The Genesis And Development Of "Non-Standard" Architectural Thoughts In The Digital Era

In the late 20th century, the advent of digital era brings profound revolution to every aspectof social life. Architecture as well, is facing an opportunity and challenge never had before. A socalled "non-standard" architectural thoughts using digital technology, blending with otherdiscipline, down-up dynamically open, and process-facing, is quietly raiding the wholearchitectural field.As an analysis and explanation of the vital new trend's genesis and development, the papertakes the kinetic "non-standard" architectural events and architects as a cut-in, leads to thedefinition of "non-standard" architecture. It's followed with the origins of the thought, such asnon-linear theories, new philosophy sights, built-environment new stand points and design/buildtechnologies. As the most integrated representative theories of "non-standard" architecturalthoughts, swarm tectonics based on emergence and evolutionary architecture based on geneticalgorithms represent the promotion effects of the above factors, and is thoroughly discussed withexamples. Whatever systematic theories or independent thoughts, the characters of the"non-standard" architecture in digital age can be generally summed as: process vs. result, dynamicvs. static, soft vs. freeze, self-organized vs. controlled, open vs. close and archiengineering vs.architecture and engineering.In the end of the paper, the author expressed her expectation of the bright future of the"non-standard" architecture in digital age, which are returning to the digital craftworks,mass-customization and generating life-architecture. At the same time, she points out that thesethoughts are not only challenges never ever met for world wide architecture field, but also anuncommon opportunity, especially for Chinese architecture. Although "non-standard" architectureand theories are not perfect and still within certain limits, with the development of science andtechnology, with the in-depth architectural theory and the regulation of relationship ofarchitecture-environment, the author optimistically believes that the "non-standard" architectureand theories will definitely become a "standard" recognition in the near future.