Algorithm-aided Information Design: Hybrid Design approach on the edge of associative methodologies in AEC

Dissertação de mestrado em European Master in Building Information ModellingLast three decades have brought colossal progress to design methodologies within the common pursuit toward a seamless fusion between digital and physical worlds and augmenting it with the of computation power and network coverage. For this historically short period, two generations of methodologies and tools have emerged: Additive generation and parametric Associative generation of CAD. Currently, designers worldwide engaged in new forms of design exploration. From this race, two prominent methodologies have developed from Associative Design approach – Object-Oriented Design (OOD) and Algorithm-Aided Design (AAD). The primary research objective is to investigate, examine, and push boundaries between OOD and AAD for new design space determination, where advantages of both design methods are fused to produce a new generation methodology which is called in the present study AID (Algorithm-aided Information Design). The study methodology is structured into two flows. In the first flow, existing CAD methodologies are investigated, and the conceptual framework is extracted based on the state of art analysis, then analysed data is synthesized into the subject proposal. In the second flow, tools and workflows are elaborated and examined on practice to confirm the subject proposal. In compliance, the content of the research consists of two theoretical and practical parts. In the first theoretical part, a literature review is conducted, and assumptions are made to speculate about AID methodology, its tools, possible advantages and drawbacks. Next, case studies are performed according to sequential stages of digital design through the lens of practical AID methodology implementation. Case studies are covering such design aspects as model & documentation generation, design automation, interoperability, manufacturing control, performance analysis and optimization. Ultimately, a set of test projects is developed with the AID methodology applied. After the practical part, research returns to the theory where analytical information is gathered based on the literature review, conceptual framework, and experimental practice reports. In summary, the study synthesizes AID methodology as part of Hybrid Design, which enables creative use of tools and elaborating of agile design systems integrating additive and associative methodologies of Digital Design. In general, the study is based on agile methods and cyclic research development mixed between practice and theory to achieve a comprehensive vision of the subject.Last three decades have brought colossal progress to design methodologies within the common pursuit toward a seamless fusion between digital and physical worlds and augmenting it with the of computation power and network coverage. For this historically short period, two generations of methodologies and tools have emerged: Additive generation and parametric Associative generation of CAD. Currently, designers worldwide engaged in new forms of design exploration. From this race, two prominent methodologies have developed from Associative Design approach – Object-Oriented Design (OOD) and Algorithm-Aided Design (AAD). The primary research objective is to investigate, examine, and push boundaries between OOD and AAD for new design space determination, where advantages of both design methods are fused to produce a new generation methodology which is called in the present study AID (Algorithm-aided Information Design). The study methodology is structured into two flows. In the first flow, existing CAD methodologies are investigated, and the conceptual framework is extracted based on the state of art analysis, then analysed data is synthesized into the subject proposal. In the second flow, tools and workflows are elaborated and examined on practice to confirm the subject proposal. In compliance, the content of the research consists of two theoretical and practical parts. In the first theoretical part, a literature review is conducted, and assumptions are made to speculate about AID methodology, its tools, possible advantages and drawbacks. Next, case studies are performed according to sequential stages of digital design through the lens of practical AID methodology implementation. Case studies are covering such design aspects as model & documentation generation, design automation, interoperability, manufacturing control, performance analysis and optimization. Ultimately, a set of test projects is developed with the AID methodology applied. After the practical part, research returns to the theory where analytical information is gathered based on the literature review, conceptual framework, and experimental practice reports. In summary, the study synthesizes AID methodology as part of Hybrid Design, which enables creative use of tools and elaborating of agile design systems integrating additive and associative methodologies of Digital Design. In general, the study is based on agile methods and cyclic research development mixed between practice and theory to achieve a comprehensive vision of the subject

Integration of BIM in Building Sustainability Assessment methods

Tese de doutoramento em Sustentabilidade do Ambiente ConstruídoThe Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry is highly responsible for several environmental impacts and worldwide authorities and societies are increasingly looking for more sustainable buildings. Given the ambitious targets of climate neutrality and decarbonisation, there is an urgent need to develop specific strategies to act in the building sector, as it has been recognised as a key industry to reverse environmental impacts. Among the existing tools, Building Sustainability Assessment (BSA) methods stand out as a pathway to evaluate and promote the integration of sustainability principles in buildings. However, such methods often require multi-disciplinary information about the building and significant resources such as time, money, and human labour. Consequently, and in the absence of mandatory legislation, BSA is usually neglected or applied in project later stages just to provide a sustainable evaluation of the building. With the deployment of Building Information Modelling (BIM), the opportunity for BSA to adopt and benefit from BIM functionalities arises. Currently, BIM has not been used comprehensively in the evaluation process of BSA but the potential for process automation and simplification are well known. To effectively integrate BSA into BIM environment, this research aims to develop a BIM integration framework for the Portuguese residential BSA method SBToolPT-H. Moreover, such framework will be materialized by the creation of an enduser BIM-based application – SBToolBIM – which will act as a decision support tool regarding building sustainability for the project's early stages. SBToolBIM will automate and accelerate the assessment of SBToolPTH by reflecting its criteria through computable rules. Results show the attractiveness of SBToolBIM, as well as the possibility to have real-time feedback about the building sustainability level in early project stages, allowing for the introduction and comparison of different sustainability measures with few resources. SBToolBIM has established a novel and common approach which can be used as a systematic framework to apply BIM in other BSA schemes, representing a pathway to reduce the building sector impacts and provide valuable contributes to reach worldwide climate neutrality and decarbonisation targets.A indústria da Arquitetura, Engenharia e Construção (AEC) é responsável por diversos impactes ambientais, levando as autoridades e sociedades mundiais à procura por edifícios mais sustentáveis. Perante os ambiciosos objetivos da neutralidade climática e descarbonização, surge a necessidade de desenvolver estratégias específicas para o setor dos edifícios, dado ser uma indústria chave para a reversão dos referidos impactes. Entre as ferramentas existentes, destacam-se os métodos da avaliação da sustentabilidade de edifícios (BSA, do inglês Building Sustainability Assessment) como forma de avaliar e promover a integração de medidas sustentáveis. No entanto, a sua utilização requer informações multidisciplinares do edifício, bem como recursos significativos, tais como tempo, custos e mão de obra. Consequentemente e na ausência de legislação obrigatória, os BSA são geralmente negligenciados ou aplicados em fases finais de projeto, apenas para identificar o nível de sustentabilidade do edifício. Com a implementação do Building Information Modeling (BIM), surge a oportunidade dos BSA adotarem e beneficiarem das suas funcionalidades. Atualmente, o BIM ainda não é integralmente utilizado no processo de avaliação dos BSA, mas as suas potencialidades para automação e simplificação do processo já foram reconhecidas. De modo a integrar os BSA em ambiente BIM, este trabalho visa desenvolver uma estrutura de integração BIM para o método BSA residencial português SBToolPT-H. A estrutura será materializada através da criação de uma aplicação BIM – SBToolBIM – que irá atuar como uma ferramenta de apoio à decisão em fases iniciais de projeto. O SBToolBIM irá automatizar e acelerar os processos de avaliação da sustentabilidade através do SBToolPT-H, refletindo os seus critérios através de regras computacionais. Os resultados demonstram a utilidade do SBToolBIM, bem como a possibilidade de fornecer feedback em tempo real sobre o nível de sustentabilidade do edifício nas fases iniciais de projeto, permitindo a introdução e a comparação de diferentes medidas de sustentabilidade, utilizando poucos recursos. O SBToolBIM estabelece uma nova abordagem sistemática para aplicação do BIM noutros métodos BSA, representando um caminho para a redução dos impactes do setor e dando valiosas contribuições para alcançar as metas de neutralidade climática e descarbonização.SBToolBIM research was funded by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), grant number SFRH/BD/145735/2019

Optimization for Sustainable Design through Building Information Modeling

More than thirty years after the definition of the concept of sustainable development, the European Union's Agenda 2030 renews its commitment to protect the Planet and to support the needs of present and future generations. All sectors of human activity have to make their contribution to this significant challenge of our time. Therefore, the construction sector can also make an essential contribution in terms of its impact. In this context, designers are called upon to modify their actions in order to take into account the environmental, social, and economic impacts during the entire life cycle of construction. Therefore, a substantial transformation in the designer's "mentality" is necessary. The digital revolution could be a suitable opportunity for a profound renewal oriented towards sustainability. The new digital technologies and the increased computing power are useful to manage the increasing complexity in current projects and to support collaboration between the many experts involved. The thesis aim is to analyse the current state and identify the signs of change and the cues to imagine possible virtuous complicity between sustainable development goals and the potential of the digital revolution, supported by the operational features of optimization methods. The further intent is to translate the synergy between the three key topics - sustainability, digitization, and optimization - through an operational strategy that can be a concrete demonstration of what is proposed and offered to designers

Astrophysics in 2006

The fastest pulsar and the slowest nova; the oldest galaxies and the youngest stars; the weirdest life forms and the commonest dwarfs; the highest energy particles and the lowest energy photons. These were some of the extremes of Astrophysics 2006. We attempt also to bring you updates on things of which there is currently only one (habitable planets, the Sun, and the universe) and others of which there are always many, like meteors and molecules, black holes and binaries.Comment: 244 pages, no figure

The Surabhi Theatre–An Oasis of Telugu Theatre

This document is a thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the Master of Arts degree in Theatre Arts. It is a detailed account of author Pradeep Aswini Gurrala’s study of the Surabhi Theatre in Telangana, India. The thesis follows the journey of a 134-year-old theatre company in four chapters: puppet show to stage show; the evolution of the Surabhi Theatre; the decline of Surabhi Theatre; and Surabhi Theatre as a cultural heritage. Appendices and works cited are included

Holland City News, Volume 28, Number 14: April 21, 1899

Newspaper published in Holland, Michigan, from 1872-1977, to serve the English-speaking people in Holland, Michigan. Purchased by local Dutch language newspaper, De Grondwet, owner in 1888.https://digitalcommons.hope.edu/hcn_1899/1015/thumbnail.jp