Wednesday, July 29, 2009

First go at Abstract

Blink: Why Superficiality is more Authentic than Reality

Blink is rapid cognition, spontaneous decisions, the part of our brain that leaps to conclusions instantaneously under stressful circumstances. Blink is the judgement given to something in the first two seconds of any situation. Eg. When you first meet someone, when you pick up a book and scan the cover and blurb, products that we see on shelves and the decision whether to buy them or not.

The honours report will combine this social phenomenon with the aesthetics and surface of architecture. The dominant argument taught in architecture is that form follows function, that surface should be a reflection of substance, and that experiential qualities of a building are integral to good architecture.

The report argues that the architectural implications of Blink results in a phenomenon where surface can be separated from the building, and the image or skin of the building is more valuable than the experience or occupancy of the building. People will make judgements on the building within the first two seconds of seeing it (usually they see the building through Google street view or magazine) and this initial formulation of opinion is more important than anything else. In this sense, the surface, photograph or image of the building has more social and economic implications than the actual physical presence.