Mario Carpo Book order

"An analysis of recent developments in computer-based design and production in architecture"-- Provided by publisher

A history of the influence of communication technologies on Western architectural theory.

In the early 1990s the design professions were the first to intuit and interpret the new technical logic of the digital age: digital mass- customization (the use of digital tools to mass-produce variations at no extra cost) has already changed the way we produce and consume almost everything, and the same technology applied to commerce at large is now heralding a new society without scale - a flat marginal cost society where bigger markets will not make anything cheaper.

Exploring the evolution of architectural practice, Mario Carpo examines how digital technologies have transformed the creation of identical copies, marking a significant shift from historical methods of design and construction. He contrasts the foundational concepts of architectural design from the Renaissance, exemplified by Alberti, with contemporary practices that embrace variability over standardization. Carpo critiques the implications of this shift, proposing a new architectural agenda that embraces digital craftsmanship and collaborative authorship in an era defined by variability and participation.