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

PDF papers
References

Hits 1 to 20 of 381

_id sigradi2008_049
id sigradi2008_049
authors Benamy, Turkienicz ; Beck Mateus, Mayer Rosirene
year 2008
title Computing And Manipulation In Design - A Pedagogical Experience Using Symmetry
source SIGraDi 2008 - [Proceedings of the 12th Iberoamerican Congress of Digital Graphics] La Habana - Cuba 1-5 December 2008
summary The concept of symmetry has been usually restricted to bilateral symmetry, though in an extended sense it refers to any isometric transformation that maintains a certain shape invariant. Groups of operations such as translation, rotation, reflection and combinations of these originate patterns classified by modern mathematics as point groups, friezes and wallpapers (March and Steadman, 1974). This extended notion represents a tool for the recognition and reproduction of patterns, a primal aspect of the perception, comprehension and description of everything that we see. Another aspect of this process is the perception of shapes, primary and emergent. Primary shapes are the ones explicitly represented and emergent shapes are the ones implicit in the others (Gero and Yan, 1994). Some groups of shapes known as Semantic Shapes are especially meaningful in architecture, expressing visual features so as symmetry, rhythm, movement and balance. The extended understanding of the concept of symmetry might improve the development of cognitive abilities concerning the creation, recognition and meaning of forms and shapes, aspects of visual reasoning involved in the design process. This paper discusses the development of a pedagogical experience concerned with the application of the concept of symmetry in the creative generation of forms using computational tools and manipulation. The experience has been carried out since 1995 with 3rd year architectural design students. For the exploration of compositions based on symmetry operations with computational support we followed a method developed by Celani (2003) comprising the automatic generation and update of symmetry patterns using AutoCAD. The exercises with computational support were combined with other different exercises in each semester. The first approach combined the creation of two-dimensional patterns to their application and to their modeling into three-dimensions. The second approach combined the work with computational support with work with physical models and mirrors and the analysis of the created patterns. And the third approach combined the computational tasks with work with two-dimensional physical shapes and mirrors. The student’s work was analyzed under aspects such as Discretion/ Continuity –the creation of isolated groups of shapes or continuous overlapped patterns; Generation of Meta-Shapes –the emergence of new shapes from the geometrical relation between the generative shape and the structure of the symmetrical arrangement; Modes of Representation –the visual aspects of the generative shape such as color and shading; Visual Reasoning –the derivation of 3D compositions from 2D patterns by their progressive analysis and recognition; Conscious Interaction –the simultaneous creation and analysis of symmetry compositions, whether with computational support or with physical shapes and mirrors. The combined work with computational support and with physical models and mirrors enhanced the students understanding on the extended concept of symmetry. The conscious creation and analysis of the patterns also stimulated the student’s understanding over the different semantic possibilities involved in the exploration of forms and shapes in two or three dimensions. The method allowed the development of both syntactic and semantic aspects of visual reasoning, enhancing the students’ visual repertoire. This constitutes an important strategy in the building of the cognitive abilities used in the architectural design process.
keywords Symmetry, Cognition, Computing, Visual reasoning, Design teaching
series SIGRADI
email
last changed 2016/03/10 09:47

_id 80df
authors Cook, Alan R.
year 1995
title Stereopsis in the Design and Presentation of Architectural Works
source Computing in Design - Enabling, Capturing and Sharing Ideas [ACADIA Conference Proceedings / ISBN 1-880250-04-7] University of Washington (Seattle, Washington / USA) October 19-22, 1995, pp. 113-137
doi https://doi.org/10.52842/conf.acadia.1995.113
summary This article presumes the primacy of spatial cognition in evaluating architectural designs and begins by describing key concepts involved in the perception of spatial form, focussing on parallax and stereoscopy. The ultimate emphasis is directed at presenting techniques which employ computers with modest hardware specifications and a basic three-dimensional modeling software application to produce sophisticated imaging tools. It is argued that these techniques are comparable to high end computer graphic products in their potentials for carrying information and in some ways are superior in their speed of generation and economies of dissemination. A camera analogy is considered in relation to controlling image variables. The ability to imply a temporal dimension is explored. An abbreviated summary of pertinent binocular techniques for viewing stereograms precedes a rationalization and initiation for using the cross-convergence technique. Ways to generate and view stereograms and other multiscopic views using 3-D computer models are described. Illustrations from sample projects show various levels of stereogram rendering including the theoretically 4-D wireframe stereogram. The translated perspective array autostereogram is presented as an economical and easily reproducible alternative to holography as well as being a substitute for stop action animation.

series ACADIA
email
last changed 2022/06/07 07:56

_id a8f0
authors Goel, V.
year 1995
title Sketches of thought
source MA: MIT Press, Cambridge
summary Much of the cognitive lies beyond articulate, discursive thought, beyond the reach of current computational notions. In Sketches of Thought, Vinod Goel argues that the cognitive computational conception of the world requires our thought processes to be precise, rigid, discrete, and unambiguous; yet there are dense, ambiguous, and amorphous symbol systems, like sketching, painting, and poetry, found in the arts and much of everyday discourse that have an important, nontrivial place in cognition. Goel maintains that while on occasion our thoughts do conform to the current computational theory of mind, they often are -- indeed must be - vague, fluid, ambiguous, and amorphous. He argues that if cognitive science takes the classical computational story seriously, it must deny or ignore these processes, or at least relegate them to the realm of the nonmental. As a cognitive scientist with a design background, Goel is in a unique position to challenge cognitive science on its own territory. He introduces design problem solving as a domain of cognition that illustrates these inarticulate, nondiscursive thought processes at work through the symbol system of sketching. He argues not that such thoughts must remain noncomputational but that our current notions of computation and representation are not rich enough to capture them. Along the way, Goel makes a number of significant and controversial interim points. He shows that there is a principled distinction between design and nondesign problems, that there are standard stages in the solution of design problems, that these stages correlate with the use of different types of external symbol systems; that these symbol systems are usefully individuated in Nelson Goodman's syntactic and semantic terms, and that different cognitive processes are facilitated by different types of symbol systems.
series other
last changed 2003/04/23 15:14

_id 4169
authors Iodo, Irina A.
year 1995
title The Search for the Logical Algorithm of the Town-planning Process
source CAD Space [Proceedings of the III International Conference Computer in Architectural Design] Bialystock 27-29 April 1995, pp. 275-282
summary The creation of such models of material and spatial environment that can guarantee the most efficient passing of the virtual processes is considered to be one of the main goals for the town planning. But sometimes this goal is not achieved because of the far-fetched space organization accepted in the model, that does not always coincide with the real processes of vital activity. This report does not focus particularly on the damage which is caused by the realization of such defective models. But it is very important to find out the way for complete elimination of the reasons mentioned above. We should also take into account that means of cognition available at the moment are among the basic determiners, which define that "shear" of reality and also that comprehension level of objective laws governing this stage of social development. That is why our conception of the town-planning processes is in constant development and improvement: it gradually approximates to the truth, but, certainly, does not entirely perceive it.
series plCAD
last changed 2000/01/24 10:08

_id 617e
authors Wang, Cheng-Jui
year 1995
title Shape cognition in design: constructing a cognitive model of shapes for different design fields
source NCTU, iaa
summary The purpose of this paper is to reveal the characteristics of shape cognition of different design fields in the 'intuitive design' domain, and to construct a cognitive model of shape cognition for different design fields. The research procedure used in this study consisted of two phases. The first phase was applied to protocol analysis study of three professional designers in architectural design, industrial design and graphic design respectively. In the second phase, one controlled laboratory experiment was designed to reveal the characteristics of designers' shape perception in different 'intuitive design' fields. By these empirical findings, we found that designer's cognitive processes of shapes would be not alike in different design fields. The results suggest that in different design fields, designer's shape cognition processes will be different, and in each design field, similar cognitive processes of shape contained different design meanings.
series other
last changed 2003/04/23 15:50

_id caadria2007_659
id caadria2007_659
authors Chen, Zi-Ru
year 2007
title The Combination of Design Media and Design Creativity _ Conventional and Digital Media
source CAADRIA 2007 [Proceedings of the 12th International Conference on Computer Aided Architectural Design Research in Asia] Nanjing (China) 19-21 April 2007
doi https://doi.org/10.52842/conf.caadria.2007.x.w5x
summary Creativity is always interested in many fields, in particular, creativity and design creativity have many interpretations (Boden, 1991; Gero and Maher, 1992, 1993; Kim, 1990; Sternberg, 1988; Weisberg, 1986). In early conceptual design process, designers used large number of sketches and drawings (Purcell and Gero, 1998). The sketch can inspire the designer to increase the creativity of the designer’s creations(Schenk, 1991; Goldschmidt, 1994; Suwa and Tversky, 1997). The freehand sketches by conventional media have been believed to play important roles in processes of the creative design thinking(Goldschmidt, 1991; Schon and Wiggins, 1992; Goel, 1995; Suwa et al., 2000; Verstijnen et al., 1998; Elsas van and Vergeest, 1998). Recently, there are many researches on inspiration of the design creativity by digital media(Liu, 2001; Sasada, 1999). The digital media have been used to apply the creative activities and that caused the occurrenssce of unexpected discovery in early design processes(Gero and Maher, 1993; Mitchell, 1993; Schmitt, 1994; Gero, 1996, 2000; Coyne and Subrahmanian, 1993; Boden, 1998; Huang, 2001; Chen, 2001; Manolya et al. 1998; Verstijinen et al., 1998; Lynn, 2001). In addition, there are many applications by combination of conventional and digital media in the sketches conceptual process. However, previous works only discussed that the individual media were related to the design creativity. The cognitive research about the application of conceptual sketches design by integrating both conventional and digital media simultaneously is absent.
series CAADRIA
email
last changed 2022/06/07 07:50

_id 95bf
authors Culverhouse, P.F.
year 1995
title Constraining designers and their CAD tools
source Design Studies 16 (1) (1995) pp. 81-101
summary Electronics product designs can fail for technological reasons and also for human reasons. Both computer-aided design (CAD) tools and formal methods have attempted to limit the risk of product failure by logical assessment of the design and its technology. However, to improve design effectiveness and efficiency the contribution of people to a design's risk of failure must also be assessed and controlled. A method is presented of controlling and limiting human design through the application of a four-path model of design previously developed by the author. The model categorizes designs as repeat design, variant design, innovative design or strategic design. Each has its own set of pre-existent constraints that limit the capacity for unwanted innovation to the product at the outset of each development programme. This provides a mechanism by which designer creativity may be controlled. The manner in which designers are constrained may also be applied to the control of CAD tools commonly employed in the design process.
series journal paper
last changed 2003/05/15 21:45

_id ead7
authors Gero, J.S. and Schnier, T.
year 1995
title Evolving representations of design cases and their use in creative design
source J.S. Gero, M.L. Maher and F. Sudweeks (eds), Preprints Computational Models of Creative Design , Key Centre of Design Computing, University of Sydney, pp. 343-368
summary In case-based design, the adaptation of a design case to new design requirements plays an important role. If it is sufficient to adapt a predefined set of design parameters, the task is easily automated. If, however, more far-reaching, creative changes are required, current systems provide only limited success. This paper describes an approach to creative design adaptation based on the notion of creativity as 'goal oriented shift of focus of a search process'. An evolving representation is used to restructure the search space so that designs similar to the example case lie in the focus of the search. This focus is than used as a starting point to generate new designs.
series other
email
last changed 2003/04/06 15:22

_id 5580
id 5580
authors Gero, John S.
year 1995
title Computers and Creative Design
source Sixth International Conference on Computer-Aided Architectural Design Futures [ISBN 9971-62-423-0] Singapore, 24-26 September 1995, pp. 11-19
summary This paper introduces notions of creativity and creative design as a form of computational exploration. Exploration is used as a means of defining spaces which are then searched. It is shown that schemas provide an opportunity to describe exploration. Emergence as a process which modifies schemas is described, as a ìcreative processî. Visual emergence is elaborated and other forms of emergence are described. The role of emergence in creative design is presented.
keywords Creative Design, Design Theory, Emergence
series CAAD Futures
email
last changed 2003/08/23 16:45

_id 8d21
authors Kokosalakis, Jen and Moorhouse, Jon
year 1995
title A Documentation Methodology for Multimedia Recording of Architects Computer Aided Architectural Designing
source Multimedia and Architectural Disciplines [Proceedings of the 13th European Conference on Education in Computer Aided Architectural Design in Europe / ISBN 0-9523687-1-4] Palermo (Italy) 16-18 November 1995, pp. 203-216
doi https://doi.org/10.52842/conf.ecaade.1995.203
summary The focus of this paper is on teaching design through Computer Aided Architectural Design. Our present activity is to prepare Multimedia interviews showing how architects are designing using CAAD. We have for some time had relative success with students learning to design using the CAAD system extensively and creatively for their studio projects. This has led us to consider how best to teach in a way which encourages this creativity to extend and flourish. As with learning, broadly, and specifically with developing design ability, it is important to direct students to relevant established precedents of recent and classic examples of respected architects' approaches to similar design activities, in a body of historical and theoretical background. This tradition in teaching provides rich, invaluable learning material in design approaches and solutions. It appears that most material attempting to fill this role for CAADesign is in the form of written material, finished designs, or animations. Possibly the only way Computer Aided Architectural Designing activity can be understood fully is by documenting it in its own original media, (excepting direct first hand live observation). We are therefore preparing Multimedia records of interviews with architects and their real time computer activity, to build up a rich base of reference material supporting and expanding learning to design through CAAD.

series eCAADe
more http://dpce.ing.unipa.it/Webshare/Wwwroot/ecaade95/Pag_27.htm
last changed 2022/06/07 07:51

_id 0752
authors Kulinski, Jaroslaw
year 1995
title An Inspiring Method of Teaching CAAD Programs
source Multimedia and Architectural Disciplines [Proceedings of the 13th European Conference on Education in Computer Aided Architectural Design in Europe / ISBN 0-9523687-1-4] Palermo (Italy) 16-18 November 1995, pp. 267-272
doi https://doi.org/10.52842/conf.ecaade.1995.267
summary This paper tries to describe the actual situation concerning computer use in architectural practice. It tries to trace the roots of the present situation as well as to find a possible alternative. The paper depicts the most common problems arising while getting started the concept work in computer environment. It tries to show how to find the links between human imagination and its expression by means of CAAD software. It outlines a proposal of teaching CAAD programs in the way which would stimulate the user´s creativity in the electronic environment.
series eCAADe
more http://dpce.ing.unipa.it/Webshare/Wwwroot/ecaade95/Pag_32.htm
last changed 2022/06/07 07:52

_id f4d7
authors Madrazo, L.
year 1995
title The Concept of Type in Architecture: An Inquiry into the Nature of Architectural Form
source Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, ETH Zurich
summary The purpose of this dissertation is to investigate the meaning of the concept of Type in the field of architectural theory. Even though the use of the term type by architectural theorists is a relatively recent phenomenon, which can be traced back to Quatremère de Quincy in the early nineteenth century, the idea of Type, as opposed to the explicit use of this term by theorists, has pervaded much of architectural theory ever since Vitruvius. In fact, many theorists have been concerned with issues which convey a notion of Type, like the origins of architectural form, the systematization of architectural knowledge and the understanding of the process of creativity. A basic premise of this work is that to understand the true significance of the idea of Type in architecture, it is necessary to overcome certain traditional views that have associated Type with the work of specific authors at a given time like, for example, Quatremère de Quincy and Semper in the nineteenth century, or Rossi in the twentieth. Only a comprehensive study of the most relevant ideas formulated in the field of architectural theory -beginning with Vitruvius and finishing with contemporary design methodologists- can reveal the essential meaning, or meanings, of Type. This work attempts to provide such a comprehensive study. To derive the fundamental meanings of the concept of Type from the body of the architectural tradition, it has been necessary to proceed, simultaneously, along two different lines: one diachronic, the other synchronic. From a diachronic point of view, the aim has been to trace the evolution of the theories of Type from one author to another, for example from Laugier to Quatremère de Quincy. From a synchronic point of view, the goal has been to disclose the common ideas that lie behind theories formulated at different times, for instance, between Vitruvius' theory of the origins of architectural form and the artistic theory developed after the advent of Gestalt psychology. In recent times, the term type has been used by architectural writers as synonymous with typology. Unfortunately, establishing this identity between type and typology has served to undermine some of the essential meanings conveyed by Type. In the overall context of the architectural tradition, the idea of Type has much deeper implications than those that are confined to the classification and study of building forms. Type embraces transcendental issues of aesthetic, epistemological and metaphysical character; issues that have to do with the most generic problem of Form. Certainly, the essential meaning of Type is intimately related with the more transcendental problem of Form. To explore the relation between the idea of Type and the historical evolution of architectural form, has also been the purpose of this research. As this work attempts to show, the variety of meanings that Type has adopted through history are inseparably connected to the evolution undergone by architectural form. For that reason, this work, although primarily a study of the concept of Type, it is, at the same time, an investigation on the nature of architectural form.
series thesis:PhD
email
last changed 2003/05/10 05:42

_id 750a
authors Oxman, Rivka
year 1995
title Design Case Bases: Graphic Knowledge Bases for the Design Workspace
source Sixth International Conference on Computer-Aided Architectural Design Futures [ISBN 9971-62-423-0] Singapore, 24-26 September 1995, pp. 555-565
summary Cases in the domain of architecture and engineering are commonly stored and presented as graphical representations in the form of drawings. The way creative designers fit and adapt graphical representations through drawing and re-drawing is still one of the least understood phenomena in design. Modeling stich processes appears to be a key to graphic knowledge base integration in CAAD environments. The paper reports on a new approach to modeling design adaptation in a graphical environment. This approach is based upon a theory of creativity, the Representation - Re-representation Hypothesis which is here employed in the formalization of design adaptation. A 'multi-layer re-representational model' which assists in the adaptation of design drawings is developed and presented. The model is based on the transformation of chunks of knowledge in design cases into explicit re-representational structures which can support creative design in a graphic environment. This model is utilized in our current work in development of a prototype graphical case-based CAAD system.
keywords Adaptation, Case-based CAAD, Case-based Design, Creativity, Graphical Case-Bases, Representation, Re-Representation.
series CAAD Futures
email
last changed 2003/05/16 20:58

_id ecaadesigradi2019_102
id ecaadesigradi2019_102
authors Passsaro, Andres Martin, Henriques, Gonçalo Castro, Sans?o, Adriana and Tebaldi, Isadora
year 2019
title Tornado Pavilion - Simplexity, almost nothing, but human expanded abilities
source Sousa, JP, Xavier, JP and Castro Henriques, G (eds.), Architecture in the Age of the 4th Industrial Revolution - Proceedings of the 37th eCAADe and 23rd SIGraDi Conference - Volume 1, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal, 11-13 September 2019, pp. 305-314
doi https://doi.org/10.52842/conf.ecaade.2019.1.305
summary In the context of the fourth industrial revolution, not all regions have the same access to technology for project development. These technological limitations do not necessarily result in worst projects and, on the contrary, can stimulate creativity and human intervention to overcome these shortcomings. We report here the design of a small pavilion with scarce budget and an ambitious goal to qualify a space through tactical urbanism. We develop the project in a multidisciplinary partnership between academy and industry, designing, manufacturing and assembling Tornado Pavilion, a complex structure using combined HIGH-LOW technologies, combining visual programming with analog manufacture and assembly. The design strategy uses SIMPLEXITY with ruled surfaces strategy to achieve a complex geometry. Due to the lack of automated mechanical cutting or assembly, we used human expanded abilities for the construction; instead of a swarm of robots, we had a motivated and synchronized swarm of students. The pavilion became a reference for local population that adopted it. This process thus shows that less or almost nothing (Sola-Morales 1995), need not to be boring (Venturi 1966) but less can be much more (Kolarevic 2017).
keywords Simplexity; CAD-CAM; Ruled Surfaces; expanded abilities; pavilion
series eCAADeSIGraDi
email
last changed 2022/06/07 07:59

_id 99a3
authors Schaaf, Joerg W. and Voss, Angi
year 1995
title Retrieval of Similar Layouts in FABEL using AspecT
source Sixth International Conference on Computer-Aided Architectural Design Futures [ISBN 9971-62-423-0] Singapore, 24-26 September 1995, pp. 617-626
summary In the FABEL project several approaches have been developed and published for retrieving similar cases in the domain of architectural design. In this paper we want to focus on a short description and foremost on integration of these approaches. We will introduce the most important approaches. As a first step towards integration, we suggest decomposing them into their main parts: representation of cases, similarity function and retrieval component. Using the first two parts each approach in a new search algorithm operating on a generic data structure, we built a shell called AspecT for an easy integration. We are positive that one can never have fully considered all aspects of a design. Therefore, we describe an open framework to define new aspects and to apply them depending on the context. Unfortunately, openness brings some difficulties along with it. One can not predict the importance of an aspect, until the situation assessment of the query is completed. In other words, it is impossible to define a static distribution of aspect weights that fits for all purposes. As a consequence, one can not predefine a static structure on the case base to speed tip retrieval processes. Dealing with this problem, we developed and published a special search algorithm that passes through a multidimensional case base, finding the best fitting cases within a short amount of time. This algorithm does not need any predefined structure on the case base except aspect specific relations between cases. Creativity of inventing new aspects of cases should not be hindered but one can ask whether or not a certain aspect are worth being regarded in searching for useful cases. The shell AspecT offers a tool to evaluate aspects. At first, formal criteria influence the initial weights of aspects but later on, the contribution of an aspect to find user accepted cases, determines the survival fitness of an aspect. The rule for living or dying is simple. Seldom used aspects disappear, whereas others become stronger. A short description regarding this work is given in last part.
keywords Case-Based Reasoning, Retrieval, Integration of Similarity Concepts, Architectural Design
series CAAD Futures
last changed 1999/08/03 17:16

_id 0f58
authors Schrage, M.
year 1995
title No more teams: Mastering the dynamics of creative collaboration
source New York: Currency and DoubleDay
summary For organizations that care about innovation, individual creativity isn't enough anymore -- people need to be in creative, collaborative relationships. For "virtual" organizations, collaborative relationships are a must or the organization won't survive. The world's greatest collaborations -- Picasso/ Braque, Watson/ Crick, Wozniak/Jobs -- relied on "shared spaces" where they could play with their ideas. Shared spaces, however you set them up, provide the neutral ground on which any and all ideas can be aired and considered. Developing a shared space for collaboration is about effectively using tools -- from felt tips on napkins, to whiteboards, to specialized computer software -- that can provide the shared space to keep all the good ideas, to cope with every objection, to handle conflicts as they come up, to make sure everyone gets their say and has it considered.
series other
last changed 2003/04/23 15:14

_id ff69
authors Seok, Lee Han, Sik, Park-Chung and Kim, Dae-Gwon
year 1995
title A Knowledge-Based CAAD system with Qualitative Spatial Reasoning Capability
source Sixth International Conference on Computer-Aided Architectural Design Futures [ISBN 9971-62-423-0] Singapore, 24-26 September 1995, pp. 359-368
summary Design and creativity go hand in hand. The ability to be creative in design can be enhanced when humans and computers, which both work as information processing systems cooperate in a complementary, integrated manner. Computational systems should play the most essential role in enhancing creativity within human-machine design systems in the future. In this context, we present the concept and architecture of a new integrated CAAD System, AutoNEO, that will support the achievement of creative results. We will focus on the qualitative spatial reasoning capability of AutoNEO, and provide an example of layout design as a case of qualitative spatial reasoning.
keywords Knowledge-Based CAAD System, Qualitative Spatial Reasoning, Design Creativity
series CAAD Futures
last changed 1999/08/03 17:16

_id aa38
authors Tan, M., Gan, J., Indorf, P., Man, D., Teh, R., Datta, S., Serra, L. and Loo, J.
year 1995
title Multivalent Architectural Case Information for Creative Reasoning
source Sixth International Conference on Computer-Aided Architectural Design Futures [ISBN 9971-62-423-0] Singapore, 24-26 September 1995, pp. 543-554
summary The theoretical underpinnings, practical and technical implementation of a multimedia database to support creative designing is presented through a prototype system which would go on-line in the near future. At the heart of the system is the notion that architectural knowledge is multivalent ñ requiring the means for recombination in new and different ways to support design thinking. The system also attempts to deal with the practical issues of case building, 3D modelling, interface design and technical clarity.
keywords Creativity, Multimedia, Case-Based Reasoning, Computer-Aided Architectural Design, Architectural Database, Visual Database, Virtual Reality.
series CAAD Futures
email
last changed 2003/05/16 20:58

_id cf2011_p024
id cf2011_p024
authors Tidafi, Temy; Charbonneau Nathalie, Khalili-Araghi Salman
year 2011
title Backtracking Decisions within a Design Process: a Way of Enhancing the Designer's Thought Process and Creativity
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. 573-587.
summary This paper proposes a way computer sciences could contribute to stimulate the designer’s reflexive thought. We explore the possibility of making use of backtracking devices in order to formalize the designer’s thought process. Design, as a process of creating an object, cannot be represented by means of a linear timeline. Accordingly, the backtracking processes we are discussing here are not based on a linear model but rather on a non-linear structure. Beyond the notion of undoing and redoing commands within CAD packages, the backtracking process is seen as a way to explore and record several alternate options. The branches of the non-linear model can be seen as pathways made of sequential decisions. The designer creates and explores these pathways while making tentative moves towards an architectural solution. Within the design process, backtracking enables the designer to establish and act on a network of interrelated decisions. This notion is fundamental. It is quite obvious that information, in order to be meaningful, must occupy a specific place within an informational network. A data, separated from its context, is devoid of interest. By the same token, a decision takes on significance solely in combination with other decisions. In this paper, we examine what kinds of decisions are involved within a design process, how they are connected, and what could be the best ways to formalize the relationships. Our goal is to experiment ways that could enable the designer and his/her collaborators to get a clearer mental picture of the network of decisions aforementioned. The non-linear model can be seen as a graph structure. The user moves wherever he/she wants through the branches of the structure to establish the network of decisions or to get reacquainted with a previous design process. As a matter of fact, it can act in both ways: to reassess or to confirm a decision. On the one hand, the designer can go back to previous states, reconsider past choices, and eventually modify them. On the other hand, he/she can move forward and revisit a given sequence of decisions, so as to recapture the essence of a previous design process. It goes without saying that knowledge regarding the design process is constructed by the designer from his/her own experiences. Since the designer’s perception evolves as time goes by, the network of decisions constitutes a model that is continuously questioned and restructured. The designer does not elaborate solely an architectural object, but also an evolving model formalizing the way he/she achieved his/her aim. As Le Moigne (1995) pointed out, the model itself produces knowledge; afterwards, the designer can examine it so as to get a clearer mental picture of his/her own cognitive processes. Furthermore, it can be used by his/her collaborators in order to understand which thread of ideas led the designer to a given visual result, and eventually resume or reorient the design process. In addition to reflecting on the ideological implications inherent to this questioning, we take into account the feasibility of such a research project. From a more technical point of view, in this paper we will describe how we plane to take up the challenge of elaborating a digital environment enabling backtracking processes within graph structures. Furthermore, we will explain how we plane to test the first trial version of the new environment with potential users so as to observe how they respond to it. These experiments will be conducted in order to verify to what extend the methods we are proposing are able to i) enhance the designer’s creativity and ii) increase our understanding of designer’s thought process.
keywords backtracking, design process, digital environments, problem space, network of decisions, graph structure.
series CAAD Futures
email
last changed 2012/02/11 19:21

_id 1c92
authors Verbeke, Johan
year 1995
title Trying to Stimulate Creativity in CAAD at Sint-Lucas Brussels-Gent
source CAD Space [Proceedings of the III International Conference Computer in Architectural Design] Bialystock 27-29 April 1995, pp. 239-245
summary The use of CAAD at our Institute, which is located at two different places (Brussels and Gent), is based on three important mainstays: theoretical lessons combined with practical exercises, design activity in the studio and scientific research. Our main ideas and experience (for the average student) will be explained in more detail in the sequel. Of course, the best students use the computer in a much more evolved way.
series plCAD
email
last changed 2000/01/24 10:08

For more results click below:

this is page 0show page 1show page 2show page 3show page 4show page 5... show page 19HOMELOGIN (you are user _anon_232348 from group guest) CUMINCAD Papers Powered by SciX Open Publishing Services 1.002