THE ULTIMATE CAD PROGRAM
© Dion Neutra 2001
Dion Neutra, architect 9/15/02
Ultimate CAD Program Final

2001. It's come and gone. This was the future as visualized a third of a century ago in the computer dominated world of 2001-A space Odyssey the film by Stanley Kubrick. Have we reached these heights on schedule? [#1]

While the answer to this must still be a conditional 'no', there is no doubt that there is a world of difference in all aspects of our lives because of the proliferation and development of the computer as we know it, and the future is evolving more rapidly than ever.

2001 also marked the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Neutra firm, and 40 years since the creation of the Institute for Survival Through Design, founded by admirers of the Neutra oeuvre and its principles in May, 1962. What has been the significance of the work of this international firm and the Institute over this past 3/4 century?

The pioneering book, Survival through Design [STD] was published by my father, Richard Neutra first in 1954 after several years of gestation. In 1969 it appeared in paper back. Its second edition sold out some years later. In 1984 as a part of the first showing of the Institute exhibition 'The View from Inside' , a 30th anniversary collectors edition was published by the Institute with a new foreword by me [#2]*.

One of the points I made in that 1984 foreword, was that after 30 years, the situation was that we as a society still seemed to jump into new courses of action without considering all the aspects of the matter. An example: to embark on a whole new technology like electricity from nuclear power without being clear where the waste products would be stashed. Or mandating access for handicapped to upper floors of high-rises without a clear protocol for evacuating them in case of emergency. Or sharply limiting glass and natural ventilation areas thus sealing the exterior of buildings without considering the effect of trapped exhalations of toxic fumes from building materials. Re-circulation of pollutants, molds or toxics via a/c systems. Another two decades have now again passed. Has this state of affairs really changed all that much?

The concluding lines in that foreword I wrote in 1984 read as follows: "Let us hope that by the end of this century, we can see more comprehensive progress in the fulfillment of its [STD's] aspirations[a more comprehensive approach to new technology or innovation]." It Looks like we have to define which century we're speaking of!

One of the premises of the book STD, was that it would be desirable for planning professionals, in their design, to be able to take into consideration the diverse data being created by such agencies as NASA, JPL, think-tanks, and others doing cutting edge research into various fields seemingly unrelated to planning per se.

During the first half century of the life of this book, this premise was essentially beyond the possibility of practitioners. Up to now, there has just been no way a given person could know everything that is happening, researched or being invented. But now, could there be the possibility of the promise of this book finally coming into its own? How might this look?

With the advent of really super computers, data bases and software, it would be conceivable to imagine accumulated information being so constituted as to feed into a universal database. From there, the idea would be that the relevant information and suggested action or solution, would appear automatically on an 'as needed' basis at the desktop of designers operating their CAD programs!

My concept is that this would be displayed in the form of an optional 'prompt' that would indicate a direction recommended to be taken by the designer (in this discussion referred to as 'he', but understood to equally mean 'she'). The operator could either accept the recommendation, or if he wished to trace the origin thereof, he could double-click and be taken back to source step by step. At any point, he could 'accept' and revert to work screen. A more advanced version of this software might actually MAKE the suggested change by default without the operator having to 'do' anything!

In this interactive way, the accumulated knowledge of the past and present could become available to the design professional without him ever having to be aware of its existence. Thus, rather than attempt to research everything imaginable, the designer is freed up to DESIGN with the support of the 'universal on-board knowledge base' in whatever field he is active. A kind of 'Spell-check' for design issues. It could also be called up after the completion of a phase of work or a detail to check for suitability.

Elements to be considered among others are compliance with code and regulatory agencies, research, building and planning standards, adjacencies, life cycle, material suitability, energy conservation, sustainability 'The Ten Shades' and miscellaneous green issues just to name a few.

To attempt to collect and collate this vast store of information, every possible incentive, resource, protocol and other strategy will need to be deployed. The task is formidable. But even modest starts can prove illuminating. What softwares out there are best suited to create this kind of integrated input most easily? What is the 'state of the art' in other disciplines like the medical, automotive, environmental and legal professions for example?

One possibility might be for members of professional societies and think-tanks to be required to submit a certain number of case-studies per millions of gross billing. Thus the larger firms would participate at a higher rate. An agency would have to be formed that would undertake to collect and coordinate the information. Software would be designed which could collect and collate information by type and automatically load it into data bases in use by the several branches of design professionals.

The greatest challenges would appear to be:

o How to motivate such collection and establish a world-wide standard? o How to design a methodology to deal with the overwhelming amount of information out there? o What could motivate such a project? How could a sponsoring agency demonstrate pay-back? o Identifying ways to collect and categorize relevant information packets. o How would funding be assembled to cover expenses involved? o Who would have an interest to fund such a project?

Given more time and space, we could provide some examples of on-going or past projects of research or information fragments that would be part of the master data base we envision. For purposes of illustration, here are a few. Making the wrong choice here would be the occasion for a CAD prompt under my concept.

o HEAT SINK EFFECT. Research has revealed that the mean temperature in a major city such as Los Angeles is about five degrees hotter than would be expected were there no city there. The reason? The concentration of concrete and blacktop has been shown to be primarily responsible. Until recently, the L.A. School district would inform architects working for it that their 'standard' was to blacktop all playground areas, and that this was their practice for the entire district.

Aside from being a very hot place in which to put children during recess, and adding to global warming, blacktop acres act as 'sinks' absorbing heat and retaining it while raising the mean temperature in the area which adds to adjoining air conditioning loads. Such paved surfaces also add to the storm water run-off loads for the surroundings with stresses to the drainage systems and waste of water to the ocean. [#3]

It occurs to me that some sort of alternate such as concrete blocks into which lawn can be planted, or other permeable pavements would collect less heat, absorb rainwater back to the ground water reservoir, and be a more humane surface on to which to welcome children. [#4]

o LOSS OF FOREST. Destruction of rain forests in Brazil to create farm land has been going on for a while and continues as we speak. Experience has shown the resulting cleared field is only capable of supporting one or two seasons growth for crops; thereafter the field is abandoned and becomes a desert. Meanwhile the priceless eco-system of the rain forest is further depleted with damage to the entire planet.[#5]

Proposed clearing of such fields would be alarmed under the proposed system of prompts. [#6]

o ASBESTOS. Use of asbestos for fireproofing of steel members in a structure. This was a favorite in the middle of the century. Often these members were in the air stream for either supply or return, depending on air conditioning design in which we participated. This choice would have been the occasion for a prompt under the proposed system. [#7]

Monday morning quarterbacking is easy, you say. How often do we recommend choices based on insufficient research on side effects? New materials would be subjected to more testing before being launched on the public.

o EMF RADIATION. Impacts from radiation from high voltage transmission lines and cell phones to name just two sources. While being assured that it's 'not a problem' we still have a queasy feeling in our stomachs thinking about this. At what point will we see the handwriting on the wall, and realize we have a problem to address here? Again, prompt time. [#8]

How to implement this vision would have to be the subject of a future article. In the meanwhile, I would be interested in feedback from the field, especially on how such a proposal could be justified financially despite its obvious importance. There are people working on this I'm sure; can we compare notes?

At stake is the quality of the built environment as we plan and build for the rest of the 21st Century. Can we afford to continue stabbing around without really taking into consideration ALL known or ascertainable determinants? It seems that we continuously re-invent the wheel, often making the same mistakes over and over again. Is this inevitable? It is not cost effective!

The challenge posed by my dad's book a half century ago remains: Of all species, Man alone has the capability of extensively and comprehensively planning for his destiny. Will this challenge be heeded before it's really finally too late for the planet?

Dion Neutra, architect inspired by a meeting with scientists of the Jet Propulsion Lab, Pasadena. © Dion Neutra 2001

Possible illustrations: #1 2001 Image from Movie; #2 STD Cove; #3 Big blacktop playground [maybe check out Canfield School and take a picture on an outing, showing the building in the background with a sea of blacktop in the foreground]; #4 turf filled concrete block parking lot; #5 Virgin Rain Forest; #6 denuded Brazilian rain forest; #7 asbestos as fireproofing on steel structure within air stream; #8 Nuclear plant w high voltage lines; houses close by. Most of these would come from book or magazine illustrations that we could scan.

*This is the only edition now in print; available from the Institute bookstore at its neutra.org website.

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