Everything is Software

The world has become so inundated with software platforms, operating systems, and interfaces that the materiality of computation (circuits, electrical impulses, etc) have faded back into an unconscious layer, or a “black box.” In architecture, projects rely on a wide assortment of software packages and standalone applications for design, development, and deployment, yet it’s not until recently that architects have begun to reflect on the structure of those programs and how they have infiltrated our disciplinary conventions. Through examples, this paper illustrates how some designers are finding ways to talk about software theory, and proposes new methods for critically engaging with facets of software rarely discussed in design practice and education, such as the politics/biases of interfaces and the material realities of computation.

https://doi.org/10.35483/ACSA.AM.107.105

Volume Editors
Amy Kulper, Grace La & Jeremy Ficca

ISBN
978-1-944214-21-0