Informal acts as both a theoretical treatise and a visual monograph. It documents Balmond’s departure from the "Cartesian grid"—the rigid orthogonal framework that has dominated architecture for centuries. Instead, Balmond proposes an architecture based on algorithms, fractals, and the inherent chaos found in nature.
The book is divided into thematic chapters exploring concepts such as the "Pavilion," the "Grid," and the "Shift." It uses case studies from his work at Arup (particularly collaborations with architects like Toyo Ito, Daniel Libeskind, and Rem Koolhaas) to demonstrate how structure can become a generator of architectural form rather than merely a support system. cecil balmond informal pdf 12
Let us assume you have found page 12 (the scatter diagram). What are you supposed to see? Informal acts as both a theoretical treatise and
Balmond draws a series of black dots on white paper. At first, it looks like a constellation. Then, a red line passes diagonally across the page. The book is divided into thematic chapters exploring
Cecil Balmond — structural engineer, designer, writer and former Director of Advanced Geometry Unit at Arup — explores the intersection of structure, art, mathematics and architecture. His Informal series are short conceptual essays/lectures that reflect on structure, complexity, and design thinking.