Andre Brown

Visualization as a common design language: connecting art and science

A fundamental problem in the building design process is how best to represent the designed object at different stages in the design process, and how best to interact with the partly designed object to refine and optimize satisfaction and performance. Increasingly complex and sophisticated digital representations of architecture are becoming more commonplace. But in some ways the computer has increased the distance, between the designer and the representation of the problem or idea. This paper reflects on the role of CAAD as an interactive counterpart in the design process; taking in some historic parallels and promising contemporary techniques.

Spatial reasoning: improving computational efficiency

When spatial data is analysed the result is often very computer intensive: even by the standards of contemporary technologies, the machine power needed is great and the processing times significant. This is particularly so in 3-D and 4-D scenarios. What we describe here is a technique, which tackles this and associated problems. The technique is founded in the idea of quad-tesseral addressing; a technique, which was originally applied to the analysis of atomic structures. It is based on ideas concerning Hierarchical clustering developed in the 1960s and 1970s to improve data access time [G.M. Morton, A computer oriented geodetic database and a new technique on file sequencing, IBM Canada, 1996.], and on atomic isohedral (same shape) tiling strategies developed in the 1970s and 1980s concerned with group theory [B. Grunbaum, G.C. Shephard, Tilings and Patterns, Freeman, New York, 1987.]. The technique was first suggested as a suitable representation for GIS in the early 1980s when the two strands were brought together and a tesseral arithmetic applied [F.C. Holdroyd, The Geometry of Tiling Hierarchies, Ars Combanitoria 16B (1983) 211–244.; S.B.M. Bell, B.M. Diaz, F.C. Holroyd, M.J.J. Jackson, Spatially referenced methods of processing raster and vector data, Image and Vision Computing 1 (4) (1983) 211–220.; Diaz, S.B.M. Bell, Spatial Data Processing Using Tesseral Methods, Natural Environment Research Council, Swindon, 1986.]. Here, we describe how that technique can equally be applied to the analysis of environmental interaction with built forms. The way in which the technique deals with the problems described is first to linearise the three-dimensional (3-D) space being investigated. Then, the reasoning applied to that space is applied within the same environment as the definition of the problem data. We show, with an illustrative example, how the technique can be applied. The problem then remains of how to visualise the results of the analysis so undertaken. We show how this has been accomplished so that the 3-D space and the results are represented in a way which facilitates rapid interpretation of the analysis, which has been carried out.

Information Spaces for Mobile City Access

This paper describes two complementary European research projects that share common interests and goals. The work described is intended to facilitate city analysis and support decision-making. The first project focuses on the distribution, access and ease of use of city data. The system allows access to historical data concerning key buildings in Liverpool, England, via a suite of web-based tools and a palmtop device. The second project looks at extending the functionality of traditional computer aided design (CAD) software to enable geometric and semantic data to be combined within a single environment. The system allows those involved in city planning to better understand the past and present development pattern of an area so that their decisions on future proposals are better informed. The paper concludes by describing a system that integrates particular aspects of the two projects, and the potential that this integration can bring. This new work provides mobile access to historical city development data, current city information and tools to support urban project development.

Tree-Structure Canopy: A Case Study in Design and Fabrication of Complex Steel Structures using Digital Tools:

This paper describes and reflects on the design and manufacturing process of the Tree-Structure canopy for the WestendGate Tower in Frankfurt upon Main, completed early 2011. The project investigated fabrication and assembly principles of complex steel structures as well as the integration of contemporary computational design, engineering, optimization and simulation techniques in a collaborative design approach. This paper focuses on the notion of modular standardization as opposed to non standard customized components. It also engages with issues relating to digital production tools and their impact on construction cost, material performance and tolerances. In addition it examines the reconfiguration of liability during a planning and construction process, an aspect which can be strongly determined by fabrication companies rather than the architect or designer. This paper is written as a reflection on the complete building process when contemporary digital tools are used from design through to fabrication. It studies both the generation of the steel structure as well the ETFE cushion skin. It reports on a collaborative project, where the main author was responsible for the canopies design, parameterization, digitalization and fabrication, as well as for the dissemination of the outcomes and findings during the design and realization process. As such it represents an example of research through design in a contemporary and evolving field. The canopy received a design award by the Hellenic Architecture Association.

Finding Your Way Around Heritage Sites: the Delivery of Digital Information to Mobile Devices

An information enriched 3D digital city model connected wirelessly with the real-time user interaction has the potential to deliver an effective piece in the pervasive computing jigsaw. Real-time location awareness can contribute to the effective delivery of 3D digital city models and associated information to small mobile devices. Location awareness is also one of the vital elements of ubiquitous computing systems; together the mobile hardware and its interactive contents can be thought of as ‘everyware’ [1]. This paper describes the work -undertaken with different technological systems that have potential for pedestrian location sensing connecting the pedestrian user with real and virtual environments simultaneously. In particular we look at how users can be correctly located and efficiently informed about buildings and artefacts that are part of the spectrum of built forms that together are referred to as Architectural Heritage sites.

Contemporary Digital Techniques in the Early Stages of Design

This paper reviews the role that computers can play in the early design stages and considers how far recent developments in commercial software have enabled designers to improve design performance through interaction with a CAAD system. An experimental approach is reported on.

An assessment of the effectiveness of sketch representations in early stage digital design

This paper presents an experimental approach that examines the response of non-architects to three virtual representations of architecture within a non- immersive Virtual Reality (VR) environment. It investigates the use of current digital technologies in their ability to facilitate early design stage sketch representation and explores the communication of early stage digital design proposals in order to determine the effect of representation type upon perception.

Examination of the Designs by Auguste Perret Using Digitally-Enabled Forensic Techniques

This paper discusses how digitally-enabled techniques can be used to augment our understanding of a designers work, particularly in relation to unbuilt or lost projects. In the first half of the twentieth century Auguste Perret gained international recognition for his buildings and we employ two of his unbuilt museums as the basis for illustration of the technique. Current knowledge of his unbuilt projects is based on surviving literature and incomplete illustrations. We show that the use of digitally-enabled techniques facilitates a fuller examination of the original material. Interpretation of material requires parallel studies into the architect, their influences and the context they operated within in order to extrapolate and fill gaps in an informed way. The construction of various digital representations enables a forensic analysis of the projects; consequently we can produce a richer set of information that can, in turn, enhance our analysis and understanding of an architect and their work, in this case, Perret.

Architectural critique through digital scenario-building

As an idea scenario-building has parallels the use of creative faking in related disciplines, most particularly, in contemporary art. The techniques involved in scenario-building and faking offer us enhanced ways of undertaking creative thinking and critical review of architecture and architectural projects. Critical review and theoretical analysis of architecture can be undertaken via a range of methods that (1978) classifies as Normative, Interpretive and Descriptive. Digital representation now offers us new ways of augmenting these critical styles in ways that have yet to be fully exploited, and possible means of exploitation are illustrated in this paper. In short the work described here shows how digital techniques can be used to enrich architectural investigation, critical reporting and debate.

Towards a natural and appropriate Architectural Virtual Reality: the nAVRgate project

The lure of virtual environments is strong and the apparent potential is enticing. But questions of how Human Computer Interaction (HCI) issues should be handled and married with best practice in Human-Human Interaction (HHI) remains largely unresolved. How should architectural images and ideas be most appropriately represented, and how should designers interact and react through this computer mediated medium? Whilst there is never likely to be unanimity in answer to such questions, we can develop new ideas and new systems, test them, report on them and invite comment.