BK-7083: Spatial Computing: Computational Design Studio: 2020-21
Spatial Computing (BK-MI-197, 15 ECTS) is offered as a minor degree programme at TU Delft consisting of a computational design studio (BK-7083, 9 ECTS) and a computational simulations course (BK-7084 6 ECTS). The goal of this studio BK-7083 is to introduce a participatory generative approach to architectural design. In doing so, the course also introduces basic mathematical and computational skills, especially in geometry, topology and graph theory (spatial mathematics), which are necessary for systematic analysis, synthesis, simulation, decision-making, and optimization in architectural design. We propose generative design as a feed-forward way of designing in which the form is systematically derived from functional requirements. The goal of this studio is not to make a building in a 'parametric style', but to learn how to develop computational design workflows. Therefore, the focal points of attention in the course are gamification, programming, and mathematics for participatory generative design. Thus, the primary deliverable will be a demonstration of an operational workflow showing the transformation of a site, a program of requirements, key performance indicators, and the preferences of the prospective inhabitants into a building.
| Instruction Team | |
|---|---|
| Minor Coordinator | Dr. Ir. P. Nourian |
| Instructors |
Dr. Ir. Pirouz Nourian (TU Delft, Design Informatics, PZN) Ir. Shervin Azadi (TU Delft, Design Informatics, SAZ) Ir. Hans Hoogenboom (TU Delft, Design Informatics-HHG) |
| Students | |
| Green Valley - website |
Xam Adan Frank Vahstal Lotte Zwolsman |
| Zoho's Pearl - website |
Milou Mulder Nancy Nguyen Jirri van den Bos |
| CUB3D - website |
Hugo van Rossum Maren Hengelmolen Liva Sadovska Sander Bentvelsen |
| Apidae - website |
Siebren Meines Eda Akaltun Maartje Damen |
The theme of the year is redefining design as a game, with rules and scores. We define a rulebook, specify the moves in the game; devise automatic scoring mechanisms; and let designers or prospective inhabitants play the design game almost as LEGO, Minecraft, and Sims .
MICROPOLIS: You are requested to design a housing complex incorporating several communal/public facilities for [a cooperative live-work-play association]{.ul}. A group of graduate students and young professionals have formed this cooperative to make their own live-work-play space. The housing complex is to accommodate students, young graduates (starters), and assisted living. The complex also provides communal/public facilities, almost as a collective. The program of requirements lists the spaces below:
-
Location: Rotterdam, The block between Vijverhofstraat, Zomerhofstraat, Schoterbosstraat, and Teilingerstraat.
The location is split into compulsory and optional development, giving the students the option to extend their design if deemed necessary (see Figure 1). The part that has to be changed is the big multi-functional building, but if required, the old railway line, football park, restaurant and green park in the light green areas can be incorporated as well. If the design is extended into the optional parts, any streets or pathways crossing this region should be integrated into the design, without losing their original function. -
Housing:
- Student Housing 80 units
- Assisted Living 30 units
- Starter Housing 100 units
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Communal Spaces:
- Underground Parking (minimum of 0.5 parking lots per apartment)
- Vegetation (minimum 30% of the plot)
- Workshops/Fab-Labs/Co-working Space and Start-up Offices
- Library + Cinematheque + Café/Pub + [pinball] Arcade
- Co-cooking/Restaurant
- Community Centre
- Shop (grocery, tools and crafts)
- Gym
- Maximum Multi-scale Modularity (Qualitative)
- Excellent Ergonomics (Qualitative)
- Keeping at least the same amount of housing units as before (Quantitative)
- Not blocking direct light for neighbour buildings (Quantitative)
- Max solar gain potential (optional, Quantitative)
- Max greenery (Quantitative)
- Min noise (Quantitative)
- Social integration (Qualitative)
- Rational spectra of privacy and community (Qualitative)
The thematic activities for the weeks are (marked with colours and tags on the schedules):
- A1) Planning: Program of Requirements & Network (adjacency and connectivity requirements)
- A2) Configuring: Circulation Manifold
- A3) Massing: Coloured Voxel Clouds
- Midterm (you will work on these items from day one, and will present them informally in a pin-up fashion): {problem formulation, a plan, a configuration, a mass-void composition, a flowchart, a clay model, code snippets & procedural models (submitted to our GitLab repo), and a live demo of the computational models}
- A4) Forming: Spatial Modules (functional spaces designed on a grid) fitted into the voxel cloud, finalized form, all models cleaned and documented.
- Final (you will present as a group):
- A presentation about your design process (an update on midterm presentation)
- an animation of the [interactive] computational design process.
- an A2 poster including) and the followings: {architectural diagrams (space planning [network], configuration [circulation manifold], massing [voxel cloud]), functional modules, plans 1:200, sections 1:100, urban plan 1:500, and renderings}
After completing this course, the student is supposed to have gained 1) knowledge, 2) insight and 3) skill on the use of mathematical and computational principles, facts, conventions, and methods/algorithms in the context of architectural design.
The subjects taught in this course are the essentials of:
- Spatial Mathematics: Linear Algebra, Geometry, Topology, and Graph Theory
- Computer Graphics (Boundary Representations and Raster Representations)
- Programming in Python BK-7083 & BK-7084
- Space Planning (i.e. configurative design, determining the 'Space Syntax')
- Grammatical Design (e.g. L-Systems, Graph Grammars, Design Games)
- Evidence-Based Design (e.g. Pattern Language)
- Housing Design (goals, ergonomics, standards, design codes, best practices)
The practical skills learnt in this minor are the essentials of:
- Modern CAD (Parametric and Procedural Design)
- Simulation (light)
- Generative Design (using Cellular Automata, Agent-Based Modelling, Particle Systems, Combinatorial Design)
- Technical Communication (Problem Definition, Problem Formulation, Flowchart Drawing, Pseudocode Writing)
- Infographics
- Programming (within Jupyter Notebooks using Python, Numpy, and topoGenesis BK-7083 and coding C++ modules BK-7084)
This work is dual-licensed under MIT and 4.0-CC-BY. The Software is licensed under MIT and all other contents are licensed under 4.0-CC-BY. Each student project has different authors, please refer to AUTHOR file for detailed list of authors per project.