Architects, mathematicians and artists came together in May 2007 as the College of Architecture hosted the International Society of the Arts, Mathematics, and Architecture (ISAMA) annual convention.
The event, which in previous years has taken place in Spain, Germany, Chicago and Berkeley, provides a forum for the circulation of new mathematical ideas related to architecture and the arts. Approximately 50 people, 30 from outside the College Station area, attended the conference.
The four-day conference featured several workshops for math teachers demonstrating innovative ways of using art forms to increase student interest in mathematical concepts. Workshop topics included: “Hands-on Construction of CD Sculptures,” “Designing Sculptures with Sculpture Generator,” “Seeing in 3D,” “Persian Mosaics and Architecture,” “The Art and Mathematics of Knots,” “Topological Smooth Surface Design” and “Teaching Topological & Geometrical Concepts with Paper Strips.”
This year’s conference was highlighted by several hands-on workshops. In one session, participants create recycled structures such as a disco ball made from compact discs and held together with zip ties. In another workshop, participants combined classical sculpting with computer graphics.
Ergun Akleman, associate professor of Visualization and the conference co-chairman, appreciated all the interactive workshops for their unique nature and attendees’ participation.
Other presentations at the four-day conference covered architecture, computer design and fabrication in the arts and architecture, geometric art, mathematical visualization, music, origami, and tessellations and tilings with emphasis on graphics interaction, computer-aided design systems, algorithms, fractals, and graphics in mathematical software.
The 2008 ISAMA conference, scheduled in June in Valencia, Spain, will focus on the work of award-winning and internationally famous Spanish architect and structural engineer Santiago Calatrava. Among his many works is the renowned Milwaukee Art Museum, which was completed in 2001.
An overview of the 2007 conference, photos and a PDF of the book of proceedings can be found online at http://archone.tamu.edu/isama07/
