Synthetic futurism: exploring the possibilities of limitless architectural change and growth

Buildings do not have to burst out of the ground with a predetermined identity. They have an inherent need to grow, change and reinvent themselves to reflect the changes among the people and context. In the ever-changing condition of the context, the design of a building must be conscious of and attuned to the growing needs of society. It cannot assume it is destined for a singular purpose, as instead it is defined by a continuity of growth and reinvention. With the onset of contextual changes, the fleeting moment of a design’s conception becomes less significant. In turn, what rises in import is the integration of contingency to allow a design to metabolize the effects of the contextual change and synthesize new solutions within a flexible, absorptive system. Each added component through its relationship with subcomponents and previously existing elements can serve to create diversity, continuity and flexible internal hierarchies between continuous servant and served space. The summation of the Group Form that results from the melding of many parts can allow the buildings identity to shift as the individual parts reform and change to form new cohesive identities. By manufacturing the base and set of core components, a radically diverse system can grow beyond the limits of the originating elements, adding malleability to the many comprising identities.