Before Design Theory

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The purpose of the present essay is a comprehensive analysis of the theory of individuation in the process of design and digital fabrication in architecture and design. The systematization of the concepts in a coherent discourse is achieved in function of following the theoretical proposal of the french philosopher Gilbert Simondon.

That a thing is in a certain way is a matter that concerns design. More precisely, it is during the design operation that those particular ways and properties of things are defined. In the design operation, human agency and materiality are interwoven. The way in which these agencies relate has been the subject of innumerable studies. One of the models that has served to account for types of relationships between human and material agency has been the hylomorphic-intencionalist, which is structured around two pairs of distinctions: the distinction between form and matter (from the hylomorphic model), and that of mind and body (of the intentionalist process model). The hylomoriphc-intencionalist model has been the dominant one to give account of this operation of design oriented to the material production of objects; but it is insufficient as bassis for a theory of digital design and manufacturing operations. To be able to make theory about the digital design and manufacturing process, it is necessary to base it on other models, and the theory of the operation of individuation exposed by Gilbert Simondon offers concepts capable of giving account of it.

Table of Contents:

• Introduction
• Gilbert Simondon and the problem of individuation
• Towards a definition of the design operation based on a non-hylomorphic theory: fundamental concepts of the theory of the operation of individuation of Gilbert Simondon
• Information in the process of individuation
• Relationships
• Form, matter and potential energy in the theory of operation of individuation
• Allagmatic operation
• Transductive operation
• Associated environment
• The theory of operation of individuation in architecture and design
• Excursus
• Excursus: relations between nature and artificiality
• The end of the excursus: the construction of the design problema
• The problem of defining the problem (in terms of design)
• Intensities of existence
• Teleologically oriented system
• The master-slave relationship
• Returning to Simondon: the design operation understood as a technical operation
• Types of technological operations considered in the present investigation
• Project operation
• Non-project operation
• Craft and digital manufacturing
• Design and digital manufacturing
• Biography of Gilbert Simondon
• Bibliography

• ISBN

  9789878624075

• Title

  Before Design Theory

• Author

  FLAVIO BEVILACQUA

• Publisher

  Flavio Bevilacqua

• Publication year

  2019

• Binding

  Softcover

• Language

  English

Before Design Theory

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