Architecture Spring Lecture Series Underway

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The Spring 2002 University of Arkansas School of Architecture Lecture Series debuted with Takehiko Nagakura, Jan. 18, in Vol Walker Hall.

Nagakura presented the latest techniques of computer animated architectural design titled "The Reconstruction of Canonical Unbuilt Works by Terrangi, Corbusier, Tatlin, Archigram and Kahn."

Marlon Blackwell, associate professor in architecture and principal for Marlon Blackwell Architect, introduced the professor from MIT to an over-crowded audience in Vol Walker 103. Nagakura, who is a native of Tokyo and teaches courses in computer-aided design, gave a two-part lecture beginning with a humorous reminder to the young audience about the speed in which his black and white MAC operated in 1985.

"I had five and a half to 12K megabytes, which was big at the time," he said.

He compared real spaces to virtual spaces during a slide presentation, drawing attention to slight deviations in the two. With the aid of computers, he emphasized how architects are now able to better predict and design spaces by anticipating structural flaws, for example, or seeing for the first time unbuilt designs. In turn, architects' clients may better visualize the end result.

"Since most of his virtual constructions to date have been of unbuilt works, Nagakura has done architecture a great service, giving life to many important, unrealized works of 20th century masters," said Jeff Shannon, interim dean of the School of Architecture.

A computer-animated video brought to the screen a visual reconstruction of these unbuilt designs during the second half of the presentation.

The lecture series will also highlight six more speakers this spring, including Italian architect Andrea Ponsi, Jennifer Siegal and Andrew Thurlow in February; Steve Martino and David Salmela in March; and Toshiko Mori in April, sponsored by Polk Stanley Yeary Architects. For more information about the 2002 Lecture Series, contact the School of Architecture at 575-4705.

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