Custom coding: Joomla strong enough for New Media project?

[kadded]

What we want to achieve:
1. Joomla page that shows a maximum of 7 articles. The number of articles shown on the page might be fixed or varying, as long as it can be done that we show 7 articles each in different <div>.
2. These div's have a separate CSS id, which allows a dynamic positioning and size (using php in css). So the position of the articles will vary, sometimes on top of each other (using z-index in css), sometimes next to each other.
3. The articles are selected on various parameters: rating + tags + random factor. As e.g. in show article with the highest rating, get the tag of this article (eg the tag 'garden'), look into the db for other images with this tag and show x-number of articles with this tag. All articles should be shown in a separate div for positioning and scaling reasons.
4. Rating sytem - An article that keeps track of the actual shown articles shown on the website, their position and scaling and allow the visitor to rate this configuration (not the particular articles). This would something like an 'automatic article submission', where joomla stores the config (eg: article X - position X1 - Size X 2 ; Article 2 - .... has rating 4).

Why Joomla?
Cause we (artist collective) like the different features of the system, and don't like the thought of coding a PHP driven db from scratch.
Is this realistic, or would it actually save more time to go with a db from scratch?

[kadded]

Let me explain why and how we break it up.
In short: we -> art collective with illustrator, poets, video artists, writers, audio freaks, academics (neuropsychology). We try to extend the meaning of art, try to reshape art by putting it in a different context. Based on algorithms, using neuropsych theories and random artist weirdness, we try to recreate the 'meaning' of works of art.
This by showing multiple works of art in a specific config (creating an article for each of these works of art). Using transparent div's, dynamic positions,... we show multiple works of art on top of each other, next to eachother, ... and try to redefine those works and allow them to 'interact' with each other. So the page will show multiple random images each in different div's with for all these div's a different css id... We need to store the general config of the art as in which work, what was its position, its size, its z-index,... Resulting in the config of a page such as: Article 1/positionX/sizeX;Article2/PositionY/SizeY;....
The website will refresh itself after a certain period, showing a new config that one can rate.
Hope this is clear enough. Even if it's not, do read the following since it is more coding related and easier probably...

Breaking it up:
Getting some feedback of more experienced coders, here is how we would break it up.
1. We know how to embed x-number articles. Defining div's, insert module positions in it, and assign different copys's of random modules to the various positions all with their specific css. So that's for the images.
2. Rating is rather difficult. I'm currently asking advice on the rating topic of the creator of Extravote. Check url for it. We wish to create a voting system that rates multiple articles with one click and passes the value to a hidden field that also stores this value for later use. Again, more on the url.
http://joomla.vargas.co.cr/index.php?op ... 1850#p1850

What we need to do is:
Create a table that stores some values and the rating. It also needs to be 'updated' sometimes. As in, a user will be able to see the specific config and rate it again.
Use PHP scripts to store the config, embed them in the joomla.
Create the template: can do, no prob.

Questions:
So creating this table: inside the joomla DB or other DB? Any suggestions?
Is it difficult to pull out the ID's of the articles that are shown/generated on the page?
Is it difficult to pull the css values of joomla?
Is it possible in joomla to dynamically generate css values? I know it is possible with standard html and css, but not sure wheter joomla would block such values and how to embed these in the css files.
Is it difficult to embed PHP in joomla and does this cause security risks or can one freely embed any script in it still benefiting from joomla's core security?

Any comments most welcome.

[kadded]

EDIT:
I asked this question in a different forum. I thought that this one was not the correct one.
http://forum.joomla.org/viewtopic.php?f=47&t=317313