Geometría natural, geometría digital. Arquitecturas procedurales en la era de la fabricación digital

Contemporary architecture and design are going through a moment of crucial change. With the digitalisation of the discipline, computational tools have made it possible to work with more complex and optimised geometries, giving way to the emergence of industrial systems and methods capable of manufacturing them. This paradigm shift, reflected in the Parametricist manifesto during the 11th Venice Biennale in 2008, promoted a change in design styles and procedures, giving rise to the so-called parametric or Biomimetic architecture. The changes in the role of the profession, the formation of multidisciplinary teams and the trend towards prefabrication of modular construction solutions set a tone where digital fabrication and algorithm-based design seem to try to imitate nature and design with the best it has to offer, but often prioritising visual impact and leaving aside the real learning of the organic world. Given the potential of current technology and the need for innovative proposals at a time of rising prices for energy resources and raw materials, a review is offered of the role of geometry as an instrument for deciphering the organic laws of growth that nature uses to overcome its challenges and how, from its internal criteria, architecture can (and must) find ways to manufacture a future based on greater observation of its surroundings.