A “design process” includes many steps needed to design and construct a built environment. This includes everything from initial data-mining and schematic design all the way through to construction and post-occupancy evaluation. As built environments become more complex, building performance demands increase, and work schedules compress, project teams need to be more effective and efficient at every stage of this process.
The natatorium environment is one of the most challenging environments to design and build in northern climates. This is due to the large swings in levels of humidity and temperature between interior and exterior conditions. The challenge remains how to balance the interior pool environment, requiring a consistent temperature and humidity level with the exterior; while taking into... Read more »
Designing energy efficient buildings requires an understanding of the energy impact of design features and how they interact with each other during the design process. This article outlines how and when an energy analysis can be conducted including guidelines for what to expect in an energy modeling analysis and how to interpret and understand the results. Guidance is... Read more »
This article explores various educational theories, research and factors that can be correlated to or have an impact on the physical spaces in which learning takes place. As school design and planning becomes more in tune with the influences that affect education, the connection between physical space and the learning process becomes more relevant. Drawing from sources such... Read more »
This article explores the various curtain wall façade system solutions as developed for the Shanghai Fisherman’s Wharf project’s iconic skyscraper. The high-rise tower comprises a curvilinear nautical shape, nicknamed “The Fish” and is the main iconic identity of the large-scale mixed-use project. Cladding this morphic building shape involved an intense exploration of 2D and 3D curtain wall... Read more »
This article discusses relationships between building performance simulations and design decisions and how building performance predictions can improve the design outcomes. The first part of the article discusses why we need to quantify building performance and predict how a building as a whole or its components will function. Then, relationships between Building Information Modeling (BIM) and analysis software... Read more »
This article discusses several key principles for foreign architects doing work overseas in the global workplace. The article uses the Kenya Women and Children’s Wellness Centre as a case study in the development of techniques for the appropriate design process in Kenya. Although targeted specifically to Nairobi (Kenya), the information gathered and the processes established... Read more »
As architects computerize their design practices they are faced with unique networking challenges. One of these is the “wide area design” problem. This is the problem of collaborating on large architectural projects from geographically dispersed locations. Revit, in particular, presents acute collaboration challenges owing to its large monolithic file sizes and its rigid synchronous database... Read more »
This article discusses performance-driven design and fabrication as one of the emerging approaches in architectural design, where computational tools are used for integrated design exploration, analysis and fabrication. It discusses development of a new course that integrates simulations into the design process with special consideration for parametric design. Simulations and digital modeling are used to... Read more »
The early stage of design is characterized by iteration of divergent phases in which design alternatives are generated and convergent phases in which alternatives are assessed and selected. It is during or at the end of these phases that decision-making occurs under considerable uncertainty. Therefore, the methods and tools applied during these phases should account... Read more »
Designers’ actions are high-level mechanisms based on heuristics and assumptions learned from professional experience. Significant research has been devoted to understanding these actions as well as finding ways to aid, automate, or augment them with computational support. However, representing and manipulating such tacit knowledge in computational environments remains an open area of research. In this... Read more »
Goals rHDS (Reactive Hygroscopic Design Simulation) is an experimental and theoretical design and simulation digital apparatus for the design of rough building massing form in context with climatic variables such as wind direction and speed, and water vapor from real world climate data. The system will develop a reactive environment for conceptual design and massing of building form for... Read more »
