http://www.ted.com Joshua Prince-Ramus believes that if architects re-engineer their design process, the results can be spectacular. Speaking at TEDxSMU, Dallas, he walks us through his fantastic re-creation of the local Wyly Theater as a giant "theatrical machine" that reconfigures itself at the touch of a button.

Comments

1. @miltyu97 ...and you live in the lap of modern luxury in the western world as a result of the same "vices." Can you name any ground-breaking innovations that were spawned from communism or communal cultures that aim to eliminate these "vices?" I can't stand people who spew generic, P.C. garbage like this. How about instead of answering my first question, you tell me one person that doesn't act out of "self-interest" and how you can stop this natural, intuitive urge?
2. @Rhuthmos the worst thing in the video was the belt
3. This level of innovation to the medium of theatrical performance is the most remarkable change since Theatre-in-the-round
4. @audiowiz Actually rake and thrust are theatre terms - possibly just as pompus ;)
5. I love the way YouTube allows the user to rate comments these days.
6. Witness works of art within a work of art. Sounds good.
7. I have the exact same belt...
8. On the other hand, Professional Engineers are socially inept and fail to organize their own profession - as architects have been quite successful at doing. BTW; If I cited McBeth, Human Copulation, and "dangling bits" in a fire suppression system design, I wouldn't expect to find myself speaking at TED
9. yeah this guy really seems up himself
10. absolutely awesome, great job!!!!!!!!!!!
11. You don't seem to have any understanding how much engineering goes into a sizable building.
12. If you want to make execution a job for the architect be my guest. It will only add another 15 years to the study schedule. If you think of how much engineering goes into a building of any important size you will quickly notice that nobody can know everything to the detail required about the process. It's like asking doctors to know everything about every field related to medicine.
13. have to disagree, that would be civil engineers
14. this really is not TED quality. this is like intro to architecture, a lecture to high school students
15. Howard Roark of Ayn Rand's "The Fountainhead" at 1:54. One of the greatest architects in fiction.
16. Try again: ARE ARCHITECTS RESPONSIBLE FOR NEARLY HALF OF ENERGY CONSUMPTION? from Christopher Hawthorne, Metropolis, Assessments of US energy consumption traditionally: industry (35 %), transportation (27 %), residential (21 %), and commercial (17 %) By combining the residential and commercial sectors, and then adding the portion of the industry sector that goes to the construction and operation of industrial bldgs, he attributes 48% of total US energy consumption to the architectural sector.
17. hmmm... yes.
18. Brilliant work, fabulous.
19. ...and post hilarious comments on youtube...
20. Im so creative i made a building with holes and suspended curtains and I do methafors...