Weathering scenery, as one of the most representative time-consuming natural features, is associated with many characteristics through aspects of specialized morphology, porosity, adaptability, and regenerative ability. Because of its unique porous structure and majestic, randomly three-dimensional composition, it has inspired lots of creations in industrial design, art crafts, and graphic design fields. But in architectural generative design, very limited projects are related to weathering. However, in recent decades, the advancements in computer-aided design tools have made it possible to implement rigorous computational methods in complex geometrical systems. This research tries to learn from the weathering evolution and apply the characteristics in the pursuit of enriching nature-inspired architecture. The experiments will focus on one specific weathering behavior, using wind-blown particles as weathering agents, and introduce an experimental method of generating the performance-based porosity architectural system responding to environmental agents’ effects. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), Bi-Directional Evolutionary Structural Optimization (BESO), and Swarm Intelligence are employed to negotiate between surface, structure, and environmental space. This study of the porosity architectural system is concerned not only with discovering new possibilities for intricate and complex nature-inspired architectural forms, but also with negotiating and considering humans and nature as equal decision-makers.

PM2.5 has become a significant factor contributing to the haze outbreak in mainland China, which has negative impacts for public health. The current agility of CFD-based modelling to reveal in real-time the changes in PM2.5 concentrations in response to (proposed) changes in urban form limits its practical applications in the design processes. To support urban design for better air quality (AQ), this study presents a machine learning approach to test: (1) that the spatial distribution of PM2.5 concentrations measured in an urban area reflects the area’s capacity to disperse particle air pollution; (2) that the PM2.5 concentration measurements can be linked to certain urban form attributes of that area. A Convolutional Neural Network algorithm called Residual Neural Network (ResNet) was trained and tested using the ChinaHighPM2.5 and urban form datasets. The result is a ResNet-AQ predictor for the city centre area in Beijing which had one of the highest air pollution levels within the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. The urban area covered by the ResNet-AQ predictor contains 4,000 grid cells (approx. 25.3 km x 25.3 km), of which 1,200 (30%) cells were selected randomly for testing. The ResNet-AQ prediction accuracy achieved 87.3% after 100 iterations. An end-use scenario is presented to show how a social housing project can be supported by the AQ predictor to achieve better urban air quality performance.

Computational design is gaining global prominence. With the increase in demand for technologically capable designers, we find more designers understanding computers better, learning programming languages and adapting technologies to fit their needs. This has led to multidisciplinary communities forming around visual scripting tools (VSTs) like Grasshopper3D, Dynamo, etc. These communities consist of many users from creative fields who find it easier to learn a visual scripting language than a programming language. However, function-driven programming and various quirks of these tools delimit their application to a closed spectrum of use-cases. This further limits the users’ capabilities and forces many to hack their way around basic programming language paradigms like loops, event handling, etc. VSTs seem to promote a creative affinity to programming, while also making it more approachable and accessible. To understand the creative impact of a more powerful VST, this paper outlines the development and use of an agnostic event-driven VST - one based on MVVM software architecture and linked list data structures, written entirely in C# (WPF) with minimal dependencies. With features like plugin extensibility and interoperability with 3D software (e.g., Rhinoceros), this new tool is built to aid creative programming driven by events and data. This implies enhanced capabilities for the user and enables interactive computation of data in real-time. User experience inferences are derived from diverse user studies, with a focus on students and professionals in the design and AEC industries. Various parameters and test scenarios are used to objectively assess the impact of enabling event-driven programming for creative use.

Rapid urbanization has led to the deterioration of urban living environments and reduced urban populations’ access to green space. This has not only affected urban residents’ health but also decimated biodiversity in urban environments. In this study, we respond to both issues by introducing a new approach to façade design focusing on microbial biodiversity on building surfaces. Based on the results of an earlier empirical study, we use a custom Cellular Automata (CA) system as generative design strategy to explore the relationships between microbial community diversity and several design factors relevant to creating favourable building surface conditions, in particular surface texture, substrate material characteristics and sunlight exposure. By translating these factors into localized CA design parameters, we create micro-habitats supporting microbial biodiversity in bio-receptive façade elements. Beyond generating desired physical shapes, we employ CA to generate expressive patterns as visually comprehensible articulations of invisible scales of microbial growth.

The research analyses the possibility of separating tall greenery as a spatial component of the city in a 3D model based on LiDAR data. This applies in particular to Digital Surface Models (DSMs). The paper presents methods to generate theoretical DSMs of a city without tall greenery and tall greenery only as a component extracted from the 3D model. The first method is based on the use of GIS data, including 2D building outlines. The second method requires additional manual contouring of tall greenery. Both methods have been applied by the author in the planning practice in several cities in Europe. Results of the research are discussed in the article based on the example of Szczecin, Poland. It includes the preparation process, visualisations of theoretical DSM models (buildings without tall greenery and tall greenery only) and their application in urban analyses concerning e.g. protection and development of the cityscape. All simulations have been performed using C++ software developed by the author.

The rapid development of information and communication technologies and their increasing integration within the built environment have enabled a wide range of research opportunities grouped under a new discipline of urban science. The use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in urban design education, however, has mostly focused on advances in computing and data science tools, while complex urban issues such as sustainability, health and social development call for more integrated approaches to urban research and design. This paper reports on the development of a toolkit of analytical methods for urban studies, introduced within a postgraduate research and design studio. The enhanced processes of teaching and learning explored multi-source urban data and geospatial analysis, to help students to better understand site conditions, urban development patterns and resident behaviour, gaining a deeper understanding of the social processes that constitute urban neighbourhoods. The data-driven analysis methods helped obtain evidence-based insights into public space usage, reflecting on different stakeholder interests and their influence on the material and immaterial structures of the city. The project shows how data-based urban design pedagogy can respond to social science issues, to bridge the gap between urban research and planning practice and support the conception of more sustainable urban design outcomes.

The spatial distribution of urban commercial spaces significantly impacts the overall efficiency and vibrancy of adjacent neighbourhoods. As such, it is an important factor to consider during urban development. This study aims to examine the patterns of impact between commercial distributions and neighbourhood dynamics in a residential neighbourhood, based on the case study of a highly populated, thriving commercial, and culturally rich area situated in Mong Kok, Hong Kong. In this research, a series of numeric evaluations and statistical analyses of liveability and vibrancy metrics are presented, uncovering the tension created by existing commercial forms and local living patterns. This research started with multi-dimensional data mining, such as accessing planning data using Geographic Information Systems (GIS), perception data using Street View Images (SVI), and business performance data from Google; secondly, analysing the data via machine learning (ML) algorithm and statistical correlation to identify correlations overlaid with a mapping of spaces of measurable characteristics. The goal is to establish a measurable evaluation of the relationship between commercial vibrance and urban features that can further inform the impact of urban design strategies on fostering the vitality of community commercial centres.

Despite the potential advantages of new architectural practices and learning forms, there has been very limited adoption of VR systems in the field of architectural design and education. Considerable obstacles to implementing VR applications are associated with substantial time, and expense commitments; in addition to required skills in VR development using gaming authoring software. The overarching study suggests adopting an alternative approach to VR development. This paper focuses on the testing and validation of architectural VR applications. We present a systematic methodology for the evaluation of interactive VR systems, using established assessment methods and metrics, detailing user-testing procedures and providing qualitative and quantitative evidence, and relevant data analysis methods. The paper provides valuable insight into the design of the user studies and evaluation of interactive VR environments in architecture, enabling future research and informing design applications in a wider field.

Current initiatives for urbanising space are focused on three key locations; Orbital settlements; Lunar settlements and Martian settlements. Of the three, Martian settlements present themselves as the most hospitable location for interplanetary colonisation due to the various similarities between Earth and Mars. Despite significant scientific research for the settlement of Mars, there lacks an equally significant Urban analysis and impact of such settlements. The presented study explores the habitation of Mars through an urban lens of efficiency that responds to geographic and climatic conditions, as well as addressing behavioural challenges of a human settlement on Mars. The study is presented through two key stages, the first establishes life support modules, while the second develops an urban solution for habitation. In both stages, a multi-objective evolutionary algorithm is implemented, with a focus on the selection mechanisms that choose the optimal solution from the population generated by the algorithm. The results showcase an adaptable model that allows for multiple stakeholders with varying expertise the ability to influence the design of a Martian settlement.

Balancing the thermal comfort and energy efficiency has been recognized as a critical issue in sports hall design, which is yet to be properly implemented in early design stages due to the huge computational cost and delayed simulation feedback. This paper develops an accelerated optimization approach for thermal comfort and energy efficiency of sports halls by combining surrogate modelling with evolutionary algorithms. An integrated computational workflow designated for early-stage application was established that consists of Design of experiments, Surrogate modelling, Surrogate-assisted multi-objective optimization, and Multi-criteria decision making. Specifically, a parametric sports hall model was set up for batch physics-based simulations to generate abundant training samples, which was then utilized to develop surrogate models for the rapid prediction of thermal comfort and energy efficiency. The validated surrogate models were eventually linked with evolutionary algorithms to quickly identify the optimal design solution(s). The performance of the developed approach was evaluated against the traditional simulation-based optimization (SBMOO) method. Results indicated that the proposed approach could save 70.91% of total computational time for this case study, whilst achieving better optimized thermal comfort and energy efficiency with a reduction of mean PMV and site EUI by 0.001 and 1.60 kWh/m2/yr versus the SBMOO method.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, people started to rely more on their communities and attach great importance to the accessibility of public facilities at a hyperlocal level. The 15-Minute City concept, first put forth by Carlos Moreno in 2016, gradually gained popularity worldwide during the age of pandemics. This human-centric concept aims to build complete neighbourhoods that meet the daily needs of residents within 15 minutes by using non-motorized transport. However, few studies focus on vulnerable groups such as children and the elderly for the assessment of 15-Minute City. Therefore, this paper provides an assessment framework for spatial accessibility to public facilities for vulnerable people from the perspective of 15-Minute City. It is measured in three aspects: spatial distribution characteristics, service population ratio and number of facilities through the comparison between Sham Shui Po and Tin Shui Wai in Hong Kong. The result shows that the accessibility to public facilities needed in daily life for children in Sham Shui Po and Tin Shui Wai is relatively reasonable, while the accessibility for the elderly needs to be improved. The research can provide references for evaluating and optimizing spatial planning to promote health and well-being in Hong Kong and other cities.

It has been a frequent task and challenge for architects to translate and transfer a specific style so that the design works can fit into a particular built environment or a unique period. The wave function collapse algorithm is an image generator inspired by constraint solving, which generates numerous images with similar styles by analyzing the potential connections of discrete segments in instances. This paper explores the application of the wave function collapse algorithm in the generation of stylized architecture. By deconstructing architectural style templates into predefined spatial tiles and connection rules, this research models style expression as a constraint-solving process, establishing a stylized spatial synthesis algorithm with discrete design logic to generate self-similar aggregations, shaping architecture as a unique semantic system. Based on the generative experiments of cultural architecture in the traditional Chinese style, this method was tested in two stages. While demonstrating a complete workflow, it has been fully verified for the feasibility, creativity and adaptability in stylized synthesis problems.

The conservation and renewal of historic areas are facing many complex and scattered problems, which are not suitable to be completed by a unified method. Designers tried to use the typo-morphology to analyse the morphology of each micro unit to carry out targeted conservation and renewal actions. However, any adjustment of spatial structure may affect the morphological characteristics of the whole block and each micro unit, designers need an efficient method to control the dynamic changes of the block in real-time. Based on the hierarchical structure of typo-morphology, a digital model of the historic areas was built. This model can be perfected as a morphological analysis tool and analyse the block's spatial morphological evolution during its conservation and renewal process. In the renewal design work of Hehuatang historical and cultural block in Nanjing, this method helps designers test each strategy's rationality and find a more scientific scheme to guide the further detailed design. The involvement of digital methods enables typo-morphology to assist design work more accurately and promote the working mode to gradually change from "experience-based artificial induction" to "data-based pattern extraction".

The canopy urban heat island (CUHI) stands for the phenomenon where the air temperature in an urban area is significantly higher than in a suburban area. Identifying CUHIs and their pattern can improve the health and comfort of urban residents. However, previous studies have focused more on surface urban heat island (SUHI) yet lacking a proper quantification tool for canopy heat islands. This study integrates local climate zone (LCZ), urban form classification data, and anthropogenic heat to quantify the canopy temperature, so as to analyze the distribution of CUHIs as well as the relation with wind condition. The case study of Nanjing selects the weather data representing days with different wind directions, uses WRF to simulate local air temperatures and wind speeds and directions, and analyses the influence of wind on CUHI through comparison. The results show that: 1) in the case of Nanjing, wind direction within 50-90° increases CUHI and leads to a continuous rise in air temperature; 2) when the wind direction falls in some specific ranges, the overall CUHI area significantly shrinks. In short, this paper shows how wind condition affects CUHI, which contributes to predicting CUHI and reducing the risk of heat exposure to urban populations, and provides guidance for urban management and design.

To achieve rigorous performance in sustainability toward zero-carbon in the Built Environment, the New Zealand government also promotes Living Building Challenge (LBC) in design. The LBC seeks detailed material specifications till disposal with environmental impacts to measure sustainability in design and insists 75% of the project materials supply within 90 km of the project location. This study explored the constraints related to LBC material requirements and found the major barriers for designers are: a) the sustainability imperatives namely red list and material lifetime are not considered by online material catalogue providers, b) no material data is shared among the primary stakeholders for acceptance and compliance evaluation, and c) no facility to identify the supply chain and suppliers within a certain distance of the project location. As a solution, this research designed a hybrid material catalogue having all possible material parameters classified into 5 major categories, and developed an integrated material environment visibility framework linking the processes among the designers, contractors, suppliers, and the client. This proposed integrated framework provides a shared environment on material viewing, similar alternatives, accurate compliance evaluations in design, material suppliers availability, and other supply chain details at design stage itself.  This new framework is currently under industry evaluation for compatibility, reliability, and industry professionals' acceptance.

For airport terminal buildings, the use of large glass curtain walls is beneficial to introduce daylight, but it also tends to cause excessive partial illumination, uncomfortable glare, and an increase in energy load. An appropriate façade shading design is important to help improve indoor environment performance and comfort. In this research, integrated machine learning algorithms were used to train a total of 2187 data samples of louvre shading and film shading to build a performance prediction model for adjustable façade shading of the typical terminal corridor, enabling rapid simulation and optimisation. The results show that the optimisation objectives are more closely related to the adjustable shading components and their façade areas. Besides, the optimal solutions for film and louvre shading are more influenced by the energy and light environment indicators respectively. Different target weights have a different impact on the selection of preferred solutions. This research further enriches the parametric model library and provides a reference for future design decisions and performance evaluation of airport terminal façade shading.

Architects are used to hand drawing sketches to express the architectural creation intention. To present these abstract sketches, architects and teams need to convert sketches into architectural scheme images, which requires a lot of time and labour. Deep learning may have the potential to improve the efficiency of this work. The common sketch-to-image generation is based on Generative Adversarial Network (GAN), and the research of edge-to-image has made a big progress. But these methods require strict alignment of data pairs, which is difficult to achieve. Zhu et al. proposed the loss of Cycle-Consistent, which solved the problem that pairs of data sets are difficult to collect. Also, some studies are tried to be applied to solve the architectural sketch-to-scheme drawing, which have been successful. However, most of the image translation methods require strict alignment between image data pairs, which can be achieved only for the edge mapping extracted from the image; but the sketch is very different from the edge. Due to the abstractness and fuzziness of the sketch, any simple distortion cannot complete the task of providing pixel-level alignment between the sketch and image; And image translation is the transfer of image features such as colour and texture. The original image has a strong constraint on the generated image, which makes the original structure of the image impossible to be changed. Encouraged by the image inpainting, in this research, we address this topic using a joint image completion approach with Context-Encoder, where the architectural sketch provides the image context for generating the scheme images So, the constraint from the sketch is changed into a guide and the output edge does not necessarily follow the input edge. This setting has two advantages: first, the joint images can avoid the complexity of cross modal problems and the strict alignment of the data pairs as image-to-image translation; second, because of the weak constraint, the outputs have greater freedom, which perhaps can generate more imaginative results. The experiment trained the Context-Encoder to generate scheme images on the data sets of general architectural sketches. The results present that the applicability of the completion method is better than that of the method of image translation. And scheme images that is different from the original architectural sketch contours have been generated.

A screen wall composed of breeze blocks is a simple and aesthetic means of improving the sun shading performance and ventilation of buildings. However, they are gradually being replaced by mechanical systems and sealed curtain wall envelopes in contemporary constructions. This article presents a digital method to analyse breeze blocks that elucidates their complex form–performance relationship, which is a timely response to the recent revival of breeze block applications in architectural design. Through the study of architectural cases in Hong Kong built in the 1950s and 1960s, the environmental performance of breeze blocks was quantified and represented digitally, which enabled the comparison of different breeze block types. Rhinoceros 3D and Grasshopper were used as the modelling and visualisation platforms, with Radiance and BlueCFD-Core as the simulation engines. The findings revealed that breeze blocks have a three-dimensional quality based on typological variations in terms of geometry, proportion, dimensions, and perforation. The results of this article present a method that contributes to the study of the environmental performance of breeze blocks to optimise and inform new architectural applications.

If a space is a sentient being, how would it recognize the environment to establish interactive relationships with people and objects? The modern living environment is full of ubiquitous computing and data flows, the smart space is equipped with rich technologies allowing data exchange between devices for the purpose of meeting human demands. However, the lack of development for a basic environment with cognitive abilities presents a challenge for creating an adaptable space, which can grow and control our surroundings to enhance our behaviour. Thus, the goal of this study is to propose a basic cognition of a sentient space. Firstly, the author designed the methodology for a sensorimotor through learning biological mechanism. Three adaptive strategies of exploratory behaviour are then developed to operate the cognitive map of the space. Lastly, the process is visualized to enable human interaction. Through the on-site installation, usability of the prototype is verified and positive user feedbacks were obtained. In conclusion, the ultimate goal of the research is to develop a space with the characteristic of a sentient being through a prototype, also, it allows users to understand how human activities affect the cognition embodied in the space.

Generations of Chinese architects and architectural scholars have endeavoured to restore the design of demolished gardens by speculating from documentation about Traditional Chinese Garden in the form of text. In previous works, these speculative methods are case-by-case, non-extrapolatable, and usually require comparative studies from various documentation. We propose a novel approach to restore Traditional Chinese Garden designs with multimodal machine learning. More specifically, we created the first Traditional Chinese Garden dataset with paired text descriptions and images. Then we fit DALL·E, a state-of-the-art text-to-image generation model on the dataset, to learn the mapping from a text description of a garden to the actual garden design. During experiments, various data representation and labelling techniques are studied and iterated to improve generation fidelity. In addition, we added a post-processing step to convert the semantic segmentation map to a 3D garden parametrically, closing the loop for an end-to-end generation pipeline. We see the promising potential of applying our methodology to the restoration of other heritage in built environments that face similar dilemmas.

Anthropic activities negatively impact natural and artificial ecosystems, necessitating interdisciplinary mitigation strategies such as multi-species building envelope designs. This paper introduces a computational multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) methodology to support these envelope designs. We also propose a nested set strategy for key performance indicators (KPI) to strategically measure architectural and ecological performances. We integrate the strategy into a proposed hybrid MCDM methodology using computational design tools. The methodology was tested using a generic volume case study described by an architectural and ecological objective with varied priorities. Initial results highlight the computational interoperability of hybrid MCDM, informed by nested KPI set priorities, as support for multi-species building envelope designs.

Parametric Design and Fabrication are highly collaborative fields. In most projects, many people are involved with different backgrounds, skill levels, and scripting methods. The collaboration platforms currently available for these fields are primarily cross-software frameworks. They seem to miss out on the nuances of parametric design thinking, namely, focusing on the "how" rather than the "what" in creative projects. In addition, this research identifies "lack of real-time communication" as the most problematic issue with collaborative projects in Parametric Design and Digital Fabrication. This paper introduces "RemoSharp" as a platform for remote interactive collaboration in parametric modeling. This research provides qualitative and quantitative case studies that showcase the capabilities of RemoSharp as a tool for remote interactive collaboration. We demonstrate how users with different skill sets can interactively participate in projects, providing evidence of how RemoSharp may encourage modes of communication that improve group work in parametric design workflows. Altogether, this research showcases how RemoSharp provides a generalizable solution for remote collaboration in computational design and digital fabrication.

Immersive virtual reality(IVR) as an emerging architectural design tool is utilized by many architecture firms to assist in better design decision-making. It allows users to immersively experience the simulated architectural environment prior to real construction. However, compared to conventional computational design tools, IVR faces more challenges in assessing the perception of designed simulations and visualizations. This paper attempts to examine the possibilities for incorporating human biological data and deep learning technology into the process of immersive visualization in architectural design. It aims to objectively understand human perception in an immersive virtual architectural environment, and ultimately assist in design decision-making and human-centered architectural design. The study proposes a novel and multidisciplinary use of techniques derived from psychology, computer science, and architecture disciplines to explore how biological data might be understood architecturally and vice versa. It also provides an opportunity to explore ways of using IVR-based computational design in the new metaverse era. The experiment results illustrate that there is a significant correlation between environmental experience and brain activation. It indicates the integration of EEG and deep learning is helpful to perform as complementary tools for better understanding human perception in immersive virtual architectural environments.

Various approaches have been proposed to create a smart space using a variety of sensors and instil positive emotions in a user-centred space. The core feature of building human-centric smart space is the analysis of user space using various sensors. In particular, as biometric sensors used in medical applications involving humans are simple and fused, research to use them in everyday environments is being actively conducted. In this study, digital twins were used to monitor humans in the building space using EEG data, analyse their situational characteristics, and create a smart environment. However, to compensate for the limitations associated with accurate expression of emotional information using only brain waves, the emotional states users were supplemented through the image-based Face Emotion AI, and a smart space was established to improve the emotional states of users.

The last decade has witnessed a turn in AI technologies working with differentiable neural network architectures learning the embedded functions between data points and performing generative operations synthesising unseen data. The move to a continuous and generative AI paradigm aligns with ideas in the field of cognition and psychology, where a growing body of authors are beginning to conceptualise memory and our representation of the past as a dynamic, malleable and ultimately generative field. So, how effective are generative algorithms in supporting and enabling this creative process of remembrance? To answer this research question, we propose an experiment on how the spatial movement and exploration of maps of real and imagined images can help our brain reconstruct its memories in a dynamic yet accurate manner. We develop an application allowing visitors to dynamically explore real and AI-generated images of a given site clustered by similarity in a virtual 3D space. Analysing visitor paths and observed images helps us understand visitors’ perspectives on real and AI-generated data such as an increased preference for synthetic images by visitors familiarised with the site. We conclude with recommendations on how to approach visitor experience in generative AI-powered applications for engagement with historical and archival data.

In the context of ongoing research on incorporating deep learning (DL) strategies in architecture, this paper proposes a proof of concept, for developing a viable DL-driven design workflow with multiple connected DL models that enable various levels of agency. The approach allows design intentions to manifest systematically throughout the process, through identifying the ways of dataset curation, DL models' selection and connection. Importantly, in parallel to the interconnected DL models, a series of physical experiments were conducted for dataset augmentation and evaluation, and to inform the overall process. The formulated system involved protocols where multiple DL models are employed and interconnected to address specific architectural systems and design tasks. Applying this prototype, a test-case experiment was carried out with a parallel logic of the two processes: (1) a physical experiment (material research) and (2) the DL-driven process (a combination of multiple neural networks), incorporated into the design workflow. The physical experiment was directed at learning from fungal natural systems (mycelium) to understand growth behavior and its physical qualities, which influenced the DL testing and evaluation.

In this paper, we outline a computational framework to capture an intricate relationship between tangible and intangible cultural heritage - architecture and the multiple narratives pertaining to it, to unfold multiple histories as a means for a deeper, more comprehensive preservation of contextual heritage. Deploying a set of digital and computational tools, we present a cross-disciplinary method to produce environments infused with history, and at times overlapping narratives. The framework presented here aims to combine text and spatial data, using both Natural Language Processing and Semantic Segmentation, towards integrating seemingly divided epistemologies of heritage. We ask how we can use computation to enrich current cultural practices and what is at stake in deploying such tools. To explore these questions, we discuss a case study of Wadi Salib, an historical and conflicted neighbourhood in Haifa, Israel, and attempt to assess our framework's ability to render a historical tour through this multi-layered site. Finally, the paper identifies several pitfalls and key challenges for future research.

This paper uses the notion of fractal geometry to understand the underlying geometric rule behind the complex appearance of traditional Indian stepwells, taking the reference of Chand Baori, which is one of the most stunning and complex stepwells in India. Stepwells were mainly designed for religious, water conservation, and social purposes. This paper indicates those aspects in exploring the complex arrangement of the repetitive self-similar stair units in Chand Baori. The geometric quality of self-similar repetition resulting in a complex outcome can be systematically described by fractal geometry. Hence, this paper has adopted a fractal-based computational approach to model the Chand Baori stepwell, including a new stepwell design followed by the Sierpinski triangle, a canonical example of mathematical fractals. The fractal dimension method has been applied at the end to analyze the visual complexity of Chand Baori.

Gaze-sharing - the act of sharing gaze information among several people- is increasingly valued by HCI researchers. Past studies have demonstrated its benefits for education, especially when learning to cope with well-defined problems. However, since design often deals with ill-defined problems, further research is needed to explore its potential benefits for design education. One critical activity in design education is that of design critique. This study held controlled conversation experiments during a design critique under three conditions: without technological facilitation (natural), with real-time view-sharing, and with real-time gaze sharing (RTGS). It was found out that an RTGS system can enhance communication in design education in two aspects: 1) by reducing moments of silence, an RTGS system can streamline communication in studios (critiques facilitated by RTGS were the most efficient among all three); 2) the instructor and the students are found to benefit more in the gaze-sharing condition, as it eases access to visual information and encourages discussion in the studio, compared with studios in other two conditions. These findings suggest great potential for integrating RTGS into future studio practices for enhancing communication in design education.

This paper reflects on the notion of hyper-reality through the creation of ‘Self-Compass’, an immersive mixed reality art installation. By merging the physical with overlayed digital 3D content, this study proposes a view of current notions of the metaverse as an extension of reality rather than a digitized replacement of it. This was demonstrated by augmenting a modular installation with an immersive digital counterpart through an augmented reality (AR) application accessible through mobile devices. ‘Self-compass’ combines a timber structure and a digital AR overlay into a radial configuration that framed eight views, revealing an historical connection beyond the immediate context, and inviting reflections on the relationship between oneself and place. The AR overlay merges meaning with data, allowing one to rethink the physical through the digital, and providing awareness of our impact on place across time. The paper discusses and evaluates applied methods of merging digital and physical objects through a mixed reality (MR) installation. It expands on current workflows through the development of an AR mobile application and examines simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) techniques, essential in the alignment of digital content within real-world environments. The paper concludes by illustrating the potential applications and impact of AR technologies within design practices by augmenting the physical and revealing a new hyper-reality.

The outdoor behaviour is usually influenced by space and environment. Previous studies on behaviour simulation of outdoor space always focused on the influence of two-dimensional space, but did not take the microclimate perceived into account. However, the microclimate of outdoor public spaces has a strong influence on the activities, which makes the subsequent behaviour simulation results unable to fit well with the reality. Therefore, this research attempts to integrate the influence of space and microclimate perception of crowd into behaviour simulation system. Firstly, we explored the laws of behaviour in terms of seasons, weekdays/weekends, and time slices. Secondly, the multiple linear regression equations of the influence of space and microclimate on behaviour were established. In addition, combining the laws and models with the social force model, a behaviour simulation model in public space under the joint influence of microclimate and space was established. Finally, a comprehensive workflow combining microclimate simulation and behaviour simulation was proposed. The research promoted the application and development of behaviour simulation technology from strong-purpose behaviours to weak-purpose and non-purpose behaviours. Moreover, starting from human behaviour and perception, it provides support for the optimization of urban public space from the bottom up.

This paper presents a digital urban design game, ’Katakita’, as a tool for multiple non-expert participants to generate options for equitable transit-oriented development in Jakarta. It is set in the context of the ongoing MRT development and addresses the risk of transit-induced displacement for the lower income group. A preliminary study is done on the risk level of displacement based on historical data of displacement and vulnerable communities are then mapped out. The potential of using a game as a platform for discussion, evaluation and consensus-building is investigated in this paper. The game permits players to choose different roles to play and make design decisions by placing various building blocks in the multiplayer environment. Game scores such as equitability and profitability are tracked to encourage discussions and negotiations. Game session consisting of participants with relevant profiles has been conducted and results of which will be shared in this paper.

Due to the complex branching structure and enormous details of the plants, it has always been a challenge to simulate the vegetation’s 3D appearance. The currently widely used triangular surface models have multiple limitations in the representation of the tree structure for a large number of trees such as the low performance and low fidelity. As a generative algorithm, the L-system algorithm has been used to rapidly construct different vegetation models based on the branching characteristics and self-similarity of the foliage. In this study, a 160m×160m vegetation area in Qingshan Waterfront Park, Wuhan, China, was selected as the study area to construct a vegetation model based on the L-system algorithm to generate virtual 720° panoramic images. The virtual panoramic images were then compared with the on-site captured panoramic images by semantic segmentation method to verify the accuracy of the constructed parametric vegetation model. We calculated 3D vegetation volume during 3 different plant growth stages in the study area by converting the algorithmic vegetation model into a geometric voxel model. The results showed that the generated virtual panoramic visible green index was similar to the actual panoramic visible green index at the same location with an average difference of about 16% and the mean intersection over union (mIoU) of 50.18%. The 3D vegetation volume in this study area during the initial stage, the growing stage, and the mature stage was 17396m3, 35679m3, and 161007m3, and the 3D vegetation volume per unit area was 0.68 m3, 1.39 m3, and 6.26 m3, respectively.

This paper compares the parametric design space with a feature space generated by the extraction of design features using deep learning (DL) as an alternative way for design space exploration. In this comparison, the parametric design space is constructed by creating a synthetic dataset of 15.000 elements using a parametric algorithm and reducing its dimensions for visualization. The feature space — reduced-dimensionality vector space of embedded data features — is constructed by training a DL model on the same dataset. We analyze and compare the extracted design features by reducing their dimension and visualizing the results. We demonstrate that parametric design space is narrow in how it describes the design solutions because it is based on the combination of individual parameters. In comparison, we observed that the feature design space can intuitively represent design solutions according to complex parameter relationships. Based on our results, we discuss the potential of translating the features learned by DL models to provide a mechanism for intuitive design exploration space and visualization of possible design solutions.

Virtual reality technologies facilitate the presentation of the indoor and outdoor environment, enabling researchers to conduct environmental behaviour experiments and evidence-based design research with great feasibility. However, most previous environmental behaviour research based on VR technologies did not consider the surrounding crowd, especially wayfinding-related research. Thus, from a human-centric perspective, the credibility of these studies will be greatly argued. Are the avatars indispensable in the virtual environment? To answer this question, we designed a comparative test including three scenarios: the virtual environment without avatars, data-driven avatars in the virtual environment, and agent-based avatars in the virtual environment. Taking the Satellite Terminal of Shanghai Pudong International Airport as a study case, we developed an online VR wayfinding experiment platform. 435 participants were invited to this experiment, their wayfinding performance will be recorded and then analysed and visualisation. The results demonstrate that the presence or absence of avatars significantly impacts the participants' decision-making time in virtual environments. Besides, the distribution and movement of avatars may affect the participants' wayfinding behaviour. This study highlights the importance of avatars in VR-based experiments and validates the feasibility of data-driven avatars replicating real-world crowds.

Thermal Bridge is a multidimensional heat flow that has been discussed among architects and engineers. Integrating thermal bridges into building energy simulation (BES) has been challenging because they are often simulated at steady-state conditions without including their dynamic behaviour, such as thermal delay or time lag. Most BES programs tend to simplify this part, so they only calculate the thermal bridge in the steady state, which may lead to miscalculation. This paper proposes a novel method to calculate dynamic thermal bridges by integrating the thermal bridge and the energy simulation part. The thermal bridge simulation is conducted under transient conditions at a certain timestep where the boundary conditions are obtained from field observations. The results are then used as input in the BES program to calculate the cooling load's end-use intensity (EUI) and thermal delay. This study enables architects not only to identify potential thermal bridges in the existing building façade but also to support material and geometrical explorations during the conceptual design stage

"Human imagination has played with the idea of an alternative technological world for years. From dystopian proposals like Neuromancer or The Matrix to more positive views like the recent Upload series, the exploration of the friction between the digital world and the physical world has entertained the imagination of our society for decades.
Outside the fictional environments, the omnipresence of the internet and the development of “the cloud” are showing that the virtual world is possible and that the idea of a Metaverse is no longer part of science fiction but a very real future for human relations (Winters 2021). In line with the idea of the Metaverse, the intersection of the virtual and the physical world is being explored through the idea of Extended Realities. Technology is allowing humans to enhance their capabilities more than ever, and in fact, it has been proposed that we are entering the Augmented era (King 2014).  
This paper explores the opportunities and possible challenges that “Extended Architecture” has by analyzing a research project based on augmented reality as the media to explore these ideas. This project will propose a speculative approach to how the fact that in the recent future, everyone will have access to an AR device will change the way we perceive and understand our architectural environment."
 

Virtual Reality technology has been widely explored to simulate environment and spaces in architectural and urban design. However, there is a gap of knowledge on real-world applications of Virtual Reality to conduct architectural research of social impact on existing architecture and domestic interior spaces. This paper focuses on the application of VR within a case study research project entitled Housing Insecurity in Mississippi and the resulting exhibition. By using immersive 360º video to place exhibition attendees inside virtual representations of these residential environments, interviewees’ stories are communicated in a rich and immediate way that other methods cannot offer. The VR presentation of the oral histories information asks how the added richness and detail can help convey their stories more effectively with the goal to increasing empathy for the interviewees, increasing public awareness of the conditions of housing insecurity, and motivating public discussions of solutions. This paper explores the process of implementation and reviews the project's potential, results, challenges, and future directions.

With the ongoing densification of cities, there is an increasing need to assess the impact of compressed urban spaces on residents’ wellbeing. Sidewalks are a platform for connectivity and social interaction. However, city planners often focus on pragmatic aspects while designing sidewalk spaces and neglect pedestrians' walking experiences. Hong Kong is recognized as a high-density city with a high proportion of walking connections, but quality issues such as obstacles and pollution are systemic. Our study is centred around a pedestrian perception-oriented walking greening index and using Hong Kong as a case study site. Firstly, the Green View Index (GVI) was obtained through the results of semantic segmentation of Street View Imagery (SVI). The amount of planting near the sidewalk was calibrated by the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). Secondly, a questionnaire survey was conducted to obtain the preferences of pedestrians for the above two indicators. Its results were used to determine the weights of each indicator and obtain the final walking greening index. The research provides practical guidance for transforming sidewalk environments into multifunctional social spaces, providing community infrastructure in disadvantaged neighbourhoods. It contributes new urban design insights around the balance between urban construction and urban greening.

This article is part of an exploratory and experimental applied research that seeks to discuss different design strategies with significant potential to stimulate creativity and innovation in the architectural design process. Envisioning a future in which machines are not merely used as tools for creating data, but also to play a role that can enhance the design process itself, this research presents as its fundamental question the possibility of employing a combinatorial use of diffusion models, associated to parametric modeling as a means of predicting, developing, and ultimately optimizing environmentally conscious design proposals. Thus, our ultimate goal is to outline a novel methodology not only capable of stimulating creativity, but also enriching critical thinking and problem solving skills for sustainable solutions in the early stages of the design process. The strategy here called Design Intelligence Strategy, uses referential design thinking concepts and processes to generate, analyze, compare and (re)systematize data. The object of study is a small house unit with limited constraints, to be implemented in a climatic location through formally adaptive characteristics. The results indicate that the AI generated images have potential to guide the process to climate-effective solutions, besides also being able to be implemented in  academic studios.

The relationship between clay manufacturing and architectural design has a long trajectory that has been explored since the early 2000s. From a 3D printing or assembly perspective, using clay in combination with automated processes in architecture to achieve computational design solutions is well established. (Yuan, Leach & Menges, 2018). Craft-based clay art, however, still lacks effective computational design integration. With the improvement of Augmented Reality (AR) technologies (Driscoll et al., 2017) and the appearance of digital platforms, new opportunities to integrate clay manufacturing and computational design have emerged. The concept of digitally transferring crafting skills, using holographic guidance and machine learning, could make clay crafting accessible to more workers while creating the potential to share and exchange digital designs via an open-source manufacturing platform. In this context, this research project explores the potential of integrating computational design and clay crafting using AR. Moreover, it introduces a platform that enables AR guidance and the digital transfer of fabrication skills, allowing even amateur users with no prior making experience to produce complex clay components.

Within the literature, there has been growing number of studies on robotic 3D printing of clay-based materials. Building upon this foundation and with the aim of improving environmental and structural performance of 3D printed blocks, this paper proposes a material mixture for robotic clay printing, particularly for remote settlements. Exploring three different mixtures of clay and algae for the base material, the paper particularly investigates the relations between the percentage of algae in the mixture and the resulted structural integrity of printed blocks by the UR10 robot. The printed blocks with different algae percentages are compared for their shrinkage rate, fissure sizes and deformation by evidence collected through photography and 3D scanning. The paper presents the initial outcomes of an ongoing research, highlights the positive effects of algae in the mixture for structural performance of the blocks. The proposed algae-based high-performance clay-based materials are designed to generate lower CO2 emissions as well. Adapting higher and collaborative construction technologies, the proposed material mixture and the outcome of the research would inform upgrading clay-based constructions in indigenous communities and moves towards a novel digital culture in remote societies.

Recent advancements in computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) have influenced architects to practice more purposeful design processes. However, most previous research have focused on innovating CAD and CAM technologies and less on how to automate the specific needs of users into design-to-fabrication processes. Therefore, this study applies a human-centric design approach to examine how designers can leverage specific and dynamic individual needs in digital design processes to optimise designing of housing. Using research through design, we tested our user-design-fabrication framework with dynamic needs of homeless individuals and 3D printing construction technologies, to design and prototype homeless housing solutions in Melbourne, Australia. This research demonstrates that specific and dynamic occupant needs are leveraged by designer's increased knowledge of digital design processes for 1) greater manipulation of basic software and machines and 2) provision of more individualised homeless housing design solutions. This suggests that there is a need for design researchers to further investigate the role of designers in such digital design processes working with homeless individuals, to foresee the current move in industry for more client-oriented and individualised homeless housing design solutions.

There is growing interest in incorporating digitally fabricated textiles into architecture. While most studies have addressed knitting and yarn winding, only a handful have involved crocheting. Crochet is a traditional handcraft that uses a hook to create fabric from a single yarn. Crochet is exceptional in its capability of creating seamless complex 3D shells. Despite significant progress attained in the computation of crocheting instructions, which positions it in an additive manufacturing context, a rigorous fabrication solution for crochet is still lacking. The present study examines the possibilities of applying additive manufacturing principles for adapting crochet from handcraft into digital fabrication using a robotic arm. The experimental phase focuses on toolpath design, targeting the primary steps involved in the performance of crochet stitches using a robotic arm. Initial stages include a manual scheme, using 3D-scanned pre-prepared cloth as a foundation for path design, and recording the crochet hook path in digital format. This study defines the first steps in transitioning crochet from handcraft to a robotic process and establishes the method's feasibility based on the computational design of the tool path. Robotic crochet enables the production of remarkably complex seamless 3D textiles in large-scale formats and opens the field to architectural applications.

Efficient floor systems can reduce the carbon footprint of building industry by reducing material, thereby responding to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Tile vault, a kind of masonry shell structure in history, can provide inspiration for extrusion-based 3D concrete printing. In this research, an “Extrusion-to-Masoning” perspective is proposed to evaluate, analysis, and simulate 3DCP. The variable-width filaments of 3DCP can be interpreted as variable-width bricks. The staggering pattern between different layers is studied. Three concrete shells with different layer-staggering patterns are printed and quantitative structural testing experiments are carried out. Then a totally printed floor slab prototype is designed and fabricated at the basis of one of the shells.

Although simulation models have been recently employed to model and examine pedestrian behavior in urban areas, comparable research has not been pursued in campus environments despite their importance as a critical area of inquiry. Those models' paucity and methodological limitations suggest investigating new research and design strategies to objectively assess and describe how the qualities of campus spaces and zones influence human behavior and, hence, predict the patterns of users' interaction and space usage. Those patterns and their impact on health have been pointed out as critical to the relationship among public space and quality of life due to Covid-19. There is an urgent need to develop decision support tools that would support interactive design processes and enhance the quality of open space design in terms of sense of space, place-making, and user interaction. To that goal, this study has proposed the integrated parametric BIM-based campus life simulation "CampuSIM" as a method for parametrization of the qualities of pedestrian campus zones and spaces. The study proposed the use of multi-objective optimization methods to fulfill various campus quantifiable and non-quantifiable design objectives. The significance of the proposed tool will result from its potential application in a wide range of complex, dynamic pedestrian behavior scenarios such as flows, social simulations, and design.

This paper aims to complement the discourse of bending-active systems by exploring a related design strategy, form-approximation. The authors explore the said strategy through analysing bending-active plate systems and commenting on its advantages and disadvantages based on physical prototype experiments and a self-built case study. Previous research has revealed that form-finding and form-conversion have their unique characteristics respectively. The authors demonstrate a new strategy of modelling the Miura origami pattern into a representation of bending-active plates and to convert the desired shape into a pattern-sewed bending-active plate construction through linear regression. The physical prototypes and fabrication experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of the form-approximation method and present a newly emerging strategy for the design and fabrication of bending-active systems.

This study aims to understand how the characteristics of the architectural space are manifested by applying two inquiry methods, the visibility graph analysis (VGA) and the analysis of occupants’ actions in combination. The visibility properties of a house are analysed in relation to the room layout and the distribution of occupant actions in two conditions, with or without an exterior. Subsequently, the sociality of vernacular houses is explored by applying these research methods together. This study uses five typical traditional private houses in Izena, Ryukyu as a case study.

The prevalent use of inorganic, non-local materials in construction and design in the age of ecological crisis, calls for experiments with new, more sustainable components. In this research, we suggest re-thinking the incorporation of flora in design, by developing a new material for additive manufacturing (AM), that utilizes the constructive potential in the root entanglement of germinating seeds. The material which is comprised of a hydrogel and seeds is used to create 3D printed objects. These transform over time and the material receives new properties and qualities. The seeds develop into plants which finally wither, the plants roots intertwine and strengthen the structure of the designed shape as the sustaining hydrogel disintegrates. The object is comprised of organic biodegradable components only, that can be prepared for AM in simple processes. By doing so, the result is an accessible method of creating plant based and digitally designed objects. Our research challenges the conventional approach for integrating nature into the built environment. While flora is most commonly subsequently added as an external addition to the designed object, in this work, seeding is an integral part of the fabrication process. This allows us to introduce a new workflow for ecological design and fabrication.

Cement and concrete production are responsible for nearly 8% of the world's annual emissions of greenhouse gas carbon dioxide. Biodesign can potentially address this challenge in architecture by integrating living materials in design processes and enhancing the ecological performance of materials. As part of an interdisciplinary approach between architecture and microbiology, this research outlines a systematic workflow consisting of pre-fabrication, fabrication, and post-fabrication phases. The workflow leverages additive processes based on biological data and utilizes cyanobacteria’s output capabilities towards architectural production. Cyanobacteria through their photosynthetic process are able to absorb CO2 and induce calcium carbonate (CaCO3) precipitation, the main ingredient in limestone and cement. This paper focuses on the pre-fabrication phase and develops material protocols for designers. It examines the compatibility of two bacterial strains in order to formulate a biomixture suitable for integration in an additive biomanufacturing process.

For large-scale Additive manufacturing, while manufacturing thin nonplanar components by printing contours, the printing direction is often perpendicular to the surface, so the components cannot have complex topological features. At the same time, large-scale additive manufacturing is difficult to achieve skeletonized patterns due to the nozzle size and material limitations. Most of the existing printing methods for skeletonized structure use the level set method, which is difficult to adapt to thin shells. This paper introduces a new printing method for 3D printing skeletonized surfaces. The method uses a graph-theoretic approach to plan the printing path, combining the size of the nozzle and the structure of the surface, to enable the printing of surfaces with complex topological features. A 3D printing case is used to verify and prove the practicality of the method. Experimental results show that the method proposed in this paper can effectively solve the problem of printing skeletonized hyperbolic shells and can achieve a continuous printing path. However, there is still room for improvement in many areas of the method to improve print quality.

Can architectural design be automated? The development of CAAD tools led to the point where this question can be relevant. To prove that some branches of architectural design can be automatized to a substantial extent we aimed at building a digital tool able to perform automated preliminary design of residential building in the typology of a point block (tower). The algorithmic process was split into three consecutive stages corresponding to the traditional design method: massing, floorplans layouts and apartments design. The workflow is linear, with some form of feedback-loop-driven optimization. The result of the study is an algorithmic tool in the Rhino + Grasshopper environment automatically proposing a point block of optimal size, position and orientation on a given plot, dividing the floorplans into flats of optimal size structure and solving the flat layouts. The system proved to be working on different plots where the existing buildings were used as a reference for performance evaluation.

This research aims to develop a craft system that integrates design, construction, and tool-making for handcraft to become simpler and more accessible for non-professionals, even if it is a complex structure. Kigumi, a traditional Japanese wooden technique, inspires this research. In the experiment, a modified circular saw was developed to handcraft the "Kigumi shelf." Constraints in the craft process are closely connected to design, construction technique, and the use of tools in handcraft. The relationship between these constraints was managed and explored throughout the project, from developing systems to assembly. The developed system presents a comprehensive workflow, from reading QR codes on timber pieces to processing data and cutting. This study showed how we should treat technology to make it easier for non-professionals to engage with handcraft. Also, digital-aided technology is an effective way to enhance participation in handcraft.

Robotic fabrication technologies enable customisation and automation for the construction industry. Specifically, 3D Concrete Printing (3DCP) has advanced rapidly in recent years with innovations in robotics, material science, and large-scale application. While 3D printed walls take up most of the applications of the technology at an architectural scale, the design and fabrication methods based on multi-materiality are limited. This paper presents a method for the creation of walls with graded transparency by embedding glass rods in between the printed concrete layers. To achieve this, a computational design tool was developed to explore the distribution of transparent rods within the opaque mass of concrete. Furthermore, the designs are tested with two fabrication methods based on human-robot collaboration and multi-robot fabrication processes by simultaneously 3D printing concrete and placing the rods. The presented results and identified challenges outline the potential of multi-material additive manufacturing methods for architectural applications materialised either through human-robot collaboration or as a multi-robotic fabrication process.

As a traditional building material, clay has been used by humans for a long time. From early civilisations, to the modern dependence on new technologies, the craft of clay making is commonly linked with the use of moulds, handmade creations, ceramic extruders, etc. (Schmandt and Besserat, 1977). Clay in the form of bricks is one of the oldest building materials known (Fernandes et al, 2010). This research expands the possibilities offered by standardised bricks by testing types of clay, forms, shapes, porosity, and structural methods. The traditional way of working with clay relies on human craftsmanship and is based on the use of semi-solid clay (Fernandes et al., 2010). However, there is little research on the use of clay slurry. With the rise of 3D printing systems in recent years, research and development has been emerging on using clay as a 3D printing filament (Gürsoy, 2018). Researchers have discovered that in order for 3D-printed clay slurry to solidify quickly to support the weight of the added layers during printing, curing agents such as lime, coal ash, cement, etc. have to be added to the clay slurry. After adding these substances, clay is difficult to be reused and can have a negative effect on the environment (Chen et al., 2021). In this study, a unique method for manufacturing clay elements of intricate geometries is proposed with the help of an internal skeleton that can be continuously reused. The study introduces the process of applying clay on a special structure through spraying and showcases how this method creates various opportunities for customisation of production.

An early and basic definition of cybernetics is the study of "circular causal and feedback mechanisms in biological and social systems". Generally, the key of cybernetics is communication and control, in another words, information transmission and feedback mechanisms. According to that, we can put forward a definition of “cybernetic machine”, that is an object which can obtain information, deal with information and eventually give a feedback. About 13 years after the birth of cybernetics, as a representative of the second generation cybernetics scholars, Gordon Pask took part in Cedric Price’s Fun Palace, which brought cybernetics to the architecture field. What Cedric Price try to achieve in the Fun Palace is to make architecture become a cybernetic machine and from then on, many architects keep exploring on this. However, the Fun Palace, along with many works influenced by it such as Archigram's Plug-in City, are paper architecture. So, can architecture really be a cybernetic machine that can be built? In this article, that question is discussed through analysing Cedric Price’s Inter-Action Centre, which is regarded as the closest built work to the Fun Palace, and the Pompidou Centre, which was influenced by the Fun Palace and show the ambition of becoming a cybernetic machine in its competition stage. The article will introduce how cybernetics comes into architecture field with the key architect Cedric Price and how the idea of making architecture become a cybernetic machine develops after that, focussing on the paper architects the Archigram and the built work the Pompidou Centre.
 

Throughout time, design has been permeated with knowledge from other fields. In recent decades, computer science has been a major force in design, radically transforming the way in which designers think, design and build. In this context, an effective and systematic tool is needed to observe and understand this phenomenon. Differentiating itself from the existing theoretical studies such as those by Carpo, Picon and Lynn, this investigation proposes a methodology for studying the digital culture in design using the same computational toolsets that it investigates. A new methodology is proposed and developed using data scrapping and bibliometrics techniques to obtain and measure textual information. The research conducts a study of keywords, geographic distribution, collaboration of researchers and historical evolution of computational design. The information from 15,000 papers in CumInCad was collected, analyzed and organized chronologically to expose trends and intersections. The research contributes with a functional bibliometric and visualization prototype and proposes the future development of a three-dimensional visualization platform capable of visualizing and interacting, understanding its origin, paradigms and its incorporation into the design discipline in all phases of its process. In this way, it creates opportunities to generate a deeper interdisciplinary learning about the knowledge of Design sciences and its intersection with computing.

Emerging regulations in the context of sustainability have placed renewed attention on construction protocols, including consideration of end-of-life, waste reduction and a shift to bioplastics. However, much research is required on the integration and compatibility of bioplastic materials and their performance concerning construction industry standards. Parallel to the material perspective, increased efforts are placed on additive manufacturing (AM) processes in architectural design and their potential contribution to sustainability through experimentation with new materials, enhanced performance prototyping and reduction in material use. Within this context, the following paper develops a framework towards large-scale additive manufacturing examining bioplastic compounds for architectural components with acoustic performance. A design workflow outlines the component geometry and micro-structuring for both scattering and absorption. It explores the ability to expand on the acoustic behaviour of the chosen materials through printing techniques such as pull printing, fiber printing and dynamic structure printing, within a robotic FDM setup utilizing non-planar tool path design. The robotic workflow developed, outlines a material-informed calibration of bioplastic compounds, their predicted acoustic compatibility to the construction industry, and highlights the potential of such AM workflows to align with current sustainability goals.

This paper presents a set of design-to-robotic assembly workflows developed based on the potential of working with collaborative robots. The research presents three assembly systems benefiting from several features of a seven-axis cobotic arm. The proposed methods are advanced as an integral part of an interdisciplinary project-based course entitled Cobotic Matters. The interdepartmental research builds upon the premise that human-robot collaboration, programable fabrication, and assembly technologies will fundamentally change how we design and build. Each case study explores different strategies for designing the assembly sequence of discrete elements and the growth direction of the structure. The presented methods cover a range of assembly approaches, including vertical stacking of cuboid wooden pieces, interlocking of unique prefabricated elements, and oblique growth of bespoke reciprocal components in multiple directions. In each case study, a specific assembly method is developed, and all three projects address the role of implementing cobotic systems in integrated computational design to robotic assembly workflows.