Andrejz Zarzycki
227 Brighton Street, Belmont, MA 02478, USA

Animation of a building envelope allows for in-depth lighting studies (by the author)

Formal mutations explore tectonic possibilities in architectural form and space. They build upon the observation that editing already existing data is more native to the digital environment than inputting new data. In an architectural context, this means that transforming already existing forms is a potent and effective way to derive new forms, ideas and designs. This is achieved by animating an initial form with the use of space warps, morphs and form modifiers. Any form can be subsequently deformed and used as a seed for another design. In a further step the process of change is paralleled to other processes such as those found in nature and evolution. As a result, design methodology has to account for the creative error-mutation that helps a designer break away from the obvious and predictable, while setting design on unexpected but meaningful trajectories. Terms such as contaminations, traces, seeds, thresholds, attractors, etc. are becoming building blocks of the design process.

About the author
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. is a Boston-based architect and educator who employs digital tools to create experiential architectural spaces. He earned his Master of Architecture from the Technical University of Gdansk, Poland, and his Master of Science in Architecture Studies from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA. He has over ten years of experience in design practice combined with experience in design teaching in the Interior Architecture Department at the Rhode Island School of Design. Research and experimentation are important components of Zarzycki's practice. His focus is primarily on design methodologies and architectural representation of space. In 1996, he became part of the Architecture, Representation and Computation group at MIT. While there, he produced video presentations of Unbuilt Monuments for MOCA, Siggraph and other venues. At RISD, he teaches advanced digital design studios. Zarzycki has also published several essays on design process and digital conceptualization. His speaking engagements include: Formal Mutations; Bauhaus Colloquium 2007; Cinematic Approach to Spatial Narration; Build Boston 2006; Abstracting design, designing abstractions; Use of computer graphics in early stages of architectural design; Siggraph 2004; Digital Technology and Design Process, Build Boston 2001.

The correct citation for this paper is:
Andrejz Zarzycki, "Formal Mutations: Variation, Constraint, Selection", pp. 33-46 in Nexus VII: Architecture and Mathematics, ed. Kim Williams, Turin: Kim Williams Books, 2008.