重新定義數位媒材下之建築元素

Abstract

建築元素是一種定義明確的建築單元(unit)，且每個單元皆為建築整體的一部份。建築師以及研究者可以根據建築元素的界定進一步理解建築整體(Norberg-Schulz, 1963)。在設計的過程之中，建築師會根據其機能和概念之需求找出建築元素及建築元素組合的規則及形式(Mitchell, 1990)。設計媒材是指在設計者的抽象概念與實際設計結果間的輔助角色。換句話說，是設計者與設計成果之間的媒介與輔助設計者將概念轉化為實際成品的工具(Schon and Wiggins, 1992; Liu, 1996)。今日建築設計媒材多元，不同的設計媒材會影響設計結果的呈現，設計媒材的選擇對設計者的設計思考帶來限制同時也帶來啟發，進而影響最後設計的結果(Zevi, 1981; Liu, 1996; Lim, 2003)。

本研究討論與分析建築元素與設計媒材之間的關係，觀察新設計媒材是否對於既有的建築元素有所影響？是否有因為使用的媒材不同，而產生無法被既有的建築元素定義的元素，比較這些新的建築元素與既有的、已定義的建築元素有何不同？答案皆是肯定的。進而歸納與定義符合當代的建築元素。本研究以案例分析嘗試定義數位設計媒材與非數位設計媒材對於建築案例的影響，分析過去對建築元素的各種定義並歸納出原則，找出四項定義建築元素的因子：基本幾何、實虛空間、運動向度以及元素機能。從分析與比較非數位媒材建築元素後中歸納出新建築元素，稱之為：數位建築元素，包括以下三種：連續曲面建築元素、複合機能建築元素以及錯縫式開口建築元素。

從分析的結果可以得知，數位建築案例應用數位媒材不但可以運用非數位媒材的既有建築元素，更可以創造非數位媒材所無法產生、未曾定義之新建築元素。同時，歸納出數位建築元素：連續曲面建築元素、複合機能建築元素以及錯縫式開口建築元素。建築元素與設計媒材兩個領域已被探討多年，但兩者跨領域之間的相互關係少有人討論。數位建築不斷有新樣式新結構方式產生，且數位建築元素為已產生且尚未有理論之領域，本研究希望成為建築元素與設計媒材跨領域之間相關研究的初探與基礎，並進而引發一系列之後續研究。

An architectural element is a unit of a construction. Architects and researchers can understand how to design by defining architectural elements (Norberg-Schulz, 1963). In the process of design, architects arrange the rules and form of architectural elements in accordance with design functions and concepts (Mitchell, 1990). Design media act as helping roles between the designers’ abstract concept and the concrete composition. In other words, design media are the tools to transform designers’ concept into the actual design (Schon and Wiggins, 1992; Liu, 1996). Today, there are many architectural multi-media, and architectures designed by different media have different outcomes. Design media for the architectural design bring restrictions and inspiration, and even affect the representation of the final design (Zevi, 1981; Liu, 1996; Lim, 2003).

This study discusses the relationship between architectural elements and design media, and treats whether digital media impact the existing architectural elements. There are cases from five architects as examples. Each designer has two cases, and one is designed by non-digital media and the other is designed by digital media. These cases are analyzed by four traditional architectural element factors, which include “basic geometry”, “solid and void”, “movement and dimensions” and “function”. It is still a question that whether there are any undefined architectural elements created by different media. This study compares new architectural elements with the traditional ones to find the differences, similarities and the reasons to generalize the definition of new architectural elements created by digital media, and compresses three digital architectural elements are “curvy-surface”, “multiple-functions” and “slit-open.”

In conclusion, digital media can not only use architectural elements from non-digital media, but also create three new elements, which are “curvy-surface”, “multiple-functions” and “slit-open” respectively. This study names them “digital architectural elements”. The significance is mainly for the two fields, architectural elements and design media. These two fields have been discussed for many years, but are rarely discussed the cross-cutting scope between them. This study is the foundation of digital architectural elements to raise follow-up research interests.