Insight: life, death, and ephemerality of Postmodern Architecture

2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 271-274
Author(s):  
Léa-Catherine Szacka
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Structural Stability ◽  
Colour Pattern ◽  
Decision Making Process ◽  
Solid Materials ◽  
Modern Design ◽  
High Culture ◽  
Absolute Value ◽  
Materials Used

In De Arquitectura, Vitruvius lists three interrelated Latin terms – firmitas (strength or structural stability), utilitas (functionality or appropriate spatial accommodation), and venustas (beauty or attractive appearance), as being the basis of good architecture. Regarding firmitas, he implies that a good architect needs to choose the best and most solid materials, regardless of their cost. Yet, perhaps dismissing Vitruvius's advice, in the late 1970s and early 1980s, most Postmodern architects went on to erect buildings that often looked more like stage sets than anything strong and durable.Postmodern designers applied colour, pattern, and ornament to buildings, transferring ordinary and everyday popular imagery, forms, and material into high culture. By rejecting modern design and aesthetics, they also dismissed the building techniques and materials used by their predecessors. As explained by experts from the Portland-based architecture firm Peter Meijer Architect, PC (PMA), ‘there is an inherent impermanence of the original materials based on a default decision making process that limited a building's longevity to a twenty-five year life-cycle’ for Postmodern architecture. In other words, Postmodern buildings were often built as ephemeral constructions, for which longevity was not an absolute value.

Identifying E-Business Options

2009 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Albert Boonstra ◽  
Bert de Brock
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Dynamic Environments ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Decision Making Process ◽  
Business Opportunity ◽  
Business Applications ◽  
Decision Making Processes ◽  
Business Purpose ◽  
Made In

The past few years, many organizations have been using the Internet in quite arbitrary and experimental ways. This phase, which can be considered as a period of learning and experimentation, has created a need for a more systematic approach to the identification, the ordering and the assessment of e-business options. It is the objective of this paper to address this need by presenting a methodology that aims at supporting management in using alternative e-business applications in the first stage of the decision-making process. Figure 1 shows how a systematic decision-making process can be organized by using e-business options. The steps are based on Simon’s intelligence, design, and choice trichotomy (Simon, 1960). First, alternative e-business options have to be identified and ordered. Then the possible options have to be assessed and selected. After this stage the selected opportunities have to be specified and designed. Next, implementation, operation, maintenance, and evaluation may follow. In Figure 1 this is called the “formal life cycle”. We will apply the word “e-business option” referring to the possibility to use an electronic network for a business purpose. An e-business opportunity is defined here as an assessed and selected e-business option. In practice, different intermediate feedback activities, interrupts, delays and adjustments are often necessary to reconsider earlier steps (Mintzberg, Raisinghani, & Théorêt, 1976). This is—among other reasons—because decision-making processes of this kind take place in dynamic environments and decisions are made in political contexts (Pettigrew, 2002). Moreover, participants in decision-making processes are often lacking the necessary information to make well-considered decisions right from the start (Miller, Hickson, & Wilson, 1996). In Figure 1 these activities are called “intermediate feedback”.

The use of Life Cycle Engineering/ Life Cycle Assessment within the design process of production facilities; A business case: Different options of handling overspray

2005 ◽  
Vol 895 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marc Binder ◽  
Harald Florin ◽  
Johannes Kreissig
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Design Process ◽  
Software Tool ◽  
Business Case ◽  
Ecological Impacts ◽  
Decision Making Process ◽  
Design Phase ◽  
Design Options ◽  
Total Life

AbstractThis presentation will illustrate how to expand the view by considering the total life cycle in an efficient way into the decision making process and why it is important to do so. The business case will show, how the ecological and economic aspects considering the total life cycle of different design options have been considered when determining the preferable design options out of an holistic point of view. Life Cycle Engineering (LCE)/ Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) integrated in the design Process LCE methodology is evaluating ecological, technical and economic aspects considering the total life cycle of processes/products. LCA studies are the basis for the ecological evaluation within LCE. LCE studies are based on material and energy flow information needed while running the facilities or for producing products. LCE is a simulation tool show optimization potentials as well as supporting the decision making process within the design phase. As various databases hold information on ecological impacts of material- and energy production and information on the economic values is available within the involved companies, time consuming research on basic materials and energies is not necessary. Therefore first estimations on scenarios can be made within days to support the decision process not causing any time delay. LCE studies can be conducted within the design process and on existing facilities/products. If LCE is used within the design process optimization potentials can be shown in early stages of the design phase of facilities/products. Integration of LCE within early stages of the design ensures an efficient way of improving the ecological profile of processes and products and reducing the overall costs considering the total life cycle. Realization within a software tool The software tool GaBi4 is developed and designed to support LCE efficiently and in a transparent way. The design of the facilities can be modeled according to the material and energy flow. This enables the user to run scenario analysis for different design options based on the process flow model. Business case The methodology of LCE has been integrated into the design process of the new rear axle paint shop focusing on the handling of the overspray. Different design options have been analyzed and arguments were made explicit to support the decision making process. As LCE was part of the whole design process from the beginning, the effort for all participants could have been minimized. Conclusions The case study has shown that the integration of LCE into the design process provides additional information and is not causing any delay of the decision making process. LCE enables a transparent presentation of the economics and ecological impacts on a process bases. Optimization potentials, ecological and economic, can be shown at all stages of the design phase and result in reducing the overall costs and environmental burdens caused by the paint process.

scholarly journals One man's west : photographs by Edwin Hendrie Grant : the development and proposal of a photographic exhibition

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel Goldberg
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Best Practices ◽  
Decision Making Process ◽  
Materials Used ◽  
Supporting Materials

This thesis project is meant to provide an example of the decision-making process and best practices required for writing a comprehensive exhibition proposal. This project outlines the conceptualization of an exhibition and preparation of supporting materials such as the written exhibition proposal necessary for preparing the visitor-centered exhibition of photographs One Man's West: Photographs by Edwin Hendrie Grant. This paper includes the following information: (1) An introduction to the materials used and photographs selected, (2) an explanation and analysis of the decisions made regarding the structure and organization of the exhibition proposal, and (3) the exhibition proposal and budget.

scholarly journals Evaluation of Investment Risks in CBA with Monte Carlo Method

2015 ◽  
Vol 63 (1) ◽  
pp. 245-251 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jana Korytárová ◽  
Barbora Pospíšilová
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Development Strategy ◽  
Cost Benefit Analysis ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
Decision Making Process ◽  
Public Project ◽  
Investment Projects ◽  
The Public ◽  
Whole Life Cycle

Investment decisions are at the core of any development strategy. Economic growth and welfare depend on productive capital, infrastructure, human capital, knowledge, total factor productivity and the quality of institutions. Decision-making process on the selection of suitable projects in the public sector is in some aspects more difficult than in the private sector. Evaluating projects on the basis of their financial profitability, where the basic parameter is the value of the potential profit, can be misleading in these cases. One of the basic objectives of the allocation of public resources is respecting of the 3E principle (Economy, Effectiveness, Efficiency) in their whole life cycle. The life cycle of the investment projects consists of four main phases. The first pre-investment phase is very important for decision-making process whether to accept or reject a public project for its realization. A well-designed feasibility study as well as cost-benefit analysis (CBA) in this phase are important assumptions for future success of the project. A future financial and economical CF which represent the fundamental basis for calculation of economic effectiveness indicators are formed and modelled in these documents. This paper deals with the possibility to calculate the financial and economic efficiency of the public investment projects more accurately by simulation methods used.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document