Endless Cycle of Control: Architecture Trapped in Its Own Complexity

Introduction

In modern digital modeling approaches to construction, the level of detail continues to increase, raising the question: how complex must a management system be to control all aspects of this process? Are we not falling into a trap where attempts to organize chaos only generate new levels of complexity? This issue echoes general management principles, which state that a controlling system must be more complex than the one it regulates. But what happens when the regulated system evolves faster? Additionally, all project participants can create both universally beneficial and purely individual algorithms at their discretion, further complicating the integration of separate components into a unified system.

Levels of Complexity

Architectural modeling is becoming increasingly intricate, as each level introduces new parameters: materials, logistics, costs, spatial constraints, and time coordinates. The more factors are considered, the more complex the management algorithm becomes. There is an illusion that simply adding more control levels will transform chaos into a perfect model. However, with each new level, the management system itself requires even more advanced control. Another challenge arises from project participants who develop their own highly detailed and autonomous modules, which are difficult to integrate into the overall model.

The Closed Loop of Management

A system that governs processes must be more complex than the one it regulates. But if it becomes too complex, it requires another level of management itself. This leads to a phenomenon of self-reinforcing complexity: by creating a more sophisticated model, we generate the need for even more advanced management mechanisms. It resembles a snake eating its own tail—efforts to solve the problem only exacerbate it. This is especially true when independent designers, engineers, planners, and algorithmic systems enter the process, developing high-tech yet autonomous components. Their complexity and self-sufficiency demand even more refined methods of integration and management, creating yet another iteration of the problem.

The Paradox of Detailing

Modern digital models encompass not only physical objects but also their functional and temporal states. Each new level of detail adds factors that influence the overall picture. But is there a point where detailing becomes excessive? Can infinite system complexity render it uncontrollable even to itself? Some participants may implement subsystems so intricate that aligning them with others becomes a challenge on par with managing the entire system.

Conclusion

If a management system must be more complex than what it controls, yet continues to grow in complexity in response to its own increasing intricacy, we face a potentially endless cycle. The solution may not lie in adding more control levels but in shifting the paradigm of management: perhaps we should seek not complexity, but fundamental simplicity?

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