Performative computational design

Building TechnologyArchitectur

The analytical hierarchy process applied for design analysis

Being an intelligent activity, design is a complex process to accomplish. The complexity stems from the elusive character of this activity, which cannot be explained in precise terms, in general. In a design process, the determined relationships among the design elements provide important information to understand the role of each element with respect to others thereby improving the design. For this aim the method of analytical hierarch process (AHP) is employed which provides hierarchical priorities of the design elements with respect to the parsed design goal. The priority information is extended to establish hierarchical relations among the elements as a novel approach to employ in architectural design process.Architectural Engineering +TechnologyArchitecture and The Built Environmen

RBF networks with mixed radial basis functions

After the introduction to neural network technology as multivariable function approximation, radial basis function (RBF) networks have been studied in many different aspects in recent years. From the theoretical viewpoint, approximation and uniqueness of the interpolation is studied and it has been established that RBF network can approximate arbitrarily well any multivariate continuous function provided enough radial basis functions are employed. For the number of hidden nodes, type of radial base functions, width of the basis functions, cluster centres of the basis functions are some example issues on which numerous research works appeared in the literature. In contrast with this, however, there is remarkably only a few papers pointing out the functional approximation from the frequency domain view-point. They identify that basis functions basically behave as low pass filters. Due to this over filtering effect the RBF networks are not favourable for high frequencies unless relatively high number of hidden nodes is used. Therefore, for approximations that have only low frequency components, RBF networks provide satisfactory results and this is presumably the case in many favourable RBF applications reported in literature and vice versa. However, considering the filtering characteristics of different radial basis functions, one can improve the performance of RBF networks with mixture of radial basis functions.Architectural Engineering +TechnologyArchitecture and The Built Environmen

Data sensor fusion for autonomous robotics

Building TechnologyArchitectur

Designing for Pedestrians: A configurative approach to neighborhood planning and design, promoting pedestrian mobility, using an interactive computational design method for 'polycentric distribution of built space' according to walkability, attractions and topographic features

Architectural Engineering +TechnologyArchitecture and The Built Environmen

A cognitive system based on fuzzy information processing and multi-objective evolutionary algorithm

A cognitive system is presented, which is based on coupling a multi-objective evolutionary algorithm with a fuzzy information processing system. The aim of the system is to identify optimal solutions for multiple criteria that involve linguistic concepts, and to systematically identify a most suitable solution among the alternatives. The cognitive features are formed by the integration of fuzzy information processing for knowledge representation and evolutionary multi-objective optimization resulting in a decision-making outcome among several equally valid options. Cognition is defined as final decision-making based not exclusively on optimization outcomes but also some higher-order aspects, which do not play role in the pure optimization process. By doing so, the decisions are not merely subject to rationales of the computations but they are the resolutions with the presence of environmental considerations integrated into the computations. The work describes a novel fuzzy system structure serving for this purpose and a novel evolutionary multi-objective optimization strategy for effective Pareto-front formation serving for the goal. The machine cognition is exemplified by means of a design example, where a number of objects are optimally placed according to a number of architectural criteria.Architecture and The Built Environmen

An urban walkability assessment model: Based on network distance metrics and topographic features

Building TechnologyArchitectur

Identifying the surface materials of the existing environment through point cloud data attributes

The prospective application of 3D laser data scanning provides numerous possibilities for investigating environmental performances for architectural design. One of the possibilities includes the practical usability of point cloud data in examining the existing environment. Exploiting this potential would help to increase the information on properties of the real context, which currently often lack during the conceptual design process. As part of this general goal, this research particularly investigates the potentials of the surface attributes contained in the point cloud data such as color, position, and intensity information. The extraction of this information allows mapping of the distribution of surface materials of the existing environment by considering the intensity and the albedo values. The outcome of the research constitutes a catalogue of surface materials that are useful for architects as a decision support environments. In parallel with computational design flow, this research ultimately aims at delivering a novel method for architects to perform site analysis comprehensivelyDesign Informatic

Interdisciplinary parametric design: The XXL experience

Focusing on large span structures for sport buildings, the paper tackles the role of parametric modelling and performance simulations, to enhance the integration between architectural and engineering design. The general approach contrasts post-engineering processes. In post-engineering, technical performances are considered in late stages of design and tailored upon preconceived and constraining architectural solutions. Contrarily, the paper advocates the use of engineering (including structural) performances to drive creativity and innovation in conceptual design. It presents examples of research-based education, in which parametric modelling and engineering performance simulations are used in accordance to this approach. An interdisciplinary Master Design Course is presented. The course is concerned with complex horizontal large span building structures; it is tutored by academic and professional experts; and it simulates real processes. The students work in multidisciplinary teams. In each team, a student is responsible for a discipline (architectural design, structural design, envelope design, climate design and computational design). The collaborative process occurs based on computational tools, parametric methods and interdisciplinary performance evaluations. Each specialist works on 3D parametric models, to investigate aspects relevant for the specific discipline. Each specialist also shares a number of parameters across disciplines. Individual models are then integrated into shared core models. The process involves all team members; and the computational designer of each team organizes and coordinates the process. Examples of student-works are discussed regarding how parametric modelling (coupled with performance analysis – i.e. structural and multidisciplinary performances) supports design explorations for interdisciplinary performance-based design, from conceptual to detailed design. The paper critically addresses the success and difficulties of the approach.Architectural Engineering +TechnologyArchitecture and The Built Environmen

A computational workflow to analyse material properties and solar radiation of existing contexts from attribute information of point cloud data

This paper investigates a prospective application of point cloud data in supporting the contextual analysis of the built environment during the conceptual design process. Often, the complexity of site information causes architects to neglect several relevant properties that may affect environmental performance analysis, especially when dealing with a complex design case. For example, the current approaches of 3D site modelling lack an understanding of the site characteristics of existing environments with respect to either geometrical or material properties. With the advancement of 3D laser scanning technologies, capturing complex information from real contexts offers great possibilities for architects. From geometric and radiometric information stored within point cloud data, this study specifically proposes a novel approach to contextual analysis that considers material aspects and simulates solar radiation in the real environment. In doing so, three computational stages are developed. First, the correction of a raw dataset is designed to not only minimize errors during the scanning process but to also clean the selected dataset. Second, material exploration and the simulation of solar radiation are respectively used to calculate material properties and solar energy in the existing built environment. Third, an integrated environmental simulation aims at identifying materials found in existing areas within a certain level of insolation. As a form of design decision-making support, the present study ultimately generates a computational workflow for analysing the built environment from which architects may conduct a comprehensive analysis of an existing context before initiating design explorationGreen Open Access added to TU Delft Institutional Repository 'You share, we take care!' - Taverne project https://www.openaccess.nl/en/you-share-we-take-care Otherwise as indicated in the copyright section: the publisher is the copyright holder of this work and the author uses the Dutch legislation to make this work public.Design Informatic