From Grid to Network

• Page 20 - Taylor explains movement to network culture and shows that he will define that by using architecture as examples.
• On page 23 Taylor uses Friedman to show how globalization has changed from the shift of grid culture to network culture.
• Page 25 - Taylor defines teh grid as the figure of modernism.
• Page 26 is where he uses the Pack Donkey as an example in comparison to Man. He uses this to show that man considers results in advance to building.
• From page 27 - 28 Taylor shows grids as graphs in Cartesian space, and shows that it is always rational and efficient.
• Page 30 - Taylor talks about modernity, and how the grid as a way to level social hierarchies.
• Pages 32 and 33 show van der Rohe as an example of an architect with clear understanding and usage of the grid.
• Taylor talks about Venturi and superficial complexity on page 35, where he claims architecture anticipates the moment of complexity which leads then to network culture.
• Pages 42 and 43 show examples of the Guggenheim Museum designed by Gehry.
• Page 44 shows the importance of network as being other than preprogrammed or permanent.

From class we gathered some definitions of chaos and complexity theory along with definitions of grid and network from the Taylor reading. The understanding of chaos and complexity theory was shown as a relationship between cause and effect. Chaos basically entailed simple things generating complex outcomes, and Complexity had complex things generating simple outcomes. An example for chaos theory was the butterfly effect, where a butterfly flapping its wings can cause an enormous change somewhere else on the planet. Complexity was described then as being on the "edge of chaos", which I had a little bit of a hard time understanding.

The class made it easier to understand Taylors reading by drawing a clearer distinction between the facets of network and grid culture. The use of architecture was used very well to show how culture was set up in a larger picture. By defining and reading about chaos and complexity, we were better able to see how network culture and grid culture could be easily defined by the architecture and styles that were used.