappij cruciaal om de aard van het leren zelf te bevragen. De oorsprong hiervan gaat terug tot het experimentele tijdperk van de cybernetica halverwege de twintigste eeuw, waar de convergentie van menselijk en machinaal leren een onvergetelijk stempel drukte op de architectuurgeschiedenis

Popper’s Mosquito Swarm: Architecture, Cybernetics and the Operationalization of Complexity

ISSN:1062-7987ISSN:1474-057