Decoding Luigi Moretti's Architettura Parametrica: Negotiating Theory and Practice in the Forecasting...

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Giuseppe Canestrino

Decoding Luigi Moretti's Architettura Parametrica

Negotiating Theory and Practice in the Forecasting of Computer-Aided Architectural Design

Giuseppe Canestrino

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English

Routledge
28 May 2025

Theory of architecture; History of architecture; Technical design; Civil engineering, surveying & building; Computer-aided design (CAD)

Decoding Luigi Moretti’s Architettura Parametrica presents an unprecedented critical discussion of one of the earliest theoretical and practical explorations into the integration of scientific thought, mathematical models and digital tools in architectural design.

Moretti, a renowned professional who engaged in countless intellectual initiatives, developed and refined his architectural vision long before “parametric” became synonymous with computational design. His Architettura Parametrica is an unconventional inquiry of the prospects offered to design practice by digital thinking rather than by digital tools, which were still immature or completely absent at the time. Moretti proposed a unique and still relevant mental landscape that united his fascination with Baroque spatiality, operational research, informal art, optics, cybernetics, ethics, and much more. This research decodes numerous facets of Architettura Parametrica, from the rigid theoretical precepts to the negotiation with design praxis, from the use of equations to aid the research of forms to the speculation on the meaning of architecture through abstract mathematics.

This book offers novel perspectives to scholars interested in the interplay between architectural design practice and theory, mathematics and design methods, digital and architectural culture, and to the growing number of practitioners who are crafting personal narratives within the most disruptive computational techniques.

By: Giuseppe Canestrino
Imprint: Routledge
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 216mm, Width: 138mm,
ISBN: 9781032977096
ISBN 10: 1032977094
Pages: 164
Publication Date: 28 May 2025
Audience: College/higher education , Professional and scholarly , Primary , Undergraduate
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

List of figures Introduction: Why Moretti Matters Today 1. Moretti Within the Proto-Parametric Patchwork: Amid International Trends and Italian Culture - Italian Architectural Design Culture: Between Anti-Scientism and Digital Transition Kick-Off 2. Architettura Parametrica: in Theory -The Juvenile Period and the Early Insights of Architettura Parametrica (1930s – 1950) -The Maturity Period and the Outline of a Personal Architectural Theory (1950 – 1957) -The Commitment Period and the Contaminations of an Architectural Theory (1957 – 1973) 3. Architettura Parametrica: in Practice -A Design Exegesis of the Architettura Parametrica Exhibition Projects -Formal Analogies With Architettura Parametrica in Moretti’s Oeuvre -Methodological Analogies With Architettura Parametrica in Moretti’s Oeuvre 4. Foresights and Topicality of Architettura Parametrica -Continuities and Ruptures With Contemporary Computational Design -Architettura Parametrica Between AI and Parametricism Conclusions Bibliography Index

Giuseppe Canestrino, Architect and PhD, is an adjunct professor and post-doctoral research fellow in Architectural Design at the University of Calabria. He has previously been a guest researcher at Delft University of Technology and a visiting PhD at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. His primary research interest lies in exploring the relationship between digital culture, form-finding and architectural design also through the investigation of scientific and logical processes for solving design problems. His critical-theoretical research informs his professional practice, in which he engages through participation in design competitions, gaining various victories and honourable mentions. He is the author of La Concezione Parametrica dell’Architettura (trad. The Parametric Conception of Architecture, 2024) and his writings have been published in The Journal of Architecture, The Plan Journal, Nexus Network Journal, Agathòn, Storia Urbana, U+D - Urbanform and Design, and Metamorfosi, among others.

Reviews for Decoding Luigi Moretti's Architettura Parametrica: Negotiating Theory and Practice in the Forecasting of Computer-Aided Architectural Design

“Giuseppe Canestrino masterfully unveils the forgotten genius of Luigi Moretti at the historical root of parametric architecture, before digital computation. This book is an essential read for architects, scholars, and designers seeking to grasp the theoretical and practical evolution of parametric thinking in architectural design.” Patrik Schumacher, Zaha Hadid Architects.