Assessing the effectiveness of architectural design communication through public participation methods

The range of communication methods available to architects to present design development has expanded over recent years. With an increase in competition between architectural practices and the resulting reduction in professional fees, it is becoming increasingly important to deliver quality projects in an efficient manner. A greater understanding of user interaction is invaluable for architects in order to assess specific requirements and produce design solutions. Effective design communication is also beneficial in the reduction of backtracking during the design phase and remedial work to buildings during construction. As a result, Architects are required to make difficult decisions about which method to use to present work at specific stages of the design process. Principles from public participation processes provide an underpinning for data collection from stakeholder representatives of an educational refurbishment project in the UK. Three forms of media were used to present the design: 2D drawings; a 3D model; and a VR (virtual reality) model. The stakeholders were divided into three groups with the environment, presentation and method of expressing opinion controlled. The results showed that a similar number of opinions were expressed in each presentation although with reference to different aspects of the design. The balance between positive and negative opinions also differed between each of the media. The findings of this paper suggest several themes, including that a balance of media should be used at different stages of the architectural design process. 2D drawings appear essential in representing the arrangement of spaces; the 3D model encourages a balanced view, providing architects with information to aid critical design decisions; and finally, the VR model could be used for marketing purposes as critical analysis appears to be adversely affected by high quality rendered images

Harmony and environment : Feng-Shui and sustainability in contemporary architecual design

This study explores the idea of harmony as a relevant one for contemporary design, in particular for sustainable design which concerns the relationship between building and environment. Chinese Feng-Shui directly engages the idea of harmony and offers potential for architectural design to reach the balance between man, man-made and nature

Design and Construction of an nZEB in Piedmont Region, North Italy

AbstractNowadays in nZEB designing it is fundamental taking into account both the energy and the economic perspective right from the preliminary phases of the project. Success in realizing nZEB lies in finding the right balance between energy performances, architectural quality and costs, which include investment, maintenance and running costs, incurred by the project owner during a defined period.This paper analyzes CorTau House in terms of architectural aspects, energy performances and economic viability. It represents a significant Italian design experience in which the architectural quality of the refurbishment of a traditional rural building is combined with high-performing energy solutions

Design and Construction of an nZEB in Piedmont Region, North Italy

Nowadays in nZEB designing it is fundamental taking into account both the energy and the economic perspective right from the preliminary phases of the project. Success in realizing nZEB lies in finding the right balance between energy performances, architectural quality and costs, which include investment, maintenance and running costs, incurred by the project owner during a defined period. This paper analyzes CorTau House in terms of architectural aspects, energy performances and economic viability. It represents a significant Italian design experience in which the architectural quality of the refurbishment of a traditional rural building is combined with high-performing energy solutions

The Importance of Computer-aided Courses in Architectural Education

AbstractIntensive technology usage in education has been increasing in every field recently. Because computer based visual technology has been developing and becoming the most popular trend in the recent years. In addition to these decreasing prices of the computer based systems make this trend more attractive. Architectural education is one of the most difficult and expensive education and based on visual material. That's why computers and complicated software usage in architectural education has increased dramatically. Using these software, an architecture student can perform his/her project design spending less energy-time but more realistic. But the disadvantage of these systems is to make students computer addicted and design their project without creativity. This paper aims to study advantages and disadvantages of this trend and to find a balance level. According to this concept, courses in architectural design are investigated. What kind of computer systems and software use in education is searched? Based on response of students, the advantages and disadvantages of this trend are studied

Code and its image: the functions of text and visualisation in a code-based design studio

Traditionally, design learning in the architecture studio has taken place through a combination of individual work and joint projects. The introduction of code-based design practices in the design studio has altered this balance, introducing new models of joint authorship and new ways for individuals to contribute to co-authored projects. This paper presents a case study describing four design studios in a higher education setting that used code as a tool for generating architectural geometry. The format of the studios encouraged the students to reflect critically on their role as authors and to creatively address the multiple opportunities for shared authorship available with code-based production. The research question addressed in this study involved the role of code-based practices in altering the model of architectural education in the design studio, in particular the role of visual representations of a code-based design process in the production of shared knowledge

Pattern Identification - A Foundation for Research in the Emphasis of Design Patterns in Systems Engineering and Knowledge Capture

Pattern Language describes the morphology and functionality of a system in the absence of design particulars. Harnessing this capability will provide the Systems Engineering discipline a means of managing the development of increasingly complex systems with increasingly distributed design teams while capturing and retaining knowledge for future generations. Pattern Language is a syntax for describing, and structurally relating, design patterns. Design patterns contextually describe the application of domain knowledge in the engineered solution to the force balance problem. The parallels between pattern recognition and application, as a fundamental stage of human learning, and pattern observation within a complex system, suggests pattern language may be a valuable tool in the capture and dissemination of knowledge. Pattern application has enjoyed considerable study over the last several decades, however much of this work has focused on the replication of design particulars. This work returns to the roots of Pattern Language and explores the utility of patterns as an architectural description and guide, and knowledge capture method, for complex system development beginning with the identification of a time proven design pattern

Modeling building physics: a tool for integrated design

Dramatic changes in the environmental balance on planetary scale call for a new energetic consciousness. Various studies have indicated the importance of the building sector in general and architecture in specific in climate action. Now stronger than ever, high (legal) performance standards, for both comfort and energy demand, stimulate fully integrated architectural and engineering design. Computational modeling can be one of the strategic means to further promote this integrating reflex in architectural practice and education. Simple static 2D models are easy to use and even to build in a spreadsheet. Nevertheless, they provide quick and crucial information on feasibility of design options and architectural detailing, bringing more cohesion to the architectural concept. On a different level, advanced dynamic modeling can have an even greater impact on the design process since it will provide detailed information on the viability of the whole integrated concept of the building. By introducing modeling early in architectural courses, students have the opportunity to develop skills that enable them to create and interpret these powerful tools. To achieve fully integrated buildings, attention must also be paid to the execution phase of the building project. A 4 of 5 dimensional approach of modeling, which incorporates planning and technical data, provides robustness to the concept. These models (BIM) are still highly experimental. Not only will applying them in architectural courses facilitate their introduction in common practice, it is a powerful review mechanism to further improve them. By reviewing a ‘Low Energy Building’-seminar and a design project in Masters classes, the advantages and pitfalls of these approaches will be discussed

Anchoring Perception Through Tactile Orientation

The sense of touch concretizes our perception by adding a perceptual quality stronger than the other senses. This haptic dimension also encompasses a sense of orientation, balance, and movement in the spatial experience of architectural works. This important sense has been neglected and must be re-emphasized as a worthy architectural design goal. In urban settings, the other senses are bombarded with sensory input while tactility is often denied. Public libraries are in a position to serve the haptic dimension over the other senses because of the nature of their (dynamically changing) services. Special care must be taken to design a building that provides a sensory sanctuary and a gratifying haptic experience

Towards a Critical Contemporary Design in Historic Settings: Reclaiming the Inherent Relationship between the Old and the New, Reclaiming Continuity in Differentiation

Contemporary design in historic settings is a public concern as it fundamentally impacts the protection of historic resources, which specifically refers to new constructions in historical and existing context. At the core of design in historic settings lies the issues of studying, interpreting, and expressing the relationship between the old and the new. This thesis intends to address some of the limitations in how architectural designers approach these issues in historic settings and propose alternative design strategies. The strategies include analysis and methodology to integrate preservation philosophies with architectural design. They aim to produce new designs in historic settings which could go beyond the dichotomy between “strict preservation” and “strict differentiation” and to find a balance between “copies” and “experiments”. The thesis intends to reclaim a common ground between preservation and design. It reclaims an inherent relationship between the old and the new by proposing three alternative strategies to position design in historic preservation as both a creative and conservative act