A multi-agent system in education facility design

This paper deals with a multi-agent system which supports the designer in solving complex design tasks. The behaviour of design agents is modelled by sets of grammar rules. Each agent uses a graph grammar or a shape grammar and a database of facts concerning the subtask it is responsible for. The course of the design process is determined by the interaction between specialised agents. Space layouts of designs are represented by attributed graphs encoding both topological structures and semantic properties of solutions. The agents work in parallel on the common graph, independently generating layouts of different design components while specified node labels evoke agents using shape grammars. The agents’ cooperation allows them to combine a form-oriented approach with a functional-structural one in the design process, where the agents generate the general 3D form of the object based on design requirements together with the space layout based on the functional aspects of the solution. Based on the given design criteria, the agents search for admissible solutions within the design space that constitutes their operating environment. The proposed approach is illustrated by the example of designing kindergarten facilities

Mobile Application to Support Intelligent Supervision System for Service Buildings

The work developed and described in this dissertation is part of the Ambiosensing project, developed under the Portugal 2020 program. This project aims to design and develop a tool for the energy management of buildings, considering low implementation costs, adaptability, versatility, and easy maintenance in line with the premises of Industry 4.0. One of the main requirements of the project is related to the intelligent supervision of equipment, adaptability and optimization of energy efficiency and quality of comfort ofthe occupants of buildings.In this way, the problem that this dissertation addresses is related to the comfort of the occupants within a service building. For that purpose,an application for mobile devices was designed and developed complementing the Intelligent Supervision system developed in the project. This application makes it possibleto view the values of the registered environmental variables and allows the users of the spaces to leave their feedback regarding their feeling considering the presented values, in order to improve the performance of the supervision system. In addition toallowing the connection between the user and the system improving not only the system's performance, but the application also improves the user's experience inside the building.O trabalho desenvolvido e descrito nesta dissertação está integrado no projeto Ambiosensing, desenvolvido no âmbito do programa Portugal 2020. Este projeto tem como objectivo a concepção e desenvolvimento de uma ferramenta para a gestão energética de edifícios, considerando baixos custos de implementação, adaptabilidade, versatilidade e fácil manutenção alinhado com as premissas da Indústria 4.0. Um dos principais requisitos do projecto está relacionado com a supervisão inteligente dos equipamentos, adaptabilidade e optimização de eficiência energética e qualidade de conforto dos ocupantes dos edifícios. Desta forma, o problema que esta dissertação aborda está relacionado com o conforto dos ocupantes dentro de um edifício de serviços e para tal foi desenhada e desenvolvida uma aplicação para dispositivos moveis que serve de complemento ao sistema de Supervisão Inteligente desenvolvido no projecto. Esta aplicação possibilita a visualização dos valores das variáveis ambientais registados permite que os utilizadores dos espaços deixem o seu feedback em relação à sua sensibilidade sobre os valores apresentados, com o intuito de melhorar a performance do sistema de supervisão.Além de permitir a ligação entre o utilizador e o sistema melhorando,não só a performance do mesmo, a aplicação permite também melhorar a experiência do utilizador no interior do edifício

Illusion: Immersive Experience

Can society learn from art, and if so, what type of knowledge can be gained from art? It is currently understood that art and design can help humans explore, discover, and understand philosophical and imaginative topics. There is a general agreement that art can create insight and awareness in ways that logical and rational statements cannot, and from these unique interactions, humans can see the world with a new perspective (Worth, n.d.). This thesis will investigate the claim that art can inspire human imagination and allow viewers to gain insight into a surreal reality using designed, physically immersive spaces. Immersive art environments have the potential to make art-related interactions increasingly influential and meaningful. With the aid of new technologies, immersive art museums have strengthened the relationship between the audience, the work, and the artist by creating a deeper level of conceptual understanding and disrupting the border between them. These highly sensory experiences push viewers to explore a space thoughtfully, making it possible for guests to become active participants or even co-creators in immersive artworks. This new method of presentation allows an audience to fully experience the narrative of the artist (Hua, 2021). Literature reviews of immersive spaces will provide an understanding of how to design an effective art experience that will be interactive and educational. A second method of investigation will involve attending ongoing digital art installations, presenting an opportunity to analyze and document movements throughout space, the emotions evoked by the work, and interactions between participants. Immersive experiences aim to dismiss the physical and mental borders between viewers and works of art, engaging an audience’s sense of sight, sound, and touch. After a visit to ARTECHOUSE, one can understand that immersive art galleries also provide the benefit of transporting their visitors to a world that greatly differs from physical reality. In this new “world” guests are free from physical borders and can develop a new spatial awareness that makes users feel as though spaces extend past their physical areas. This deeply sensory experience makes it easier for visitors to absorb and retain knowledge from the content of the experience itself (Hua, 2021). The research conducted on immersive art environments, and their ability to impact humans and society as a whole, will drive the design of a new immersive art space. This immersive art space will inspire imagination and new ways of thinking

Evolutionary design assistants for architecture

In its parallel pursuit of an increased competitivity for design offices and more pleasurable and easier workflows for designers, artificial design intelligence is a technical, intellectual, and political challenge. While human-machine cooperation has become commonplace through Computer Aided Design (CAD) tools, a more improved collaboration and better support appear possible only through an endeavor into a kind of artificial design intelligence, which is more sensitive to the human perception of affairs. Considered as part of the broader Computational Design studies, the research program of this quest can be called Artificial / Autonomous / Automated Design (AD). The current available level of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for design is limited and a viable aim for current AD would be to develop design assistants that are capable of producing drafts for various design tasks. Thus, the overall aim of this thesis is the development of approaches, techniques, and tools towards artificial design assistants that offer a capability for generating drafts for sub-tasks within design processes. The main technology explored for this aim is Evolutionary Computation (EC), and the target design domain is architecture. The two connected research questions of the study concern, first, the investigation of the ways to develop an architectural design assistant, and secondly, the utilization of EC for the development of such assistants. While developing approaches, techniques, and computational tools for such an assistant, the study also carries out a broad theoretical investigation into the main problems, challenges, and requirements towards such assistants on a rather overall level. Therefore, the research is shaped as a parallel investigation of three main threads interwoven along several levels, moving from a more general level to specific applications. The three research threads comprise, first, theoretical discussions and speculations with regard to both existing literature and the proposals and applications of the thesis; secondly, proposals for descriptive and prescriptive models, mappings, summary illustrations, task structures, decomposition schemes, and integratory frameworks; and finally, experimental applications of these proposals. This tripartite progression allows an evaluation of each proposal both conceptually and practically; thereby, enabling a progressive improvement of the understanding regarding the research question, while producing concrete outputs on the way. Besides theoretical and interpretative examinations, the thesis investigates its subject through a set of practical and speculative proposals, which function as both research instruments and the outputs of the study. The first main output of the study is the “design_proxy” approach (d_p), which is an integrated approach for draft making design assistants. It is an outcome of both theoretical examinations and experimental applications, and proposes an integration of, (1) flexible and relaxed task definitions and representations (instead of strict formalisms), (2) intuitive interfaces that make use of usual design media, (3) evaluation of solution proposals through their similarity to given examples, and (4) a dynamic evolutionary approach for solution generation. The design_proxy approach may be useful for AD researchers that aim at developing practical design assistants, as has been examined and demonstrated with the two applications, i.e., design_proxy.graphics and design_proxy.layout. The second main output, the “Interleaved Evolutionary Algorithm” (IEA, or Interleaved EA) is a novel evolutionary algorithm proposed and used as the underlying generative mechanism of design_proxybased design assistants. The Interleaved EA is a dynamic, adaptive, and multi-objective EA, in which one of the objectives leads the evolution until its fitness progression stagnates; in the sense that the settings and fitness values of this objective is used for most evolutionary decisions. In this way, the Interleaved EA enables the use of different settings and operators for each of the objectives within an overall task, which would be the same for all objectives in a regular multi-objective EA. This property gives the algorithm a modular structure, which offers an improvable method for the utilization of domain-specific knowledge for each sub-task, i.e., objective. The Interleaved EA can be used by Evolutionary Computation (EC) researchers and by practitioners who employ EC for their tasks. As a third main output, the “Architectural Stem Cells Framework” is a conceptual framework for architectural design assistants. It proposes a dynamic and multi-layered method for combining a set of design assistants for larger tasks in architectural design. The first component of the framework is a layer-based, parallel task decomposition approach, which aims at obtaining a dynamic parallelization of sub-tasks within a more complicated problem. The second component of the framework is a conception for the development mechanisms for building drafts, i.e., Architectural Stem Cells (ASC). An ASC can be conceived as a semantically marked geometric structure, which contains the information that specifies the possibilities and constraints for how an abstract building may develop from an undetailed stage to a fully developed building draft. ASCs are required for re-integrating the separated task layers of an architectural problem through solution-based development. The ASC Framework brings together many of the ideas of this thesis for a practical research agenda and it is presented to the AD researchers in architecture. Finally, the “design_proxy.layout” (d_p.layout) is an architectural layout design assistant based on the design_proxy approach and the IEA. The system uses a relaxed problem definition (producing draft layouts) and a flexible layout representation that permits the overlapping of design units and boundaries. User interaction with the system is carried out through intuitive 2D graphics and the functional evaluations are performed by measuring the similarity of a proposal to existing layouts. Functioning in an integrated manner, these properties make the system a practicable and enjoying design assistant, which was demonstrated through two workshop cases. The d_p.layout is a versatile and robust layout design assistant that can be used by architects in their design processes

Proceedings of the 9th Arab Society for Computer Aided Architectural Design (ASCAAD) international conference 2021 (ASCAAD 2021): architecture in the age of disruptive technologies: transformation and challenges.

The ASCAAD 2021 conference theme is Architecture in the age of disruptive technologies: transformation and challenges. The theme addresses the gradual shift in computational design from prototypical morphogenetic-centered associations in the architectural discourse. This imminent shift of focus is increasingly stirring a debate in the architectural community and is provoking a much needed critical questioning of the role of computation in architecture as a sole embodiment and enactment of technical dimensions, into one that rather deliberately pursues and embraces the humanities as an ultimate aspiration

Design by searching : a system for creating and evaluating complex architectural assemblies

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Architecture, 2007.Includes bibliographical references (p. 168-172).This work investigates a prototypical Web-based search system designed to enable architects and/or developers to engage and educate residential consumers in a new way: as co-designers. The key motivation is to develop software tools that support a feasible industrial process while providing home consumers with a way to conceive of and design spaces, as an alternative to the standardized commodity solutions that are currently available. The basic mode of operation for this work is to combine the structure of the modern computational search with emerging building modeling technologies as a foundation for Web-based participative design tools. Object-oriented component representations have been utilized to build a solution space that can be searched directly, without indexing. Additionally, conceptual query interfaces have been designed and evaluated through interviews with volunteer users. 'The component-based solutions and conceptual queries were then incorporated into a prototype of an architectural search tool which was analyzed to measure its effectiveness.by Matthew Giles Phillips.S.M

Architectural reflections on housing older people : nine stories of retirement-living

PhD ThesisThis thesis presents and interprets the stories of nine actors involved in the design, construction, management and inhabitation of third-age housing in the UK. It comprises a PhD by Creative Practice, integrating original storytelling with architectural survey, analysis and design techniques; bringing together the social science practice of participant observation with architectural post-occupancy evaluation. The research foregrounds ‘designerly’ modes of inquiry, resulting in design-relevant feedback for those involved in the production of retirement-living environments. Specifically, the study benefits from the researcher’s unique position in and in-between architectural sectors – design, research and teaching – enabling an expanded field of practice and reflection. This dynamic researcher positionality, involving multiple personas, has resulted in unexpected interactions between sectors, making connections between unrelated actors. Aspects of this research were commissioned by a UK property developer, providing ‘independent’ retirement-living apartments, and are necessarily applied in scope and approach. The underlying research context is the major societal challenge of housing a ‘super-aged’ UK population, and the particular needs and aspirations of active thirdagers. The research contributes to the field through (i) a synthesis of design research and social science research methodologies, with examples of techniques applied in new contexts; (ii) an original study resulting from a unique situation and shifting research positionality; and (iii) new knowledge on a little-studied building typology. A diverse range of tactics were used, including short residencies at retirement developments; staying overnight and engaging in the social life of the shared lounge, as well as recording show-and-tell home visits, contingent on the hospitality of informants. Furthermore, the researcher made creative use of a befriending programme, leading to rich observations of an older person at home. Altogether the research stories make up a multi-sited ethnographic study; each story presents the position of an actor (or actors) encountered within the field. The Baby Boomers story indicates a resistance to developer housing products, partly based on misconceptions of retirement housing and inappropriate associations with residential Architectural Reflections on Housing Older People: Nine Stories of Retirement-Living ii institutions. The Befriended gives insight to the benefits of ageing in place and longterm relational meanings of home. Developer Director questions the popular stereotype of developer as ‘villain’, revealing work undertaken at risk and uncertain challenges within the planning system. Resident Owner shows how older UK consumers lack exposure to high quality housing and are committed to making their purchases work; reporting an enthusiasm for the social architecture, over-and-above the physical environment. Chalet Manager portrays the central role staff play in the promotion and maintenance of this social architecture; ‘untapped’ experts in the lived-experiences of the products they share with customers. Architecture Student shows how undergraduates had a role within a situated research practice, involving dialogic work with emerging products of architecture shared with professionals. Company Architect found the developer’s staff to be shaped by a strong business context, with multi-layered management and production-oriented processes designed to maximise profit. Similarly, Town Planner considered a disempowered actor, lacking ‘voice’ and the necessary resources to play a more central role in the delivery of housing choices for older people. Lastly, the Creative Practitioner story highlights how an interdisciplinary position can contribute to the advancement of research-informed design propositions, helping to evolve housing for older peopl

Community architecture: an evaluation of the case for user participation in architectural design.

Examination of the literature about Community Architecture suggested that, while there is no commonly accepted definition, the term signifies the recognition, among some sections of the architectural profession, of a demand from the public to play a larger part in shaping the environment. Central to this is a belief that user participation in architectural design will lead to buildings that will be more satisfactory for their occupants. Such a claim is widely made, despite the absence of empirical evidence to support it. Thus the study was concerned with testing the proposition that, if user clients participate in the design and development process, in building projects, there will be greater satisfaction with the completed buildings and environment than in projects where there has been no user participation. User clients, here, are taken to mean organisations of people who will occupy the buildings they have commissioned. The levels of tenant satisfaction, in three housing co-operative projects, were measured and compared with the levels of satisfaction found in a previous study of local authority housing, in England and Wales. While, high levels of satisfaction with the three Case Study projects were found, these were not higher than the more successful non-participatory schemes and, when combined with other data, it was concluded that not enough evidence, to support the proposition had been found. Furthermore, it was not clear whether the levels of satisfaction in the Case Studies were a result of user participation in design or related to other factors. Three further issues were examined, which give some explanation of these results. These were propositions that the levels of satisfaction were related to (i) the quality of the built product, (ii) the degree to which the participants were involved and the architect, thus able to better interpret their requirements and (iii) the influence of management and control which the user clients had over the projects in general. This revealed that user influence on the product was very limited, that there were many unsolved problems in involving the participants in the design process and that issues of control and management were more significant than the role of design participation in affecting the satisfaction of the occupants