Shape Grammars for Architectural Heritage

Shape grammars have been introduced in architectural theory some decades ago. They have been applied to architectural construction methods (e.g. Chinese traditional wooden buildings) or for analyzing the design patterns of well-known architects (e.g. Palladio, Frank Lloyd-Wright).These examples demonstrated that complex geometrical shapes could be generated by a set of replacement rules out of a start symbol, usually a simple geometric shape. With the advent of powerful tools like the CityEngine an interesting field for practical applications of these grammars arose opening a whole range of new possibilities for architectural heritage.On the one hand, a description of ancient building principles in the formalized way of a shape grammar can aid the understanding and preservation of cultural heritage. With the possibility to actually construct digital 3D models out of shape grammars, they became even more interesting. Furthermore, this approach allows for a large scale creation of 3D models of entire settlements and cities.On the other hand, shape grammars allow for structured approaches to virtual 3D reconstruction as has been demonstrated for e.g. Mayan or Roman architecture. Besides that, the possibility to specify parameterized variations of the models proves to be an extremely helpful feature.In this paper we reconsider shape grammars in architecture and examine influences onto procedural modelling. Then we argue for state-of-the-art tools like the CityEngine that apply shape grammars and procedural modelling in architectural contexts and exemplify their power and potential by reconstructing traditional Balinese settlements

Cubic Monte Carlo Radiosity

A revised radiosity method for curved surfaces is proposed, based on the Monte Carlo approach. In order to improve the accuracy of the solution, a smoothly reconstructed illumination function with selected discontinuities is used during the radiosity computation. The reconstructed function is used as a random number distribution for position sampling to overcome the constant radiosity assumption syndrome. Illumination information stored at the surface control points is used to preserve continuity of the illumination across the boundary of adjacent surfaces and to avoid Mach band effects. Implementation in Flatland is discussed

Framework for the assessment of the existing building stock through BIM and GIS

With 60% of the world's raw materials extraction, the construction sector is the largest consumer of raw materials. The consumption can be reduced through reuse and recycling of building materials which reached their end-of-life; however, there is lack of information on the building stock. This paper presents a bottom-up approach based on Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Geographic Information System (GIS) to assess material quantities. To test this approach, a real-world building is used. The material intensity is calculated based on existing planning documentations, on-site investigations, laser scanning and a BIM-model. The gross volumes (GVs) obtained from GIS enable the modelling and prediction of cities' building stocks. The results of this paper demonstrate the method of calculating material intensities and present how the applied method can be used to predict building stocks. The latter is presented as a framework which can support various cities in assessing their material stock