Real and Virtual SpacesGenerated By Music Adrián J. Levy

375issue 0 3, volume 01international journal of architectural computing

Real and Virtual Spaces Generated By Music Adrián J. Levy

The main objective of this research work is toexplore a new digital design process.This new methodfor the creation of spaces (referred to as DataRepresentation Architecture) entails the choice of anyelement from the everyday world, and the creation, bymeans of a digital a process, of either a real or avirtual space. In this particular case, the real element ismusic.Various melodies, some of them famous andsome of them new or specially composed for theproject, materialize their basic information andgenerate novel spaces. For each musical composition,many instruments were played, and the sound of eachof them was then materialized in the final space.Thisis how alternative design processes are born, and acompletely new architecture defined. In order toaccomplish this research work, it was necessary tocombine knowledge from different fields; namely,architecture, music, mathematics and computerscience.

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1. Introduction

The time we live in, so complicated and contradictory, is sometimes called“the information era”. Nobody doubts now that we are living in a worldcovered in data of different natures which travel, thanks to the newtechnologies, along endless communication networks.

The advance of science has caused the development of machines andinstruments that simplify human life.Among such machines, which werecreated with the purpose of making this a better world, there is thecomputer.Arguably, it is this artifact more than any other one that hasafforded us an immense leap into the future, and from where there is nowno possibility to go back.

A computer stores and processes thousands of data of differentcharacteristics, producing incredible results. It increases the possibilities ofwork, learning, entertainment, and it tears down spatial and physicalbarriers. Undoubtedly, it creates new and better channels forcommunication.

Cyberspace is the electronic world of data based upon software,networks, and computers. It is the new “America” in the eyes of anyexplorer in the quest for new opportunities. Cyberspace is repeatedlycreated and recreated in a subjective and individual way. It is where therelationship between man and information is built according to the needs ofeach user.

Through electronic means, the virtual reality generated by computersgives us the feeling of experiencing a real situation, interacting with thethings that surround us – elements that appear to be real, but are actuallyethereal and inexistent in the material world. In cyberspace, we can navigatethese virtual worlds and discover infinite landscapes, without the need forphysical movement. And there is also the possibility to reverse the processand transform elements from the real world into bytes in cyberspace.Thedata remains, but matter, concrete and tangible, changes.This process ofdematerialization of the real brings new contents into our experience of theworld, and will undoubtedly bring about new ways of seeing and thinkingabout it.

2. Digital Design

In this context, it is possible to think about the potential of the digital tocreate new worlds.A process based on the use of the virtual as a criticaland poetic tool to talk about the real, as an instrument to enable newperspectives of the physical.

If the computer was hitherto used as a simple tool or as a mere meansto represent architectonic works, it is now compulsory to think of it as astarting point for the creation of spaces.The byte shall be the sole buildingmaterial. From this perspective, architecture becomes a fluctuating and

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dematerialized discipline. It returns to the physical yet it reinvents it overand over again.The building process that starts in the crossroads betweenthe real and the virtual has ever increasing possibilities. In fact, theintegration of the virtual and the real universes is one of the keys tounderstand the architecture of the next century.

3. Music and Architecture

The element from which this project starts is music.Music, like architecture, has an artistic nature that encompasses order,

expression, and meaning.Within the musical spectrum we can find fromsongs a cappella to symphonies that may include up to 200 instruments.Thecombination of sound vibrations produced by each one of the musicalinstruments is infinite; each musical piece – particular and unique- isstructured into notes, quavers, and tones; elements forming a whole, andthat we can appreciate transformed into sound shades, harmonies, andmusical tensions.

Architecture is also composed of signs. Behind the physical presence ofmaterials, shapes, colors and textures, lie the different signs upon whicharchitectonic matter is structured. Spaces, like music, are the object ofhuman representation; they reveal a creative process that finds its roots inlife itself.

Architectural signs make use of order not unlike those in music.Furthermore, music introduces here a fourth dimension into

architecture: the dimension of time.Time becomes a part of these newconstructs, since it is an essential component of music.Thus, the 3Drepresentation of a musical composition would be unthinkable without thepresence of time. For Novak, these are no longer 3D representations, butinstances of a “four-dimensional architecture which moves around in space,shifting color, shifting form” [1]; this he calls “navigable music”[2].

4. Processes of Digital Design – Data RepresentationArchitecture

For architects, computers are not just an excellent tool for therepresentation and visualization of their works. Nowadays, the informationrevolution has made it possible to include computers in the genesis of thecreative process itself, consequently changing the traditional conception ofarchitecture.Through the use of computers, it is possible to generate shapesand spaces that would have been unimaginable in earlier times.

By combining the knowledge of different disciplines such as architecture,mathematics and computer science, a new discipline has been developed,which has brought about a revolution in the traditional design processes.Bermudez and Agutter have called it Data Representation Architecture [3].

Data Representation Architecture consists of using data generated froma specific source from reality (i.e., process, system) to construct a virtual or

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a real space by means of a digital process.Its name comes from the combination of architecture (design discipline),

data (basic information/raw material), and representation (set of organizedsigns used to express data). Data Representation Architecture is built fromany single element of reality. Data, the starting point for the design, areprocessed by specific software and transformed into the representationstructure of a new digital space, which may then be utilized for real orvirtual purposes.

5. Process

This work sets itself the objective to explore the uses and possibilities ofData Representation Architecture to generate novel shapes, by relatingarchitecture and music in the same project. Musical composition, along withits instruments, plays the part of a pencil in the design and origin of theshapes that will form the space.The digital field is where these arts meet.Within the digital networks, great quantities of information from the musicalspectrum are transformed into numerical data. Once these data areobtained, it is possible to relate the musical information to virtual forms andto articulate them into a visual language.

5.1.The Source from Reality

Music: an organized movement of sounds through a continuum of time. Eachsound contains distinctive elements that differentiate it from the others.Each instrument produces a particular sound.

Music, for this project, is studied instrument by instrument, so as to beable to analyze the particular sound elements and values, and thus form thedata spectrum that each one of them generates.

Design starts with the execution of the instruments, which are playedindividually on a track-sequencer and synthesizer keyboard.The sounds arethen recorded on the keyboard’s memory, to be later downloaded to a PC,in a WAV format file, where the data will be interpreted and manipulated.

5.2.The Data

By means of specific software, we can measure the values generated by eachinstrument, and turn the sounds and melodies into data.The soundsproduced are read by a digital audio editing program (the one used wasSound Forge®, but any type of sound editing software could serve thesepurposes) which performs a spectrum analysis of them.That is to say that itreads the frequencies (Hz), the decibels (dB), and the duration (seconds) ofeach instrument’s execution.This spectrum analysis is displayed by theprogram in a 2D graph, or “sonogram” which represents the data readings.The sonogram shows, a vertical axis representing the frequency readings,and a horizontal one for the time.The body of the graph shows

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uncountable color dots representing the decibels on a scale ranging fromblue (- 150dB) to red (0dB), being the colors arbitrarily assigned by thesoftware. Music has been transformed into numbers, which in turnconstitute the information from which the spatial design work starts.

Thousands of data can be captured in a musical segment. Once eachinstrument and its musical arrangements are analyzed, we can move on tothe next stage, which is richer and more creative.

5.3. Data Manipulation

The data results are now used to generate geometries. This is carried outby means of a digital technique which allows us to manipulate the data andtransform them into virtual matter.

How? Through the use of 3D design software (specifically: 3D StudioMax’s “Max Script”) which assigns points in space to the data.That is to saythat all the data from the spectrum analysis graphs are now processed by ascript, which is in charge of molding 3D forms.This is carried out throughthe assignment of different locations in space to pixels (dots) selected fromthe spectrum analysis graph .As a result, the program generates a virtualtopographical mesh which represents the execution of a particularinstrument.

The manipulation of data means that the designer is able to relate thevalues in different ways, play with the shapes, and overlay the meshes untilthe final space is visualized.Thus, these meshes are attributed certaincharacteristics which are up to the designer; namely, color, texture and light.

Multiple morphological alternatives may arise from the musical data,depending on the designer’s decision.

6. Spaces

In this project various melodies, some of them famous and some of themnew or specially composed for the project, materialize their basic

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. Figure 1. Processes of digital design.

Data Representation Architecture.

information and generate novel spaces. By applying Data RepresentationArchitecture based design processes, musical compositions come to avirtual spatial life and, eventually and if desired, to actual materiality in thereal world. In other words, the resulting spaces may be transported to areal site, or simply be navigated in the virtual environment, as all the spacesgenerated in this project have a VRML format.

6.1.The Place Where Sounds Live

This project began by testing various sounds. During these experiments,sounds of different timbres and characteristics were used, such as: thesound of a car horn, the sound of water, or of crystals breaking. Each soundgenerated a space, which somehow reflected its warmth, its tension peaks,and its sound shades.

From a real source -the sound-several steps were followed, which leadto the creation of a virtual form in a digital environment. First, the soundwas captured and digitized in a WAV format file, then a spectrum analysiswas carried out (as explained in section 5.2), and finally, it was molded intoa virtual 3D form. For each sound, and only in this stage, I had the MaxScript compare the information of the graph with the three different colorsprovided by the sound editing software: red, blue and red.This broughtabout three different meshes for the same data, and for the same sound.The overlapping of those three meshes formed the virtual space for eachsound.

The data input into the computer was handled in such a way as toachieve a geometrical shape that was similar to its information of thespectrum. Lines, planes, points, etc. were intermingled in the direction thatthe sounds guided them, as in an endless dance of data. Each element drewa different line in space.

The possibilities to navigate these spaces are infinite.What is novel interms of design is that these spaces do not originate from an image in thedesigner’s mind, but from the information generated by certain sound

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vibrations in the air. Data Representation Architecture provides thesesounds with body and shape without corrupting their first identity.

These virtual spaces constituted the first instance of space creation forthis project.

b Figure 2.Virtual space.

The sound of water

b Figure 3.Virtual space.

The sound of a car horn

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6.2.Virtual Space.“Ode to Joy”

The exploratory work moves a step forward, towards the intervention ofmusic in this process.

“Ode to Joy” was the composition chosen to create topographicalmeshes, which overlaid together would form a virtual space. From thislengthy piece, only the first 8 bars were used for the design process.Thosebars were played on the keyboard with only five instruments: piano, bass,drums, strings and horn. One of the instruments played the melody, whilethe others were the accompaniment. Once the data from the spectrumwere processed, five different meshes were obtained, each one materializingthe information generated by a different instrument.When all the mesheswere overlaid, they generated a virtual space.This space, analyzed in termsof axes, represents the duration of the music, along the “x” axis.This meansthat the length of the virtual space represents the time dimensionintroduced by music. Having said this, a person navigating this space couldstand in a specific spot and be able to visualize the first bars of the songlocated on one side, and the later bars on the opposite one.

What was visualized as a result was that the shapes obtained showed aconsistency with the different musical moments of the instruments.Thus,the characteristics of the sounds: monotonous and constant throughout thepiece, brought about meshes with the same qualities.The clarity andtranquility of the music was reflected in a smooth figure.The meshes,therefore, did not show very complex behaviors.

c Figure 4.Virtual space.

The sound of crystals

breaking

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6.3.Virtual Space.“Project DOS”

Different from the experience with Ode to Joy, the objective in this stagewas to seek more audacious behaviors for the meshes.Therefore, theinstrumental monotony in Ode to Joy was here replaced by a greatermusical dynamism, by changing the intervention of instruments, introducingdissonances, different chords, and melodies with more character. How? Bythe composition of a musical piece:“DOS” which I specially created for thisproject, with the characteristics necessary for it.This piece contains seveninstruments instead of five, and the execution of several of them includes anumber of rests along the song, which produced novel behaviors in theirmeshes.

The change introduced in the characteristics of the piece analyzedmeant, therefore, a change in the qualities of the space.The greater amountof data and the profound differences between them brought about morecomplex meshes, more difficult to navigate, but at the same time moreinteresting to explore in detail.The music generated the same type ofdynamic in the shapes: topographical contrast, low and high levels, sinuosity,fluidity, etc.

With such a diversity of elements within the same environment, it waspossible to experiment with them, as if with a puzzle; fitting pieces togetheruntil the final space was achieved.

The following step was to associate each one of the meshes to a texturesimilar to those from the real world; the whole of the virtual space wastransformed into a nature-like landscape.This allowed the digital space to beinterfaced and navigated without fear, and without feeling a disconnectionfrom reality.This virtual environment does not cause a break with theimages of the world we live in, making it easier to interact with the thingswe see.The approach to the virtual space becomes more human andcomprehensible.

The landscape produced is dynamic and surprising: some elements arerecurring; some appear only rarely along the mesh.

Music is now a landscape to be freely explored. Euclidean geometry isnow past and giving way to a “liquid architecture” [2] that leads toincreasingly more fluid spaces rather than to stable sites.Virtual shapesintermingle with each other in the global space, the same way eachinstrument does, with the rest of the orchestra. It has no beginning or end,no outside or inside, but it provides us with the possibility to take multiple“rides” in a personal and novel experience; a new type of relationship withinformation. Music has been the starting point for the design of the space,but the final line is drawn by the interactive experience of each user.‘Navigating’ it is to embark in a journey that transcends the borders ofimagination.

b Figures 5 and 6.Virtual space.“Ode

to Joy”

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b Figures 7, 8, and 9.Virtual space.

“Project DOS”

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6.4. Real Space.The Park of Music

After the previous tests and experiments in virtual environment, it was timeto move on to the creation of a real space.The idea was to design a publicspace for the development of recreational activities: a park.

A song was composed, for a specific spot in the city of Córdoba,Argentina.The song was inspired by its location within the city, its culturalvalue, its context and history.

The composition was intended to reflect each of the historical periodsin the evolution of this specific site.The piece incorporated sounds ofnature, bells, an Argentinean aboriginal instrument called “siku”, strings,choral voices, and drums, among others, which formed a total of 7

c Figures 10 and 11. Study models.

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instruments and sounds.The song gradually accelerates its rhythm, andincorporates more instruments, as an attempt to show, through sounds, theevolution of culture.

Once the information had been digitized by means of the techniqueexplained above (Sections 5.2 and 5.3 ), several tests were carried out withthe purpose of visualizing the behavior of data in space.

These tests consisted in overlaying and combining the meshes in differentways, with the aim of creating a space for entertainment which offeredvarious use possibilities.The architectural program was the Park of Music.

The data manipulation stage was now aimed at creating a space withcharacteristics similar to those of nature.Thus, 5 of the meshes wereassigned a nature-like texture, so that they looked like water, or rock, orgrass, etc.The interweaving and intermingling of the meshes resulted in, forexample, some areas which appeared humid, or dry, others had a dark or asunny appearance, etc.The total space gathers other subspaces, which arisefrom the mesh overlapping.The Park is a landscape which combines wideand clear areas with narrow and dark places, cavities, peaks and valleys.Along the way, people can experience different situations in the space, thelength of the journey represents the duration of the music.

The remaining two meshes were handled so as to form park equipment,such as sitting elements, or elements for the protection from the sun.Tofulfill this end, the dimensions of those meshes were modified, and theircorresponding data manipulated accordingly.

Of course, the meshes still depended upon the execution of theinstruments, thus these elements appeared in the space, only where thecorresponding instruments were sounding.This means that meshes, thoughaltered, still contain the information they represent, but on a different scale.

In contrast with the other spaces created, the aim here was to createspace for reality. Hence, the data manipulation was tested repeatedly.Then,the results of those tests were observed in space, to check whether the aimhad been achieved. In some cases it was necessary to begin themanipulation from the start again, until the creation of a form which fulfilleda particular function was achieved.

7. Conclusion

Summarizing, we may say that:

� For the building and design processes, computers are and alternativetool in the generation of architectural works.

� Computers are a powerful tool in the creation of spaces, and providethe designer with ever increasing possibilities.

� Alternative design processes promote the generation of novel spaces.These spaces may be expressed in a real site (materially), and / or ina digital environment (virtually).

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c Figures 12, 13 and 14. Real space.

The park of music

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� Any reality source may provide us with the raw material (i.e.,information) for the creation of Data Representation Architecture.

� The space generated is the result of data manipulation, and not of amental image.

� Digital design allows us to try different data combinations, differentnumerical relations, etc. immediately checking and giving feedback tothe process.

� Following the appropriate process, data may become matter.

Throughout the centuries, man has been finding and developing newtools for relating to other people and interacting with the world aroundhim. Nowadays, technological changes and scientific improvements areproducing numerous benefits in the field of communication. However, thesebenefits are not used to the greatest advantage by the disciplines devotedto the representation of human life.

One of the most important scientific advances of our time has been theunveiling of the entire human genome.

The physical dimension of humans, their body, their look, the concreteimage of each human being is the external materialization of specific andinternal genetic information. DNA differentiates each one of the billions ofinhabitants of this planet; white and black, tall and short, thin andoverweight. Humans’ image is structured upon this chain of data. Eachperson is a relationship between information and matter.

Similarly, the spaces in this project materialize the musical informationfrom which they have originated.The Park will not simply accomplish thetraditional function for which it was created; it will be information in itself.The space is “genetically” linked to the music that generated it.

If, for some reason, the data of the melodies changed, the space wouldinevitably present modifications in several areas.

With Data Representation Architecture, the crossroads between thevirtual and the real now becomes a bridge that leads to a new relationshipwith information, through the contact with a materialized space.

Architecture is condensed time, it is visualized information. For DataRepresentation Architecture, that information comes from data generatedout of some source in the real world.

From my perspective, I see architecture as a discipline that still has awide horizon to explore. It is by doing interdisciplinary work with diverseareas of knowledge such as computer science, communications, design, thearts, and possibly others, that architecture will be able to transcend andadapt itself to the changes looming in the horizon.

The challenge for future architects will be to design for the real world aswell as for cyberspace, through the use of new building materials: data, andbytes – and to (re)discover architecture as an art and a science for thematerialization of information.

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Acknowledgements

In memory of my grand-father Simon Benditkis who always supported me inmy dream of becoming an architect and a musician.

I would like to thank Marcos Novak and Julio Bermudez for sharing theirknowledge with me, which has not only inspired me, but also helped me tosurpass myself. I am also grateful to Diego Schmukler, my thesis tutor, forguiding my research work; to Patricia Hernandez for her interest and energyand to the School of Architecture of the National University of Córdoba. Iwant to thank my family, Cheli,Aldo and Romina, for being always caring andsupportive; and all my friends, for simply being there for me.

References 1. http://www.altx.com/interviews/marcos.novak.html [4-6-2003]

2. http://www.t0.or.at/~krcf/nlonline/nonMarcos.html [10 -6-2003]

3. Bermudez, J.,Agutter, J.,Westenskow, D., Foresti, S., Zhang,Y., Gondeck-Becker, D.,Syroid, N., Lilly, B., Strayer, D., Drews, F., Data Representation Architecture.Visualization Design Methods,Theory and Technology Applied to anesthesiology.Proceedings of ACADIA’2000 ,Washington DC, 2000.

4. Bermúdez, J.,Agutter, J., CyberPrint: Hacia una Arquitectura del Ser, in: Ripper KosJ., Pessoa Borde A., Rodríquez Barros D., eds.. Proceedings of SIGRADI 2000 ,SiGraDi, Rio de Janeiro, 2000, 220-223.

5. Benedikt, M., Cyberspace, First Steps, MIT Press, Cambridge, 1991.

6. Novak, M., Transarchitectures and Hypersurfaces,AD Profile Hypersurface Architecture,1998, 133,Academy Editions, London.

7. Zellner, P., Hybrid Space: New Forms in Digital Architecture, Rizzoli InternationalPublications, New York, 1999.

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Adrián J. Levy, University of Cordoba, School of Architecture, 546 SanLorenzo St. 1st floor B (5000) Córdoba,Argentina

adrianl@tutopia.com