Parametric design: Urbanism and architecture
It's hard to start writing about it parametric design since there are very different ways of looking at it and a fierce debate between different points of view in architectural practice or urban planning, which is our application case.
The concept of parametric and regenerative design expands much more when we look at new software and advanced digital design technique that are coming to the market and that will possibly be our future work tools.
This procedure, which may sound distant to us and which shows a complexity in its practice has been practiced for years, but now, and as we will see later, thanks to new instruments, it is beginning to democratize.
The leap from the great architecture firms is taking place (Frank Gehry or the studio of Zaha Hadid Architects, they are highly experienced in working with parametric design projects) to studies that are interested in incorporating new generative technologies without excessive financial investment.
What is parametric design?
In its simplest definition from an architectural perspective, the parametric architecture is creates a system of parameters or variables and a set of constraints based on some initial data entered in a software to produce versatility in the results (for example, a geometric shape of a cube) that can be modified by changing the variables (Also called generative design - Generative Design depending on who is looking at it).
If we focus on the simple shape of a cube, our variables can be the edges, length, width and height of the cube to control how big or small its overall size can get.
If we vary the edges to our liking, we will have hundreds of designs, but, without a doubt, the way to obtain these new geometries is far from the traditional work we do in front of the computer:
By transferring it to the field of architecture, design or urban planning, the project we practice becomes a process (introduction of parameters and restrictions) that enables the project solution in hundreds of versatile designs and meeting a wide range of objectives.
goal of parametric architecture: go beyond geometry and form to design a system among all variables
The following conceptual map frames the process by which the approach to parametric architecture is reached (Enlargement of the image here, a new window opens)
And that… How does it affect the traditional way of carrying out architecture or urban planning projects? Before, projects were executed as a rigid object, where we enter project data and its compliance with the objective (Example, efficient building) produces a design, which, in addition, is not very flexible with results without certainty. Now, with parametric architecture, projects become a process, are instantly modifiable and produce a flexible design with proven results.
The parametric modeling systems they work mainly in a system based on the propagation of information, in which it is calculated from the known to the unknown with a data flow model, and a restraint system, which solves a set of limitations.
Parametric design needs data to analyze, and the more that is entered, the better the result. So Big Data and other ways of obtaining information are essential and will work together to obtain optimized results, but … What would that flow of information be like?
The process presents four general activities: the definition of initial conditions, the preparation of the parametric procedure (specific utility), the execution of the procedure and finally, the selection and interpretation of results, in addition to the set of parameters considered. An example:
From here, we can start designing all kinds of buildings or practice a parametric urbanism with more complex and versatile geometric designs that will be manipulated by algorithms in order to obtain not only one objective, but we can have hundreds of designs, with hundreds of variables that will also fulfill multiple needs and in a single click.
Although there is already some parametric design program referred to the theme of Flexible BIM, CAD drawing, Rhino, VisualARQ, Grasshopper or accessories like Viz Pro, which converts SkechUp in a parametric modeling software. Simpler to use programs that want to reach the general public are appearing.
To clarify how it works on projects, we are going to see two tools that this year have given a lot to talk about …
Parametric architecture
The machine learning, the artificial intelligence (See reference article) and the generative design they are beginning to shape architecture as we know it.
A new tool that will be released this year for parametric architecture is the Finch. Made by the Swedish construction company BOX Bygg architecture studio Wallgren Arkitekter, whose main capacity will be that the same plan can be adapted to different scenarios and locations automatically.
We could say that we create "responsive" plans similar to when a website adapts to different types of screen. The designs can be modified, adapted and obtain the maximum potential of a space and quickly.
According to the creators … "Finch is a generator of plans based on a set of architectural rules to ensure that the space works satisfactorily".
Parametric urbanism
Although the theme of urban planning is very complex, we will soon see parametric urban planning software at consistent prices and that will provide us with a much easier daily work.
From the Sidewalk Labs studio, they have been working on a new software tool to generate optimized urban designs.
They have created a new computational tool which analyzes a wide range of data to automatically create thousands of urban designs from a base design.
Is generative design tool it can do two things that existing planning applications cannot.
- First, through the machine learning and computational designcan help planners generate not just one or two, but hundreds of urban planning scenarios.
- Second, it can help assess all the types of impacts that these different scenarios could have on key quality of life measures, producing a set of options that better reflect a community's priorities.
From this article on the Sidewalk Labs website we can understand how far this new resource can go, which will undoubtedly provide many advantages in the design of cities.
Another example in urban infrastructure… Why build a single vehicle parking design? With the generative design we can have thousands of options that we can replicate in different locations:
Course and information points
We have looked for some help documents in PDF that may be of interest to begin to understand the concept of parameterizing and its slopes:
- Contextualization of the architecture and parameterized urbanism … HERE (Good document)
- Final Degree Project - space parameterization … HERE
- Parametric Design in Architecture; method, techniques and applications … HERE (Good document)
- Ephemeral architectures with parametric tools … HERE
What software to use to practice parametric modeling? Although we could get lost here, there are two portals where we can practice, they have a discussion forum and we will also find interesting libraries:
- The Grasshoper from HERE (Built-in plugin for Rhino, which is the most popular way to design with parametric modeling)
- The Dynamo from HERE (Dynamo is a parametric extension of Revit. It allows to design parametrically in the context of the BIM project)
In terms of training, we have seen that some professional college has sporadically launched an introductory course. There is a master's degree in English (quite expensive) from parametric design in architecture by the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (Consult here) and the Polytechnic University of Madrid launched a MOOC on Parametric Programming in Rhinoceros3D with Rhino that can be consulted here.
It should be noted that we are not facing a new technological technique and that we have also left many things in the pipeline, but it is true that many professionals predict that this year, parametric design, will enter the sector of the architecture and urbanism.
And if anyone doubts it, startups designed with this technology have already begun to appear in the United States (Example Higharc), whose objective is to provide custom-made housing projects, with complete automation in the creation of the design (2D and 3D) and at affordable prices. very accessible in the market.
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