Disinformation in Architecture

In modern days, architects not anymore manually draw presentational drawings, most is by computer aided 3d rendering.

To win a project in architecture, one must first produces great presentational drawings in order to convince client and public how nice and fascinating will the outcome be.

But the question is: Are those 3d rendered drawings truly speaks out what will the projects look like after completed? Or it is a disinformation to the client to mislead them to pay for the project?

Here I share some of my thinking on the 3d render technique in architectural presentational drawings:

Erdos museum should be one of the most excited deconstructive architecture these days designed by MAD architect and currently under construction,

Compare the 3d rendering and photograph taken in constructional progress:


Look detail into the facade, the rendered drawing shows its very fine, smooth mirror effect. It looks like it is a piece of golden mirror that can bend into the shape.
But what is the outcome? We can clearly seen that it is done by many separated metal plates cladding which will never get its smoothness and never mirror image the surrounding,

In the New York public art installation, the Water Falls by Olafur Eliasson. Te rendered image shows how strong and powerful the water flow into the river.
But what we got here is the water supply not enough and even exposed the metal structures:

For Herzog and De Meuron's amazing facade for the Elbe Philharmonic Hall. In earlier images, the architect claimed that the translucent articulated facade appears to be a seamless and almost weightless blanket.

However the constructional photo show that the multi-million dollar facade is not giving the same effect. It looks solid and heavy. What do you think?

Historical Architectural Explaination

Historical Architectural Explaination by Vitruvius

Marcus Vitruvius Pollio (born c. 80–70 BC, died after c. 15 BC) was a Roman writer, architect and engineer

Vitruvius is famous for asserting in his book De architectura that a structure must exhibit the three qualities of firmitas, utilitas, venustas — that is, it must be strong or durable, useful, and beautiful. According to Vitruvius, architecture is an imitation of nature. As birds and bees built their nests, so humans constructed housing from natural materials, that gave them shelter against the elements.

When perfecting this art of building, the Ancient Greek invented the architectural orders: Doric, Ionic and Corinthian. It gave them a sense of proportion, culminating in understanding the proportions of the greatest work of art: the human body. This led Vitruvius in defining his Vitruvian Man, as drawn later by Leonardo da Vinci: the human body inscribed in the circle and the square :





























In modern architecture:What is firmitas in Modern Architecture?New material, structure to achieve Stronger and more Durable building, with wider span, Skyscrapers,




















The Dubai Tower. But does it relate to 2012 ? if world ends there?2012 - First, a polar reversal will cause the north to become the south and the sun to rise in the west. Shattering earthquakes, massive tidal waves and simultaneous volcanic eruptions will follow. Nuclear reactors will melt, buildings will crumble, and a cloud of volcanic dust will block out the sun for 40 years. Only the prepared will survive. Does the tower will survive in 2012? Maybe it collapse after a year of its completion date.


Firmitas for 2012 refer to much stronger structure, that withstand earthquake, tidal waves. Does we prepared for it?

Utilitas: New functions, New habitat, Ecotecture, Sustainable design.


















Floating whale hotel . Shaped like a beluga, a white whale.To relate to 2012. Can human live without earth? A floating habitat?

Utilitas : Utilitas for 2012 will be only 1 function : Survival of human being.

Venustas:Santiago Calatrava works best describe the term of venustas in modern architecture.with natural proportion, organic design in his design.























Relate to 2012: Any Architecture that survive after 2012 will surely the beautiest architecture.

History of Architecture of School of Housing Building and Planning(hbp)(University Science of Malaysia).

Established in 1972 by the late Tan Sri Professor Hamzah Sendut, the Vice Chancellor of USM, the nation’s second oldest university, the School of Housing, Building and Planning is one of the few building construction-based educational centres in Malaysia that is multi-disciplinary in nature. The School was modeled along the lines of what Professor Koenigsberger and Markus had envisioned to meet the needs of a developing country. Even though over the years it has evolved to cater to a more widely accepted precept that clearly demarcates professional boundaries
source:http://www.hbp.usm.my/

History of architecture is helping us in finding the 'door'?or Stopping us to search for the door?

Disinformation in architectural history of hbp.

note sentences above in red color.

1)One of the few building construction-based educational centres in Malaysia that is multi-disciplinary in nature.
What is the valid period of the statement above? Not found
In fact, this perhaps valid in the early stage of educational development in Malaysia where there is only a few institution of higher education.
Building construction-based educational centres now in Malaysia is mostly building construction-based educational centres in Malaysia that is multi-disciplinary in nature.

2)The School was modeled along the lines of what Professor Koenigsberger and Markus had envisioned to meet the needs of a developing country.

Please read the paragraph below:
'The initial model1 propounded by Koenigsberger and Markus in 1972 to produce a new profession as part of the UN program, has now reverted to the production of the more traditional trade professionals (architects, planners, quantity surveyors) in the widely-legitimated disciplines (architecture, planning, quantity surveying) despite a review by Markus in 1985.The future, having to respond to the blurring of professional boundaries.'
source:http://www.hbp.usm.my/about%20hbp.htm

Is that hbp right now is develop according to Prof. Koenigsberger and Markus model?
produced a new profession? No,it has reverted to the production of the more traditional trade professionals in the widely-legitimated disciplines.


Ways to Eliminate Disinformation:

1) Be honest although it sounds ridiculous as most information provider only tells the positive side. Be responsible to your information. It affects the reader.

2) Provide evidence to proof your information. Source of information, scientific evidence.
Differentiate truth from theory, assumption.

3) Reader should has own judgement on what he or she read. Try to get one information from few different source, construct the whole story using different sources


My Datum for Truth:
Truth=100%correct. true.
1.the true or actual state of a matter
2.conformity with fact or reality; verity: the truth of a statement.
3.a verified or indisputable fact, proposition, principle.

Truth, need to fulfill three statement above
So is History a Truth?
no. It is mostly produced by the theory of historians.
Is what you saw, heard, the truth? Look at 911 incident, Zeitgeist theory, lots of facts remain unknown, or 'untold' if you believe in government and media.

My datum:
However i believe it is a truth when:
It has strong evidence to support it scientifically.
I believe my Judgement or sometimes felling on what i saw and heard.
I believe on what i told by my family and close friends.