Cumincad : CUMINCAD Papers : Search Results

CumInCAD is a Cumulative Index about publications in Computer Aided Architectural Design
supported by the sibling associations ACADIA, CAADRIA, eCAADe, SIGraDi, ASCAAD and CAAD futures

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_id	ecaade2017_172
id	ecaade2017_172
authors	Brand?o, Filipe, Paio, Alexandra and Whitelaw, Christopher
year	2017
title	Mapping Mass Customization
doi	https://doi.org/10.52842/conf.ecaade.2017.2.417
source	Fioravanti, A, Cursi, S, Elahmar, S, Gargaro, S, Loffreda, G, Novembri, G, Trento, A (eds.), ShoCK! - Sharing Computational Knowledge! - Proceedings of the 35th eCAADe Conference - Volume 2, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy, 20-22 September 2017, pp. 417-424
summary	Mass customization (MC) and personal fabrication (PF) are current relevant topics in architecture offices practice and schools design research. Architects are adopting information based design and production techniques as a response to architectural century challenges. However, is not clear how various authors used and transformed the concept in practice, research and industry after three decades since the MC term was introduced by Davis (1987). Therefore, is essential to map the most relevant works in the field in relation to production and design control. The paper presents some of the results of the ongoing study through an evolving map that aims to visualize relationships, layering complexity and revealing difference.
keywords	Mass Customization; Personal Fabrication; Housing; Map
series	eCAADe
email
last changed	2022/06/07 07:54

_id	ecaade2023_138
id	ecaade2023_138
authors	Crolla, Kristof and Wong, Nichol
year	2023
title	Catenary Wooden Roof Structures: Precedent knowledge for future algorithmic design and construction optimisation
doi	https://doi.org/10.52842/conf.ecaade.2023.1.611
source	Dokonal, W, Hirschberg, U and Wurzer, G (eds.), Digital Design Reconsidered - Proceedings of the 41st Conference on Education and Research in Computer Aided Architectural Design in Europe (eCAADe 2023) - Volume 1, Graz, 20-22 September 2023, pp. 611–620
summary	The timber industry is expanding, including construction wood product applications such as glue-laminated wood products (R. Sikkema et al., 2023). To boost further utilisation of engineered wood products in architecture, further development and optimisation of related tectonic systems is required. Integration of digital design technologies in this endeavour presents opportunities for a more performative and spatially diverse architecture production, even in construction contexts typified by limited means and/or resources. This paper reports on historic precedent case study research that informs an ongoing larger study focussing on novel algorithmic methods for the design and production of lightweight, large-span, catenary glulam roof structures. Given their structural operation in full tension, catenary-based roof structures substantially reduce material needs when compared with those relying on straight beams (Wong and Crolla, 2019). Yet, the manufacture of their non-standard geometries typically requires costly bespoke hardware setups, having resulted in recent projects trending away from the more spatially engaging geometric experiments of the second half of the 20th century. The study hypothesis that the evolutionary design optimisation of this tectonic system has the potential to re-open and expand its practically available design solution space. This paper covers the review of a range of built projects employing catenary glulam roof system, starting from seminal historic precedents like the Festival Hall for the Swiss National Exhibition EXPO 1964 (A. Lozeron, Swiss, 1964) and the Wilkhahn Pavilions (Frei Otto, Germany, 1987), to contemporary examples, including the Grandview Heights Aquatic Centre (HCMA Architecture + Design, Canada, 2016). It analysis their structural concept, geometric and spatial complexity, fabrication and assembly protocols, applied construction detailing solutions, and more, with as aim to identify methods, tools, techniques, and construction details that can be taken forward in future research aimed at minimising construction complexity. Findings from this precedent study form the basis for the evolutionary-algorithmic design and construction method development that is part of the larger study. By expanding the tectonic system’s practically applicable architecture design solution space and facilitating architects’ access to a low-tech producible, spatially versatile, lightweight, eco-friendly, wooden roof structure typology, this study contributes to environmentally sustainable building.
keywords	Precedent Studies, Light-weight architecture, Timber shell, Catenary, Algorithmic Optimisation, Glue-laminated timber
series	eCAADe
email
last changed	2023/12/10 10:49

_id	2ac0
authors	Galle, Per
year	1987
title	A Formalized Concept of Sketching in Automated Floor Plan Design
source	177 p. 1987. DIKO Research Report No.87/3
summary	CADLINE has abstract only. Automated floor plan design, though originally motivated by the difficulties encountered by architects manually designing building layouts, raise several questions that may be of relevance to related application areas as well. e.g. design of electronic circuitry. One such question is, 'how do we come from a given set of constraints on size and placement of rooms (components) to a set of floor plans (circuit layouts) that satisfy these constraints?' In manual architectural design, sketches are used as an intermediate step. The present work is a study of a number of formalizations of the sketch concept which have been or could be used in computer- generation of architectural floor plans. A particular type of sketch, called the 'delta-derivative', is suggested and developed. The delta-derivative of a desired solution plan is an approximation of that solution plan and usually several other similar or 'equivalent' solutions. The idea is to generate sketches ('abstract' plans) before solutions ('concrete' plans), because they are simpler to compute, weeding out sketches that are not 'promising', and trying to refine the remaining sketches into solutions proper, thus limiting the amount of combinatorial search. Several abstraction levels of sketches may be used in this process. However, constraints as specified by the user of an automated design system are assumed to apply to the solutions; therefore a major theoretical problem which is addressed in the report is the derivation of sketch-level constraints that define which sketches to be generated. A comprehensive floor plan design system based on these ideas has been implemented, and empirical results are reported which confirms certain predicted advantages of delta-derivatives but also shows that the sketch-level constraints based on the developed theory are too weak if used alone; they allow generation of too many sketches which cannot possibly be refined into solutions. The report finally conjectures a solution to this problem
keywords	CAD, planning, architecture, floor plans, design, combinatorics, programming, abstraction
series	CADline
last changed	1999/02/12 15:08

_id	630c
authors	Harel, David
year	1987
title	Algorithmics: the Spirit of Computing
source	x, 425 p. : ill. Reading, Mass.: Addison Wesley Pub. Co., 1987. include bibliography: p. 357-403 and index
summary	The preliminary chapters discuss the concept of an algorithmic problem and the algorithm that solves it. Discussions of the structure of algorithms, the data they manipulate and the languages in which they are programmed. Part two of the book turns to some general methods and paradigms for algorithmic design. Part three of the book is devoted to the inherent limitations of effectively executable algorithms and hence of the computers that implement them
keywords	algorithms, programming
series	CADline
last changed	1999/02/12 15:08

_id	af13
authors	Kennedy, Michael
year	1987
title	The Initial Start: Beginning CAADD for the Brand New Student
doi	https://doi.org/10.52842/conf.acadia.1987.065
source	Integrating Computers into the Architectural Curriculum [ACADIA Conference Proceedings] Raleigh (North Carolina / USA) 1987, pp. 65-76
summary	Described is a teaching system presently being used during the first five weeks of a first course in Computer Aided Architectural Design and Drafting (After these five weeks students spend eleven weeks actively using a 2-D drafting package and a 3-D surface modeling package). It is the view of the author that a student can obtain much more from her or his first course in CAADD if some fundamental concepts are covered specifically and dramatically, rather than assumed or conveyed by osmosis. On the other hand, one does not want to significantly delay the teaching of he principal objective: how to use a computer as a partner in design and production. The answer to meeting these two divergent objectives is two-fold: (1) careful organization with computer based tutorials, and (2) integration of architectonic lessons during the introduction. The objectives of he initial five weeks are (1) to demystify computers, (2) teach the fundamental concepts of computer systems relating to hardware (disks, cpu, memory, display), and software (programs, data, files), (3) illustrate programming and program design, and (4) convey the concept of discrete symbol manipulation and its relation to graphics and text.
series	ACADIA
last changed	2022/06/07 07:52

_id	diss_kuo
id	diss_kuo
authors	Kuo, C.J.
year	1999
title	Unsupervised Dynamic Concurrent Computer-Aided Design Assistant
source	Los Angeles: UCLA
summary	The increasing capability of computer-aided architectural design systems has strengthened the role that the computer plays in the workplace. Due to the complexity of developing new techniques and research, these systems are undertaken mostly by scientists and engineers without significant architectural input (Willey, 1991). The design concept of these systems may be based on a well-defined and well-understood process, which is not yet realized in architectural design (Galle, 1994). The output of such research may not be easily adapted into the design process. Most of the techniques assume a complete understanding of the design space (Gero and Maher, 1987) (Willey, 1991). The description or construction of the design space is always time and space consuming, and the result can never be complete due to the ever-changing nature of architectural design. This research intends to initiate a solution for the above problems. The proposed system is an unsupervised-dynamic-concurrent-computer-aided-design assistant. The “unsupervised” means the learning process is not supervised by the user because it is against the designer's nature to “think-aloud” in the design studio and it also increases the work load. It is dynamic because the size of the knowledge base is constantly changing. Concurrent means that there are multiple procedures active simultaneously. This research focuses on learning the operational knowledge from an individual designer and reapplying it in future designs. A computer system for this experiment is constructed. It is capable of The preliminary result shows a positive feedback from test subjects. The purpose of this research is to suggest a potent computational frame within which future developments may flourish.
series	thesis:PhD
last changed	2003/11/28 07:37

_id	ee8f
authors	Rasdorf, William J.
year	1987
title	Extending Database Management Systems for Engineering Applications
source	Computers in Mechanical Engineering (CIME). American Society of Mechanical Engineers, March, 1987. vol. 5: pp. 62-69
summary	During the design of a manufactured component, large amounts of information pertaining to all aspects of the design must be stored, accessed, and operated upon. A database management system (DBMS), composed of a central repository of data and the associated software for controlling accesses to it and operations on it, provides one way to uniformly store, manage, and use this information. This paper presents a framework for an extension to relational database management systems that combines a set of engineering constraints with a database of engineering data items. The representation requires a database that is able to store all of the data normally associated with engineering design as well as the constraints imposed upon the engineering design process. A powerful and flexible constraint processing system is needed to adequately ensure that engineering data conforms to the limitations imposed upon it by the design process. Such a system must be capable of allowing constraints to be invoked at a variety of times, and provide numerous options for the user when violations are detected. This paper introduces a concept called structured constraints that integrates state- of-the-art advances in DBMSs and current research in engineering constraint processing to further enhance CAD system capabilities. It discusses the extensions to relational database theory that are needed to achieve such a constraint handling capability for mechanical engineering applications. The goal sought is a managed repository of data supporting interfaces to a wide variety of application programs and supporting processing capabilities for maintaining data integrity by incorporating engineering constraints. The Structured Constraint model is a general method for classifying semantic integrity constraints. It is based on the structure of the relational model and is therefore independent of any particular query language. In addition, it is a formalism that possesses conceptual clarity and generality which make it useful for representing and communicating arbitrary constraints. The key contribution of this formalism is its basis for a completely definable implementation of an engineering integrity system
keywords	civil engineering, relational database, constraints management, management, DBMS
series	CADline
last changed	2003/06/02 10:24

_id	2389
authors	Fischler, Martin A. and Firschein, Oscar
year	1987
title	Intelligence : The Eye, The Brain, and the Computer
source	xiv, 331 p. [4] p. of plates : ill. ( some col.) Reading, Mass.: Addison-Wesley Pub Co., 1987. includes bibliography: p. 311-323 and index.
summary	This book presents a view of intelligence, both human and machine. It provides an understanding of the concept of intelligence, the nature of the cognitive and perceptual capabilities of people and computers and the representations and algorithms used to attain intelligent behavior
keywords	AI, learning, cognition, perception, representation, theory
series	CADline
last changed	2003/06/02 13:58

_id	c1b6
authors	Ries, R.
year	1999
title	Computational Analysis of the Environmental Impact of Building Designs
source	Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh
summary	Concem for the environmental implications of human activities is becoming increasingly important to society. The concept of current development that does not compromise future generations! abilities to meet their needs is a goal for many communities and individuals (WCED 1987). These concerns require the evaluation and assessment of the potential environmental impact of human activities so that informed choices can be made. Building construction and operation activities are of significant importance in view of a) national and intemational economies, 6) resource consumption, c) human occupancy, and d) environmental impact. For example, in the United States the built environment represents an extensive investment, both as an annual expenditure and as an aggregate investment. In the mid-l980’s, up to 30% of new and remodeled buildings had indoor air quality related complaints. Buildings also consume approximately 35% of the primary energy in the U.S. every year, resulting in the release of 482 million metric tons of carbon in 1993.I Methods developed to assess the environmental impact of buildings and development patterns can and have taken multiple strategies. The most straightforward and simple methods use single factors, such as energy use or the mass of pollutant emissions as indicators of environmental performance. Other methods use categorization and weighting strategies. These gauge the effects of the emissions typically based on research studies and use a weighting or effect formulation to normalize, compare, and group emissions so that a scalar value can be assigned to a single or a set of emissions. These methods do not consider the characteristics of the context where the emissions occur.
series	thesis:MSc
email
last changed	2003/02/12 22:37

_id	0a09
authors	Akin, O., Dave, B. and Pithavadian, S.
year	1987
title	Problem Structuring in Architectural Design
source	February, 1987. [4], 15 p. : ill. includes bibliography
summary	The purpose of this research is to describe in operational terms the process of problem structuring while solving spatial problems in architectural design. The designer's behavior is described in terms of problem structuring, when problem parameters are established or transformed, and in terms of problem solving when these parameters are satisfied in a design solution. As opposed to problem solving, the structuring of problems is an under-studied but crucial aspect of complex tasks such as design. This work is based on observations derived from verbal protocol studies. To consider various levels of skill, the research subjects range from professional architects to novice designers. Subjects are given space planning problems which require them to develop solutions in accordance with individually established constraints and criteria, the majority of which are not explicit stated in the problem description. Based on the results of the protocol analysis, a framework is developed which explains how information processing characteristics, problem structure and different levels of expertise interact to influence the designer behavior
keywords	architecture, design process, problem solving, protocol analysis, problem definition
series	CADline
email
last changed	2003/05/17 10:09

_id	ae05
authors	Akin, Omer
year	1987
title	Expertise of the Architect
source	November, 1987. [13] p. unevenly numbered : ill. includes bibliography
summary	One of the areas where the expertise of the seasoned architect comes out is in the initial structuring of design problems. During problem structuring the parameters and processes used in design are defined. Experienced architects modify these parameters both in global and local levels as a function of the success of their research process. Experienced architects also rely on 'scenarios' acquired through pervious experiences with similar problems to initialize their problem structures or to redefined them
keywords	design, architecture, methods
series	CADline
email
last changed	2003/05/17 10:09

_id	eb5f
authors	Al-Sallal, Khaled A. and Degelman, Larry 0.
year	1994
title	A Hypermedia Model for Supporting Energy Design in Buildings
doi	https://doi.org/10.52842/conf.acadia.1994.039
source	Reconnecting [ACADIA Conference Proceedings / ISBN 1-880250-03-9] Washington University (Saint Louis / USA) 1994, pp. 39-49
summary	Several studies have discussed the limitations of the available CAAD tools and have proposed solutions [Brown and Novitski 1987, Brown 1990, Degelman and Kim 1988, Schuman et al 1988]. The lack of integration between the different tasks that these programs address and the design process is a major problem. Schuman et al [1988] argued that in architectural design many issues must be considered simultaneously before the synthesis of a final product can take place. Studies by Brown and Novitski [1987] and Brown [1990] discussed the difficulties involved with integrating technical considerations in the creative architectural process. One aspect of the problem is the neglect of technical factors during the initial phase of the design that, as the authors argued, results from changing the work environment and the laborious nature of the design process. Many of the current programs require the user to input a great deal of numerical values that are needed for the energy analysis. Although there are some programs that attempt to assist the user by setting default values, these programs distract the user with their extensive arrays of data. The appropriate design tool is the one that helps the user to easily view the principal components of the building design and specify their behaviors and interactions. Data abstraction and information parsimony are the key concepts in developing a successful design tool. Three different approaches for developing an appropriate CAAD tool were found in the literature. Although there are several similarities among them, each is unique in solving certain aspects of the problem. Brown and Novitski [1987] emphasize the learning factor of the tool as well as its highly graphical user interface. Degelman and Kim [1988] emphasize knowledge acquisition and the provision of simulation modules. The Windows and Daylighting Group of Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory (LBL) emphasizes the dynamic structuring of information, the intelligent linking of data, the integrity of the different issues of design and the design process, and the extensive use of images [Schuman et al 19881, these attributes incidentally define the word hypermedia. The LBL model, which uses hypermedia, seems to be the more promising direction for this type of research. However, there is still a need to establish a new model that integrates all aspects of the problem. The areas in which the present research departs from the LBL model can be listed as follows: it acknowledges the necessity of regarding the user as the center of the CAAD tool design, it develops a model that is based on one of the high level theories of human-computer interaction, and it develops a prototype tool that conforms to the model.
series	ACADIA
email
last changed	2022/06/07 07:54

_id	sigradi2013_234
id	sigradi2013_234
authors	Alencar, Viviane; Gabriela Celani
year	2013
title	The Art of Computer Graphics Programming: Translating Pioneer Programs
source	SIGraDi 2013 [Proceedings of the 17th Conference of the Iberoamerican Society of Digital Graphics - ISBN: 978-956-7051-86-1] Chile - Valparaíso 20 - 22 November 2013, pp. 500 - 504
summary	Considering the importance of the use of programming languages for teaching computational design to architects, this paper proposes the translation of computer programs from a pioneer work in this field into a more contemporary programming language. The book The Art of Computer Graphics Programming: A Structured Introduction for Architects and Designers was published in 1987 by William J. Mitchell, Robin Ligget and Thomas Kvan, and remains an important reference for architects. The original Pascal codes in the book were translated into Processing, and made available through an Internet website, along with images and comments, in order to give late Prof. Mitchell’s work the consideration it deserves.
keywords	Processing; Pascal; Computer graphics
series	SIGRADI
email
last changed	2016/03/10 09:47

_id	4d3b
authors	Archea, John
year	1987
title	Puzzle-Making : What Architects Do When No One is Looking
source	New York: Wiley-Interscience, 1987. pp. 37-52. includes bibliography
summary	The thesis of this paper is that architects work in a manner that is antithetical to problem-solving because they cannot explicate desired effects prior to their realization through the design process. In an attempt to clarify architecture's uncommon mode of action the author suggests that instead of specifying what they are trying to accomplish prior to their attempts to accomplish it as problem-solver do, architects treat design as a search for the most appropriate effects that can be attained in a unique context. They seek sets of combinatorial rules that will result in an internally consistent fit between a kit of parts and the effects that are achieved when those parts are assembled in a certain way
keywords	puzzle making, problem solving, architecture, design process
series	CADline
last changed	1999/02/12 15:07

_id	a60d
authors	Bairstow, Jeffrey N.
year	1987
title	Personal Workstations Redefine Desktop Computing
source	high Technology. March, 1987. pp. 18-23 : ill. includes bibliography: p. 64
summary	Becoming an essential tool in any creative activity, the personal workstations were successfully adopted by software developers for designing both system and application software, by electronics engineers for computer-aided design, and by a wide range of businesses for technical publishing. The rapid adoption of networking and file standards by the workstation manufacturers will undoubtedly put them in a good position to install large networks of both PCs and workstations linked to existing corporate mainframe computers
keywords	hardware, technology, business
series	CADline
last changed	2003/06/02 13:58

_id	0cd8
authors	Baker, Nelson C. and Fenves, Stephen J.
year	1987
title	A Knowledge Acquisition Study of Structural Engineers Performing Preliminary Design
source	92 p. : ill. Pittsburgh, PA: Engineering Design Research Center, CMU, December, 1987. EDRC-12-19-87
summary	This paper describes interviews with experts in structural engineering. Video recordings of the experts performing preliminary structural design for three buildings were obtained. The knowledge acquisition process is described and the conclusions reached are presented. The conclusions are discussed in terms of level of design detail, solution time, distribution of process and domain activities, the use of previous information in the design process, and the use of sketches
keywords	knowledge acquisition, civil engineering, design process, design methods, drafting, systems, protocol analysis
series	CADline
last changed	2003/06/02 10:24

_id	016a
authors	Balachandran, M. B. and Gero, John S.
year	1987
title	A Knowledge-based Approach to Mathematical Design Modeling and Optimization
source	engineering Optimization. 1987. vol. 12: pp. 91-115
summary	Optimization is a well understood process in design domains. Designers formulate their design problems as single criterion or multicriteria optimization problems and then select an appropriate optimization algorithm to search for the optimal values for the design variables. The formulation and algorithm selection procedures have been considered to be activities which relied on substantive human knowledge. This paper describes a computer system, OPTIMA, which formulates design optimization problems from a pseudo-English description into canonical algebraic expressions. It then recognizes the formulation and selects appropriate algorithm(s) for its solution. Finally, it runs the selected algorithm(s) and sends the results back to the original descriptions. Areas of expert knowledge involved in carrying out the above tasks are identified. Such knowledge is explicitly encoded in the system. The basic philosophy and key features of the system are described and are illustrated with examples
keywords	structures, algorithms, knowledge base, systems, optimization, engineering
series	CADline
email
last changed	2003/06/02 13:58

_id	08a1
authors	Balachandran, M.B. and Gero, John S.
year	1987
title	A Knowledge-based Graphical Interface for Structural Design
source	Southampton: CM Publications, 1987. pp. 335-346
summary	This paper describes a knowledge-based graphical interface for the domain of structural engineering. The key aspects of the system include graphics interpretation, feature extraction of graphic objects and the identification of the entity itself. Details of the implementation of a prototype system using Prolog and C are provided. The domain knowledge is represented as frames. Examples are given to illustrate the performance of the system
keywords	structures, user interface, knowledge base, systems, design, engineering, computer graphics, frames
series	CADline
email
last changed	2003/06/02 13:58

_id	c568
authors	Balachandran, M.B. and John S. Gero
year	1987
title	A Model for Knowledge Based Graphical Interfaces
source	AI '87: Proceedings of the Australian Joint Artificial Intelligence Conference. 1987. pp. 505-521. Also published in Artificial Intelligence Developments and Applications edited by J. S. Gero and R Stanton, North-Holland Pub. 1988. -- CADLINE has abstract only.
summary	This paper describes a model for knowledge-based graphical interface which incorporates a variety of knowledge of the domain of application. The key issues considered include graphics interpretation, extraction of features of graphics objects and identification of prototype objects. The role of such knowledge-based interfaces in computer-aided design is discussed. A prototype system developed in Prolog and C is described and its application in the domain of structural engineering is demonstrated
keywords	user interface, computer graphics, knowledge base, systems, civil engineering, structures
series	CADline
email
last changed	2003/06/02 13:58

_id	cf2011_p170
id	cf2011_p170
authors	Barros, Mário; Duarte José, Chaparro Bruno
year	2011
title	Thonet Chairs Design Grammar: a Step Towards the Mass Customization of Furniture
source	Computer Aided Architectural Design Futures 2011 [Proceedings of the 14th International Conference on Computer Aided Architectural Design Futures / ISBN 9782874561429] Liege (Belgium) 4-8 July 2011, pp. 181-200.
summary	The paper presents the first phase of research currently under development that is focused on encoding Thonet design style into a generative design system using a shape grammar. The ultimate goal of the work is the design and production of customizable chairs using computer assisted tools, establishing a feasible practical model of the paradigm of mass customization (Davis, 1987). The current research step encompasses the following three steps: (1) codification of the rules describing Thonet design style into a shape grammar; (2) implementing the grammar into a computer tool as parametric design; and (3) rapid prototyping of customized chair designs within the style. Future phases will address the transformation of the Thonet’s grammar to create a new style and the production of real chair designs in this style using computer aided manufacturing. Beginning in the 1830’s, Austrian furniture designer Michael Thonet began experimenting with forming steam beech, in order to produce lighter furniture using fewer components, when compared with the standards of the time. Using the same construction principles and standardized elements, Thonet produced different chairs designs with a strong formal resemblance, creating his own design language. The kit assembly principle, the reduced number of elements, industrial efficiency, and the modular approach to furniture design as a system of interchangeable elements that may be used to assemble different objects enable him to become a pioneer of mass production (Noblet, 1993). The most paradigmatic example of the described vision of furniture design is the chair No. 14 produced in 1858, composed of six structural elements. Due to its simplicity, lightness, ability to be stored in flat and cubic packaging for individual of collective transportation, respectively, No. 14 became one of the most sold chairs worldwide, and it is still in production nowadays. Iconic examples of mass production are formally studied to provide insights to mass customization studies. The study of the shape grammar for the generation of Thonet chairs aimed to ensure rules that would make possible the reproduction of the selected corpus, as well as allow for the generation of new chairs within the developed grammar. Due to the wide variety of Thonet chairs, six chairs were randomly chosen to infer the grammar and then this was fine tuned by checking whether it could account for the generation of other designs not in the original corpus. Shape grammars (Stiny and Gips, 1972) have been used with sucesss both in the analysis as in the synthesis of designs at different scales, from product design to building and urban design. In particular, the use of shape grammars has been efficient in the characterization of objects’ styles and in the generation of new designs within the analyzed style, and it makes design rules amenable to computers implementation (Duarte, 2005). The literature includes one other example of a grammar for chair design by Knight (1980). In the second step of the current research phase, the outlined shape grammar was implemented into a computer program, to assist the designer in conceiving and producing customized chairs using a digital design process. This implementation was developed in Catia by converting the grammar into an equivalent parametric design model. In the third phase, physical models of existing and new chair designs were produced using rapid prototyping. The paper describes the grammar, its computer implementation as a parametric model, and the rapid prototyping of physical models. The generative potential of the proposed digital process is discussed in the context of enabling the mass customization of furniture. The role of the furniture designer in the new paradigm and ideas for further work also are discussed.
keywords	Thonet; furniture design; chair; digital design process; parametric design; shape grammar
series	CAAD Futures
email
last changed	2012/02/11 19:21

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