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TURNING TODAY'S RESEARCH INTO TOMORROW'S SOFTWARE
Over the past four weeks, a series of articles in ArchitectureWeek has looked at four examples of university research projects that may some day become commonplace design tools for architects. Each of the four demonstrates a narrowly focused capability that is desirable but missing from current practice. — Published 2000.0628
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ENERGY SOFTWARE TO LINK DESIGN AND SCIENCE
For decades, research scientists have been developing extremely sophisticated analysis tools to study the energy performance of buildings. These tools have been effectively unusable among architects, however, because the interface is cumbersome, the output is largely numeric, and the input requires mechanical engineering data normally associated with the end of the architectural design process. — Published 2000.0621
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THE RIGHT TOOL AT THE RIGHT TIME
Many architects can recall a favorite design instructor who could glance at their drawings then pull down the perfect reference book to help in further developing an idea. If humans can infer design intent from sketches, maybe computers can too. — Published 2000.0621
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GREEN CAD AND 3D DESIGN SURVEY
Environmentally conscious, "green" design has gained a respectable following among those already inclined to see the world through emerald lenses. Everyone else is waiting to see if it's worth the trouble.
One barrier has been a lack of truly usable building energy simulation tools. To build these, software developers need to understand the design process through the eyes of nonengineers. However, a new survey uncovers subtleties in how design software is applied in practice. — Published 2000.0621
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HAND-CRAFTED DIGITAL MODELS
From Brazil comes good news for anyone who has ever felt like they have one hand tied behind their back when manipulating 3D forms with a 2D drawing instrument.
University of Brasilia architecture professor Edison Pratini has been developing the "3D SketchMaker," which relies on natural, expressive hand gestures for creating 3D computer models. This process makes form-giving easier and removes the discontinuity between conceiving a form and translating it into a digital model. — Published 2000.0621
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DESIGN BY PHYSICS: INNOVATIVE SPACE PLANNING TOOL
In the Department of Architecture at Texas A&M University in College Station, Scott Arvin, working with professor Donald House, has developed a system for "physically based space planning." Arvin's computer prototype accepts building program parameters (square footages, adjacency and separation requirements) and constructs viable floor plans. — Published 2000.0621
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TODAY'S RESEARCH, TOMORROW'S SOFTWARE
There is a crystal ball that can show us the future of architectural software. It depends not on gimmickry but on the fact that tomorrow's technology goes through years, sometimes decades, of development before it becomes commercially available. — Published 2000.0621
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ANALYTICAL VISUALIZATION OF THE D. D. MARTIN HOUSE
For decades, critics have analyzed Frank Lloyd Wright's Darwin D. Martin House based on direct observation and 2D architectural drawings. But their conclusions lack the insight made visible by 3D computer visualizations. This study uses CAD techniques more commonly applied to design and presentation and re-evaluates both the house and the critical statements traditionally accepted about Wright's design. — Published 2000.0628
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SMALL FIRM MAKES IT BIG
By B.J. Novitski
When John Marx, AIA, was a senior designer at a large architecture firm, a joke circulated that "two guys and a fast computer" could accomplish more work, more quickly than a management-heavy design department. Indeed, with well-honed skills in both design and computer modeling, Marx often completed the firm's competition entries for very large buildings with a team of only two or three. — Published 2000.0712
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