3D Thinking in Design and Architecture: From Antiquity to the Future

A unique and inspirational design resource charting the evolution of the application of maths to visual culture, from the dawn of human history to the present and possible future

The geometric foundations, forms and patterns in today’s architecture, design and decorative arts have been deeply influenced by past cultures. From humankind’s first path-like doodles on cave walls through to the higher abstractions developed to make accurate measurements and predictions, the three-dimensional forms we design and build are dependent upon available materials, human needs and the limitations of our imaginations.

This unique sourcebook presents a history of the intimate relationship between geometry, mathematics and manmade design throughout human history, from the Neolithic period through the Indian, Egyptian, Babylonian, Chinese, Greek, Celtic, Islamic and Renaissance cultures, to the present and the possible future. Presenting key principles that can be applied across all design disciplines, Roger Burrows reveals fresh insights and ideas about how geometry as a visual language has evolved to meet our needs, initiated new technologies and changed the way we think about the world around us.

With a wealth of original artworks by the author to explain his ideas, this book will be an essential reference resource for inspiration and information for students and design professionals.

Contents List

Introduction • 1. Visual Logic • Visual Logic Through Time • 2. Neolithic Geometries • 3. The River Cultures • 4. The Americas • 5. The Pythagoreans • 6. European Tribal Geometry • 7. Geometries of the Early Islamic Period • 8. The Renaissance • Out of the Past – Into the Future • 9. Modelling with Equations • 10. Fractals • 11. Shape-Changers • 12. Dynamic Circles and Spheres • 13. The Future of 3D Geometry • 14. Additional Thoughts and Ideas

About the Author

Roger Burrows is a writer working in the fields of geometry, design and architectural form, a developer of interactive learning products and an inventor of technologies that include Questron, Magnix and Booktronics. He has produced exhibitions for the Leonardo Science and Technology Museum, Utah, the Arts Council of Great Britain and the Architectural Association, London.