Course Program Report: Computer Aided Architectural Design Studio

Transcription

José Pinto Duarte
Course Program Report:
Computer Aided Architectural Design Studio (CAAD Studio)
Aggregation Exams
March 2008
II
Index
Preamble ........................................................................................................................... 1
1. Antecedents .................................................................................................................. 2
1.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................ 2
1.2 Curricular pertinence of the theme ......................................................................... 2
1.3 Theoretical framework ........................................................................................... 3
2. Program ........................................................................................................................ 5
2.1 General goals .......................................................................................................... 5
2.2 Specific goals.......................................................................................................... 5
2.3 Participants ............................................................................................................. 5
2.4 Design problem ...................................................................................................... 6
2.5 Program .................................................................................................................. 7
2.6 Classes .................................................................................................................... 8
2.7 Assignments ......................................................................................................... 12
2.8 Chronogram .......................................................................................................... 13
2.9 Schedule ............................................................................................................... 14
2.10 Logistics ............................................................................................................. 15
2.11 Grading ............................................................................................................... 15
2.12 Bibliography ....................................................................................................... 16
2.13 Results ................................................................................................................ 18
Annex I – Assignments ..................................................................................................I-1
Annex II – Student work .............................................................................................. II-1
Annex III – Paper presented at the 22nd International eCAADe Conference............. III-1
Annex IV – Summary of the CAAD Studio program on the mass customization of
housing ........................................................................................................................IV-1
Annex V – Work developed by TU Lisbon FA students on the design of flexible urban
plans and customized mass housing ............................................................................. V-1
Annex VI – Paper presented at the International CAAD Futures Conference 2007...VI-1
Annex VII – Brief description of the ISTAR Labs and the CAD I and CAD II courses
....................................................................................................................................VII-1
Annex VIII – Excerpt from the Catalog of the 2005 Spot on Schools Exhibition ... VIII-1
Annex IX – Paper presented at the 25th International eCAADe Conference .............IX-1
III
IV
Preamble
This report describes the program of a Computer Aided Architectural Design Studio (CAAD
Studio).
This course is proposed within a context in which one may observe, on the one hand, an
increasing complexity of the design and construction processes and a decrease in their execution
time, and on the other hand, a shift in Portugal’s economic development paradigm, which is no
longer based on low labour costs, but on the production of innovative products with increased
added value.
The main goal of the course is, thus, to let students develop design and buildings strategies that
will enable them to operate in such a context and develop creative work leading to innovative
solutions.
In order to achieve this goal, the program of the course includes a general theme, which remains
constant, and a specific theme, which varies in terms of the complexity of the design problem
and the depth of the approach taken to solve it.
The general theme is related to the exploration of computational media in architectural and
urban design. By computational media, I mean ways of organizing the design process that due
to their algorithmic nature may advantageously be aided by or codified into the computer as a
tool that supports a systematic, exhaustive, and organized exploration of alternative design
solutions.
The specific theme is articulated with research projects funded by public institutions or private
companies under protocols or contracts, in which context graduate students may use the course
as a starting platform for developing the experimental part of their master and doctoral theses.
The specific themes addressed so far included the design of building with complex freeform
ceramic surfaces and the customization of mass housing. Currently, it is being prepared a
project whose theme is related to the production of mass customized wood components and
structures.
Given the complexity of the designs problems and of the media used to solve them, the course is
targeted at mature and knowledgeable students. Namely, it is aimed at senior undergraduate
students or at master or doctoral students, that is, students in the 2nd or 3rd cycles of the Bologna
agreement.
The course is part of a larger effort whose goals are: (1) to develop a set of courses in the field
of computation to support the teaching of architecture; (2) to provide students with tools that
enable them to undertake professional practice with state of art technology, and (3) to set up a
design technology lab that enable the teaching of architecture in articulation with research and
professional practice.
The CAAD Studio is the third course in a series in which the first two, Computer Aided Design
I and II (CAD I and II) aim to provide students with basic knowledge in computation. These
courses are articulated with a lab called Computational Architecture Laboratory (LAC, after the
Portuguese acronym) funded by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT).
In order to clarify the pre-requisites in terms of computation for enrolling on the CAAD Studio
course, brief descriptions of CAD I, CAD II, and LAC are provided in Annex VI.
1
This report details the program of CAAD Studio as an annual course on the design of buildings
with complex ceramic freeforms. The program of CAAD Studio as semester-based course on
the customization of mass housing is summarized in Annex III.
1. Antecedents
1.1 Introduction
As the field of computer aided design evolved over the last four decades or so, it has witnessed
several changes of emphasis in research direction.
In the first stage, research addressed the development of computer aided drafting tools, that is,
tools that simulated the use of manual drafting tools. The goal was to satisfy designers’
ergonomic needs and the result was the development of peripheral devices to facilitate the
interaction with the computer. In the second stage, research was centered on the development of
applications to support non-graphical aspects of designing, such as the use of data-base
management systems (DBMS) in the quantity survey of buildings. The concern was to satisfy
the cognitive needs of designers by focusing on the way information and knowledge were
perceived, acquired, stored and processed. In the third stage, the focus shifted to the
development of realistic models of buildings to permit the assessment of design alternatives. In
the fourth stage, research was concerned with the codification of design knowledge into
knowledge-base management systems (KBMS) and the discussion was whether to go towards
design automation or design supporting tools. More recently, with the emergence of Internet
navigation tools and the development of telecommunications, research became centered on the
collaborative and social aspects of design activity.
Currently, there is a wide range of technologies that continues to expand. On a first level, one
may group such technologies into three big categories. The first is related to geometric
modeling software, which ranges from traditional CAD packages to parametric design solutions
that emerged in the last few years. The second group encompasses software for simulating and
analyzing the performance of buildings from different viewpoints (functional, structural,
environmental, etc.). The third group includes computer-aided manufacturing of physical
models and buildings. These three groups form what is usually designated by CAD/CAE/CAM.
Then, on a second level, there is a series of tools that do not quite fit into these categories, such
as remote collaboration and virtual reality.
These grouping is mirrored on the programs of CAD I, centered on the use of the computer for
geometric modeling, CAD II, focused on the modeling of architectural knowledge and rapid
prototyping, and CAAD Studio, which adds remote collaboration and virtual to such techniques
and attempts to integrate all of them in solving complex design problems.
1.2 Curricular pertinence of the theme
The computer revolution that has occurred over the last forty years made available new theories
and techniques for representing architectural knowledge and contributed for the emergence and
expansion of a new field that is commonly designated by computer aided design or, simply,
CAD.
Contrary to what has happened in other areas of scientific knowledge, in which the initial
enthusiasm raised enormous expectations that have not materialized into significant practical
applications, the CAD field has had, in fact, an important impact on professional practice,
particularly, during the last fifteen years.
2
In a way, the impact on professional practice preceded the impact on architectural teaching.
Architects started to learn how to use such tools in specialized courses taught by software and
hardware companies with the expectation that the computer would lead to increased efficiency
in the design process. Later on, their motivation came from advantages in terms of visualization,
due to the use of photorealistic techniques, particularly valued by clients.
Then, under the pressure of professional practice, architectural schools slowly incorporated in
their curricula computer aided design courses; first as specialized training courses, then as
optional courses, and finally as mandatory courses. The introduction of such courses took place
without a critical reflection on the role of the computer in architectural teaching, which was seen
as a mere substitute for rigorous hand drawing.
Although the use of the computer did not translate into a significant increase in design
efficiency, it raised the expectations regarding design presentation. Only much later, through the
continuous use of the computer in architectural practice, did designers and researchers
understand that it could radically change the design process and architecture by providing new
formal lexica, of which the architecture of Frank Gehry is a well-known paradigm.
Thus, there is the opportunity for rethinking the insertion of CAD courses within architectural
curricula. The created courses were intended to take advantage of such an opportunity: first by
progressively providing students with basic CAD knowledge, and then, by exploring and
expanding such knowledge in the design of urban and architectural spaces in the CAAD Studio
course, whose program is described herein.
In the majority of the programs in architecture, CAD courses are taught from the third year on.
The goal is to use the computer when students have already interiorized the traditional design
methodology based on hand drawing. The idea is to permit students to learn how “to think with
the hand” before being introduced to digital media. In the proposed approach, CAD I is taught
in the first year, CAD II in the second year, and CAAD Studio in the fifth year. The goal is to
enable the students to interiorize the use of computer tools, so that they might equally learn how
“think with the computer.”
Recently, this approach was adopted by other architectural programs, namely, by the MIT
Undergraduate Program in Architecture, which since the academic year of 2002/03 has offered
a course similar to CAD I in the initial years, whereas before it was offered as an optional
course in the final years.
The pioneer character of the proposed approach was recognized by the inclusion, in an
exhibition that took place in Italy in 2005, of the created courses among the programs in
architecture considered on the cutting-edge of new technologies in architecture.
1.3 Theoretical framework
Almost two decades ago, Akin1 identified two different standpoints regarding the role of
computers in architecture. One, supported by early computers enthusiasts and pioneers, argued
that it would eventually replace the architect. The other, hold by more conservative designers,
defended that it could merely add to existing design capabilities. Akin, however, was in favour
of a third view, which considered that the “new technology continues to change the way we
design, rather then merely augment or replace human designers.” The belief in this view was the
starting point for the design of the courses and laboratories mentioned in this report.
1
Akin, Ö: 1989, Computational Design Instruction: Toward a Pedagogy, in The Electronic Design Studio:
Architectural Knowledge and Media in the Computer Era, Proceedings of the CAAD Futures Conference,
Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, pp. 302-316.
3
The work of early pioneers who successfully used the computer in the design of buildings made
evident that turning the back to the new technology was not the solution. As a result, some
schools introduced CAD courses in the last years of their programs. In Portugal, the Technical
University of Lisbon School of Architecture became a pioneer in this respect by creating its
Center for Informatics (CIFA) in 1987. Nevertheless, the computer was then used as a drafting
tool in the last stages of the design process to produce technical or presentation drawings. As the
goal was to give students the opportunity to use the computer as a conception tool, rather than a
mere representation device, it was decided to include CAD education in the early years of the
program.
In setting up the new curricula, two theoretical frameworks were taken into account. The first
was Donald Schon’s theory of the reflective practitioner. 2 In his texts, Schon puts forth an
approach for educating competent professionals so that they are able to tackle complex and
unforeseen problems in their professional practice. He describes designing as a conversation
with the materials of a design situation. Working in some visual medium – hand drawing in the
experiments reported in the texts – the designers sees what is ‘there’ in some representation of a
site, draws in relation to it, and sees what has been drawn, thereby informing further designing.
In this see-move-see cycle, the designer not only does s/he register information but also
constructs its meaning, that is, identifies patterns and assigns meanings to them. To put it
simple, the designer ‘thinks by drawing and draws by thinking.’ Schon elaborates on the
conditions that enable this cycle to work effectively, and thus draws some recommendations for
design education and for the development of computer environments. In Schon’s theory, to be
able to construct visual representations of a design context is a key element of an effective
design process. Accordingly, hand drawing is an essential skill in traditional design education.
Our goal in setting up the new curricula was to promote the kind of process described by Schon,
but with computer media.
The second framework was described by Mitchell and McCullough in Digital Design Media,3
which is summarized in the diagram reproduced in Figure 1. The diagram shows the emerging
relationships between drawings, digital models, physical models, and built designs, and the
possible translations among such representations. The proposed curriculum was set up to ensure
that students had the opportunity to learn and experiment with all of these translations. This
meant that they had to be given access both to the capabilities found in traditional design studios
and those offered by virtual design studios. The digital possibilities offered in the created
courses are identified in the diagram.
To complete the set up required for the digital design studio, these courses needed to be
complemented with a sophisticated infrastructure. Part of this infrastructure was common to the
entire university, including wide network access and online course information, whereas other
was created on purpose for the program in architecture. This consisted in a set of laboratories
called IST Architecture Laboratories (ISTAR Labs), in which the Computational Architecture
Laboratory (LAC) is included.
Brief descriptions of CAD I, CAD II, and LAC are presented in Annex VII, whereas the CAAD
Studio program is presented in following.
2
3
Schon, D: 1987, Educating the Reflective Practitioner, Josey-Bass Publishers, San Francisco, CA, USA.
Mitchell, WJ; McCullough, M: 1994, Digital Design Media, Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, NY, USA.
4
Drawing
Surveying
Construction
Model
making
Plotting
(CAD I)
Digitizing
(CAD I)
Drafting
Building
Electronic
surveying
Construction
CAD/CAM
(CAD II)
Scale modeling
Physical
model
Rapid protyping (CAD II)
3D digitizing
(PAAC)
Digital
model
Figure 1. Diagram of and architectural office integrating traditional and digital media. Adapted from Mitchell and
McCullough 1991.
2. Program
2.1 General goals
CAAD Studio is an ongoing course that aims to explore the advance use of computer aided
design and fabrication techniques and the link university-industry. The goal is the resolution of
complex design problems and the development of innovative solutions. It has the format of a
remote collaborative design studio open to senior architecture and engineering students from
one or more universities, and it foresees the participation of the industry.
2.2 Specific goals
The specific theme described in this report aimed at the design of a technology-oriented cultural
center incorporating freeform surfaces built with ceramic elements. The goals were twofold.
The first was to enquire into the possibility of designing and building freeform surfaces using
ceramic elements. The second goal was to develop a set of procedures and protocols to support
the formation of geographically distributed cross-disciplinary teams capable of addressing
complex design problems.
2.3 Participants
In the year whose program is described in this report, the course had the participation of two
universities, the Technical University of Lisbon (TU Lisbon) and the Massachusetts Institute of
5
Technology (MIT), as well as the collaboration of the Portuguese Technological Center for
Glass and Ceramics (CTCV), and ceramic factory RECER. The participants included
instructors, teaching assistants, and students.
The studio included instructors from each of the following specialized fields: architecture,
structural engineering, building science, material science, and manufacturing engineering. The
architecture instructors’ task was to frame the design problem, to assist the students in the
development of the design solutions, and to coordinate the studio. The remaining professors’
task was to assist the students in their particular area of expertise.
The studio also included teaching assistants in each of the following areas: remote
collaboration, advanced geometric modeling, rapid prototyping, and structural analysis. The
teaching assistants had the role of instructing and advising the students regarding technical
aspects in their area of expertise, thereby freeing them for more creative design tasks.
There was a limited number of places available for students in the studio, namely, 8 at TU
Lisbon and 12 at MIT. Students were grouped into four design teams supported by an
engineering team. The design teams included two senior undergraduate students in architecture
from TU Lisbon and three master students in architecture from MIT. The design teams had the
role of analyzing the site and designing the building, including freeform surfaces. The
engineering team included senior undergraduate students in civil, mechanical, and computer
science engineering. Its role was to evaluate the solutions proposed by the design team in terms
of structural, manufacturing, and construction feasibility.
2.4 Design problem
The design of a single building, the Guggenheim museum in Bilbao by Frank O. Gehry, was
key to trigger a successful revitalization of the whole city. This outcome, here called the “Bilbao
effect”, was partially related to the originality of forms and materials used by Gehry in the
design of the museum.
The Portuguese government in collaboration with city halls is currently promoting major
redevelopment and upgrading projects in some cities throughout the country within the context
of the Polis program. The main goal of this program is to revitalize cities through urban
interventions that contribute for improving the quality of life.
In this context, the design teams were asked to design a technology-oriented cultural center for a
site in one of such cities, namely Cascais, with the goal of stimulating its revitalization. The idea
was to explore the possibility of achieving an effect similar to that of Bilbao,” that is, triggering
an urban revitalization process through the design of a building.
In the design of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, the architect Frank O. Gehry used nonrepetitive titanium elements to materialize the free complex forms of the buildings. The project
enquired into the possibility of developing similar surfaces with ceramic elements, while
solving the architectural, structural, manufacturing, and construction problems posed by such a
design challenge.
Therefore, the project addressed both urban and building design aspects, but it focused on the
architectural and engineering aspects raised by the design and construction of freeforms. This
meant shapes with non-regular double curvature.
6
2.5 Program
The course addressed issues related to urban and building design, although the main
focus of this program was on building design. The site was located on the waterfront at
the entrance of Cascais. Students were asked to design a technology-oriented cultural
center incorporating freeforms. In the first semester, there was a collaborative design studio
with MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), whose students had the mission of acting as
consultants to TU Lisbon students regarding issues related with the design and production of
freeforms.
From the urban design viewpoint, students had to consider aspects such as: historic
development, accessibility, transportation, spatial features, functional uses, and so on. The
character of the site, which works as the main gateway to Cascais, had also to inform design
options. Students studied how to insert a large-scale public building into the urban fabric, and
define the interface town/ocean/building.
From the building design viewpoint, students had to think how technology can change the idea
of a building devoted to culture. More specifically, students had to consider how technology can
impact on traditional forms of art and give origin to new artistic expressions, and how this
affects the relationship between architecture and the other arts, as well as the interaction with
the public.
In addition, students were expected to reflect upon the following aspects:
Remote collaboration: as a result of increasing specialization, architectural design and
construction are interdisciplinary activities carried out by architects, engineers, and builders.
Part of the effort during the design and construction processes is spent on communicating and
negotiating ideas. In the past, this effort required participants to be co-located, but the
development of communication media, such as telephones and faxes, enabled them to interact
remotely. In the last decades, the development of information and computer systems has greatly
expanded the opportunities for remote collaboration, but these remain poorly used by
architectural firms. One of the goals of the project was to understand how state of art
technologies can be integrated into design environments and change the social and professional
dynamics of design activity. As such, students were asked to develop procedures and protocols
to form cross-disciplinary, geographically distributed design teams.
Manufacturing and construction without drawings: Traditionally, architectural projects include
plans, sections, elevations, axonometrics, perspectives, and details. In the context of complex
forms, such 2D drawings are not appropriate for representing and conveying the design solution
to the client, to the manufacturers, and to the builders. The project explored the use of new
media such as CAD modelers, animating software, rapid prototyping, and virtual reality, to
generate digital, physical, and virtual models. These models were used both in the conceptual
design stage to explore design solutions, and in the construction design stage to produce
information for fabrication and construction.
Mass production without exhaustive repetition: traditional mass production processes rely on
the repetition of many identical parts to achieve economies of scale and lower the costs. In the
context of freeform complexity, such an approach does not solve the problem because such
forms cannot be decomposed into equal parts. The use of computer numerically-controlled
techniques might enable the automatic fabrication of different parts while controlling production
costs. The project explored the use of algorithmic processes to decompose the free-forms into
discrete parts, and the use of CAD/CAM and other fabrication techniques to produce them.
7
Innovation in ceramics: traditional ceramic elements for the construction industry include bricks
and tiles. Past research and development undertaken by the industry has mainly addressed either
the optimization of the production process to improve product performance or the development
of decorative aspects. While such a research has contributed for improving product quality, it is
necessary to conduct research to find new uses for ceramic products that might boost the
industry. The project intended to explore other aspects, such as the role that ceramic elements
might play in the definition of the structure and form of buildings. The idea was to look into
existing production processes and adapt them to produce components for creating complex
forms.
In summary, students worked at a macro scale and at a micro scale, investigated the design and
construction of complex buildings, and learnt how to operate with advance design tools with the
goal of developing skills oriented towards innovation in architectural design.
2.6 Classes
The course encompassed 4h sessions, twice a week, of four types:
a)
lectures, these sessions were intended for providing students with the theoretical
foundations of the design problem, namely regarding mass customization and ceramics,
as well as remote collaboration, advanced geometric modeling, virtual reality, and rapid
prototyping (max. 2h).
b) labs, these sessions included software and hardware tutorials, namely on Netmeeting,
Rhino, Eon Reality, SAP 2000, CNC milling and stereolithography (max. 2h);
c) work sessions, either local or remote, these sessions were intended for developing the
designs (max. 2h);
d) presentation sessions, either local or remote, these sessions were destined for
presentation of the design proposals (max. 4h).
Classes were distributed as follows.
1st Semester
Phase 1: Basic concepts and skills
Duration: 5 weeks
Week 1
September 16 Videoconference with MIT via Picturetel (2h)
Initial presentation: Program, goals and methods
Lecture: Mass customization and digital design
Work session (2h)
Reading:
Roll Over Euclid by William Mitchell
Handed out: Assignment 1: Personal Web page
September 18 Lecture: Remote collaboration (2h)
Design lab: Netmeeting tutorial (2h)
Reading:
Paramorph: Anti-accident methodologies by Mark Burry
Handed out: Assignment 2: Team formation
Assignment 7: Site analysis
Week 2
September 23 Lecture: Geometric modeling of surfaces (2h)
Design lab: Rhino tutorial (2h)
Handed in:
Assignment 1: Personal Web page
Handed out: Assignment 3: Geometric modeling in Rhino
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September 25 Lecture: Ceramics as a construction material (2h)
Work session (2h)
Handed out: Assignment 5: Research on ceramics
Week 3
September 30 Lecture: Art and technology (2h)
Design lab: SAP 2000 tutorial (2h)
Handed in:
Assignment 8: Functional program
October 2
Handed in:
Week 4
Week 5
October 7
Videoconference with MIT via ICOM (2h)
Intermediate presentation: freeform concept
Work session (2h)
Assignment 3: Geometric modeling
Handed in:
Handed out:
Lecture: Virtual reality (2h)
Design lab: EON Reality tutorial (2h)
Assignment 2: Team formation UTL-MIT
Assignment 4: Virtual reality model
October 9
Work session (4h)
October 14
Intermediate presentation: Program and design concept
Work session (2h)
Assignment 7: Site analysis
Assignment 8: Functional program
Handed in: :
October 16
Handed in:
October 18
Intermediate presentation: Building system concept
Work session (2h)
Assignment 4: Virtual reality model
Assignment 5: Research on ceramics
Visit to CTCV to discuss the feasibility of solutions
Visit to the Ceramics factory to study production processes
Phase 2: Sketch of the proposal
Duration: 4 Weeks
Week 6
October 21
Handed out:
Lecture: Rapid prototyping (2h)
Design lab: Milling machine tutorial (2h)
Assignment 6: Rapid prototyping
Assignment 9: Sketch of the proposal
October 23
Design lab: Stereolithography tutorial (2h)
Work session (2h)
Week 7
October 28
October 30
Work session (4h)
Work session (4h)
Week 8
November 4
November 6
Work session (4h)
Work session (4h)
Week 9
November 11 Work session (4h)
November 13 Videoconference with MIT via ICOM (2h)
9
Handed in:
Intermediate presentation: Sketch of the proposal
Work session (2h)
Assignment 6: Rapid prototyping
Assignment 9: Sketch of the proposal
November 15 Visit to CTCV to discuss the feasibility of solutions
Fase 3: Preliminary design
Duration: 5 Weeks
Week 10
Handed out: Assignment 10: Preliminary design (1/200)
Week 11
Week 12
December 2
Local pre-final presentation (4h)
Freeform building system
December 4
Videoconference with MIT via Picturetel (4h)
Joint final presentation: building system
Week 13
December 9 Work session (4h)
Week 14
Handed in:
Assignment 10: Preliminary design (1/200)
December 18 Local final presentation (4h)
Preliminary design
Inbetween semesters period
Visit to MIT
Duration: 1 Week (February 16-22)
2nd Semester
Phase 4: Design development
Duration: 3 Weeks
Week 1
February 24
Handed out:
Initial presentation (4h)
Assignment 11: Design development (1:100)
February 26
Work session (4h)
Week 2
March 3
March 5
Work session (4h)
Work session (4h)
Week 3
March 10
Work session (4h)
March 12
Handed in:
Intermediate presentation (4h)
Assignment 11: Design development
10
Phase 4: Licensing design
Duration: 4 Weeks
Week 4
March 26
Handed out:
Weeks 5-6
Week 7
Work session (4h)
Assignment 12: Licensing design (1:100)
Work sessions (4h)
April 14
Work session (4h)
April 16
Handed in:
Intermediate presentation (4h)
Assignment 12: Licensing design
Phase 6: Construction design
Duration: 7 Weeks
Week 8
April 28
Handed out:
Weeks 9-13
Week 14
Work sessions (4h)
Assignment 13: Construction design (1:50, 1:20, 1:5, 1:2)
Assignment 14: Mock up at 1/1 scale
Work sessions (4h)
June 2
Work session (4h)
June 4
Final presentation (4h)
Announcement of the design selected for prototyping
Handed in:
Assignment 13: Construction design
Post-semester period
Prototype development
Execution:
July 25
Handed in:
Mock up handed in (to develop at CTCV)
Assignment 14: Development of a mock up at the 1/1 scale
Exhibition:
September
Participation in Experimenta Design
11
2.7 Assignments
A series of consecutive assignments built up to a final Project. The assignments were grouped
into the following three categories:
Basic concepts and skills (Phase 1):
1) Assignment 1: Personal Web page. Create a personal Web page and publish it on the
Web Software: HTML, FrontPage.
2) Assignment 2: Team formation. Form teams with two members from TU Lisbon and
three members from MIT. Software: Picturetel, Netmeeting, ICQ.
3) Assignment 3: Geometric modeling. Model a 3D freefrom surface that you may
incorporate in the design of the building. Software: Autocad, 3D Studio, Rhino.
4) Assignment 4: Virtual reality. Develop a virtual model of the surface conceived in the
previous assignment, considering constructability and navigation issues. Software: EON
Reality.
5) Assignment 5: Research on ceramics: Research and gather information on ceramics,
including physical properties and fabrications and construction issues.
6) Assignment 6: Rapid prototyping. Produce a physical model of the surface conceived in
Assignment 3. Techniques: CNC milling, stereolithography, and FDM.
From urban design to the preliminary design of the building (Phases 2 and 3):
7) Assignment 7: Site analysis. Analyze the site and its surroundings including history,
accessibility, transportation, functional uses, and so on.
8) Assignment 8: Functional program. Compile the list of spaces of the building and the
corresponding functional requirements, including basic dimensional and environmental
needs.
9) Assignment 9: Sketch of the proposal. Sketch a proposal for the design of the building
and its insertion in the urban fabric.
10) Assignment 10: Preliminary design. Design the building at the 1/200 scale.
From construction design to prototype development (Phases 4 to 6):
11) Assignment 11: Design development. Resume the development of the preliminary
design at the 1/100 scale.
12) Assignment 12: Licensing design. Refine the design of the building at the 1/100 scale.
13) Assignment 13: Construction design. Develop the construction design addressing the
1/50, 1/20, 1/5, and 1/2 scales in sucession.
14) Assignment 14: Prototype. Develop a prototype of the freeform building solution in
collaboration with the CTCV and the ceramic factory.
The chronogram of assignments is presented in following and their descriptions are
provided in Annex I.
12
2.8 Chronogram
1st Semester
Assignments
Phases
Weeks
1
Web site
2
Team
formation
3
Geometric
modelling
4
Virtual
reality
5
Research on
ceramics
6
Rapid
prototyping
7
Site analysis
8
Functional
program
9
Sketch of the
proposal
10
Preliminary
design
2nd Semester
Assignments Phases
Weeks
11
Design
development
12
Licensing
design
13
Construction
design
14
Prototype
1
2
1
2
Phase 1
3
4
5
6
Phase 2
7
8
9
10
5
6
7
9
10
Phase 4
3
4
11
Phase 3
12 13
14
Phase 5
8
11
12
13
14
13
2.9 Schedule
Months
September
Weeks
1
2
3
October
4
5
6
November
7
8
9
10
11
December
12
13
14
January
February
15
16
17
18
19
20
1
March
2
3
4
April
5
6
7
8
May
June
July
9
10
11
12
13
14
Monday
16
VC, L
23
A1, DL
30
DL
7
A2, DL
14
VC, PS,
A7, A8
21
DL
28
4
11
Tuesday
17
Wednesday
18
L, DL
25
Thursday
19
Friday
20
Saturday
21
Sunday
22
26
27
28
29
2
A3
9
3
4
5
6
10
11
12
13
16
VC, PS,
A4, A5
23
DL
30
6
13
VC, PS, A6
20
17
18
219
20
24
25
26
27
31
7
14
1F
8
15
2
9
16
3
10
17
18
19
21
22
23
24
25
2
24
3
28
5
29
6
30
7
1
8
12
19
13
20
14
21
15
22
24
31
7
14
21
28
4
11
18
27
4
VC, PS
11
18
PS, A10
25
1
8
15
22
29
5
12
19 F
9
16
10
17
23
30
6
13
20
27
3
10
17
26
2
9
16
23
30
6
13
20
27
3
10
17
24
31
7
14
21
28
4
11
18
25
1
8
15
22
29
5
12
19
26
2
9
16
23
24
25
26
27
28
1
2
3
10
4
11
6
13
7
14
8
15
9
16
24
1
8
15
22
29
5
12
Phases
1st Phase
Basic concepts
and skills
2nd Phase
Sketch of the
proposal
3rd Phase
Preliminary
design
Christmas
Exam period
Carnival
Visit to MIT
4th Phase
Design
development
17
18
5
12
PS, A11
19
20
21
22
23
Easter
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
7
14
1
8
15
3
10
17
4
11
18
5
12
19
6
13
20
21
22
2
9
16
PS, A12
23
5th Phase
Licensing
design
24
25 F
26
27
28
5
12
19
26
2
29
6
13
20
27
3
1F
8
15
22
29
5
2
9
16
23
30
6
3
10
17
24
31
7
4
11
18
25
1
8
9
16
23
30
7
14
21
10 F
17
24
1
8
15
22
30
7
14
21
28
4
PS, A13
11
18
25
2
9
16
23
12
19
26
3
10
17
24
13 F
20
27
4
11
18
18
A14
14
21
28
5
12
19
26
15
22
29
6
13
20
27
6th Phase
Construction
design
Exam period
Prototype
development
Legend: L – lecture, DL – design lab, PS – presentation session, VC – videoconference, A1 a A14 – assignments due
14
2.10 Logistics
The logistics required for the course were as follows:
Communication tools: it required the four participating institutions to enable effective means of
synchronous (video and Web conferencing, chat system, whiteboard, application sharing) and
asynchronous communication (e-mail and fax). The course foresaw different types of
collaborative sessions, each with different communication related requirements. For the joint
presentation sessions, at the beginning and at the end of the project, it was used the ISDN based
Picturetel system in the videoconference room. For the intermediate presentation sessions, it
was used the Internet-based ICOM system developed by MIT and installed in the studio. For the
work sessions, it was used the Netmeeting system installed in the studio.
Computer aided design and fabrication tools: it required the availability of advance geometric
modeling (Rhino), rapid prototyping (milling machine and stereolithography), 2D and 3D
digitizing, virtual reality (EON Reality), and structural analysis tools (SAP 2000), as well as the
availability of ceramic production processes (mould pressing and extrusion). For rapid
prototyping, the project used the Laboratório de Tecnologias de Produção Avançada (Advance
Production Technologies Lab) of the IST Department of Mechanical Engineering. For ceramic
production, the project used the CTCV and the factory facilities.
Facilities: it required the use of videoconference rooms for presentations sessions and studio
rooms for work sessions. These were equipped with or had easy access to the tools mentioned
above.
Travelling: it required two personal meetings of the local coordinators—one at MIT, and
another at TU Lisbon, the first at the outset to prepare the ground for the studio and the second
at the end to assess and discuss the results. It also required visits of students and instructors to
the CTCV and the ceramic factory to learn about the available technologies and discuss the
evolving solutions. Finally, students visited their remote colleagues. Portuguese students visited
MIT at the end of the first semester to fine-tune their designs before moving on to the design
development stage, and MIT students were to visit Portugal at the end of the second semester to
follow the final production stages (this visit was cancelled).
2.11 Grading
Evaluation will took into account the following weighting factors and evaluation criteria:
a) Weighting:
1st semester:
10% remote collaboration (Assignments 1 and 2)
10% geometric modelling
10% virtual reality
10% rapid prototyping
10% site analysis
10% functional program
15% sketch of the proposal
25% preliminary design
2nd semester:
25% design development
30% licensing design
25% construction design
15% final presentation
05% class attendance
15
b) Criteria:
Concept:
Concept clarity
Respect for the original concept across the various scales
Sustainability of the concept
Spatiality:
Quality of the spatial and functional system,
Respect for the environmental requirements,
Plastic affordances of the spatial solutions.
Language:
Clarity of the architectural language,
Materiality,
Plasticity.
Constructability:
Technical rigor of the building solutions,
Clarity of the building system,
Articulation with the spatial system,
Articulation with the architectural language,
Design of infrastructures.
Presentation:
Clarity of the graphical and written elements,
Graphical quality,
Capability of the graphical and written elements to describe the solution.
c) Penalties:
Handing in the work after the deadline carried the following penalties
One day later: minus 2 points;
From two days to one week later: minus 4 points;
More than a week later: minus 50% of the grade.
2.12 Bibliography
Virtual studio
Duarte, JP; Bento, J; Mitchell, WJ: 1999, Remote Collaborative Design: The Lisbon Charrette,
IST Press, Lisbon.
Duarte, JP; Heitor, M; Mitchell, WJ: 2002, The Glass Chair: Competence Building for
Innovation, in Koszewsky, K. and Wrona, S. (eds), Design e-ducation: Connecting the Real
and the Virtual, Proceedings of the 20th eCAADe Conference , Warsaw, Poland.
Heitor, M; Duarte, JP: 2001, Collaborative Design of a Glass Chair, IST Press, Lisbon.
Mitchell, WJ; McCullough, M: 1991, Digital Design Media, Van Nostrand Reinhold, New
York.
Mitchell, WJ: 2002, Complexity and Composition, in Design Is…Words, Things, People,
Buildings and Places at Metropolis, Akiko Busch (ed), Princeton Architectural Press, New
York, 182-184.
Mitchell, WJ: 2001, Roll Over Euclid: How Frank Gehry Designs and Builds, in Ragheb, JF
(ed), Frank Gehry, Architect, Guggenheim Museum Publications, New York, 352-363.
Materials, Fabrication and Construction
Allen, E; Iano, J: 1990, Fundamentals of Building Construction: Materials and Methods, John
Wiley and Sons, New York.
Anderson, S: 2004, Eladio Dieste: Innovation in Structural Art, Princeton Architectural Press,
NY.
16
Burns, M: 1993, Automated Fabrication, Prentice-Hall, New Jersey.
Centro Tecnológico da Cerâmica e do Vidro: 2003, Manual de Aplicação de Revestimentos
Cerâmicos, Associação Portuguesa da Indústria de Cerâmica, Coimbra.
Davis, SM: 1987 Future Perfect, Addison-Wesley, New York, NY.
Duarte, JP; Wang, Y: 2002, Automatic generation and fabrication of designs, in Automation in
Construction, 11 (3), Elsevier Science, 291-302.
Groover, M:1996, Fundamentals of Modern Manufacturing: Materials, Processes, and Systems,
Prentice Hall, New Jersey.
Sass, L: 2003, Rule Based Rapid Prototyping of Palladio's Villa Details, in Proceedings of the
21st Conference on Education in Computer Aided Architectural Design in Europe, Graz,
Austria, pp. 649-652.
Schodek, D; Bechthold, M.; Griggs, K; Kao, KM; Steinberg, M: 2005, Digital Design and
Manufacturing: CAD/CAM Applications in Architecture and Design, John Wiley and Sons,
New Jersey.
Urban Design
Alexander, C: 1965 The city is not a tree, Architectural Forum, Volume 122, No 1, April 1965,
pp 58-62 (Part I), and Volume 122, No 2, May 1965, pp 58-62 (Part II), and was
subsequently republished in Design No 206, February 1966, pp 46-55.
Alexander, C et al: 1977, A Pattern Language: Towns, Buildings, Construction. New York:
Oxford University Press.
Alexander, C: 1987, A New Theory of Urban Design, Oxford University Press, New York.
Ascher, F: 1998, Metapolis: Acerca do futuro da cidade. 1ª ed., Celta Editora, Oeiras.
Benevolo, L.: 1989, Diseño de la ciudad, 5 – El arte y la ciudad contemporánea, Gustavo Gili,
Barcelona.
Cullen, G: 1971, Townscape, Architectural Press, London. Portuguese edition: Paisagem
Urbana, Edições 70, Lisboa, 1984.
Friedman, A: 1997, Design for change: Flexible planning strategies for the 1990s and beyond,
in Journal of Urban Design, 2, 3, pp. 277-295.
Koolhas, R: 2000, Mutaciones, Harvard Project on the city, Actar, Barcelona.
Krier, R: 1975, El Espacio urbano, Gustavo Gili, 1975, Barcelona.
Lynch, K: 1960, , The MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, USA. Portuguese edition: A imagem da
cidade, Edições 70, Lisboa, 1982.
Rogers, R; Gumuchdjian, P: 1997, Cities for a Small Planet, Faber and Faber, London.
Rossi, A: 1982, The Architecture of the city, The MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, USA.
Solá-Morales, I: 2002, Territórios, Editorial Gustavo Gili, Barcelona, Spain.
General Bibliography
Barreneche, RA: 1996, Gehry's Guggenheim in Architecture 85 (9), September, 177-181.
Giovannini, J: 1997, Fred and Ginger Dance in Prague in Architecture, February, 52-62.
Giovannini, J: 2000, Building a Better Blob in Architecture, 89 (9), September , 126-128.
Gould, LS: 1998, What Makes Automotive CAD/CAM Systems So Special? in Automotive
Manufacturing and Production, October. (Online at http://www.autofieldguide.com/articles/
109802.html)
Gould, LS: 1999: GM's Metal Fabricating Division Stamps its Approval of CAD/CAM in
Automotive
Manufacturing
and
Production,
July.
(Online
at
http://www.autofieldguide.com/articles/079902.html)
LeCuyer, A: 1995, Designs on the Computer in Architectural Review, 197 (1175), January, 7679.
LeCuyer, A: 1997, Building Bilbao in Architectural Review, 202 (1210), December , 43-45.
Linn, C: 2000, Creating Sleek Metal Skins for Buildings in Architectural Record, October, 173178.
17
Mahoney, DP: 1994, Avant-garde Architects Look to CAD in Computer Graphics World,
March, 36-42.
Mays, P: 1999, Learning from the Product Makers in Architecture, March, 132-134.
Mitchell, W: McCullough, M: 1995, Prototyping (Chapter 18) in Digital Design Media, 2nd
edition, Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, NY, USA, 417-440.
Novitski, BJ: 1992, Gehry Forges New Computer Links in Architecture, August, 105-110.
Novitski, BJ: 2000, Scale Models from Thin Air in Architecture Week, August. 2. (Online at
http://www.architectureweek.com/2000/0802/tools_1-1.html)
Rotheroe, KC: 2000, Manufacturing Freeform Architecture in Architecture Week, October 18.
(Online at http://www.architectureweek.com/2000/1018/tools_2-1.html)
Russell, JS: 2000, The Experience Music Project in Architectural Record, August, 126-137.
Stacey, M: 2001, Component Design in Architectural Press.
Vasilash GS: 1997, Rapid Prototyping at Ford Saves Time & Money in Automotive
Manufacturing and Production, April. (Online at http://www.autofieldguide.com/
articles/049704.html)
Vasilash GS: 1999, Making It Real in Automotive Manufacturing and Production, December.
(Online at http://www.autofieldguide.com/articles/129903.html)
Vasilash GS: 1999, Forward to Holography... and Back to Clay in Automotive Manufacturing
and Production, August. (Online at http://www.autofieldguide.com/articles/089902.html).
2.13 Results
The main result expected from CAAD Studio were the acquisition of competences by the
students to develop innovative architectural and urban design projects using state of art design
and building technologies. Other results were to understand how new technologies can be
successfully integrated into the design process and to provide technology-oriented consulting
services to the construction industry.
The practical results of the studio have included direct results, that is, work developed by the
students within the context of the course, and indirect results generated from the latter, namely,
master and doctoral theses, scientific articles, design awards, scientific awards, patents, and
startup companies.
Annex II presents the work of a group of students that completed the CAAD Studio on the
design and construction of buildings with ceramic freeforms – the theme that corresponds to this
detailed program – and some images of the design process.
The work of this group was finalist in the national competition for the award of the Secil Prize
for Architectural Students in 2004.
The work of this and other student group originated the following patents:
• Patent PT 103020, Tijolos Cerâmicos Geradores de Paredes Autoportantes com
Formas Complexa (Ceramic tiles for generating self-supporting walls with complex
forms). Inventors: Tânia Sílvia, Carolina Passos, José P. Duarte, Luísa G. Caldas.
• Patent PT 103019, Azulejo Cerâmico Rotativo (Rotated ceramic tile). Inventors: Sílvia
Preto, Mitja Novak, José P. Duarte, Luísa G. Caldas.
The work of the latter group was described in the following article:
• Pombo, J; Antunes, S; Preto, S: Azulejo rotativo (Rotated tile) in Engenharia e vida:
engenharia civil, construção e desenvolvimento, year 1, nº 4 (July-August 2004), pp 3842.
The work of the various student groups were selected for the following exhibitions:
18
•
•
•
•
S*cool, Experimenta Design 2003, Lisbon Art Biennal, Lisbon, September 2003.
Fórum Competitividade, Inovação e Qualificação: Estratégias, Políticas e Desafios
(Fórum on Competitivity Innovation and Qualification: Strategies, Policies and
Challenges), Lisbon Congress Center, October 2003.
Reestruturação Urbana da Entrada de Cascais: exposição colectiva dos alunos
finalistas da LA / IST (Urban restructuring of the entrance to Cascais: collective
exhibition of the graduating IST Architecture students), Gandarinha Cultural Center,
Cascais Town Hall, December 2003.
Spot on Schools 2005, Spazio Stazione Leopolda, University of Florence, Faculty of
Architecture, Florence, Italy. Curator: Paola Giconia.
Finally, the analysis of student work served as the basis for the development of the following
master thesis by one of the studio’s teaching assistants:
Colaboração Remota no Desenvolvimento de Projecto de Arquitectura (Remote
Collaboration in the Architectural Design Process)
Author: Filipe Coutinho
Advisor: José P. Duarte. Co-advisor: Teresa Heitor
Program: Master of Science in Building Construction, IST, TU Lisbon
Situation: defence completed in June 2004
Annex III includes a paper presented to the 22nd international conference on education and
research in computer aided architectural design in Europe (eCAADe), which briefly describes
the methodology and the results of the CAAD Studio on the design and construction of
buildings with ceramic freeforms.
•
Duarte, JP; Caldas, LG; Rocha, J (2004): Freeform ceramics: design and production of
complex forms with ceramic elements, in Rudiger, B; Tournay, B; Orbaek, H (eds),
Architecture in the Network Society, Proceedings of the 22nd Conference on Education
in Computer Aided Architectural Design in Europe, eCAADe 2004, Copenhagen,
Denmark, pp. 174-183.
Annex IV includes a summary of the CAAD Studio program on the mass customization of
housing.
Annex V includes excerpts from the Boletim Municipal da Cidade das Caldas da Rainha
(Municipal Bulletin of the city of Caldas da Rainha) with work from CAAD Studio students on
the design of flexible urban plans and customized mass housing
The work from some of these students was selected to represent TU Lisbon Faculty of
Architecture in the national competition for the award of the Secil Prize for Architectural
Student in 2006 and 2008.
Student work on this specific theme originated a patent:
• Patent PT 103150, 22/10/2004, ALFF-Sistema Modular Pré-fabricado do Tipo “Caixa”
para Edifícios de Habitação (ALFF-Prefab modular box system for housing buildings).
Inventors: Ana Filipe, Fernando Branco, José P. Duarte.
This work also originated the following articles:
• Benrós D; Duarte, JP; Branco, F: 2007, A System for providing customized housing:
Integrating design and construction using a computer tool, in Gero, J; Dong, A (eds.)
Proceedings of the 12th CAAD Futures Conference, Sydney, Australia, pp. 153-166.
Best paper award.
19
•
•
•
Filipe, AL; Branco, F; Duarte, JP: 2005, O Sistema Modular Pré-fabricado ALFF:
Aplicação a Edifícios de Habitação (The ALFF prefab modular system: application to
housing buildings), in Arquitectura e Vida, Ano VI, Julho-Agosto, pp. 72-77.
Beirão, JN; Duarte, JP: 2005, Urban Grammars: Towards Flexible Urban Design, in
Duarte, J; Ducla-Soares, G; Sampaio, Z (eds.), Proceedings of the 23rd eCAADe
Conference on the Quest for new paradigms, Lisbon, Portugal, pp. 491-500.
Duarte, JP; Beirão JN: 2004, Unidade na Diversidade: Sistemas Regrados Aplicados ao
Desenho Urbano e ao Projecto de Edifícios (Unity in diversity: rule-based systems
applied to urban and building design), in Cidade Termal, Boletim de Cultura Urbana,
Year III, N. 7, December, pp. 14-37.
This work also was selected for the following exhibitions:
• Universities Exhibition, Lisbon Architectural Triennial on Urban Voids, Pavilion of
Portugal, Lisbon, June 2007. Commissariat: Ricardo Carvalho and José Adrião.
• Collective exhibition of graduating students from TU Lisbon Faculty of Architecture on
Caldas da Rainha: From the sea to the mountains, Caldas da Rainha Town Hall, 2005.
• Collective exhibition of graduating students from TU Lisbon Faculty of Architecture on,
Caldas da Rainha: Urban Lab, Caldas da Rainha Town Hall, April 2004.
• Spot on Schools 2005, Spazio Stazione Leopolda, University of Florence, Faculty of
Architecture, Florence, Italy. Curator: Paola Giconia.
The CAAD Studio on this specific theme originated master theses elaborated either by students
who took the course:
Design and building components system applied to mass customized housing
Author: Deborah Benrós
Advisor: José P. Duarte. Co-advisor: Fernando Branco
Situation: completed in May 2007
Observation: Best Paper Award, CAAD Futures 2007
Um Sistema Modular Pré-fabricado do Tipo Caixa para Edifícios de Habitação (A prefab
modular box system for housing buildings)
Author: Ana L. Filipe.
Advisor: Fernando Branco, IST. Co-advisor: José P. Duarte
Situation: completed in March 2003
Observation: Patent PT 103150, 22/10/2004, ALFF-Sistema Modular Pré-fabricado do Tipo
“Caixa” para Edifícios de Habitação (ALFF-Prefab modular box system for housing
buildings). Inventors: Ana Filipe, Fernando Branco, José P. Duarte
or by teaching assistants who used the course as a lab for developing their theses:
Uso de Gramáticas de Forma em Desenho Urbano (Use of shape grammars in urban
design)
Author: José Nuno Beirão
Advisor: José P. Duarte. Co-advisor: M. Teixeira
Program: Master in Urban Design, ISCTE
Situation: completed in June 2004
Annex VI includes a paper presented to the 25th International CAAD Futures Conference,
which presents the results of one of the master theses referred to above. This thesis was
developed within the context of a research project contracted by the firm Ove Arup with the
goal of developing a system for customizing mass housing for a British firm:
• Benrós D; Duarte, JP; Branco, F: 2007, A System for providing customized housing:
Integrating design and construction using a computer tool, in Gero. J., Dong, A. (eds.)
20
Proceedings of the 12th CAAD Futures Conference, Sydney, Australia, pp. 153-166.
Best Paper Award.
Annex VII includes brief descriptions of the CAD I and CAD II courses, as well as of the
Computational Architectural Laboratory.
Annex VIII includes excerpts from the catalog of the Spot on Schools exhibition which
included work from students in the CAD I, CAD II, and CAAD Studio courses.
The participation in the Spot on Schools exhibition, included in the Beyond Media festival
(http://www.beyonmedia.it,) which took place in Florence, Italy, on December 1-11th 2005, is
particularly significant. The festival is organized on a regular basis and it is dedicated to the use
of new technologies in architecture. It includes several events, among which an exhibition on
the use of such technologies by 20 architectural schools world wide, considered on the cutting
edge in this area.
In addition to the patents mentioned above, the student work in these courses originated five
other patents, one of which is already being commercialized.
Also, in addition to the master theses referred to above, those courses served as the basis for the
development of the following doctoral theses:
Projectando o Virtual, Construindo o Actual: processos digitais para a produção de
Arquitectura (Designing the virtual, building the actual: digital processes for the
production of architecture)
Author: José P. Sousa
Advisor: José P. Duarte, Co-advisor: Branko Kolarevic, University of Pennsylvania
Program: Doctoral Program in Engineering Sciences, IST, TU Lisbon
Situation: completion foreseen for September 2008
Funding: FCT
Observations: Internacional FEIDAD Award 2005, Grant from the NEOTEC Program for
creating a startup company from research results.
Arquitectura Biónica no século XX (Bionic Architecture in the 20th century)
Author: Mauro Couceiro
Advisor: Alberto T. Estevez, ESARQ/UIC, Spain Co-advisor: José P. Duarte
Program: Doctoral Program in Architecture, ESARQ/UIC, Barcelona, Spain
Situation: completion foreseen for January 2008
Funding: FCT
Observations: finalist, Internacional FEIDAD Award 2007.
Annex IX includes a paper presented to 25th eCAADe Conference, which briefly describes the
guiding principles of the curricular structure in which the CAD I, CAD II, and CAAD Studio
courses are integrated:
• Duarte, JP (2007): Introducing New Technologies in Architecture Undergraduate
Curricula: a case study, in Kieferle, J.; Ehlers, K. (eds) Proceedings of the 25th
Conference on Education in Computer Aided Architectural Design in Europe, eCAADe
2007, Wiesbaden/Frankfurt, Germany, pp. 24-254.
A significant number of students who took the CAAD Studio course was hired by architectural
firms in Portugal and abroad, for which the kind of formation acquired by the students was
considered relevant. Among the foreign firms are Norman Foster, Rem Koolhas, Herzog et De
Meuron, Renzo Piano, Manuel Gausa, and Bernhard Franken.
21
In summary, the direct and indirect results generated by the courses, and by the CAAD Studio
in particular, permitted to confirm that the desired goals have been achieved.
22
23
Computer Aided Architectural Design Studio
Annex I – Assignments
2
Exercise 0
Freeform ceramics: a design challenge
Hand out:
Hand in:
September 16
December 18
Goal
The goal is to become familiar with the design problem to address this semester, which is the design and
construction of free forms in ceramics.
Description
Read carefully the text below and reflect upon its content. The reading of this text should inform your
work during the semester.
Text
The goal of the research project in which context this course evolves is to enquire into the possibility of
building complex curved surfaces using ceramic elements. The curved surfaces can be walls, roofs, or
both. Flat surfaces and simple curved surfaces (e.g. a semi-cylindrical dome) can be built by juxtaposing
elements with simple shapes such as box-like bricks or tiles. The double-curved regular surfaces (e.g. a
semi-sphere dome) can also be built in the same way, or at least, they can be built by elements that while
not regular, vary in a regular way. However, the double-curved surfaces (e.g. a free-form surface) can
hardly be built in this way. These surfaces require one to juxtapose elements that might very well be
different from one another and have an irregular shape.
Not being able to use repetition and regular shape raises a difficult production problem. Traditionally,
ceramic elements are produced by using the same mould to produce many elements. If the elements are
different from one another and have an irregular shape, this strategy is not feasible. Therefore, one needs
to develop another production strategy. In other areas of production, computer aided manufacturing
permits to produce at about the same cost, similar as well as different elements. For instance, if we decide
to use a laser cutter to cut ceramic tiles, it does not matter whether the tiles are the same or different,
given that the instructions come from a computer file. The goal of the project is to develop a production
process supported on the new technologies that permits the production of different ceramic elements with
irregular shapes so that it becomes possible to build freeform complex surfaces.
Product development and evolution in Portuguese ceramic factories aimed in the construction sector has
mainly been targeted at to the improvement of decorative aspects, such as texture, color, patterns, etc. In
some cases, CAD/CAM technologies have already been introduced to innovate in from this viewpoint.
However, research aimed at developing the products itself has been lacking. This is exactly what we are
trying to accomplish with this project. The desired innovation will allow these factories to acquire a
competitive advantage and to expand their market. A similar strategy has already been followed by
ceramic factories that produce home products (jars, dishes, etc.). These companies introduced CAD/CAM
technologies in the early nineties and they were able to produce objects with a complex geometry, which
could have never been produced by the old pottery wheel, and which could hardly be produced by using
moulds produced by manually controlled machines.
The surfaces that we intend to produce might be self-supporting or simply cladding surfaces. In the first
case, we will have bricks, which will not have a box-like shape. In the second, the structural role will be
performed by an additional structure, to which the irregular tiles will be fixed by some sophisticated
process. Production constraints might determine which process to follow.
3
Assignment 1
Personal Web site
Hand out:
Hand in:
September 16
December 23
Goal
The goal of this assignment is to create a personal Web site.
Description
One of the goals of our course is to learn how to collaborate remotely. With this purpose in mind will be
asked to form a remote team later on. Most likely, you know your local colleagues well and they know
you as well. However, you do not know your remote colleagues and they do not know you. Personal
knowledge is important for teams to work effectively and such knowledge includes personal
idiosyncrasies such as preferences, interests, and hobbies, as well as work habits and interests, such as the
architect you admire, the type of work that you like to do, the time of the day that you prefer to work, as
well as your stronger and weaker skills. The goal of this exercise is to create a personal Web page that
describes you from these different viewpoints so that your remote colleagues might get to know you.
Once available on the Web, these pages will provide you and your colleagues with basic knowledge about
each other that might enable you to start a dialogue and, eventually, to form a team.
4
Assignment 2
Team formation
Hand out:
Hand in:
September 23
October 07
Goal
The goal of this Assignment is to forma teams with local and remote students.
Description
One of the goals of our course is to learn how to collaborate remotely. With this purpose in mind you are
asked to form a remote team. First, you should form groups of two students at IST. When forming these
teams, please take into account that you need to choose someone that complements you from different
viewpoints. For instance, if you think that your 3D modeling skills could be better, but your English is
good, then try to team up with someone whose 3D modeling skills are better, but whose English is not
that great. Then, publish the personal Web pages that you did for Assignment 1. Then, listen carefully to
the presentations by MIT students on October 14. Namely, try to consider which of the proposed systems
are closer to what you have in mind for your design, or which you are more willing to explore. If
necessary, discuss the proposals with MIT students, using ICOM, Netmeeting, or e-mail. Then post your
team final composition on StudioMIT.
5
Assignment 3
Geometric modelling
Hand out:
Hand in:
September 23
October 02
Goal
The goal of this assignment is to become familiar with the geometric modelling of complex objects in
Rhino and with file import and export between Rhino and other geometric modelling software such as
Autocad and 3D Studio, and structural analysis software, such as SAP 2000. At this stage, it is not
important to take material aspects into account as the goal is just to acquire skills in the 3D modelling of
complex shapes. Results should be shared with the class.
Description
In this assignment, you are asked to model a 3D complex form in Rhino. Although the assignment is
essentially abstract, it is highly recommended that you place it in an architectural context. The idea is for
you to explore with forms that you might like to include in your design later on. Therefore, the object
should have an architectural meaning, that is, it should constitute a wall, a roof, or both. Think of its
function, and how it will be incorporated into the building. How does it connect to rest of the building?
Does it have doors and windows punched into it? Is it structural or just a cladding material?
If you wish a more grounded approach, you are invited to follow one of the two approaches outlined in
the first MIT assignment (see StudioMIT). Basically, the first approach (pre-rational approach) departs
from a physical unit to construct a complex form, whereas the second approach (post-rational approach)
starts with an overall shape with the goal of finding constructions units. You are asked to model an
abstract form, but if you wish to ground your model in the physical world you can follow the MIT
challenge.
6
Assignment 4
Virtual reality
Hand out:
Hand in:
October 07
October 16
Goal
The goal of this assignment is to become familiar with the creation of virtual reality models using the
EON Reality software and with the file import and export between EON Reality and other programs, such
as Rhino, Autocad, and 3D Studio.
Description
Considering that the shapes that you will be manipulating in class are difficult to represent using
conventional representation media such as 2D drawings, and 3D digital models, it is important to use
other media to represent your design ideas and to present them to other people, including your instructors
and local and remote teammates. In class, we will explore virtual reality (VR) and rapid prototyping (RP)
for this purpose. Virtual reality has one important advantage over rapid prototyping; that is it can be used
to create models that are saved as files and which can either be sent to your teammates on the other side
of the Atlantic for them to open on their computer or automatically displayed and accessed on the Web.
In this assignment you will get you started with using EON Reality to create VR models of complex
shapes. As we have seen in the tutorial sessions, there are different types of VR models in terms of how
the model is manipulated by the user, which is determined by the type of interactivity that it allows. There
is for instance, the simple walk-through, or the complex interactive model that responds to user actions.
Your task is to explore different possibilities to find the one that is most appropriate to your case. Choose
the Rhino model that you developed for Assignment 3, or pick up a model from your teammates at MIT,
and then develop a corresponding VR model. If you choose your Rhino model, you might consider using
the VR model to explain your design concept. If you choose your teammates model, you might use the
VR model to explain the design concept, but also the fabrication procedure. In other words, you will use
VR to describe the connection between design and fabrication.
7
Assignment 5
Research on ceramics
Hand out:
Hand in:
September 25
October 16
Goal
The goal of this assignment is to become familiar with ceramic materials for construction.
Description
It is scheduled a visit to RECER, the ceramic company that will join the project. Before the visit, you
should do some research in the library, or on the Web. It is important that you gather information about
the different types of ceramic materials, their properties, and their production processes. You will use this
information to inform your visit to the factory, and the rest of your work. During the visit to the factory,
you should collect as much information as possible. Take pictures, make a movie, and take notes. Ask as
many questions as you like. The important thing is that you understand their production process, what is
done now, what can be done with some simple twists in their process, and what cannot be done at all.
After the visit, you should summarize the information and pass it on to your teammates at MIT by posting
it on StudioMIT. They will do some research on their side and the idea is that you exchange information.
8
Assignment 6
Rapid prototyping
Hand out:
Hand in:
October 21
November 13
Goal
The goal of this assignment is to create a physical model based on the properties of a ceramic product
selected during the research undertaken for Assignment 5.
Description
Your task is to develop a ½ physical model of a curved or geometrically complex shape in collaboration
with your remote teammates. In this assignment, you should make an effort to start merging the
functional program of your building with the building system proposed by your remote teammates to
forge a single common proposal. Be prepared to present your ideas both locally and remotely using
physical and virtual media. In this assignment you should become closer to the final goal of the course.
Elements to hand in:
1) Physical or virtual model that demonstrates your system, the materials, and the methods used for
manufacturing and assembly;
2) Fabrication trails, including photos and a description of the process followed in the fabrication of
the model;
3) DXF file describing the fabrication process.
Context
The goal of the project is to enquire into the possibility of building complex curved surfaces using
ceramic elements. The curved surfaces can be walls, roofs, or both. Flat surfaces and simple curved
surfaces (e.g. a semi-cylindrical dome) can be built by juxtaposing elements with simple shapes such as
box-like bricks or tiles. The double-curved regular surfaces (e.g. a semi-sphere dome) can also be built in
the same way, or at least, they can be built by elements that while not regular, vary in a regular way.
However, the double-curved surfaces (e.g. a free-form surface) can hardly be built in this way. These
surfaces require one to juxtapose elements that might very well be different from one another and have an
irregular shape.
Not being able to use repetition and regular shape raise a difficult production problem. Traditionally,
ceramic elements are produced by using the same mould to produce many elements. If the elements are
different from one another and have an irregular shape, this strategy is not feasible. Therefore, one needs
to develop a new one. In other areas of production, computer aided manufacturing permits to produce, at
about the same cost, similar as well as different elements. For instance, if we decide to use a laser cutter
to cut marble tiles, it does not matter whether the tiles are the same or different, given that the instructions
come from a computer file. The goal of the project is to develop a production process supported on the
new technologies that permits the production of different ceramic elements with irregular shapes so that it
becomes possible to build a free-form complex surface.
Product development and evolution in Portuguese ceramic factories aimed in the construction sector has
mainly been targeted at to the improvement of decorative aspects, such as texture, color, patterns, etc. In
some cases, CAD/CAM technologies have already been introduced to innovate from this viewpoint.
However, research aimed at innovating in the products themselves remains undone. This is exactly what
we are trying to accomplish with this project.
9
Innovation will allow these factories to acquire a competitive advantage and to expand their market. A
similar strategy has already been followed by ceramic factories working in the area of home products
(jars, dishes, etc.). These companies introduced CAD/CAM technologies in the early nineties and they
were able to produce objects with a complex geometry, which could have never been produced by the old
pottery wheel, and which could hardly be produced by using moulds produced by manually controlled
machines.
The surfaces that we intend to produce might be self-supporting or simply cladding surfaces. In the first
case, we will have bricks that will not have a box-like shape. In the second, the structural role will be
performed by an additional structure, to which the irregular tiles will be fixed by some sophisticated
process. Production constraints might determine which process to follow.
10
Assignment 7
Site analysis
Hand out:
Hand in:
October 14
October 02
Goal
The goal of this assignment is to make a detailed analysis of the town of Cascais, in order to define an
intervention strategy and select a site for locating the building to design.
Description
In order to make work at this stage more objective and unify the approaches taken by the different teams,
the following elements should be handed in:
At the city level and its immediate surroundings (1/5000 scale):
•
•
•
•
•
functional uses (existing and proposed uses after analysis critical revision);
general distribution of activities;
density and other urban indexes;
road network and transportation;
strategic definition of the development vision proposed for the city.
Quantification should be generic but precise and integrated to clarify the proposed development strategy.
At the level of the selected area (1/2000 scale):
•
•
•
•
functional uses (existing and proposed uses after analysis critical revision);
general distribution of activities;
road network and main development axes;
strategic definition of the development vision proposed for the site.
The elements listed above for both scales should be clearly supported and justified, namely, in terms of
the qualitative criteria considered in the development vision.
The presentation material should include:
•
•
multimedia presentation;
synthetic poster in A1 format.
11
Assignment 8
Functional program of the building
Hand out:
Hand in:
September 18
October 14
Goal
The goal of this assignment is to define the functional program of the building.
Description
You are asked to design a technology-oriented cultural center. A traditional cultural center includes
auditoria, exhibition spaces, workshops, archives, and subsidiary spaces such as lobbies, restrooms, and
offices. Your mission is to define the type and number of spaces that your cultural technology-oriented
center will include. First, consider the type of art forms and performances that you would like your
building to host. Do some research on existing technology-based art. To help you with this task, we have
invited some specialists to give a lecture on the topic. Your building does not have to host all of the
currently existing technology-oriented arts. Instead, choose only a few important ones. Then think
whether traditional spaces are suited to those art forms, and if not, think which spaces are ideal.
Your program should include a list of spaces, their capacity—measured in terms of users or area—and
other relevant functional requirements—adjacencies, articulation among spaces, and so on. Your program
will be binding but flexible. This means that it will guide your subsequent work, but that you can
introduce changes, if necessary.
References
Start your work by visiting the following site: www.artinteractive.org.
12
Assignment 9
Sketch of the design proposal
Hand out:
Hand in:
October 21
November 13
Goal
The goal of this assignment is to sketch the proposal of your technology-oriented cultural center building.
Description
In previous assignments you acquired the basic skills required for designing a technology-oriented
building with incorporating free forms. In this assignment you will apply such skills in an integrated
manner to the design of a building with such features.
The elements to hand in are:
Site plan at the 1/1000 scale:
This plan should show the local of the intervention with the goal of clarifying the urban strategy,
including roads and pedestrian pathways, squares and green areas, and the identification of the local
where the build will be placed
Sketch of the proposal at the 1/500 scale:
a) floor plans showing the functional organization;
b) sections showing the relation of the building with its immediate surroundings;
c) elevations showing the insertion of the building into the existing urban volumes;
d) 3D model of the proposal.
13
Assignment 10
Preliminary design
Hand out:
Hand in:
November 18
December 04 (joint final presentation)
December 18 (local final presentation)
January 29 (you may continue to develop your proposal until the start of the 2nd
semester)
Goal
The goal of this assignment is to develop the proposal that you presented for the previous assignment to
the level of a preliminary design proposal.
Description
In the previous assignment you develop a proposal for a technology-oriented cultural center incorporating
free forms. In this assignment, you will develop this proposal to clarify the functional organization and
the building systems that will permit to materialize it.
Drawings:
a) floor plans;
b) sections;
c) elevations;
d) 3D digital model;
e) physical model illustrating the building system.
Multimedia presentation:
This presentation will close the semester and the remote collaboration with MIT and it will use
videoconference. Each team will present its proposal and should organize itself so that local team
members will present the design of the building and remote team members will present the building
system.
14
Instructions for the presentation on December 4th
SCHEDULE:
December 3rd
11:00 am EST (16h00 GMT) - PDFs on Desktop at MIT and IST. (At IST, these files should be on the
desktop of the computer in room 4.24, and of the computer in the VC room.)
11:30 am EST (16h30 GMT) - Videoconference practice. (In the VC room at IST.)
17:00 am EST (17h00 GMT) – Rehearsal at IST. (In room 4.24.)
December 4th
11:30 am EST (16h30 GMT) - SET UP TIME
12:30 am EST (17h30 GMT) - START. Greetings.
12:32 am EST (17h32 GMT) - IST instructors' presentation: site, program, and ceramics.
12:36 am EST (17h36 GMT) - MIT instructors' presentation: building system and ceramics.
12:40 am EST (17h40 GMT) - TEAM CW Free Form surfaces
01:05 pm EST (18h05 GMT) - TEAM DY Tunnel Project
01:30 pm EST (18h30 GMT) - TEAM BX Metal and Tile
01:55 pm EST (18h55 GMT) - TEAM AZ Structural Tiles
02:20 pm EST (19h20 GMT) - WRAP UP. Final comments
GUIDELINES:
Each team has 25 minutes for the presentation divided up in the following way:
7/8 min for IST members
7/8 min for MIT members
10 minutes for comments by reviewers
Each team should have no more than 30 slides with 10-15 for each school.
Each presentation should look like one team’s not as two schools’. Therefore, it should not necessarily
start with a 7/8 min (10-15 slides) presentation by IST members, followed by a 7/8 min (10-15 slides)
presentation by MIT ones, but it can move back and forth between the two sites.
Suggested format:
1-Introduction
2-Problem (Site, Program, and Freeform production system)
3-Hypothesis (concept of the work, the main idea, project goal)
4-Fabrication (How you do it, building/working process)
5-Collaboration (tools used, obstacles, and advantages to their creativity, including a reflection about the
collaborative part with remote and on-site partners)
6-Results (achieved goals and emerging problems)
15
Assignment 11
Design development
Handed ou:
Handed in:
February 24
March 14
Goal
The goal of this assignment is to develop the design of the building proposed in the previous semester.
Description
The idea is to simulate the presentation of the design to the client before proceeding to the licensing
design stage.
a) Updated urban plan;
b) Brief text describing and supporting:
i. the program;
ii. the proposed architectural and building solutions
iii. the freeform building system;
iv. diagrams explaining the freeform building system.
c) Drawings:
a. Plans, sections, and elevation at the 1/100 scale;
b. Axonometrics or animation explaining the solutions;
16
Assignment 12
Licensing design
Handed out:
Handed in:
March 26
April 16
Goal
The goal of this exercise is to develop the licensing design of the proposed building.
Description
The idea is to simulate the presentation of a design for approval by the town hall using the fundamental
elements that a licensing project usually includes and adapt them to the particular design context.
a) Urban Plan – drawings and other elements describing the urban design.
b) Licensing brief including:
c. Site plan locating the building;
d. Descriptive memory addressing:
i. the program;
iv. diagrams explaining the freeform building system.
d) Drawings:
a. Plans, sections, and elevation at the 1/100 scale;
b. Axonometrics or animation explaining the solutions;
Some elements that are usually part of a licensing brief were not included in this list because they were
considered non-relevant and disturbing for the development of your work. For your reference, a complete
list of such elements will be available for consulting.
17
Assignment 13
Construction design
Handed out:
Handed in:
April 28
July 04 (hand in, final presentation)
July 26 (exam)
Goal
The goal of this assignment is to develop a part of your design at the level of construction design.
Description
In the previous assignment, you have developed the licensing design of your building. In this assignment,
you will select a part of the building to proceed with its development to the construction design stage.
1. Design brief
a) Descriptive memory addressing:
i. the program;
b) Updated site plan at the 1/1000 scale;
c) Updated plans, section, and elevations of the building(s) and surroundings at the 1/500 scale;
d) Updated plans, sections, and elevations of the whole building or buildings at the 1/200 scale;
e) Updated plans, sections, and elevations of a significant part of the building at the 1/100 scale;
f) Plans, sections, and elevations of a part of the building that includes free forms at the1/50 or 1/20 scale;
g) Construction details at the 1/10 or 1/5 scale;
h) Construction details at the 1/2 or 1/1 scale;
i) Partial map of the openings included in the part of the building to detail;
j) Partial map of the finishings, coatings, and claddings foreseen for the part of the building to detail;
k) Construction brief of the part of the building to detail explaining the freeform building system;
l) 3D digital, virtual, or physical model of the whole building or part of the building that includes free
forms.
2. Posters
4 to 8 posters summarizing the proposal for including in an exhibition to organize next academic year.
3. Multimedia presentation
Multimedia presentation with 30 to 40 slides summarizing the proposal for including in the final
presentation with guest critics.
18
Assignment 14
Prototype
Handed out:
Handed in:
April 28
July 04 (scaled physical model – all teams)
July 26 (final prototype – only for the selected team)
Goal
The goal of this assignment is to develop a prototype of the system proposed for building free forms out
of ceramic elements.
Description
In previous assignments, each group developed a building system for materializing freeform ceramic
surfaces. This assignment is aimed at creating a prototype of such system to present at the Experimenta
Design 03 exhibition. The assignment encompasses two phases:
a)
The 1st phase, which will evolve until the end of the academic year, aims at selecting the
prototype to present in the exhibition. In this phase, a scaled physical model will be developed
using materials and fabrication technologies selected by each team.
The selection committee will include instructors, CTCV technical staff, and factory
representatives.
b) The 2nd phase, which will evolve from the end of the academic year until the summer vacation,
aims at creating the final prototype. This will be developed in ceramics with the collaboration of
the CTCV technical staff.
a)
in the 1st phase:
a. a scaled physical model,
b. a description of the final prototype clarifying:
i. materials;
ii. fabrication process;
iii. budget.
b) in the 2nd phase: ceramic prototype.
19
20
Annex II – Student work
2
Cascais Cultural Center – Team CW
TAXI
TAXI
14.1
BUS
TAXI
BUS
12.3
12.7
TAXI
T AXI
T AXI
BUS
13.8
12.5
12.3
ENTERTAINMENT FACILITIES
12.5
ANPHITHEATRE
11.0
T AXI
TAXI
11.0
BUS
BUS
BUS
TAXI
T AXI
10.3
10.2
p
Site plan
16.00
12.00
8.00
4.00
0.00
Transversal section through the terrain
3
Multi-digital pavilion
B
A
A'
B'
1st Floor
B
A
A'
B'
2nd Floor
B
A
A'
B'
3rd Floor
Longitudinal section
South façade
4
Exhibition pavilion
B'
A
B
C
C'
A'
1st Floor
B'
A
B
C
C'
A'
2nd Floor
South façade
5
Holography pavilion
B
1st Floor
2nd Floor
6
Construction details
Freeform glazing – upper detail
Freeform glazing – lower detail
7
Building system
Structural system: ceramic tile and self-supporting external wall with an inner steel frame structure.
3D model of the multi-digital pavilion external wall showing the part selected for detailing the building
system (left) and perspective of the same part (right).
3d prints
Prototype at the 1/20 scale of the initial solution proposed for the external wall produced using FDM
rapid prototyping.
8
Ceramic masonry building system proposed for constructing the freeform external walls.
Stress diagrams developed in SAP 2000 for verifying the structural performance of the ceramic masonry
building system proposed for constructing the freeform external walls.
Rendered images showing the interior of the multi-digital pavilion.
9
Production of the physical models of the buildings at the 1/500 scale using stereolithography.
Mockup at the ½ scale of an intermediate solution for the external wall produced in ceramics at MIT with
the goal of testing the feasibility of the proposed building system.
Mockup at the ½ scale of an intermediate solution for the external wall produced in wood at IST with the
goal of testing the feasibility of the proposed building system.
10
Physical model at the 1/100 scale produced in cardboard and wood with the goal of studying the spatial
organization of the proposed architectural solution.
Physical model of the final solution proposed for the Multi-digital pavilion, including a model of the
external wall produced in acrylic and wood using a CNC milling machine.
11
Remote collaborative process
Initial visit to the factory (left) and visit to the Technological Center for Glass and Ceramics (Centro
Tecnológico da Cerâmica e do Vidro) (right) with the goal of assessing the feasibility of the solutions.
Remote collaborative work session from home via the Internet using videoconference (audio and video),
a chat system, and a whiteboard.
Remote collaborative work session from school using a videoconference system (audio and video) and a
lipstick camera.
Remote collaborative intermediate presentation session via the Internet using a videoconference system,
application sharing, and several room cameras.
12
Annex III – Paper presented at the 22nd International eCAADe Conference
2
Free-form Ceramics
Design and Production of Complex Architectural Forms with
Ceramic Elements
José P. Duarte1, Luisa G. Caldas1, João Rocha2
1
Instiuto Superior Técnico, Portugal; 2Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA, now at
Universidade do Minho, Portugal
http://www.civil.ist.utl.pt/~dac/pac/projectos.html
This paper describes a studio experiment developed with the aim of exploring
the design and fabrication of complex architectural forms using ceramic elements. History has examples of double-sided curved forms built in ceramics.
Such examples would not fulfill contemporary functional and aesthetic principles,
neither would they be feasible or cost-effective considering current construction
standards. There are recent examples of such forms built in other materials. These
examples are difficult to emulate when ceramics is concerned, as they imply the
fabrication of unique parts and sophisticated assembly techniques. Creating a
double-curved surface in ceramics thus seems a difficult task. There are, however,
advantages to such a formulation of design problems. They prompt the questioning of traditional wisdom, the rejection of accepted types, and the raising of interesting questions. What are the design strategies that should be followed when
creating ceramic free-forms? What is the design media required to design them?
And what are the techniques needed to fabricate and construct them? These are
the questions investigated in the design project pursued jointly by students at an
American and a Portuguese school, in collaboration with a professional research
center and a ceramics factory. The students tested various possibilities, and in the
process learned about state-of-art design and production techniques. The final
projects are very expressive of their investigations and include a twisted glass
tunnel, large-scale ceramic ‘bubbles,’ a rotated-tile wall, and a load-bearing wall
system.
Keywords: Design education: rapid prototyping; remote collaboration; ceramics;
innovation; free-form architecture.
174 Digital Design Tools 2
Introduction
This paper describes work developed within the
context of an architectural design studio with the
aim of exploring the design and fabrication of complex forms using ceramic elements. The studio is
aimed at the exploration of advanced computer aided design and production techniques within a university-industry collaboration context. The goal of
the studio is to solve complex design problems and
to develop innovative construction and production
solutions. It has the format of a remote collaborative
project open to senior students in architecture and
structural, mechanical, and computer engineering
from at least two universities, and it foresees the
participation of industry consultants. One of the
participating universities is the university where the
studio is held, Instituto Superior Técnico (IST), and
the other can be a national or a foreign university. In
the academic year in which the research described
in this paper evolved, the foreign university was the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), U.S.A.,
and the industry participants where the Portuguese
Center for Ceramics and Glass Technology (CTCV)
and the RECER ceramics factory.
The described project is the third project undertaken between IST and MIT. The first, The Lisbon
Charrette, was undertaken in the fall of 1997 and
it addressed the design of housing for teleworkers
in an old section of Lisbon. (Duarte et al 1999) The
second, The Glass Chair, took place in the spring
of 1999 and it addressed the design and fabrication of a glass chair. (Heitor and Duarte 2001, and
Duarte et al 2002) The latter was the first project to
involve industry participants as a way of providing
students with a design problem within a „real world“
context. The Free-form Ceramics project evolved in
the academic year of 2002/03 and it was the first to
evolve within the new IST Program in Architecture,
as the previous took place within engineering programs. IST is the engineering school of the Technical University of Lisbon and the new Program in
Architecture was created within the school in 1998
with the aim of forming architects with technologyoriented profiles, in sharp contrast with the beauxart tradition prevalent at the school of architecture.
The studio was offered in the 5th and final year of the
program as a synthesis class in which they could
integrate and expand the expertise acquired during
the program while designing a building. Students
in the class became the first architects to get the
diploma through the new program.
Problem
The studio evolved during two semesters. In the
first, it took the format of a research collaborative
studio between IST and MIT, whose students were
in charge of acting as consultants to IST students
in issues concerning the design and production of
free-forms. During the second semester, the studio
was devoted to the development of ceramic prototypes in collaboration with CTCV and RECER. The
studio addressed both urban and building design
problems, although the focus was mainly on the
latter. The task was to design a technology-based
cultural center that included free-forms built with
ceramic elements on a site in Cascais, a town in the
neighborhood of Lisbon, near the Atlantic Ocean.
From the urban design viewpoint, design teams
were asked to consider the historical development
of the site, as well as urban accessibilities and
transportation, morphology, and functional uses.
The character of the site, located near the main
town entrance should also inform the design process. It required the insertion of a large-scale public
building into the urban fabric, and the study of its
relationship with the town and the ocean.
From the building design viewpoint, students were
asked to think of the way technology could change
the concept of a building devoted to culture.
Namely, they had to consider how technology could
influence traditional art forms or originate new ones,
affect the relationship of architecture with the other
arts, and change the patterns of interaction with the
public.
Digital Design Tools 2
175
From the production viewpoint, students had to test
the possibility of designing and building complex
forms with ceramic elements, solving the architectural, structural, and production issues involved.
Moreover, they explored the use of tools such as advanced geometric modeling, rapid prototyping, and
virtual reality in the generation of digital, virtual, and
physical models. These models would later be used
in the conceptual design stage to explore design solutions, and in the construction detailing stage, to
produce the information required for fabricating the
components and constructing the building.
From the design process viewpoint, students had to
develop a set of procedures and protocols that permitted the formation of geographically distributed,
multidisciplinary design teams. Despite the fact that
in the last decades, information systems greatly
expanded the opportunities for remote collaboration, they remain scarcely applied by architectural
firms, in part because they are not well understood.
Design teams had to think of ways in which existing technologies could be integrated into design
studios and contribute to change the social and
professional dynamics of design activity.
The program thus included parallel explorations at
the urban fabric macro-scale, and at the building
components micro-scale, focusing on the process
– both of design and construction – as a means to
bring together those two dimensions. A series of
exercises led to the final design:
1. Tool learning:
a) Remote collaboration: form teams with two elements from IST and three elements from MIT.
Software: Picturetel, Netmeeting, ICQ;
b) Geometric modeling: model a 3D free-form surface that you might include in the design of the
building. Software: Autocad, 3D Studio, Rhino,
and Catia;
c) Virtual reality: model the surface conceived in the
previous exercise considering constructability
and navegability aspects. Software: EON Studio;
d) Rapid prototyping: make a physical model of the
surface conceived in b). Processes: milling, stereolithography, FDM.
2. From urban design to the conceptual design of
the building:
a) Site: analyze the site considering aspects such as
history, accessibilities, transportation, and functional uses;
b) Program: develop the program for the building
indicating the spaces and its areas;
c) Concept: sketch the building and its insertion into
the urban fabric;
d) Preliminary design: design the building at the
1/200 scale.
3. From the prototype to the construction design:
a) Development of a prototype in collaboration with
CTCV and RECER;
b) Development of the licensing and construction
design projects, considering the 1/100, 1/50,
1/20, 1/5 e 1/2 scales.
Due to space limitations, this paper is focused
on the description of the free-form aspects of the
project.
Participants
As mentioned above, two schools, a research center, and a factory participated in the problem. Students were organized in four teams of five students
each, being two from IST and three from MIT. In
the first semester, students at IST were in charge of
setting the architectural program, defining the urban
design, and designing the building. They also had to
provide the specifications of the free-form building
system and to collaborate with their MIT colleagues
in its development. Students at MIT concentrated
on the development of the building system according to the specifications provided by IST students.
In the second semester, IST team members had
to refine the building system in collaboration with
CTCV and RECER. The role of CTCV was to assist
the students in the product development process
while mediating their dialogue with RECER, which
had to build mockups of the projects.
IST students were assisted by a team of research
assistants in charge of helping them in issues such
as advanced geometric modeling, collaborative
technologies, rapid prototyping, virtual reality, and
structural analysis. In addition they benefited from
the support of teachers in structures and construction who became part of the project’s team. Architects from the professional practice were asked to
participate in the reviews to comment on the urban
and architectural quality of the design work.
The fact that design teams had both to respond
to manufacturing, structural and construction constraints while being judged on the architectural
quality, put pressure on them not to compromise
such a quality to solve the technical aspects.
Communication tools
The remote collaborative process encompassed
presentation sessions involving all the participants, and informal working sessions among team
members. The five presentation sessions were
scheduled at the outset and they occurred at the
beginning of the project, and at the end of each
working phase. The working sessions were booked
at the pace and convenience of the design teams.
ICOM, an Internet-based videoconference system
under development at MIT was used for most of the
sessions. ICOM functioned 24 hours a day, allowing
permanent visual and sound contact between the
classrooms at IST and MIT, and it was crucial for
developing a virtual shared space including the two
schools. However, because sound and image quality were not the best at the peaks of Internet usage,
ICOM was coupled with Netmeeting—a Web-based
videoconference application with camera, voice,
chat, whiteboard, and application sharing features.
When video and audio transmission was bad students used a combination of whiteboard and chat.
E-mails were used extensively for summarizing live
sessions and for asynchronous communication
when teams could not afford synchronous communication. Some teams used an Internet connection
at home to work with their teammates, to avoid
going to school after hours as sometimes required
by the time difference or by the extensive usage of
ICOM during the day.
Tools and Processes
Parallel to the traditional studio design work and to
the acquisition of knowledge concerning ceramic
manufacturing techniques, students were engaged
in learning various tools for drawing, modeling, and
rapid prototyping. Combining solid modeling with
rapid prototyping had a significant impact on the
students working method and it proved to be an
important tool for design investigation.
In addition to traditional design media for sketching,
students used Autocad 2000 for accurate 2D and
3D modeling, 3D studio for producing photo-realistic images, Rhino for modeling complex forms, and
SAP 2000 for structural analysis at IST. Catia was
also used for parametric form modeling at MIT. The
idea was to create a parametric modeling system
for designing ceramic surfaces. Once a parametric
system encoded a given free-form concept, it could
be used to manipulate the form and easily adapt it
to new aesthetic or functional needs. EON Reality, a virtual reality desktop package, was used for
visualizing and assessing complex forms at IST.
The rapid prototyping facilities were different on
both sides. A three-dimensional printer (FDM by
Stratasys), a laser-cutter (X-Class by universal), and
a water-jet cutter were available at the MIT Department of Architecture. A 5-axes milling machine and
a stereolithography machine were available at the
IST Laboratory for Advanced Production Technologies. Physical models were often exchanged across
the Atlantic, and when IST students and teachers
went on a field trip to MIT.
Students also developed large-scale partial mockups of their designs using ceramics when they
177
wanted to test the process, or substitute materials
when they wanted to test the discrete parts and their
assemblage into the final shape. Various ceramics
production processes were available at the factory
and at CTCV, including tile pressing and brick extrusion processes, and students were asked to work
within the constraints of the available systems. Collaboration with industry partners allowed for the development of a truly research environment between
students, faculty, and industrial partners, and fostered a continuous process throughout the project
that culminated with the fabrication of a few ceramic
prototypes. Within this research environment, it was
soon discovered that one of the main difficulties in
linking students’ projects to available manufacture
techniques was the mismatch between these technologies and free-form designs. Many of the current
ceramic production processes are geared towards a
standardized production line that mainly produces
construction elements, such as wall and slab bricks,
tiles, and cladding elements. Despite the quality of
these products and the sophistication of their production technology, there is room for investment in
systems that could permit the fabrication of innovative free-form architectural ceramic elements.
At the end, a real prototype of one of the students’
designs was developed at the ceramics factory in
collaboration with CTCV, using wet clay pressing
and double firing processes. However, it was determined that industrial production of that specific part
should proceed using ceramics powder pressing
and single firing processes.
bring increased formal freedom. However, such a
freedom implies a renewed discussion about the
role of form in architectural design. Thus, while
developing the four studio projects briefly described
in this section, the students engaged in a discussion on the feasibility and validity of developing
free-forms in architecture. Their projects differ in
the extent to which free-form elements were incorporated in the architectural solution, and in the scale
of their application.
Project #1 emphasizes design research by proposing a double skin twisted tunnel, which would be
produced with translucent ceramics. (Fig. 1) The
form of the tunnel was produced by translating a
rectangle along a curved path while rotating it at the
same time so that it was vertical at the beginning
and horizontal at the end. This process of generating the form was conceptually tied to a decrease
in the speed of public transportation between the
start and ending points of the path. In the process
of developing their project, the students realized
that it was not feasible to use translucent ceramics because the amount of lighting required would
originate extremely high temperatures. As a result,
they decided to use glass, which technically is still
a ceramic material. The problem then became one
of decomposing the tunnel into discrete elements
by a process of unfolding. Initial attempts showed
that such an unfolding resulted in too many different
Results: studio projects
Free-form is not a new concept and architecture history is rich in examples of its use, particularly during
the Baroque period. The term free-form refers to
use of double curved surfaces and to architecture in
which issues of form-making play a major role in the
design of buildings. Nowadays, with the possibility
of using high-end software tools, the opportunity
for manipulating form is greater as these new tools
Figure 1
Project #1 by Joana Couto,
Mariana Pedroso, Jen Seely,
Gonçalo Soares, and Eric
Orozco.
Figure 2
Project #2 by Inês Pinto,
PaulaSilva, Xin Tian, Eddie
Can, and Keneth Namkung.
parts, making fabrication and assembly cumbersome. The observation that the dimensional differences among many of the parts were very small, led
students to classify the parts into classes of almost
identical parts. The idea was that such differences
could be absorbed by the joints among them. The
parts were held together in place by a connective
part attached to a steel frame. Budget restrictions
prevented students from building the final mockup.
Project #2 explores the idea of a flexible skin consisting of simple flat ceramic triangles that adapt
to the shape of various free-form ‘bubbles.’ The
building was to be devoted to art based on high
performance sports and the form of the bubbles
was inspired on human organs. The bubbles were
exhibition rooms that would acquire different shapes
in different parts of the building in response to different functional needs. (Fig. 2) This ambitious project
went through several stages of development. In
the beginning, all the bubbles had different shapes
that were generated by manipulating a parametric
model. Soon, students realized that having too
many different shapes made design and construction too complicated and they decided to have only
one bubble shape that was positioned in different
ways inside the building causing it to look different. Then they changed the shape of the bubble
so that it could be generated by the intersection of
three spheres. Using ruled primitive shapes, made
it easier to triangulate the compound shape. The
structure of the bubbles consisted of vertical and
horizontal steel profiles obtained by intersecting the
bubble shape with parallel planes. The resulting
cage was supported on three tripods, one for each
sphere. A mesh was attached to this cage to bridge
the spans among the profiles. A textile was then at-
tached to the mesh and the ceramic triangles were
glued to the textile.
While these two projects focus on interior architectural aspects, the following two focus more on the
structural aspects of building form. The work of the
Uruguayan engineer and architect Eladio Dieste
(Anderson, 2004) was a major source of inspiration
in these projects due to his innovative use of ceramics as structural material. Project #3 proposes an
integrated building system where free-form ceramics act both as structural façade elements and as
interior cladding panels. (Fig. 3) Such a system uses
a single structural ceramic element that acquires a
variety of additional functions (ventilation, lighting,
flower pot) to create a membrane that mediates
between the interior and the exterior of the building
while function as a landscape element. The problem the students had to face was how to support
such elements. The initial idea was that they would
function as large, hollow bricks put together using
mortar to form self-supported surfaces. Structural analysis, however, revealed that the surfaces
needed reinforcement with concrete nervures like a
two-way waffle slab. The students disliked the solution and considered another concept that consisted
in using three-dimensional tiles placed in different
positions to create an optical illusion, as in Vasarelli
paintings, so that the observer perceived a flat surface as a free-form. The tiles had the shape of a bent
volcano placed in rotated positions on a flat, square
base. The challenge was how to make the different
tiles in an economic way. The solution was to use
a single mold to produce a tile with a round base,
which would be rotated and cut into a square base
before being fired to produce the different tiles. The
volcanoes were hollow and could be used for light-
179
ing and ventilation. This project was selected for
developing a full mockup because of its economic
attractiveness and aesthetic appealing.
Project #4 applied ceramics as a structural element for exterior façades. A wavy ceramic form
constitutes the wall. It was generated by offsetting
a surface to create a volume with ducts that are
used to insert tension reinforcement. (Fig. 4) The
deformation of the wavy wall volume was parametrically controlled in Rhino, and mock-ups of different
variations were developed using clay, Rockite and
ceramics. The design team followed a post-rational
approach to the free-form problem by first exploring the architectural solution and developing the
free-form, and then decomposing it into manufacturable ceramic components. The solution was to
build the curved walls exclusively out of flat ceramic
elements, as they are easier to produce in a stan-
dard ceramics industrial facility. In the architecture
project developed, the free-form walls were curved
only in the vertical direction, as they were rectilinear
between the wavy vertical guidelines that marked
the inflexion points in the layout. Wall sections were
thus formed by ‘rule-based’ surfaces generated by
superimposing, offsetting, and rotating strait lines.
The system also had the possibility of creating
surfaces curved in the horizontal direction, but the
students opted for not exploring that capacity in
their architectural design.
The final system was constituted by six different
pieces. The curved interlocking endings of two
of the pieces allow for the rotations in plan. The
vertical curves are made possible by slightly offsetting and rotating the pieces within limits set by the
structural analysis in SAP 2000. Structural analysis
also showed that the walls needed to be reinforced
Figure 3
Project #3 by Silvia Preto,
Mitjia Novak, Christine Gaspar, Andrew Marcus, and Rori
Dajao.
Figure 4
Project #4 by Carolina Passos,
Tânia Silva, Min Cho, Michael
Lehner, and Georgi Petrov.
181
by running a series of cables through voids created
in the pieces. Other voids are carved out to reduce
the weight of the pieces. As the ceramic walls only
support their own weight, the buildings required an
independent structure to support the remaining vertical loads. The external ceramic skin formed by the
free-form walls is attached to the building by means
of joints with neoprene springs due to the need to
support horizontal loads.
The project involved the construction of a number of
rapid prototyping models, together with some more
conventional ones, such as a 1:500 stereolithography model of the buildings, 1:50 FDM models of different solutions for the wall, 1:10 cardboard models
of the system’s pieces and their possible combinations, a 1:2 wooden model of the wall system, and
a 1:2 ceramic prototype developed at CTCV using a
handcrafted process. Rapid prototyping techniques
where also used to construct a 1:50 scale partial
model of one building to study daylight issues, in the
context of an Environmental Design course taught
by one of the studio professors. The final ceramic
elements were design to be produced using extrusion techniques, since the overall dimensions of the
elements required presses that were too large to be
economically viable in the Portuguese ceramics factory scenario.
Conclusions
This paper reports a collaborative teaching experiment by two universities, a professional research
center and a factory with the goal of designing and
making free forms out of ceramic elements using
state-of-art design, production, and communication
technologies to show how they can foster innovation through design.
Results revealed two different approaches to the
problem. The first approach, starts by conceiving
discrete pieces and then explores ways in which
they can be combined to create free-forms. In the
second approach, the free-forms are first created
and then the task becomes one of decomposing it
into parts that can be manufactured and assembled.
Results also show two other categories of solutions.
In the first, ceramics is used as a structural material to develop self-supporting volumes, whereas in
the second it is used as a non-structural material
to form cladding surfaces that are attached to an
independent structure. The final designs emerged
in response to aesthetic and functional requirements as much as to production and structural constraints. Students had to balance formal freedom
with 3D modeling and fabrication constraints due
to the need to work within the available technology.
The final designs are particularly elegant outcomes
of this process. The fact they led to two patent
requests also shows that they have commercial
value. In the end, it shows that innovation pays-off
and that it could help ceramics factories to expand
their business.
Acknowledgements
We thank William Mitchell and Manuel Heitor for
helping to define the scope of the project, and
Teresa Heitor and António Lamas for providing the
institutional context. We thank Sousa Correia and
Alain Thibault for the support of CTCV and RECER,
respectively. We also thank Larry Sass, Axel Killian,
and Carlos Barrios, the teaching team at MIT, and
Filipe Coutinho, Rodrigo Correia, and Pedro Studer,
the teaching assistants at IST, for their valuable
contributions. We thank our colleagues Jorge Brito
and Francisco Virtuoso for their support in the construction and structural aspects, and Pedro Rosa
from the IST Laboratory for Advanced Production
Technologies. Special thanks are due to all the students whose work is referred to in this paper, as well
as to the architects who participated as critics in the
various stages of the project, namely: José Beirão,
Diogo Burnay, Pedro Gadanho, Manuel Mateus,
Pedro Ravara, Manuel Salgado, Frederico Valsassina, and Manuel Vicente. The project was partially
funded by a grant from the Luso-American Foundation (FLAD). We would like to express our gratitude
to ExperimentaDesign for including the final projects
in the S-Cool exhibition, as part of the Lisbon Biennial 2003, and to the Cascais Town Hall showing the
projects in the Gandarinha Cultural Center.
References
Anderson, S.: 2004, Innovation in Structural Art,
Princeton Architectural Press, NY.
Duarte, J. P.; Bento, J.; and Mitchell, W. J.: 1999,
Remote Collaborative Design: The Lisbon Charrette, IST Press, Lisbon.
Duarte, J. P.; Heitor, M.; and Mitchell, W. J.: 2002,
The Glass Chair: Competence Building for Innovation. In Koszewsky, K. and Wrona, S. (eds)
Design e-dication: Connecting the Real and the
Virtual. Proceedings of the 20th eCAADe Conference , Warsaw, Poland.
Heitor, M. and Duarte, J. S.: 2001, Collaborative Design of a Glass Chair, IST Press, Lisbon.
183
Annex IV – Summary of the CAAD Studio program on the mass customization of housing
2
Chronogram
Goal
Assignments
Phases
Weeks
I
0
Readings and
theoretical
classes
F
1.1
Study abstract
grammars
1.2
Apply
grammars
1.3
Change
grammars
1.4
Infer
grammars
2.1
Study
Malagueira
grammar
2.2
Derivation of
existing house
2.3
Derivation of
a new house
respecting the
grammar
2.4
Derivation of
new house
changing the
grammar
2.5
3D Model of
the house
P
3
Precedents
DDBS
4.1
Archetype
4.2
Rules
4.3
Derivation
4.4
Catalog
4.5
Preliminary
Design
Solution
5.1
Batch
program
5.2
Parametric
program
Rule-based
program
A
DCS
5.3
DeCS
DeDDBS
5.4
Interface*
5.5
Generate
information
for
production*
6
Design
development*
7
Construction
design*
1
1
2
3
4
5
PS
GF
GM
PT
SC
2
6
7
8
9
3
10
11
12
4
13
14
3
Legend:
Theoretical classes and mandatory readings:
PS – Customizing Mass Housing
Texts: Duarte, JP, 2007, Personalização em série da habitação, FAUTL.
Habraken, NJ, 1988, Type as a Social Agreement. Asian Congress of
Architects, Seoul.
GF – Introduction to shape grammars
Text: Stiny G, 1980, Introduction to shape and shape grammars in EPB 7, 343-351.
GM – Siza’s Malagueira shape grammar
Text: Duarte, JP, 2005, Towards the mass customization of housing: the grammar of
Siza’s houses at Malagueira, in EPB 32 (3), 347-380.
PT – Precedents and transformations
Texts: Knight, T, 1994, Transformations in design, Cambridge University Press, UK.
Colakoglu, B, 2005, Design by grammar: an interpretation and generation of
vernacular Hayat houses in a contemporary context, in EPB 32, 141-149.
SC - Industrialized building systems
Texts: Dluhosch, E., Design Constraints of Conventional Prefabrication Systems in
Housing, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1991
Bender, R. Una Vision de la Construcción Industrializada, GG, 1976.
Goals:
I – Introduction
F – Fundamentals
A – Applications
P – Housing precedents
DDBS – Design the design and the building systems
DCS – Design the computer system
DeCS – Develop the computer system (* optional)
DeDBS – Develop the design and the computer systems (* optional)
Phases:
Assignment development period
Possible assignment extension period
4
Annex V – Work developed by TU Lisbon FA students on the design of flexible urban plans
and customized mass housing
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
Annex VI – Paper presented at the International CAAD Futures Conference 2007
2
A SYSTEM FOR PROVIDING CUSTOMIZED HOUSING
Integrating design and construction using a computer tool
DEBORAH BENRÓS, JOSÉ P DUARTE AND FERNANDO
BRANCO
Technical University of Lisbon, Portugal
Abstract. This paper describes a system for generating customized
mass housing. The aim is to provide dwellings at an affordable cost
with recourse to mass production and yet guarantee that they are
tailored to their users. It combines two systems, a rule-based design
system and a prefabricated building system. The integration of both
systems is achieved through the development of a computer tool to
assist designers in the various stages of the housing design process.
This tool produces three kinds of outputs: three dimensional models,
construction drawings, and a list of construction elements, including
their cost and information for manufacturing.
1. Introduction
A considerable amount of studies was developed over the last decades to
improve housing conditions, diminish final costs, and customize dwellings.
Professionals from different fields presented different approaches. While
architects are interested in functionality, aesthetics and ergonomics,
engineers are more concerned with structural systems, ease of construction,
and overall costs. The role of the client in the housing provision process is
increasingly smaller. The great majority buy ready-to-use dwellings, hoping
for a greater level of versatility that could allow them to personalize their
homes.
In the recent past, efforts have been made to integrate all these different,
and sometimes conflicting, interests and still provide for a doable, affordable
and customized dwelling. During the second quarter of the twentieth century
architects like Le Corbusier, Walter Gropius, and other modernist architects
proposed housing designs that employed prefabricated elements in an effort
to accelerate construction and diminish costs in large scale mass housing.
A Dong, A Vande Moere & JS Gero (eds), CAADFutures’07, 153-166.
© 2007 Springer. Printed in the Netherlands.
154
D. BENRÓS, J. P. DUARTE AND F. BRANCO
These approaches were put in practice in the devastated post second world
war Europe.
In the 1960’s, Habraken developed the theory of supports (2000). This
theory proposed a matrix system that included a tartan grid based on which
modular elements were created and combined to generate dwellings.
Functional spaces were considered as design elements and manipulated like
building elements. Designers were supposed to developed specific rule
systems that they could manipulate to design different housing solutions,
thereby promoting diversity and customization. The theory also foresaw the
recourse to prefabrication, using standard elements, to permit greater
efficiency in the construction process and controlled final costs. However,
the system implementation depended on the rigorous establishment of design
rules and on the correct and efficient manipulation of such rules.
In the 1990’s, Duarte proposed a framework to overcome limitations in
the implementation of design and building systems (1995), which foresaw
the use of computers systems to assist in the design and construction
processes. He illustrated this framework with the development of a computer
program for exploring housing solutions within Siza’s Malagueira style,
whose compositional rules were inferred after careful analysis (2001; 2005).
This program first helped the user to establish a housing program based on
user and site data, and then generated a solution that matched the program,
which took the form of a three-dimensional model.
The subsequent logical step was to facilitate the construction process. A
great amount of the designer’s effort and time is invested in drawing,
detailing, and organizing construction data. Another share of time is spent in
expensive and long on-site construction tasks. The goal of the present work
is to contribute for diminishing the time and labour spent in such tasks. This
is achieved by automatically generating construction drawings, once the
design is settled, and by producing files that compile the data required for
automated production, including bills of construction elements.
The motivation for developing the current work was the difficulty faced
by designers in the use of a sophisticated light-weight prefabricated system
produced by the British firm Kingspan. The richness of this system permits
to construct a great variety of buildings, but its complexity jeopardizes its
use in practice, thereby diminishing its commercial potential. The strategy to
overcome this limitation was twofold. First, it was to develop a housing
design system that permitted to design mass customized housing based on
the Kingspan building system. And second, it consisted in creating a
computer system that allowed the easy exploration of the universe of
solutions and the automatic generation of information for fabrication. From
the commercial viewpoint, the idea was to provide the firm with a new
business model that enabled it to sell its product and gain market share.
A SYSTEM TO GENERATE CUSTOMIZED HOUSING
155
Due to time constraints, however, it was not feasible to develop a new
design system. Therefore, the solution was to look for an existing system
that fulfilled the intended goals—the generation various dwellings—and was
compatible with the Kingspan building system, thereby enabling to
demonstrate the proposed model to the client. This system was the ABC
system conceived by the Spanish architect Manuel Gausa.
2. Methodology
The development of this project can be divided into three stages: first, the
establishment of the rule system; second, the coding of such a system into a
computer program; and, third the assessment of the program.
The first work stage combined the selection, study, and adjustment of the
design system to the construction system. The design system was adapted
from the conceptual idea of the ABC design system conceived by the
Manuel Gausa, the leader of Actar. This design was never materialized since
it was created for the Ceuta competition in 1994, but it was object of
analysis by leading architectural publications. It stands out due to its
innovative approach that applies prefabricated systems to mass housing
while giving the final user the opportunity to customize the dwelling with
serial elements without the risk of overpricing the final result. The system
borrows its name from the acronym of the functional units used in the design
of dwellings: Armario, Baño and Coziña (storage, bathroom, and kitchen.)
The design of dwellings is not imposed by the architect, but suggested
according to a set of conceptual rules. These rules predefine possible
relations between functional spaces and control geometrical proportions. In
addition, they define the external building envelope by reflecting the design
of the interior layout. The original system yielded apartments with one or
two bedrooms, whose spectrum of possible configurations was demonstrated
in the form of a combination grid (Figure 1).
Figure 1. Compositional grid designed by Manuel Gausa to illustrate how layouts
can result from the different placement of functional units; the top row shows
layouts in plan and the one bellow shows the corresponding section (Gausa 1998)
156
The construction system is based on the Kingspan building system
developed by the British firm Kingspan. It is a prefabricated building
solution that presents two features, a steel cold formed structure and an
envelope constructed with standard finishing elements. It is a complete
system that can become too complex, hence the difficulties of penetration in
the architectural market. Nevertheless, it is a versatile building scheme with
high dimensional tolerances. It can be adapted to different geometries and its
modular characteristics also permit the use of other standard finishing
materials and envelope solutions. It presents some conditionings in terms of
number of floors, maximum length, height, and thickness. For instance, the
maximum number of floors is 6, and the pillar and beam grid cannot
overtake 12 x 4.5 x 3.5 m.
The rules of both the design and the construction systems were identified
and systematized, and then encoded into the computer program. This was
developed in AutoLISP, a dialect of common LISP, using VisualLISP, an
editor that runs within Autodesk’s AutoCAD since the 2000 version. The
computer program is composed of a number of functions, each being
responsible for a specific task (for instance, the layout of a certain functional
unit) or for the representation and geometrical construction of a particular
building element (like a window frame, for example.) The program operates
in three stages. The first is targeted at the development the three dimensional
model of the housing units and the building; the second stage aims at
creating bi-dimensional representations; and the third stage consists in the
quantification and listing of all the construction elements required to erect
the building.
3. Design and Constructive system:
The final design system is an upgrade from the one proposed by Gausa
(1998, 1999), since it was necessary to increase the flexibility of the system
concerning the number of rooms, the total area of each housing unit, and the
number of floors. After these alterations, the universe of solutions was
enlarged to encompass the design of studio flats up to four-bedroom
apartments, with areas ranging from 50 to 150 m2, and the design of
buildings with one up to six floors (the maximum number allowed by the
structural system.) Despite the alterations, the basic compositional and
spatial relationships remained untouched, thereby preserving the underlying
architectural concept. Namely, the altered system retained major conceptual
ideas from the original one, such as the spatial distribution principles, the
functional units placement scheme, and the façade design rules.
The adaptation of the construction system did not require the need to
perform any major changes and it was directly applied and coded into the
computer program. This could be explained by the already mentioned
157
versatile features of the system, which possesses a modular and orthogonal
geometry with high dimensional tolerances that makes a wide variety
designs feasible. The structural layout follows simple rules that rely on
major spatial vertexes to free the interior from structural constrains and keep
it fluid as required by the design system. The secondary framing occupies
the inner spaces of external walls and partitions, thereby diminishing their
visual impact on the internal space.
The functioning of the design system can be illustrated by a set of rules
that determine the internal layout of the dwelling, depicted in Figure 2, and a
set of spatial confinement and wall placement rules, shown in Figure 3.
M
M
B
B
B
B
B
B
B
B
M
M
M
A
A
A
Ø
B
B
B
B
C
C
B
A
M
M
A
A
Ø
C
Ø
Figure 2. Spatial system: matrix after Gausa’s original drawings illustrating several
possibilities for placing functional units and used to infer their placement rules.
Legend: A-storage, B-bathroom, C-kitchen, Ø-open-space
M
M
M
M
M
zona 1/2
M
B
Ø
B
B
B
Ø
Ø
Ø
Ø
B
B
B
zona 4
zona 3/4
zona 2/3
B
Figure 3. Spatial system: matrix after Gausa’s original drawings illustrating several
possibilities for creating spaces by placing partitions and doors and used to infer the
delimitation rules.
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The spatial distribution is defined by the designer according to the
following premises: every dwelling has to include at least one functional unit
of each kind (storage, bathroom, or kitchen); living or sleeping spaces are
adjacent to the façade to ensure natural lighting and ventilation, while
circulation and services are located in the inner core of the dwelling. With
this in mind, the designer can create different dwellings by placing the three
functional units on different locations. Spaces are defined by the position of
such units. The spectrum of possible placements are described in the scheme
and coded into the program, which does not allow any other combination.
The internal layout is established based on two aspects: first, the
predefined housing program or design brief and second, the preferences of
the designer in terms of spatial distribution. The design brief is input during
the initial steps of operating the computer program. The program assists the
designer and enquiries about the number of bedrooms and overall area of the
dwelling. Based on this information, the internal distribution is defined step
by step from the so called zone 1 or sleeping area, to zones 2 and 3,
corresponding to access, circulation and services, and finally, to zone 4 or
the living area. The same sequence is followed during the generation of the
dwelling when the computer program asks the user to place different units
on different locations and assists him in this task to guarantee an acceptable
final result.
Success is guaranteed by a well established set of rules that define all the
acceptable relationships among adjacent spaces. For instance, in zone 1 or
the sleeping area, three types of spaces may be placed: a bathroom, a storage
unit, or a simple sleeping space. In addition, there are three different
locations for the chosen unit, each resulting on a different spatial
arrangement. In a similar fashion, zone 2 can host a bathroom, a storage unit,
or an open space. However, the placement options are constrained by the
presence of the entrance, which does not allow the creation of a small space
close to the entrance door. Other rules can be extracted from the table in
Figure 2; some address aesthetical aspects and others functional matters,
such as circulation, environmental aspects, or hygiene.
Once the basic spatial layout is defined by the user, the computer
program completes the interior design with the placement of walls and doors
as shown in Figure 3. In this task, the program takes into account the use of a
particular space, but also those of adjacent spaces. Sleeping spaces are
always confined by walls, except in studio apartments where space is
completely fluid. Similarly, services like washing spaces are limited and
enclosed by walls to guarantee water proofing and privacy. Kitchens are
delimited by walls and doors according to the house typology and the
corresponding required area. Other rules can be inferred from the table in
Figure 3, like those for placing a door to a given space when the most
159
immediate location is occluded by an adjacent space. All these rules are
encoded into the program and illustrated in the table.
The design of the façade is a reflection of the layout of inner spaces. This
means that the placement of the functional units predetermine the placement
of opaque façade panels and a colour code associated with the unit type is
used to colour the panel. The remaining façade panels consist of transparent
glass windows to provide for natural lighting and ventilation.
Figure 4. Structural and framing system from the Kingspan building system.
Typical prefabricated grid with maximum dimensions.
The Kingspan building system is a complete construction system
composed by three subsystems: a structural system, a framing system, and a
lining system.
The structural system is composed of galvanized steel elements that form
a pillar and beam orthogonal supporting frame. These elements are
manufactured by cold forming or simply by hot rollers and transformed into
linear elements with diverse standard sections. These vertical and horizontal
elements form a three-dimensional grid that frames each portion of interior
space called a zone in the design system. The maximum grid dimensions are
4,5 m x 16 m x 3,5 m for the width, length, and height, respectively, as
shown in Figure 4. The structural system can support up to six storeys, but
structural reinforcement is recommended for more than three levels.
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The framing system acts as a secondary reinforcement to the structural
system and occupies the gaps between main structural elements, both in
external walls and slabs. Cold-rolled galvanized C and I sections are used
repeatedly to conceive the framing. I sections are used as main support, in
beams and pillars, while C sections are used as wall and façade studs and
slab supporting elements.
The lining system depends on the choices of the designer and the
materiality of a specific housing design. The internal lining and ceiling
systems are prepared to adapt to various layouts and introduce most of the
standard manufactured finishing products available on the market. However,
for this particular project it was chosen coloured glass-fibre reinforced
concrete panels and aluminium window frames for the façade, and concrete
prefabricated panels for the side walls. The interior walls and ceilings are
finished with plaster boards, and the floor is levelled with a light concrete
layer finished with wooden boards in living and circulation spaces and with
tiles in wet spaces.
4. Computer program
The integration of the design and the construction systems into a single
platform is possible thanks to a computer program that assists the designer in
the conception of dwellings. As mentioned in Section 1, some of the major
shortcomings and drawbacks of past design systems stemmed from
difficulties in applying their rule sets, often extensive and complex, in an
accurate and efficient manner. In the current case, many of the design
aspects valued by designers, such as harmony of spatial proportions,
functionality, salubriousness, structural stability, or even building codes1 are
encoded into the computer program, which assists in and evaluates each
design move.
CREATEFLOOR (5)
a=height
STAIRCASE (6)
LAYOUTN (7)
KITCHENUNIT (13)
b=module
(0 8m)
WCTUB (14)
c=space
length
WCSHOWER2 (15)
l=length
WCSHOWER3 (16)
n=unit
multiple
CLOSETUNIT (17)
area
numrooms
1 The current design system encodes the principles defined in the Portuguese building regulations, called
REGEU – “Regulamento de Edificações Urbanas”.
DESIGNSPACEN (8)
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DESIGNSPACE1
(18)
DESIGNSPACE7
(19)
INTERNALWALLN
(9)
CREATE
(2)
INTERNALWALL0
(20)
…
INTERNALWALL4
(21)
ABC
(1)
MODIFY
(3)
KS-STRUCTURE
(10)
I_SHAPE (22)
C_SHAPE (23)
LEAVE
(4)
l_i l_c
t_i t_c
DESIGNRIGHTAP
(11)
lm_i lm_c
ROOF (12)
r1_i r1_c
FAÇADE (13)
C_FACADE (24)
a1=a + l_i
WINDOW (25)
bi=b x ni ,
GLASS (26)
i [1 2]
b3=2l_i2t c-a
FAÇADE_STUD
(27)
aroof=a/2
a w=a –
Figure 5. Computer program structure – functional diagram
The structure of the computer program is diagrammed in Figure 5. The
main function, called ABC, is responsible for activating the program and
initiating the Create, Modify and Leave cycle. The Create function generates
the housing building design. This function starts by enquiring about basic
building features such as the number of floors and floor height. This is
followed by the activation of the function Createfloor, which will repeatedly
run until the specified number of floors is designed. This function is
responsible for the design of common spaces, including stairs, lifts, and
circulations, as well as for the design of each housing unit, starting with left
side one. For each dwelling, the interior design will evolve from zone 1, the
sleeping area, to zone 2, the access area, to zone 3, the service area, and
finally, to zone 4, the living area.
Design at this stage is assisted by the functions LayoutN and
DesignspaceN (with N < 7). The former is responsible for the placement of
the perimeter wall, and the latter for the assignment of functions to spaces.
DesignspaceN depends directly on the functions Kitchenunit, WCunit, and
Closetunit, which generate different types of functional units to equip each
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dwelling with the basic services, namely, kitchen, bathroom, and closet. It
also prompts the user to select functional units and to specify their correct
location within zones.
Once the available dwelling area is packed with the selected spaces, the
computer completes the design by assessing the resulting spatial distribution
and then by placing appropriate boundaries among spaces – doors, walls, or
partitions – according to the rule system illustrated in Figure 3. The function
Designrightap performs a cycle where the functions just described are
recalled and mirrored in order to design the right side dwelling.
Once the floor is completed, the KStructure is responsible for the erection
of the Kingspan building system dimensionally adapted to the generated
design. This function will call sub-functions like I-beam, C-stud, and other
sub-functions that are responsible for modelling particular elements. I and C
sections are placed both horizontally and vertically to form frames that are
parametrically defined in the function and then adjusted to specific spans.
The façade is designed according to the inner placement of functional
units. Opaque panels are aligned with the units and placed by the function
Façade. Façade is also responsible for designing and modelling window
frames, glass panels, and structural studs calling upon the sub-functions Cstud, Window and Glass. The process is repeated for each floor until it ends
with the placement of the roof above the top floor by the function Roof.
The design process can be monitored by the designer and client in real
time with great precision since a three-dimensional model of the design is
created in parallel to the decision making process (Figure 6). This allows the
modification of undesired solutions or the comparison among different ones,
which are enabled by activating the Modify function or the Create function,
respectively. Once the user and the client are satisfied with the design, they
can exit the program by activating the Leave function. Previously saved
solutions can be later retrieved and modified as well.
Figure 6. A 3-dimensional model of the evolving design is displayed to facilitate
assessment and decision-making.
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There are three different outputs of the computer program: the threedimensional model just mentioned, but also bi-dimensional drawings and
bills of quantities (Figure 7, top). The main purpose of the three-dimensional
model is to facilitate visualization and assessment of the design by the
designer and the client, which can take several forms with increasing levels
of sophistication. It can be used for immediate visualization within
AutoCAD, it can be exported into rendering software to obtain photorealistic views (Figure 7, bottom), or into a virtual reality system for virtual
walks-through. It also can be utilized to generate a physical model using a
rapid prototyping machine. The bi-dimensional drawings can be used as
licensing drawings for approval of the design by the town hall, or as
construction drawings to guide the construction of the building, following
standard procedures.
Figure 7. The output of the program includes a bill of construction elements (top),
and a 3D model that can be exported to rendering software to create photorealistic
views (bottom).
The bill of construction elements is used to facilitate budgeting and
manufacturing. For each element modelled by the computer, a record is
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inserted in a list that compiles every element, its numerical reference, and its
dimensional features. This list is converted by the function Record and saved
as an .xls extension file, the standard EXCEL file format, which can be
opened with MS Office to assess and control the overall budget. The same
list can be used for automated production of prefabricated elements with the
specified dimensions in the right quantity.
5. Conclusion
The aim of this study was the creation of a system to explore tailored
housing solutions and to produce documentation for mass-producing them
using prefabrication as a way of rationalizing construction and controlling
costs. The way chosen to guarantee the efficient application of the
underlying design and construction systems was the development of a
computer program that encodes both systems. This program can assist the
designer and help to minimize the time and effort spent in conceiving,
drawing, detailing, and budgeting solutions. The program also facilitates the
participation of the client in the design of his or her own dwelling as a
decision maker. Customization and diversity in mass-housing become goals
that can be achieved without overpricing the final result since design and
fabrication are partially automated.
The proposed system is in line with previous approaches, but it goes one
step further. In a paper called Design Machines, George Stiny and Lionel
March (1981) proposed a theoretical model for the automated production of
artefacts. The model foresaw the automation of both design and fabrication.
This model was implemented by Wang and Duarte (2002) who developed a
program that permitted the generation of 3-dimensional abstract objects
using shape grammars (Stiny 1980) and the fabrication of the corresponding
physical models using rapid prototyping. Later on, Duarte (2001; 2005)
proposed a theoretical model for the automated production of dwellings
called discursive grammar. This model foresaw the automated generation of
housing designs that matched given criteria within a given design language.
The model’s validity was illustrated with an implementation developed for
the case of houses designed by the architect Alvaro Siza at Malagueira. The
model also foresaw the use of computer aided-manufacturing to produce
houses, but the link between design generation and fabrication was yet to be
implemented. The current system establishes such a connection.
In addition, there are three important differences between the two
implementations. First, in the previous implementation, the rules of the
design system were codified using a shape grammar, whereas the current one
relies on parametric design. Shape grammars constitute a well-defined
formalism that facilitates the process of devising, structuring, and applying
rules systems that define languages of designs. A grammar permits to
165
explain the features of designs in a language, to say whether an unknown
design in that language, and how to generate new designs in the same
language. However, shape grammars are difficult to implement in the
computer because they require one to solve difficult technical problems,
linked to shape recognition and rule application. On the other hand, there is
no clear formalism to develop parametric systems of designs and one has to
rely on his or her intuition to do it. Moreover, parametric design does not
offer a rational explanation of how designs are categorized and generated.
Nevertheless, once a parametric model is devised, it is much easier to
implement and apply in the computer. Because the design system was
purposefully devised by the architect and thus its rules were very clear, and
because the current research had very practical goals, it was decided to
develop a parametric model, instead of a shape grammar.
The second difference is that in the previous implementation there was a
clear separation between the generation of the housing program and the
generation of the corresponding solution, whereas is the current one there is
not. Such a separation permitted greater flexibility and interaction in the
definition of housing specifications, but implied that the user only visualized
the impact of his choices at the end of the specification process, after making
all the decisions and the program generating the solution. By evolving the
3D model while the user made choices, it was possible to visualize the result
and correct it immediately, thereby making it easier and faster to tailor the
design to the family needs
The third difference is that in the previous implementation the generation
of designs was fully automated and the user could be the architect or the
client, whereas the current one was targeted at the architect right from the
beginning. As a result, it was developed as a design support tool and the
degree of automation is considerably lower. This avoided complex technical
problems such as shape recognition and optimization and made
programming easier. Because the role of the architect is more apparent, the
use of the tool is likely to be more accepted by the architectural community.
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank the support and interest of the Foresight and
Innovation Department of the Ove Arup office in London and, particularly, Chris
Luebkeman, Alvise Simondetti and Kristina Shea. This project was developed
partially at Ove Arup in London and at Instituto Superior Técnico in Lisbon.
References
Duarte, JP: 1995, Tipo e módulo. Abordagem ao processo de produção de habitação, LNEC,
Lisboa.
166
Duarte JP: 2001, Customizing Mass Housing: A Discursive Grammar for Siza´s Malagueira
Houses, Ph.D. Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA.
Duarte, JP: 2005, A discursive grammar for customizing mass housing; the case of Siza’s
houses at Malagueira, Automation in Construction 14: 265-275.
Gausa; M: 1998, Housing new alternatives, new systems, ACTAR and Birkhäuser, Barcelona.
Gausa; M. and Salazar, J: 1999, Singular housing, the private domain, ACTAR and
Birkhäuser, Barcelona.
Habraken; N.J: 2000, El Diseño de soportes, Editorial Gustavo Gili, Barcelona.
Stiny G: 1980, Introduction to shape and shape grammars, Environment and Planning B:
Planning and Design 7: 343-351.
Stiny, G; March, L: 1981, Design machines, Environment and Planning B: Planning and
Design 8: 245-255.
Wang, Y; Duarte, JP: 2002, Automatic Generation and Fabrication of Designs, Automation in
Construction 11(3): 291-302.
Annex VII – Brief description of the ISTAR Labs and the CAD I and CAD II courses
2
ISTAR Labs– Architecture Research Laboratories
Traditionally, the formation in architecture in Portugal tends to be dominated by an art-oriented
approach, instead of a science and technology-oriented one. The goal of the proposed approach
is to enable a new kind of formation in which the artistic component is balanced by a strong
technological component including two main aspects: (1) the use of computational media for
modelling, prototyping, and simulating design solutions and (2) the study and application of the
principles that regulate the physical and environmental behaviour of buildings.
The goal of the ISTAR Labs is to contribute for enriching architectural teaching through the use
of new technologies. The idea is to use these technologies to build upon the established strength
of the traditional studio method. The strength of the studio method is its problem-oriented focus
by engaging students in complex ill-defined problems that require creativity and crossdisciplinary work. The proposed strategy is to create a robust research environment that
complements the physical studio environment. The goal is to investigate how new technologies
can be integrated in the design process and stimulate innovative teaching and the emergence of
creative spatial and building solutions.
The ISTAR Labs encompasses two laboratories: the Computational Architecture Laboratory
(LAC, after the Portuguese acronym), and the Bioclimatic Architecture Laboratory (LAB). The
former is articulated with the concept of virtual campus, which has progressively been
implemented at TU Lisbon by stimulating students to acquire laptops and use the wireless
network. The second supports experimental and practical teaching in the environmental
performance of buildings, thereby offering a formation that is crucial for the professional
activity of future architects.
The ISTAR Labs are the Portuguese counterpart of an international effort that includes
StudioMIT, a research project under development at the MIT Department of Architecture. Both
projects explore a new approach to teaching technologies, one that favours the creation of
learning communities. As the traditional university campus gathers and supports an academic
community, the ISTAR Labs and StudioMIT aim to achieve the same goal using information
technology.
The Computational Architecture Laboratory – the most important of the two ISTAR Labs for
the teaching of CAD I, CAD II, and the CAAD Studio – is briefly described below.
Computacional Architecture Laboratory
The Computational Architecture Laboratory includes four modules: rapid prototyping, virtual
reality, remote collaboration, and advance geometric modelling.
The rapid prototyping module includes both rapid prototyping and 3D digitizing facilities.
Rapid prototyping enables the production of physical models from digital ones, whereas 3D
digitizing accomplishes the opposite. Both techniques can be used in the study of design and
construction solutions that cannot be accomplished with traditional media due to shape
complexity. These solutions afford new aesthetic opportunities, but also better technical
performance.
The virtual reality permits the creation of virtual models from digital ones, with different
degrees of immersion and interaction. Virtual models can be used for conveying solutions to
clients, for studying the impact of large-scale architectural and urban interventions, for testing
and experimenting with innovative construction techniques in a degree not allowed by physical
3
and digital objects. The major advantage of virtual reality is that the user can experience the
built environment in a way that is closer to reality without actually having to build it.
The remote collaboration module provides the means for enabling distance teaching, learning,
and working. An important part of the work involved in the design of a building is done in
collaboration. Traditionally, such a collaboration required participants to be co-located. Later,
technological would introduce synchronous and asynchronous means of communication, such
as fax machines, telex, and phone. More recently, other forms of communication emerged such
as e-mail, videoconferencing, and Web-based applications. The goal of this lab is to study how
such new forms of communication affect and should be used for effective design collaboration.
The advanced geometric modelling possesses the tools for the development and manipulation of
digital models for analysis and visualization purposes. Some of the available tools include wide
spread software such as Architectural Desktop, Photoshop, 3D Studio, but also more
sophisticated software such as Mechanical Desktop, Autodesk Revit, Rhino, and Catia.
Figure V-1: ISTAR Labs, Architecture Research Laboratories, Computational Architecture Laboratory: views of the
advanced geometric modelling, rapid prototyping, remote collaboration, and virtual reality modules.
Computer Aided Design I (CAD I): modelling and visualization
This course is the first in the series of three devised for providing students with state-of-art
design and representation skills. It introduces the fundamentals of geometric modelling and
visualization techniques while presenting students with the most common hardware and
software solutions. In the proposed approach, the computer is not understood as a mere
electronic version of traditional drafting media, but as a tool that creates new opportunities for
architectural and urban design. Students are asked to select a building, to construct its virtual
model and then to manipulate it creatively from analyzing and describing its architectural
qualities. The goal is to teach students about architectural qualities and in doing so get them to
learn how to model with the computer. Work proceeds through a series of five small exercises
that build up to a final Project: 2D and 3D modelling, image processing, realistic rendering, and
Web design. (Figure V-2) In previous years, students selected buildings from World famous
architects or local city landmarks. In the latter case, the work in the class is articulated with a
research project that is being developed in collaboration with a firm, which aims at developing a
3D model of the city for research and practice purposes.
Figure V-2. CAD I: Geometric Modelling and Visualization. Central Tejo, Lisboa (Eduardo Costa, 2001/02): from
2D drawings to the photorealistic model.
Computer Aided Design II (CAD II): programming and fabrication
This course introduces the theoretical and practical Fundamentals for the exploration of
computational aspects of architectural form and knowledge. The basic concepts of computer
4
programming are addressed using Autolisp, the scripting language of Autocad. Students are
expected to acquire the basic skills required for developing their own design tools. As such,
students are introduced to various paradigms for encoding and computing with architectural
forms – parametric design, shape grammars, genetic algorithms, and cellular automata – as well
as to different techniques for producing through rapid prototyping – cutting, additive, and
subtractive processes. Students are asked to select a class of forms and encode them into a
computer program. Work proceeds through a series of 5 small exercises that build up to a final
project: batch, parametric, and rule-based program, Web design, and rapid prototyping. In
previous years, students’ work addressed both historical themes, for instance, a program for
generating Roman theatres based on Vitruvius’ “Ten Books of Architecture, and contemporary
themes, for instance, a program for generating double-curved towers and decomposing them
into discrete parts for fabrication. (Figure V-4)
Figure V-3: CAD II: programming and fabrication. Program for generating Romanesque churches (Ricardo
Mesquita, 2003/04): from the digital model to the 3D physical model produced by FDM.
Figure V-4: CAD II: programming and fabrication. Program for generating 3D complex tower buildings through the
manipulation of polygons and for producing the information required for making the physical model using a lasercutter (Júlio Luta e Luís Marques, 2005/06).
5
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Annex VIII – Excerpt from the Catalog of the 2005 Spot on Schools Exhibition
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7
8
9
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Annex IX – Paper presented at the 25th International eCAADe Conference
2
Inserting New Technologies in Undergraduate
Architectural Curricula
A Case Study
José Duarte
Technical University of Lisbon
http://home.fa.utl.pt/~jduarte
[email protected]
This paper describes a set of curricular tools devised to insert new technologies in
an undergraduate architectural curriculum. These tools encompass three courses
and laboratories with advanced geometric modeling, rapid prototyping, virtual
reality, and remote collaboration facilities. The immediate goal was to set up the
virtual design studio and enable creative design thinking. The ultimate goal was
to fulfill the criteria of intellectual satisfaction, acquisition of specialized professional skills, and contribution for the economic development of society that should
underlie university education.
Keywords: Architecture; education; fabrication; digital media.
Introduction
The insertion of “new technologies” in architectural
teaching and practice has been everything but
smooth. The meaning of the term itself is ambiguous
and tends to be reduced in a very simplistic manner
to the computer or even more simplistically, to CAD
software. Not surprisingly, the issue divides educators and professionals alike and prompts them to
take extreme positions. On one side, one finds those
who tend to assign the computer to a central role;
on the other, one encounters those who refuse to
admit that it can have any role at all. Reality, nevertheless, demonstrates that the role of the computer
can facilitate the resolution of certain design problems but may jeopardize the solving of others. Time
and experience permit to categorize problems and
so the contact of architectural students with new
technologies in the early stages of their learning and
training process is important. This article describes
a set of curricular tools that were devised to accomplish this goal within a new undergraduate program
in architecture.
The new program was created within Instituto
Superior Técnico, the Technical University of Lisbon
School of Engineering, with the aim of providing a
technology oriented education in architecture. This
sort of orientation was inexistent in other architectural schools in the country, which have inherited
the beaux arts tradition. The devised tools also were
expected to contribute for this goal and they encompass three courses and a laboratory.
Almost two decades ago, Akin (1989) identified
two different approaches to the role of computers
Session 05: Digital Design Education - eCAADe 25
247
in architecture. One, supported by early computer
enthusiasts and pioneers argued that it would eventually replace the architect. The other, hold by more
conservative designers defended that it could merely add to existing design capabilities. Akin, however,
was in favor of a third view, which considered that
the “new technology continues to change the way
we design, rather than merely augment or replace
human designers.” The belief of this view was the
starting point for the design of the curricular tools
described in this paper.
The work of early pioneers who used the computer in the design of buildings with success made
evident that turning the back to the new technology was not the solution. As a result, some schools
introduced CAD courses in the last years of their
programs. The computer was then used as a drafting tool in the last stages of the design process to
produce accurate or presentation drawings. As our
goal was to give students the opportunity to use the
computer as a conception tool, rather than a mere
representation device, it was decided to include
CAD education in the early years of the program.
This program was initially set up as a five-year
professional degree to guarantee accreditation by
the architectural association. Courses were organized into five categories: basic sciences, design
support systems, building technology, history and
theory, and architectural design, and classes started
in 1998. When the program was set up, it included
two computer related courses: Programming and
CAD. The first was required in all the degrees offered by the school, and it consisted of a C language
programming class. The second course consisted
mainly in a 2D Autocad course. It did not take long
for problems to emerge. The contents and exercises
of the programming course were the same across
all the degrees and had no architectural content.
Architecture students complained that they did not
perceive how programming skills could be applied
in designing and they saw no point in taking the
class. As a result, many dropped and failed. The CAD
course was offered in the second year. In this course,
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eCAADe 25 - Session 05: Digital Design Education
Autocad was taught in the same manner in which it
was taught to civil engineering students. Significant
Autocad commands were listed and shown how
they worked. Then students were given 2D drawings and asked to use Autocad to copy them. Students saw little motivation in copying drawings and
some dropped the class. Those who finished it used
the acquired skills to develop accurate drawings in
their studios, but the computer was not used in a
creative way. When it became clear that things were
not going in the desired direction, it was decided to
change the curricula. This happened only two years
after the program was initiated and led to the strategy described herein.
Theoretical framework and the virtual
design studio
In setting up the new curricula, two theoretical
frameworks were taken into account. The first was
Schon’s theory of the reflective practitioner. (Schon
1987; 1988). In his texts, Schon puts forth an approach for educating competent professionals so
that they are able to tackle complex and unforeseen
problems in their practice. He describes designing as
a conversation with the materials of a design situation. Working in some visual medium -- drawing,
in the experiments reported in the texts -- the designer sees what is ‘there’ in some representation of
a site, draws in relation to it, and sees what has been
drawn, thereby informing further designing. In this
see-move-see cycle, the designer not only visually
registers information but also constructs its meaning, that is, identifies patterns and assigns meanings
to them. Schon elaborates on the conditions that
enable this cycle to work effectively, and thus draws
some recommendations for design education and
for the development of computer environments.
In Schon’s approach, to be able to construct visual
representations of a design context is a key element
of an effective designing process. Accordingly, hand
drawing is an essential skill in traditional design education. Our goal in setting up the CAD curricula of
the new program was to promote the kind of process described by Schon, but with computer-based
media.
The second framework was the one provided
by Mitchell and McCullough in Digital Design Media (1994), which is summarized in the diagram
reproduced in Figure 1. The diagram shows the
emerging relationships between drawings, digital
models, physical models, and built designs and illustrates the possible translations among the various representations. The new curricula were set up
to ensure that students had the opportunity to learn
and experiment with all of these translations. This
meant that they had to be given access both to the
capabilities found in traditional design studios and
those offered by virtual design studios. The specific
courses in which students had the first contact with
the translation mechanisms involving digital media
are identified in the diagram. To complete the set up
required for the digital design studio, these courses
needed to be complemented with a sophisticated
infrastructure. Part of it was common to the entire
school, including wide network access and online
course information. In fact, the school is connected
Figure 1
A design studio fully integrating traditional and digital
media (Adapted from Mitchell
and McCullough, 1994).
to the e-U, a country-wide wireless network that links
all the country’s universities and permits anyone to
log-in from any campus, regardless of the institution
of origin. In addition, the school has implemented
and turned mandatory to place the contents of all
courses on line using a system developed locally
called Phoenix. The remaining infrastructure was
specific to the Program in Architecture and included
advanced geometric modeling, rapid prototyping,
virtual reality and video-conferencing laboratories.
The courses and the labs are briefly described below.
CAD I: Geometric Modeling and Visualization, 1st year.
This course is the first in the series of three devised
for the new undergraduate Program in Architecture
with the intention of proving students with state of
art designing and representation skills. It introduces
the fundamentals of geometric modeling and visualization techniques while presenting students with
the most common hardware and software solutions.
In the proposed approach, the computer is not understood as a mere electronic version of traditional
drafting media, but as a tool that creates new opportunities to architectural and urban design. Students
are asked to select a building, to construct its virtual
model and then to manipulate it creatively for analyzing and describing its architectural qualities. The
goal is to teach students about architectural qualities and in doing so get them to learn how to model
with the computer. Work proceeds through a series
of 5 small exercises that build up to a final project:
2D and 3D modeling, image processing, realistic rendering and web design. (Figure 2) In previous years,
students selected buildings from World famous architects or local city landmarks. In the latter case,
the work in the class is articulated with a research
project that is being developed in collaboration with
a firm, which aims at developing a 3D model of the
city for research and practice purposes. The goal is to
make the city model available from interactive TV.
249
Figure 2
CAD I: Geometric Modeling
and visualization. Central
Tejo, Lisboa (Eduardo Costa,
2001/02): from the 2d to the
photorealistic model.
CAD II: Programming and Digital Fabrication, 2nd year
This course introduces the theoretical and practical
fundamentals for the exploration of computational
aspects of architectural form and knowledge. The
basic concepts of computer programming are addressed using Autolisp, the scripting language of
Autocad. Students are expected to acquire the basic skills required for developing their own design
tools. As such, students are introduced to various
paradigms for encoding and computing with architectural forms – parametric design, shape grammars,
genetic algorithms, and cellular automata – as well
to different techniques for producing them through
rapid prototyping – cutting, additive, and subtractive processes. Students are asked to select a class of
forms and encode them into a computer program.
Work proceeds through a series of 5 small exercises
that build up to a final project: batch, parametric and
rule-based programs, web design, and rapid proto-
typing. In previous years, students work addressed
both historical themes, for instance a program for
generating Romanesque churches (Figure 3), and
contemporary themes, for instance, a program for
generating double-curved towers and decomposed
them into discrete parts for fabrication. (Figure 4)
CAAD: Computer Aided Architectural Design Studio, 5th year
This course integrates the skills acquired in the previous two courses while introducing new tools, such as
advanced geometric modeling, rapid prototyping,
virtual reality, remote collaboration and structural
analysis. It aims at exploring the use of advanced
computer aided design and production techniques
to address complex problems and develop innovative solutions in collaboration with the industry.
It has the format of a remote collaborative design
studio open to senior students in Architecture and
Engineering of at least two universities. For instance
Figure 3
CAD II: programming and
fabrication. Program for generating Romanesque churches
(Ricardo Mesquita, 2003/04):
from the digital model to the
3d physical model produced
by FDM.
250
Figura 4
CAD II: programming and
fabrication. Program for
generating3D complex tower
buildings through the manipulation of polygons and
producing the information
required for making the physical model using a laser-cutter
(Júlio Luta e Luís Marques,
2005/06).
in one academic year, the problem was to design a
technology-oriented cultural centre that included
non-regular double-curved surfaces made of ceramic elements. In another year, it aimed at conceiving
innovative ceramic roof coverings. For detailed accounts of these studios see Duarte et al. (2004) and
Caldas and Duarte (2005), respectively.
More recently, the studio addressed the customization of mass housing. This studio built on previous research aimed at devising a methodology for
designing housing systems. (Duarte 2005; Benrós et
al. 2007) This methodology encompasses a design
system, a building system, and a computer system.
The design system encodes the rules for generating solutions tailored to specific design contexts. It
determines the formal structure and the functional
organization of the house. The building system specifies how to construct such solutions in accordance
with a particular technology that is suitable for the
context. Finally, the computer system enables the
easy exploration of solutions and the automatic generation of information for fabricating and building
the houses. It was the first time that this methodology was used in its full extent. In the CAD II, students
had already developed programs for exploring solutions within housing design systems conceived
by students in a more traditional. However, in the
CAAD Studio the conceptual and temporal separa-
tion between conceiving the design system and
developing the program were blurred, and students
conceived the design system by developing a computer program. (Figure 5) This was exactly the sort of
approach that was sought when these classes were
devised. Computer-based media has become a way
of stimulating creative design thinking and engaging students in a reflective practice as proposed by
Schon. The detailed account of the housing design
methodology just mentioned will be the theme of a
future publication.
Regardless the specific themes, the key ideas
in the studio are to use advanced media both for
designing and exploring solutions at the conceptual design stage and for producing the information
needed to build them at the construction detailing
stage. In addition, students are asked to develop the
protocols required for geographically distributed,
multidisciplinary design teams to operate effectively. In short, students are expected to operate within
the context of a virtual design studio.
ISTAR: Architecture Research Laboratories
The goal of the IST Architecture Research Laboratories (ISTAR) is to enrich architectural higher education through information technology and research.
251
Figure 5
CAAD: Computer Aided Architectural Design. Design
system for customized housing
conceived by programming it
in Autolisp. (Luís Rasteiro, Joana Pimenta, and Pedro Barroso 2005/06). Explanation of
how rules are applied in the
generation a solution, partial
universe of design solutions,
view of a street generated using the program, and FDM
models of solutions.
The ISTAR labs will investigate how such information technologies can be integrated in the design
process. These labs represent a fundamentally new
strategy for professional education in general and
architectural design programs in particular – a
strategy that employs educational technology to
build upon the established strength of the studio
method, and the design community experience
with it. The strengths of the studio method are
its problem-oriented focus by engaging students
252
in complex ill-defined problems that require creativity and cross-disciplinary work. The proposed
strategy is to create a robust research environment
and a rich online environment that complement
the physical studio environment. The ISTAR Labs
encompasses two main labs: the Bioclimatic Architecture Lab (LAB, after the Portuguese acronym)
and the Computational Architecture Lab (LAC), addressed in his article. LAC includes four modules
briefly described below.
Figure 6
ISTAR, IST Architecture Research Laboratories: views
of the advanced geometric
modeling, rapid prototyping,
remote collaboration, and virtual reality facilities included
in the computational architecture laboratory.
Advanced Geometric Modeling Lab
The advanced geometric modeling module possesses the tools for the development and manipulation of digital models for analysis and visualization
purposes. Some of the available tools include wide
spread software such as Architectural Desktop,
Photoshop, 3D Studio, but also more sophisticated
software such Mechanical Desktop, Autodesk Revit,
Rhino and Catia.
Rapid Prototyping Lab
The rapid prototyping module includes both rapid
prototyping and 3D digitizing facilities. Rapid prototyping enables the production of physical models from digital ones, whereas 3D digitizing accomplishes the opposite. Both techniques can be used in
the study of design and construction solutions that
cannot be accomplished with the traditional means
due to shape complexity. These solutions include
new building forms for aesthetic innovation and
pleasure, but also for better technical performance.
The solutions rapid prototyping and 3d digitizing
solutions available are those considered appropriate
for a teaching environment for being cleaner, for not
demanding special security measures, for possessing easy maintenance. The available solutions can be
complemented by more sophisticated solutions that
exist in other IST laboratories.
Virtual Reality Lab
The virtual reality module enables the creation of
virtual models from digital ones, with different degrees of immersion and interaction. Virtual models
can be used for conveying solutions to clients, for
studying the impact of large-scale architectural and
urban interventions, for testing and experiment with
innovative constructions techniques in a degree not
allowed by physical and digital models. The big advantage of virtual reality is that the user can experience the built environment in a way that is closer
to reality without actually having to build it. The lab
includes a desktop solution, and a room unit. The
desktop solution can be used by a single user, and
it allows only a small degree of immersion and user
interaction with the environment, whereas the room
unit can be used by several users at once and allows
a higher degree of immersion.
Remote Collaboration Lab
The remote collaboration module provides the
means for enabling distance teaching, learning, and
working. An important part of the work involved
in the design of a building is done in collaboration.
Traditionally, such a collaboration required participants to be co-located. Later, technological evolution would then introduce synchronous and asynchronous means of communication, such as fax machines, telex, and phone. More recently, other forms
of communication emerged such as e-mail, videoconferencing, and Web-based applications. The goal
of this lab is to study how such new forms of communication affect and should be used for effective
design collaboration. It includes several wide spread
desktop solutions for videoconference through IP,
and one mobile larger unit that enables both IP and
ISDN communication.
Conclusion
This paper describes a set of courses and labs created
to materialize the virtual design studio within a new
program in architecture. The goal was to provide stu-
253
dents with state of art technology and prompt the use
of such a technology in a natural way in the design process. When the courses and labs were created the expected results were: (1) to support architectural teaching and research; (2) to investigate how computers
and information technology can be integrated in the
design process; (3) to create a research environment
that supports creative and innovative design teaching
and practice; (4) to develop new expertise oriented
towards new architectural and building solutions; (5)
to provide technology-oriented consulting services
to the AEC industry. These results were achieved to
a certain extent. The technology was successfully integrated in the architecture program and use of the
skills that students acquired in the described courses
has extended to other courses. The courses and the
labs have served as the basis for developing several
master and doctorate theses. The work of students
has led to innovative and creative approaches with
recognized results. For instance, one student won the
FEIDAD Award in 2005. In addition, several patents
were obtained, some of which have yielded new products for the construction industry that are now being
commercialized. This, in turn, has prompted the industry to take the initiative to commission new projects.
Finally, the courses and the labs have contributed for
increasing the students’ employability.
In summary, the described curricular tools, we
believe, satisfy the three criteria that should be at the
core of university education: intellectual satisfaction,
acquisition of specialized professional skills, and contribution for the economic development of society.
More information on the courses and the lab can be
found at http://www.civil.ist.utl.pt/~dac/.
Acknowledgements
The author thanks the students, the teaching assistants, and the colleagues who participated in the
classes described in this paper for their enthusiasm,
commitment, and hard work. Special thanks are due
to Deborah Benrós, Gonçalo Ducla-Soares, José Pedro
Sousa, José Beirão, João Rocha, and Luísa Caldas.
254
References
Akin, Ö.: 1990, Computational Design Instruction: Toward a Pedagogy, The Electronic Design Studio: Architectural Knowledge and Media in the Computer
Era, CAAD Futures ‘89 Conference Proceedings Cambridge (Massachusetts, USA), 1989, pp. 302-316.
Benrós D.; Duarte, J.P.; Branco, F.: 2007, A System for providing customized housing: Integrating design and
construction using a computer tool, in Gero. J., Dong,
A. (eds.) Proceedings of the12th CAAD Futures Conference, Sydney, Australia, July 2007, pp. 153-166.
Breen, J.: 2004, Changing Roles for (Multi)Media Tools in
Design - Assessing Developments and Applications
of (Multi)Media Techniques in Design Education,
Practice and Research, Architecture in the Network
Society, 22nd eCAADe Conference Proceedings.
Copenhagen (Denmark) 15-18 September 2004, pp.
530-539.
Caldas, L.G.; Duarte, J.P.: 2005, Fabricating Innovative Ceramic Covers: Re-thinking Roof Tiles in a Contemporary Context, in Duarte; J. Ducla-Soares, G.; Sampaio,
Z. (eds.), Proceedings of the 23rd Conference on
Education in Computer Aided Architectural Design
in Europe, eCAADe 2005, Lisbon, Portugal, pp. 269276.
Duarte, J.P.; L.G. Caldas; J. Rocha: 2004, Freeform ceramics: design and production of complex forms with
ceramic elements. In B. Rudiger, B. Tournay, and H.
Orbaek (eds.), Architecture in the Network Society,
Proceedings of the 22nd Conference on Education
in Computer Aided Architectural Design in Europe,
eCAADe 2004, Copehagen, Denmark, pp. 174-183.
Duarte, J.P.: 2005, Towards the Mass Customization of
Housing: the grammar of Siza’s houses at Malagueira, in Environment and Planning B: Planning and Design, volume 32 (3), pp 347-380.
Mitchell, W. J. and McCullough, M.: 1994, Digital Design
Media, Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York.
Schon, D.: 1987, Educating the Reflective Practitioner,
Josey-Bass Publishers, San Francisco.
Schon, D. A. and Wigging, G.: 1988, Kinds of Seeing and
Their Functions in Designing, 1988.

Course Program Report: Computer Aided Architectural Design Studio

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