FPL_Gen : A Computational Tool for Generating Flexible Plan Layouts

In the field of housing construction the unique and tailor-made design and manufacturing has left its place to uniformity and repetition with mass housing. Mass manufacturing and individual design -the two positive aspects in design and productioncome together in mass customization. Mass customized housing projects have great potential and it is easier now to design computer tools with promising features. Different approaches can be implemented in these tools and defined relationships and design decisions can be computerized in order to obtain various solutions. In this paper, a design method and a computational tool for generating mass customized housing plan layouts with "Open Building" approach is detailed in which design flexibility and mass customization have been taken into consideration for basic design decisions

The relationship between the form and the synthesis of High-Tech buildings

This study aims to prove the existence of the High-Tech buildings' form-language by using the semiologic and linguistic approaches. The methods of semiology are used, such as grammar rules of form-syntagm; and syntactic & semantic evaluations are made, while generating the designer manual. Grammar rules of form-syntagm are characterized by analysing sample High-Tech buildings. Abstract design principles are exploited during the design process, and while arranging form-syntagms sample buildings' system installations are exploited. Form-syntagms are synthesised by induction to introduce the form-language. The form-language of High Tech approach bases on the design criteria, which are classified into four categories. These categories are: structural design, digital production technologies, advanced construction technologies, and energy-efficient intelligent building design. The form-syntagms in these categories are abstract syntagms: using geometrical auxiliary design tools; and concrete syntagms: using "hard (production) and soft (digital) technologies", vocabulary elements and systematic grammar rules. A designer manual is derived from syntactic and semantic evaluations of samples. The findings from four categories are tested on the manual. Depletion of resources indicates that High-Tech buildings should be energy-efficent intelligent. For authentic design of High-Tech buildings, function, structure, skin, form, material technologies, physical performance, sub-systems, and GIS should be integrated. Arranging form-syntagms leads to the presentation of new syntagms, therefore the possibility of being referable of this work to designers is aimed. The 19th century's industrial production with steel, glass and concrete; the 20th century's urban design according to transportation; end of the 20th century's Information Technology (IT), digital and satellite-imaging (GPS) technologies, wireless are integrated with design. Sustainable design consists of renewable energy, recycling etc. High Tech approach has been transformed by transferring the technologies from industries, such as electronics, mechanics, computers and industrial production. High Tech covers user responsive intelligence mechanisms and active technologies. The results of the study are stated as follows: Structural morphology depends on structural behavior, structural material, functional space configuration, and service & structural systems integration. Digital architecture has transferred technologies from ship building and aeronautics & aerospace industries. Performance based design principles determine the form-syntagm, which consist of FEM and CFD analyses. The projects which are modeled with CAD/CAM tools and being simulated as well are produced in CNC machines. Parametric design is a method in which digital prototyping of elements and buildings are generated, with changing parameters. Hybrid-space of digital architecture is presented as real & virtual. Advanced construction technologies consist of application of IT in building sector and use of BMS and BAS. Energy-efficient intelligent building is a system in which energy consumption is controlled automatically with building components in order to increase energy-efficiency by using active and passive systems. Passive systems reduce heat losses in houses, and supply ventilation in offices. Selective solar control glass is used on façade, which admits daylight. Robotics is a state of the art technology in High Tech. The findings, i.e. Grammar Rules of Form-Syntagm (GROFS) and the Categories (C.1,2,3,4) are as follows: The GROFS, C.1. Structural design and detail: In the form-syntagm: design of structural elements, such as tension chord etc., is arranged according to loads. Long spans are crossed by truss beams. Structure and service systems are integrated. The GROFS, C.2. Digital production technologies: In soft technologies in CAD the operations on geometrical 3-dimensional auxiliary design tools are applied to generic geometrical forms, such as transformations: stretching; combining: addition etc. There are certain examples, such as: monocoque shell and bubble form, wave effect on surfaces. The GROFS, C.3. Advanced construction technologies: At the building component scale the systematic form-syntagm is modeled as intelligent skin type 1 and type 2 by using CAD. Type 1 is the intelligent skin which is double layered, and type 2 is the intelligent skin which is an active façade. The GROFS, C.4. Energy-efficient intelligent building: Systematic form-syntagms according to energy efficiency are as follows: single skin or double skin glazed façades with sun control devices; naturally or mechanically ventilated double skin (multi-skin); double skin ventilated intelligent glazed façades which is one story height or building height. Other syntagms are Stadttor's double skin, the lighting and the HVAC. Keywords: Semiology, High Tech's form-language, energy-efficient intelligent building, digital production.    Bu çalışmada, yüksek teknoloji ile üretilen ve İngilizce kaynaklardan hareketle mimarlık ortamında “High-Tech” olarak isimlendirilen yapıların biçim dilinin varlığının, göstergebilimsel (semiyolojik) ve dilbilimsel yaklaşımlarla kanıtlanması amaçlanmıştır. Göstergebilimin kullandığı yöntemlerden biçim dizgesi gramer kuralları yöntemi; bir tasarımcı kılavuzu oluşturulurken ise sentaktik (sözdizimsel) ve semantik (anlamsal) değerlendirme yöntemleri kullanılmıştır. Örnek yapıların analiz edilmesi ile biçim dizgesi gramer kuralları tanımlanmıştır. Biçim dizgelerinin tümevarımla sentezi yapılarak “High Tech”in biçim dili ortaya konmuştur. Bu mimari yaklaşımın biçim dili dört kategoride sınıflandırılan tasarım kriterlerine dayanmaktadır. Bu kategoriler, strüktür tasarımı, dijital üretim teknolojileri, ileri inşaat teknolojileri ve enerji etkin akıllı bina tasarımıdır. Bu kategorilerdeki biçim dizgelerinden soyut nitelikliler, geometrik nitelikli tasarım yardımcı araçlarını; somut nitelikliler, üretim ve malzeme teknolojileri ile dijital üretim teknolojilerini, sözlük elemanlarını ve sistemleri kullanmaktadırlar. Dört kategorinin bulguları tasarımcı kılavuzundaki örneklerde sınanmıştır. Enerji kaynaklarının tükenmesi, High-Tech yapıların enerji etkin akıllı bina olmasını gerektirmektedir. High-Tech yapılarda özgün tasarımlar için fonksiyon, strüktür, yapı kabuğu, biçim, malzeme teknolojileri, fiziksel performans, alt sistemler ve Coğrafi Bilgi Sistemleri (Geographical Information Systems (GIS)) bütünsel düşünülmelidir. Oluşturulan biçim dizgelerinin, yenilerine olanak tanıması ile, bu çalışmanın tasarımcılara referans olabilmesi amaçlanmıştır. 19.yy’ın endüstriyel üretimi; 20.yy’ın ulaşıma dayanan planlaması; 20.yy’ın sonunun ise Bilgi Teknolojileri (Information Technologies (IT)) ve dijital teknolojileri bütünleştirilmektedir. Sürdürülebilir tasarım temelde, yenilenebilir enerji ve geri dönüştürülebilirliği içermektedir. High Tech, elektronik, mekanik, bilgisayar vb. teknolojileri transfer edip, ekolojik tabanlı teknolojiler (Eco-Tech), aktif teknolojiler ve akıllılık mekanizmalarını kapsamaktadır. Anahtar Kelimeler: Göstergebilim, High Tech’in biçim dili, enerji etkin akıllı bina, dijital üretim

Variations in design process : A case study about tool and task as design variants

Orbey, Betül (Dogus Author)Several researchers question the nature of design. Although design has specific characteristics that distinguish it from other cognitive activities, it also takes on different forms depending on the main factors of the design setting. To test this idea, this study has adopted design tools and tasks as the factors that change a design situation. In order to do that, a case study with one graduate student enrolled in Design Computing Program at Istanbul Technical University, Istanbul is conducted. The case is composed of four design sessions, each consisting of a unique combination of a tool and task. The analysis of the protocol aims to show how the different phases of a design process come together in different weights when working on the task depending on the problem given and the tool adopted. This study can be framed as adopting an activity based model where the actions of the participant are in a problem-oriented setting that requires re-production before re-iteration and are assessed through an analytical approach of coding activity in order to understand the impact of the design tool as a variant of the process. The results suggest that tools have a diverging effect on the process as they require different operational methods. On the other hand, the nature of design tasks converge designer’s thoughts into a predictable pattern. The combination of the divergence and the convergence yields a spectrum of unique design situations

Urban block in terms of generative systems

Orbey, Betül (Dogus Author) -- Conference full title: 13th Generative Art Conference 2010 : Milan, 15-17 December, 2010.The purpose of the study is to create a computational tool that generates unique urban block alternatives by mimicking the site’s built environment. The necessity to create such a tool has stemmed from observations of physically un-harmonious neighbourhoods. This tool is claimed as the initial phase of a new urban tool that generates urban blocks that respond to their built environment and help establish harmonious neighbourhoods. The plug-in refers to built environment of the site in terms of facades. It mirrors neighbour building façade forms vertically onto four sides of the site border. Then a “for loop” in the script starts generating new depth values for the façade forms therefore it creates new plan combinations while referring to neighbour buildings in terms of façade. Although it establishes symmetric streets, the plug in helps creation of unique plan alternatives which can be customized by the user to become a whole building or a building complex with inner gardens and outside spaces. With the establishment of symmetric streets, the attention of the audience is aimed to be dragged on how architects should elaborate on creation of new buildings that reflect qualities of their built environment therefore create buildings that respond to their environment. This study is only a first step for an urban generative system and continues to ask how other layers –especially context- can be integrated and coded into the system so that the products have stronger identities and ties to site. Two alternatives generated with Catia