Hi Sameh, all,
will it be possible to see some of your Information visualization work somewhere?
i ask this in a specific context, i am re-builing the Architexturez web site started by Brian <www.architexturez.com> and as it is an online resource (bibliography and thesaraus/dictionary of terms) meant for architects, i feel that its contents should be represented as a dynamic diagramme.
i have finished about 3000 lines of code already, which sorts the information after querying a database and am just beginning on the diagramme/representation part and would certainly like to read your paper.
i will soon post a URL to the new Architexturez site, once the basic framework is ready.
anand.
howardl@xxxxxxxxxxx wrote
Dear Sameh:
Your paper is both interesting and valuable.
In reflecting on similar interests in connection to health educational
facilities planning problems and processes, I saw a need for this approach.
I was involved with this kind of work prior to becoming an academic. This
would have been around 1965-1967.
It always irritated us that the architects would rather use form-making to
produce solutions to such major and complex problems. They would take our
work of many months, and they would "round file" it. We has considered
removing 1% of their commission to get them serious about our work. We
were the architectural programmers of about 80% of these facilities in the USA.
One of the problems of architectural education is that it does NOT belong
in the academy. It belongs in practice. No building has ever been deigned
in an architecture school, since there are no clients to service. Service
to clients is the paramount concern in practice, or it should be. The
problem of architecture in the academy is that student have no clients, so
they fail to learn to serve clients. they just want to handle everything
formally.
In terms of doing it right, it is only possible in the right political
circumstances.
That is, data cannot be collected unless the client base is "politically
correct".
All the clients must be available to the facilities planner; and they must
not be limited by administrators. It is the only way to find the truth in
any data collection process.
The universities are for research, and learning through it. Architects in
control of the process of architectural education only stunt the process of
finding new architectures---the truth. They are too taken with fashion and
their egos to really seek the truth of any design product. I do not know
if this will ever change. Practice is for practice. Teaching/learning is
best from research.
Thanks for letting me read your paper.
I am copying to Design List, since there may be others who would enjoy your
paper.
And, good luck on the next one!
All the best,
Howard
At 10:26 PM 8/9/01 +0100, you wrote:
>Dear Howard
>
>Thank you for your interest. This paper was published in the proceedings
>of the 5th international conference of Information Visualization by IEEE.
>Due to the copy right agreement I can't post it to the list.
>However, It gives me much pleasure to send you a personal copy.
>
>ps. Due to new server installations my web site is temporarily down. I
>will you send you the link as soon as it comes to life again which will
>contain more information about our research area and activities.
>
>best regards
>
>
>Sameh
>
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Howard Ray Lawrence [
mailto:howardl@xxxxxxxxxxx]
>Sent: 09 August 2001 04:14 PM
>To: Sameh Shaaban
>Subject: Construction Informatics.
>
>Sameh Shaaban
>-----------------------------------------------------------------
>Construction Informatics
>School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape
>University of Newcastle upon Tyne
>www.apl.ncl.ac.uk
>
>Dear Sameh:
>
>You said:
>
>This exactly what I emphasized in my last paper in the Information
>Visualization conference in London 2 weeks ago. I am trying to improve the
>information resources interfaces used by architects, i.e. product
>selectors and technical document libraries on the Internet, by adapting
>Information visualization (IV) techniques. Current literature point out
>that users' poor visual together with week spatial abilities are the main
>struggling factors to the success of such IV technologies. However, I
>argue that this is not the case with architects.
>
>My question:
>
>Would you be interested in posting your paper to the list?
>
>Thanks,
>Howard
>
>ps: Is Greg Sipes still working at New Castle?
>