Architecture

The project discussed here was developed during a research & design seminar on biologically inspired prototypingi. Based on the observation that nature produces infinite structural and formal configurations through re-cycling of only one material (fibers), a ‘machine’ was designed that can fabricate complex shapes using a variety of thread types. The paper theoretically situates a form-finding process with possible applications in construction and discusses the first phase of design as well as the early second stage and the factors that affect our decisions for future development. The author is concerned with the possible value of such a process for architecture, as well as a philosophical meaning of ‘layered’ design processes.

This paper presents the research and design experiences of American students of architecture working on a research project in the Puerto Rican informal settlement of LaPerla. This neighborhood is located adjacent to the historic city of San Juan, Puerto Rico, (aUNESCO World Heritage Site) and has been segregated from the rest of the city since the first settlers invaded a plot of land about 100 years ago. This paper presents part of the experience of faculty members and more than 180 architecture students from the continental UnitedStates, who have visited Puerto Rico in the last 6 years, as an attempt to incorporate studies of informal settlements in their academic curriculum (through 14 field trips overall). A large research project has been developed to individually study approximately 400 dwellings in this sector. This experience has allowed students to understand the reality of urban slums in a developing country not as spectators, but through designing real architectural and u...

In his work ‘Cybernetics’, mathematician Norbert Wiener (1941) pointed to the interdisciplinary areas between the sciences as a promising field for research; embracing this notion of ‘synthesis’ fifty years later, the research discussed here uses the cornice, a typical element of Classical Architecture as the role-model for a series of experiments with light and shadow in nurbs software. This process encourages the development of digital design methodologies that go beyond current stylistic boundaries and hopes to set a possible threshold towards future design-based exploration.

In view of a possible a-historical development of an architecture that is solely reliant on technology, this paper attempts to address the need for a set of working rules for digital processes which are at once flexible and controlled. As examples, we have re-considered Classicism within the current temporal context and in relation to available technologies and methods, by looking at how the Classical system was appropriated by theorists and architects like Claude Perrault and Antoni Gaudi.

In view of a possible a-historical development of an architecture that is solely reliant on technology, this paper attempts to address the need for a set of working rules for digital processes which are at once flexible and controlled. As examples, we have re-considered Classicism within the current temporal context and in relation to available technologies and methods, by looking at how the Classical system was appropriated by theorists and architects like Claude Perrault and Antoni Gaudi.

466 467 ABSTRACT This paper offers an assessment of two methods for design—one based on intuitive design skills, the other on feedback from performance analysis—offered within a course with a biomorphic focus. The project demands a design solution that operates on two levels, function and aesthetics; students focused on proposing an “elegant” building component without compromising structural efficiency. The results are discussed with regard to aesthetic theory, as indicators toward integrating analysis tools in creative processes and also understanding different learning paradigms for students. Furthermore, the students’ perception of the process within two different rule-based systems is discussed. Finally, the evolution of this experiment within a clinical framework by collaborating with neuroscientists is contemplated, with the scope of collecting quantifiable data about aesthetics and establishing a connection with data-driven design processes. CONDITIONING ELEGANCE: A DESIGN E...

In subtropical or tropical region, shading is one of the most important design strategies due to exposure to intense solar radiation. The study addresses the need for flexible design method identified intoday’s architectural practice. Different workflows for coupling the parametric design with simulations of heatflow and radiation are examined. A workflow consists of tools running on modeling or simulation platform. The paper establishes three workflows, static, cross-platform and dynamic. Each workflow has similar capabilities in terms of access to simulation engines but different flow of information. Therefore, they can beemployed in different design circumstances. The current investigation indicates the need for multi-objectiveoptimization in the future.

This paper discusses the potential of a workflow that integrates parametric design and spatial computing, to create a persistent model, and address the gap between top-down and bottom-up design approaches for an informal settlement in Mumbai. The workflow involves the use of Fologram®, a Grasshopper® plugin for Rhinoceros®, which allows designers to work in a Mixed Reality (MR) environment through the Microsoft Hololens® eyewear and ubiquitous smart devices. While Immersive environments typically enable visualization of a design, we are interested in its possibilities as a tool to assist the locals, who often design and construct without the aid of designers. This practice is a good opportunity to examine the implementation of this technology. These tools allow the user to visualize a model at full scale and make edits, which permit an assessment of the design in real time before finalizing design decisions. In addition, the shared MR experience can be further integrated in the prop...

In view of a possible a-historical development of an architecture that is solely reliant on technology, this paper attempts to address the need for a set of working rules for digital processes which are at once flexible and controlled. As examples, we have re-considered Classicism within the current temporal context and in relation to available technologies and methods, by looking at how the Classical system was appropriated by theorists and architects like Claude Perrault and Antoni Gaudi.

integration through computation acadia 2011 _proceedings The i nc reas i ng use o f d i g i t a l t oo l s w i t h i n t he a rch i t ec tu r a l cu r r i cu l um d i c t a t es a necess i t y f o r c r i t i c a l l y app roach i ng t echno logy beyond i t s pe rcep t i on as a ‘ t oo l ’ , t owa rds t he c rea t i on o f a ‘me thod ’ . Th i s pape r p roposes t he use o f d i sc re te componen ts , such as b i o l ogy, compu ta t i on and f ab r i ca t i on t o bu i l d t heo re t i ca l f r amewo rks wh ich i n f o rm des ign ‘ e xpe r imen ts ’ i n v i t i ng t he pa r t i c i pa t i on o f t he enduse r t h rough i nco rpo ra t i on o f k i ne t i c dev i ces . Th i s i s d i scussed w i t h r e f e rence t o a r ecen t l y des i gned cou rse , mak i ng an a t t emp t t o assess i t s s t r eng ths and po ten t i a l as t hey r e l a t e t o i n t eg ra t i on . Cross-disciplinary Prototyping pedagogical frameworks for integrating biological analogies into design courses

ABSTRACT: This paper presents the research and design experiences of American students of architecture working on a research project in the Puerto Rican informal settlement of La Perla. This neighborhood is located adjacent to the historic city of San Juan, Puerto Rico, (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) and has been segregated from the rest of the city since the first settlers invaded a plot of land about 100 years ago. This paper presents part of the experience of faculty members and more than 180 architecture students from the continental United States, who have visited Puerto Rico in the last 6 years, as an attempt to incorporate studies of informal settlements in their academic curriculum (through 14 field trips overall). A large research project has been developed to individually study approximately 400 dwellings in this sector. This experience has allowed students to understand the reality of urban slums in a developing country not as spectators, but through designing real archit...

This work discusses the use of machine learning for extending the boundaries of architectural concepts. The use of deep learning algorithms is exploited for transferring stylistic attributes from one visual (archi-tectural) domain to another (architectural or other-wise). The combination of various semantic features into hybrid results helps locate possibilities for further exploration of one domain. The process is regarded as open-ended, taking advantage of a generative ad-versarial network's (cycleGAN) capacity to "imagine" new results which may set the base for new morpho-logical or structural architectural paradigms. We are interested to situate the training results within the con-text of human and computational creativity, embrac-ing the capacity of automated heuristic methods to produce novel outcomes which can augment human decision making in design and architecture.