Copy Paste – The Badass Architectural Copy Guide explores the tactical evolution of architecture. It brings together discussions on ethical and legal constraints, genealogy, reference, geometry and psychology with art historical evidence that copying might be older – more original even – than originality. The Why Factory and nai010 Publishers launch the publication on 24 October at Dutch Design Week in Eindhoven.

The future city has memories. It is embedded in and based on a vast history. How do we deal with that?

Architects and designers are obsessed by the new. Our culture demands newness, leading to a generation that suffers, untethered from history. If architects worked in scientific labs, we would constantly refer to previous research of both our peers and ourselves. In order to give effective solutions to larger problems, we need longer trajectories. Research must be followed up by improved research, and so on.

“We are encountering with increased frequency that architectural designs are being copied all over the world. We propose a method of to cope with the new demands, copying from the existing, systematically, openly and without guilt,” says Winy Maas. “In order to be able to move faster sources of design should be acknowledged as in most other human enterprises, yet the original must be improved or challenged.”

Why not deepen our architectural analyses? Why not be open and honest about the references we make? Why not improve on the explorations, innovations, and suggestions of our predecessors?

This is the argument of Copy Paste, a “Badass Copy Guide” and the new book of The Why Factory. The book makes observations on the worlds of influencing and copying, on the speed at which it happens, on the patent culture and the culture of disclaiming. It explores the tools of Photoshop, Rhino and Grasshopper as facilitators of this process. It looks to our gaming tools to understand the battle of the species. And it introduces Generator, the tool with which the DNA of our products can be analysed. The publication includes a tutorial on how to copy with Photoshop, covering first the basic techniques of referencing. A review of Generator will trace forms backwards to their origin and forwards through endless iterations and unexpected outcomes. The resulting forms are far removed from the control of their authors, free from ego trips and copyrights. A review of Generator will trace forms backwards to their origin and forwards through endless iterations and unexpected outcomes. The resulting forms are far removed from the control of their authors, free from egotrips and copyrights.

Copy Paste is the latest in the Future Cities series by The Why Factory. Previous publications include Visionary Cities, Green Dream, City Shock, The Vertical Village and Absolute Leisure, amongst others.

To order a copy click here