An Evolutionary Architecture

Selfbuilder by John Frazer and Walter Segal
One of the most influential books on morphogenetic design An Evolutionary Architecture by John Frazer was published in January 1995 to coincide with an exhibition of the same name at the Architectural Association. The book investigates the fundamental form-generating processes in architecture, considering architecture as a form of artificial life, and proposing a genetic representation in a form of DNA-like code-script, which can then be subject to developmental and evolutionary processes in response to the user and the environment. The aim of an evolutionary architecture is to achieve in the built environment the symbiotic behaviour and metabolic balance found in the natural environment. To do so, it operates like an organism, in a direct analogy with the underlying design process of nature. Frazer is currently reserach co-ordinator for Gehry Technologies.