Reinventing Architects ーArchitecture after the Digital Turn vol .1 Gilles Retsin: Aesthetics, Systems and Architects in Digital Architectural Production
VUILD is an architecture startup based in Japan that is pioneering the use of digital fabrication in architecture.
Set to be published in September 2021, “Reinventing Architects — Architecture after the Digital Turn,” features a series of interviews with six young architects in their 30s, who are active in the field of digital architecture around the world. The series focuses on exploring the future of architecture and architects using digital technology and will include interviews with Gilles Retsin, Mollie Claypool, Christopher Robeller, Soomeen Hahm, Arthur Mamou-Mani, and Philip Yuan. The first interview is with London-based architect, Gilles Retsin which was conducted by the CEO of VUILD, Koki Akiyoshi.
Critical Practice in Digital Design
Akiyoshi: I would like to start with your background.
Retsin: I have a perhaps slightly unusual background as I I was always interested in digital technologies, even as a student in Belgium and South America, but also worked in Switzerland with Christian Kerez［●1］, which is more engaged with a kind of “disciplinary” interrogation of architecture. Even before working at Kerez, I was working with scripting, rhino, CNC milling and such digital fabrication tools. I was always super interested in going to the AA, which at that point was well known for research on digital design and fabrication. However, once I did finally arrive at the AA, I maintained a critical attitude throughout, questioning what was assumed about digital design.
Akiyoshi: Why is that?
Retsin: I felt that on the one hand, some important architectural issues were lost in digital research, and on the other hand there was a lack of understanding the socio-political consequences of digital tools. There really was a kind of fixed assumption about what the digital in architecture was supposed to be — heavily influenced by “parametrics”.
I felt the need for a more critical position, a desire to do things differently.
Akiyoshi: What kind of practices have led to your critical attitude?
Retsin: For example, early digital architects were obsessed with continuous, complex form as the ultimate goal. However there was no question why we supposedly needed these curved forms. In a way, CNC machines and digital fabrication machines allow us to create these types of forms but we were not really asking why? Ultimately, curved, continuous form and parametrics as an architectural idea were explored long before digital technologies existed, such as in the work of Luigi Moretti, or Felix Candela ［●4］. Instead, can we look at the digital as a way to for example rethink housing, to rethink how people get access to housing, our modes of living? Could the digital have a fundamental impact on how we obtain housing?
An Approach to the Production-Supply Process of Housing
Akiyoshi: I have a very similar awareness of the issue. Why are you more conscious of the social impact of housing than the novelty of its form?
Retsin: I would say that it’s more the context for the work that changed. Earlier generations of architects working with the digital ( pre-2008 financial crisis［●5］) were mainly working on museums, cultural landmarks, headquarters for big companies etc. People didn’t think the digital could change the building industry itself, or be applied to normal, everyday programmes like housing. It was something for exceptional buildings. Up to that point, it was hard to work with continuous, curvilinear form; it made sense to show that this could be achieved again with digital fabrication. However, when I started practicing, this context changed with the 2008 financial crisis. I became more interested in also thinking how the digital can fundamentally change things in terms of how we build, not just in terms of the form. Naturally, if this is the context, the emphasis shifts away from curvature and form and moves more towards ideas of logistics, distribution, platforms. But this is not to say that I am not interested in the formal aspects of my work — I think it’s very important to understand architectural space and form.
Akiyoshi: It appears that the UK has done many studies in housing, where examples such as Walter Segalls, Segall Method［●6］ of self-building timber-frame construction exists. Are such practices common in the UK, where people are interested in the process of housing? If they are interested in the process of housing, in what way does it manifest? Is there a shortage of housing in the UK?
Retsin: In the UK there is so much pressure on the housing market that there really are a lot of people working on alternative methods of construction. There are quite a few new companies looking at modular timber construction, self building etc. WikiHouse［●7］, Facit Homes［●8］, U-Build［●9］, Mass Bespoke［●10］, Blok Build［●11］ etc, are all companies looking at digital production to make housing more accessible and faster to produce. This is definitely a result of the housing crisis［●12］.
The Aesthetics of “Discrete Architecture”
Akiyoshi: I am also particularly interested in Wikihouse, and I visited the Version 4 practice in 2014.
Retsin: Wikihouse is definitely an example of what we could do with digital technology. How do we empower people to make a city? Besides my own architectural practice — Gilles Retsin Architecture — I also run a startup company that has the aim to build a housing platform, with perhaps similar ambitions as WikiHouse but with a different approach and technology. This company is called AUAR, which stands for Automated architecture.
Akiyoshi: How is AUAR different from Wikihouse?
Retsin: The work we do with AUAR is also based on a “discrete approach” to architecture. The discrete is about thinking about the parts or building blocks of a building and their distribution first, rather than the whole. It’s often compared with LEGO, where you can build endless different designs with the same simple set of parts. Every single project can be completely different, while using the same block assembly system. This leads to a series of interesting architectural consequences, as it is a fundamentally different way to build buildings. Wikihouse has less of an architectural agenda, it’s more of a purely “logistical” project. The buildings are differently produced, but ultimately look rather banal in the end and don’t question necessarily how we live, what kind of spaces could be produced with these new technologies. While we try to establish a platform for affordable, accessible housing, we don’t believe that this is opposed to an interest in architecture itself, aesthetics, beauty, generosity etc. Also, Wikihouse as a technology is — until now at least — heavily based on parametrics: there is an overall form which is then subdivided into parts. It also advocates less for “automation” at the core of the platform, the self-building aspect is very important for them. While for AUAR, fully automated construction is more important. At the same time, we do want to involve people in this process of automated construction in a meaningful way, but this doesn’t equate with “self-building”.
Akiyoshi: You advocate “discrete architecture” as a new architectural concept for the digital age ［●13］. I think you were talking about the aesthetics of discrete architecture. What do you mean by discrete beauty?
Retsin: I think beauty is embedded in the system. It’s a kind of primordial beauty, the way that different parts are arranged in relation to each other. It’s one of the most fundamental things you can do as an architect or artist I think: take a few parts, and arrange them in a nice way so that the parts together produce something intriguing, captivating, and beautiful. It doesn’t cost any more money or effort to do this : it’s just a question of organisation. With the help of computers we can now organise lots of parts, or generate lots of variations of organisations quickly. And evaluate which ones work. Architecture then becomes complex, in the sense that you can create complex relations between the parts. The parts however can still be very simple and minimal. Regarding abstraction: this is a very abstract process. There is no representation, no symbolic meaning, and not even a predefined function. It’s really just a bunch of very simple parts that are compiled and put into action together. The Discrete is probably one of the most abstract kinds of architecture possible. I sometimes compare this with abstract expressionism — the idea that something can be very abstract, but still derived from physical properties, and still have a certain design intent and tangible quality. For example, the paintings by Mark Rothko［●14］. These are abstract, reduced, primitive, primordial, fundamental, material. I like all of these qualities for architecture. An other comparison to art would be minimalism, like the work of Sol Lewitt［●15］, but this is much “harder”, less tangible, more rational. I would say my work kind of fluctuates between these two. But definitely, the type of aesthetic I am interested in is not “flashy”. Architects in the early nineties looked at fish, boats, cars or airplanes as references. Perfect, sleek, smooth forms. I look more at old stone walls, or old barns etc. I think automation and digital design will lead us to a kind of more direct and primitive architecture, rather than a kind of alienating, smooth, artificial space as we see in sci-fi fantasies.
Architects, Engineers, Users
Akiyoshi: Can you tell us more about AUAR?
Retsin: So besides my own architectural practice, I also run AUAR, a spin-out from from our research lab at UCL, the Bartlett School of Architecture. The aim is to build a fully automated housing platform for affordable housing, based on principles of discrete assembly. We are working on a modular［●16］timber building product and tools and processes for its automation, from design software, to robotic assembly and AR/VR tools.
Akiyoshi: So users can use that housing platform?
Retsin: That’s right. Everything is based on a pretty boring and simple, square, building block, but while the building block is generic it can result in endless variety of housing . The idea is to produce a short production chain based on CNC machines, and robotic prefabrication of building blocks［●17]. These blocks can then again be robotically assembled into larger chunks, or assembled manually, with the help of AR. The resulting building can also be disassembled and reassembled again, connecting with ideas of circular economy. We use our own generative software to design and play with the building system. We have also developed simple software that allows stakeholders and future inhabitants to participate in the design and fabrication process.
Akiyoshi: What process does the user go through to proceed with design? Is it user-centric where they upload it to an app and AI incorporates their design needs?
Retsin: With AUAR we would push for that yes, we have a basic app that allows users to play around with our building blocks. We are developing this further to be able to generate more complex designs, and also to make it more accessible to more users. It’s very interesting in terms of authorship, you have a collaboration between us, the materials we work with, the automated software, and the users.
Akiyoshi: In addition to AUAR, you also run your own architectural design firm, Gilles Retsin Architecture. What are the differences in your work?
Retsin: With Gilles Retsin Architecture, the business model is more traditional in the sense that it’s really me who designs it, and then I discuss some options with the clients. So this is very different compared to AUAR — much more of a traditional model of practice. I do always have my clients think alongside me, I make sure they understand all the decisions. But ultimately, they are not involved in the design. The thing that is very different from a normal architectural practice is that I also works with discreteness. I have my own building systems, which are then deployed in various architectural projects. So in that sense while my practice is on the one hand “traditional” you could also argue that it’s the inversion of the traditional model of the architect — you don’t need to start from scratch for every project. My own practice is very important for me — it is a place for me to speculate, to experiment, to explore ideas. As it’s not a “startup” it has more flexibility, it can be more artistic. My own practice is really where many of the ideas on the discrete started, but I don’t see it only constrained to that — that’s the beauty of it. It’s an ongoing architectural research project.
Akiyoshi: My term would be “meta-architect”. This is what I call an architect who creates tools and works as an artist, and who designs from a meta-perspective of existing architects. I felt that your activities are exactly that of a meta-architect.
Retsin: I think you are right.
To decentralized production of materials
Akiyoshi: I think the difference between VUILD and your company is that VUILD focuses on a production system whereas your company focuses more on the design system.
Retsin: That’s right. Both Gilles Retsin Architecture and AUAR don’t even have a workshop, so we outsource to a CNC company. We recently built a house in Belgium where the CNC work is done in the UK and then shipped to Belgium. Ultimately though, we are looking to work with timber contractors locally in Belgium so we can use them to design the entire production there.
Akiyoshi: At Vuild we send our data to local manufacturers where they use raw wood materials. I was wondering in the UK in regards to materials how locally do you source them?
Retsin: In principle, we try to always manufacture as closely to the building site as possible. We would like to use as local as possible to minimise shipping but it’s difficult as the UK doesn’t have their own production of wood/CLT［●18］. In general all timber in Europe is from Scandinavia and moved around so it’s difficult to be hyperlocal. For example, for one of my latest projects, the wood comes from a forest in Finland, it is then shipped to a company called Binderholz in Austria to be made into panels, and then shipped to the UK. The cost is actually not that expensive but it’s a bit silly for the material to go around Europe.
Akiyoshi: As an example, in Spain with IAAC they use soil to 3D print houses. My question is why in the UK or Belgium do you not use local materials? Why do they use wood?
Retsin: Timber has better properties than rammed earth. Timber is one of the best construction materials, it’s very versatile. Even though it travels further from Scandinavia to the UK, it is ultimately still more sustainable than using concrete. Of course, I do see that here in the UK we use timber differently than in Japan where it really is a local resource. It’s interesting to see how in Japan there is more possibility to work with people that harvest the timber and the carpenters. It really seems like a local economy.
Methodology of Discrete Architecture
Akiyoshi: Please tell us a little more about AUAR. What was your motivation for starting the company?
Retsin: My motivation for this startup is to have more impact on important issues like housing. If you’re just an architect it’s hard to have an impact as you are not in control of the whole process. AUAR is also an experiment with new business models, to combine architectural practices with a technology company. ［●19］ I would say it has similarities with what VUILD is doing, where you are empowering local communities and teaching contractors about digital technologies.
Akiyoshi: The design of the joints in your projects is very distinctive, isn’t it? Who designs the detailing and joinery, is it from you directly or from the contractor? Where does the idea of tectonics come from?
Retsin: We design all the detailing and joinery in house. Nothing is left to the contractor. The detailing is really part of the system. In my approach, you just have to detail one block, and then there is no traditional detail or joint as such between the elements, as the parts are just compressed together with a rod or cable. It makes sense that there are no details between the parts: the relationships are just organisational, you don’t need to craft them. Of course, there are challenging details emerging when the parts meet elements that are foreign to the system, such as the window. This brings up lots of issues to consider, in terms of thermal behaviour and cold bridging［●20］, but also in terms of architecture.
Akiyoshi: Where do you come up with these tectonic ideas?
Retsin: The tectonic ideas are fundamental to the systems, they are there from the very beginning. I work with a few parts, and try out “features” they can produce, patterns that then can be repeated. I usually think about primitive architectural conditions, such as the slab, the roof, the junction of horizontal to vertical etc. Depending on the scale, the tectonics obviously also change. For smaller projects we are able to use my post-tensioned timber block method, which is based on thin sheet materials that are assembled into a block with stiffening frames in between. This method is what I use for all the installations, and it can work up to the scale of a house. For public work, and larger work, I work with LVL［●21］ and CLT and haven’t managed yet to push for post-tensioned discrete timber blocks. This method is still very experimental, so engineers are resistant to use it for larger buildings. The tectonics of my larger projects are therefore forced to work with more common ideas of joining timber etc.
Akiyoshi: How does AUAR’s methodology lead to the realization of your works?
Retsin: With AUAR, we are really trying to work with the community and let them participate . Similar to the idea of the FabLab［●22］ we want to distribute technology to people and provide them access to tools. AUAR believes that it is not just giving access but also giving education, background and knowledge to enable that. It’s important that you don’t just give the machine and hope it works, there needs to be support. We are trying to create methodologies with the communities to involve the production of the building and built environments.
Akiyoshi: By being part of the FabLab community and learning from the book ”OPEN DESIGN”［●23］, I felt how important it was to provide support to the user and empower the so-called meta designer. What made you interested in empowering the user through design? How do you view FabLab or Neil Gershenfeld’s［●24］ The Center for Bits and Atoms(CBA)［●25］? I was impressed by research work on “digital material”［●26］ which led to my interest in discreet architecture.
Retsin: When I was studying at the AA I discovered Neil Gerschenfeld and was immediately interested in this very different approach to the digital: it was all about making systems that are accessible and fundamentally change the way we build. This then led to further research, and when I started my own practice and research, I starting looking at the CBA’s digital materials. This, in an interesting way, coincided with Mario Carpo’s［●27］ text “breaking the curve”［●28］. While Mario mainly talks about discreteness and “bits” in a digital sense, as part of the software, Digital Materials are also about physical discreteness. This makes them so radically different from other ways of construction. From there, I started to develop ideas about really large-scale architectural “materials”, building blocks that have no specific function or meaning, which can then be assembled into functional structures. I was interested in building these in the most simple way, from standardised timber sheet materials such as plywood, or then later, CLT and LVL. In parallel with this technical work, I also started to work on a theoretical agenda for this work, and on the socio-political consequences — the relationship to automation, housing crisis etc. Most importantly, I was really interested in the architectural consequences of a discrete method: what does this mean for space, for experience, for aesthetics etc. How do we think building differently if we work with discreteness?
Towards a new model for architects
Akiyoshi: Anton Garcia-Abrill ［●30］ of Ensamble Studio ［●29］ teaches at MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) and runs WoHo ［●31］, an architectural startup. Is it quite common for architects to run startups in Europe?
Retsin: It’s still quite rare for architects to be part of start ups. There are architects that go into startup technology but not with a general vision where the focus will not be on building buildings. The only companies I know are Wikihouse and WoHo, to tackle the entire problem. There are engineers and businesses trying to deal with housing but not architects. Another example is Urban Splash［●32］, which is a modular housing company that got a lot of investment. Their focus is building CLT housing but they have existed for a long time so they are not really a start up.
Akiyoshi: In Japan, architects and engineers are almost always completely separated, but I don’t see that gap in Zaha Hadid Architects ［●33］, for example. Do you feel that there is a gap between architecture and digital technology in Europe?
Retsin: There is a gap in practice and academic use of digital fabrication. In practices such as SOM［●34］ and Foster and Partners［●35］, they have technological research but it’s not very creative or culturally relevant per se. Most of the digital research takes place in Universities such as ETH or ICD in Stuttgart. This is very successful, but still difficult to translate to practice and industry. It’s important to build a link between practice and push the technology. Both with my own practice and AUAR, we aim to bring university research to practice and real-world scenarios, showing that it’s possible to do things differently.
Akiyoshi: That’s why it’s important to bridge the gap between making a social impact and creating beautiful spaces, isn’t it?
Retsin: Yes. What we are seeing is a new model of architects. The old model of being a starchitect doesn’t work anymore. I believe architects are creating new hybrid forms of practice to realise their work. We are starting to see architects that build their own work and start companies. ‘s perhaps a mode of survival, adapt to changing circumstances. I feel there is a huge interest in general to see how architecture can adapt to the rapid changes around us. Society is ready for for new modes of architecture and building. I am sure that n a couple of years there will be a cultural recognition for experimental modes. But it’s important though, to not give up on architecture itself, there is a danger in just developing a technology product without considering architecture. The key is to remain an architect while developing these technologies which means doing exhibitions, writing about your work, speculating — and that’s when it gets interesting. I believe VUILD has that same ambition as well.
［Interviewed February 4th 2021］
Translated by Valerie Vyvial, Edited by Kohei Haruguchi
note
●1 Christian Kerez (1962-) — — Architect. Professor of architecture at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich. He is considered to be one of the most theoretical architects in contemporary Swiss architecture.
●2 AA School — — Architectural Association School of Architecture, founded in 1847. Founded in 1847, it has produced many world-famous architects, including Rem Koolhaas and Zaha Hadid.
●3 CNC — — Computerized Numerical Control. CNC is the use of computers to numerically control the amount and speed of tool movement in machine tools. In recent years, it has come to be used in the construction industry as well.
●4 Félix Candela (1910–1997) — — structural engineer, builder, and architect who specialized in curved spaces that integrate structure and expression using HP shell structures.
●5 Financial crisis — — The Lehman Shock, which began with the subprime mortgage crisis that manifested itself in September 2007, and the series of international financial crises that followed.
●6 Walter Segal’s Segal Method — — Walter Segal (1907–1985). Architect. He invented the Sigal Method, a self-build construction method based on traditional wood frame construction, using modern standard materials and minimal experience.
●7 WikiHouse — — an open source building assembly kit service. Design data downloaded from the website is cut and assembled by CNC machines. The service aims to make it easy for anyone to design, manufacture, and assemble houses customized to their needs. https://www.wikihouse.cc
●8 Facit Homes — — A building company that undertakes the entire process from design to construction. https://www.facit-homes.com
●9 U-Build — — A modular, self-build housing service that can be easily assembled by a few people. All parts are removable for easy expansion and recycling. https://u-build.org
●10 Mass Bespoke — — A user-centered building system that combines the benefits of mass production and bespoke design. It includes design, manufacturing, construction, and a web platform. http://massbespoke.com
●11 Blok Build — — A wooden building system that uses digital technology to provide an end-to-end service that integrates design, manufacturing, and construction. Blocks (cassettes) made up of floors, walls, and roofs are modularized and often collaborate with architects and engineers. https://www.blokbuild.com
●12 Housing crisis — — In the United Kingdom, house prices continue to soar, and the financial crisis has led to an increase in homelessness and a growing demand for low-cost housing. In the United Kingdom, housing prices continue to soar, and the financial crisis has led to an increase in the number of homeless people and a growing demand for low-cost housing. In Japan, regulations on housing policy are lax, and even in recent years there has been a supply of housing to meet demand. Reference: https://jp.wsj.com/articles/SB12068607819993324075404585221430924414838 (last viewed on May 21, 2021)
●13 Discrete architecture — — discrete (adjective: separate, isolated, individual). Here is a description of discrete architecture. Insert an explanation of discrete architecture here. Insert a description of discrete architecture here. Insert a description of discrete architecture here. Insert a description of discrete architecture here. Insert a description of discrete architecture here.
●14 Mark Rothko (1903–1970) — — Along with Jackson Pollock, Barnett Newman, and Willem de Kooning, Mark Rothko was one of the leading painters of Abstract Expressionism.
●15 Sol LeWitt (1928–2007) — — artist known for his work in minimalist and conceptual art, was an architect from 1955 to 1956. He worked as a graphic designer for the architect I.M. Pei from 1955 to 1956.
●16 Modular — — A classification of the structure and design of industrial products and systems. Many of the components and methods of connection between elements are standardized and standardized, and their combination enables the development and production of the final product.
●17 Prefab — — Abbreviation for pre-fabrication. A construction method in which some or all of the components of a building are fabricated in advance at a factory and assembled as a building at the construction site.
●18 CLT — — Abbreviation for Cross Laminated Timber. CLT is a large wood-based material made of laminated laminae, which are laminated and bonded so that the fiber directions are orthogonal. It is characterized by the simplicity of its joints and its adaptability to pre-fabrication.
●19 Affordable housing — — low-cost housing provided as a policy for equal housing opportunity. The supply of affordable housing is being promoted in many countries, and digital technology is contributing to this.
●20 Cold bridge — — A part of a building frame, such as steel or metal, that conducts heat more readily than surrounding materials. Condensation tends to form in winter.
●21 LVL — — Abbreviation for Laminated Veneer Lumber. Veneer laminated timber. A wood material made of laminated veneer, in which veneers are laminated and bonded in the same direction as the fibers. The fiber direction is aligned to prioritize strength in the longitudinal direction for use in columns and beams.
●22 FabLab — — A network of experimental citizen workshops equipped with a variety of digital and analog machine tools. Proposed by Neil Gershenfeld［●24］ of MIT, it aims to foster a culture in which people themselves create the things they use.
●23 Open Design — — Bas van Abel, Roel Klaassen, Lucas Evers, Peter Troxler, “Open Design Now,” BIS publishers, 2011. The original book “Open Design Now,” is now available in its entirety under a Creative Commons license. http://opendesignnow.org
●24 Neil Gershenfeld (1959-) — — Professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Director of CBA［●25］. He is known as the father of the FabLab. His main research interests include quantum computing, nanotechnology, personal fabrication, and other interdisciplinary research that integrates physics and computer science.
●25 The Center for Bits and Atoms (CBA) — — An interdisciplinary research center established within the MIT Media Lab to broadly explore the interface between information and its physical representation.
●26 Digital Materials — — a collection of small-scale discrete building blocks. Defined by Neil Gershenfeld and others, additive by deposition and removal of materials. It illustrates the process of moving from manufacturing to fabrication, which is assembled from discrete parts.
●27 Mario Carpo — — is an architectural historian and critic. Professor at the University of London. His research and writing focuses on the relationship of architectural theory to cultural history and the history of media and information technology.
●28 Breaking the Curve — — Published in the February 2014 issue of ARTFORUM. https://www.artforum.com/print/201402/breaking-the-curve-big- data-and-design-45013
●29 Ensemble Studio — — An architectural design firm founded by Anton Garcia-Abrill [30] and Deborah Mesa. Also undertakes building construction.
●30 Antón García-Abril (1969-) — — Architect, president of Ensamble Studio. Professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His work includes landscape construction and prefabrication of houses.
●31 WoHo — — a housing platform company whose CEOs are Anton Garcia-Abril, Deborah Mesa, and Israel Ruiz. Develops component systems that can be scaled and configured. It enables new ways of building that are optimized for manufacturing, transportation, assembly and operation. https://woho.us
●32 Urban Splash — — A British developer that has renovated decaying warehouses and factories. 32 Urban Splash is a British developer that has been renovating decaying warehouses and factories. It has a partnership with Sekisui House as an emerging house builder that offers variable, adaptable, and highly configurable housing in its “house” series.
●33 Zaha Hadid Architects — — An architectural design firm founded by architect Zaha Hadid (1950–2016), which has continued to operate since her death in 2016. After her death in 2016, the firm continues to operate, producing large-scale buildings with organic forms that utilize digital technology.
●34 SOM — — Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, one of the largest architectural design firms in the United States, established in 1936. One of the largest architectural design firms in the U.S. Established in 1936, it is involved in many large-scale commercial facilities and skyscrapers.
●35 Foster and Partners — — A British international architectural design firm founded by architect Norman Foster (1935-). The firm has been involved in numerous projects including skyscrapers and public facilities.
