Projecting decisions. Unfolding architectural design practice in decision-making processes

Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) have been proposed to be additional architectural design mediums for at least 25 years (Dagit, 1993). Despite rapid technical and technological development, it has not been adopted into architectural design practices as compared to academia and research. Surveys from the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and Royal Institutes of British Architects (RIBA) demonstrate the state of architectural practices; 72% of architects and 65% of architects respectively are not using any kind of virtual, augmented, or mixed reality in their practices(RIBA and Microsoft, 2018; Hampson, 2020). In this paper, the authors investigate the state of practices, issues, challenges, and opportunities of the utilization of virtual, augmented, and mixed realities in six architectural practices in the Danish context. Three of the practices are large architectural practices, one medium-sized practice specializing in institutional, healthcare and cultural architecture, and one firm designing private family houses, kindergartens, daycares and places for people with disability and, one experimental design studio. All these practices have used VR/AR in their projects to various degrees. In recent years Danish architectural practices have been involved in various VR/AR-based exhibitions, demonstrations, and tool developments to promote the usage of the same in design practice. Through a set of qualitative interviews with personnel from key architectural practices, the authors would like to demonstrate the present state of practices. The investigation explores the usage of VR and AR in Danish architecture practices by identifying challenges and opportunities regarding skill levels, architectural typology, use cases, toolchains, and workflow and shows similarities and differences between traditional and VR-based design processes. The main findings show how VR/AR-based visualization helps architects to perceive spatiality and also ushers creativity through immersion and overlays.

Transformative or Tokenistic?

Traditionally, architectural practice has been dominated by the eye/sight. In recent decades, though, architects and designers have increasingly started to consider the other senses, namely sound, touch (including proprioception, kinesthesis, and the vestibular sense), smell, and on rare occasions, even taste in their work. As yet, there has been little recognition of the growing understanding of the multisensory nature of the human mind that has emerged from the field of cognitive neuroscience research. This review therefore provides a summary of the role of the human senses in architectural design practice, both when considered individually and, more importantly, when studied collectively. For it is only by recognizing the fundamentally multisensory nature of perception that one can really hope to explain a number of surprising crossmodal environmental or atmospheric interactions, such as between lighting colour and thermal comfort and between sound and the perceived safety of public space. At the same time, however, the contemporary focus on synaesthetic design needs to be reframed in terms of the crossmodal correspondences and multisensory integration, at least if the most is to be made of multisensory interactions and synergies that have been uncovered in recent years. Looking to the future, the hope is that architectural design practice will increasingly incorporate our growing understanding of the human senses, and how they influence one another. Such a multisensory approach will hopefully lead to the development of buildings and urban spaces that do a better job of promoting our social, cognitive, and emotional development, rather than hindering it, as has too often been the case previously.

During the last decades, the increasing need to ensure building performance during architectural design has led to highly interactive relations between architecture and various other disciplines, in which concepts of sustainability and building performance are tightly integrated into the design process. However, the adoption of these concepts in architectural practices and the recent advancements in the field have remained rather slow. This research aims to understand performative design (PD) in the context of existing design practices and investigate integrated design strategies and potentials of computational design throughout the whole design process. In this research, a qualitative study was carried out, focusing on PD processes in architectural practices based on semi-structured interviews and case studies. The collected data from nine selected architectural practices is analyzed through a thematic coding approach. The findings reveal that the widespread use of computational tools and technologies and the increasing awareness of both architects and clients on building performance have changed the design priorities in architectural practices. The results also show that the competence of the design team, the tools used during design processes, the involvement of direct and indirect stakeholders, shifting client demands, and market values are effective in pursuing an integrated PD process. Consequently, this research contributes to the current understanding of performative architectural design practices by investigating the key performance concepts, supporting computational tools, and finally the current practices of PD.

This paper explores the integration of gaming software, specifically Unreal Engine into architectural design practice and education. It presents two case studies illustrating how these tools can be utilized to enhance architectural design processes, challenging abstract, static and service-oriented representation techniques. It argues for the importance of simulation and filmic practices as generative tools for architectural design allowing for immersive and interactive stakeholder engagement as well as public broadcasting, expanding modes of future practice. The paper advocates for the inclusion of these tools in design studio pedagogy valuing excellence in education and studio experience, environments and systems that promote future excellence. If ‘Simulation (…) is the generation by models of a real without origin or reality: a hyperreal.’ (Baudrillard, 1994) then we can imagine architectural drawings working as models for the construction of this ‘hyperreal’. Drawings are the primary medium through which architects communicate their projects to clients, stakeholders, contractors or the public. Orthographic projections, models and images allow architects to describe and illustrate a design idea. Rendering outputs particularly, have taken over the marketing aspects of architectural practice for their visual immediacy amongst audiences not versed in reading abstract drawings. Images are incredibly powerful in ‘selling’ concepts, but digital rendering tools are expensive, complex and hard to master in an already time-poor practice. In recent years, open-source gaming engine software has emerged as a competitive alternative for architects to not only render still images but also to evaluate real-time design proposals in an immersive and highly accurate virtual environment. The research outlines two case studies illustrating the utilization of Unreal Engine 5 in architectural practice as well as in design studio pedagogy, arguing for the multifaceted ways in which these instruments allow for novel ways to simulate, evaluate and present design ideas to a broader audience. Through the Swan Hill Visitor Centre Project designed by Common, a first case study illustrates how the software allows precise design decisions pertaining to contextual information, materiality, light and spatial user experience. As a real-time design evaluation tool with fast rendering processing and vast amounts of embedded plugins and assets, it provides practitioners with valuable ways to assess design iteration and development in real-time. A second case study describing a Masters Design Studio pedagogy at the Melbourne School of Design in 2024 (Future Matters Studio D) illustrates how the software allows students to speculate on urban future challenges through a design fiction lens. Architectural design has ‘always been capable of con­structing fantasy and science fiction imagery, foreshadowing the future’ (Sambo, 2024) as illustrated in the works of Liam Young, Lebbeus Woods or Ian Cheng. As such, a filmic tool such as this could provide a novel way to engage with future design practice, expanding the scope of design impact. The above was exemplified through a series of images, video and user experience photographs to illustrate the effectiveness of the software, with a final reflection on the advantages and disadvantages of adopting these tools within established design studio models, while meeting intended learning outcomes. The research concludes with a positive appraisal of the incorporation of tools like Unreal Engine 5 as design enablers, rather than design visualizers, highlighting how simulation and immersion technologies can foster new ways of thinking, communicating and designing for practitioners and for students. References Baudrillard, J. (1994). Simulacra and Simulation (S. Glaser, Trans.). University of Michigan Press. https://press.umich.edu/Books/S/Simulacra-and-Simulation Candy, S. & Young, L. (2019). I design worlds, Journal of Future Studies’ 23(3), 113-118. https://jfsdigital.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/10-Young-I-Design-Worlds.pdf Cheng, I. (2018). Emissaries Guide to Worlding. Koenig Books. DUNNE, A., & RABY, F. (2013). BEYOND RADICAL DESIGN? In Speculative Everything: Design, Fiction, and Social Dreaming (pp. 1–10). The MIT Press. http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt9qf7j7.5 Sambo, M. M. (2024). Introduction. AR Magazine: From drawing to the metaverse/ Imagined architecture, scripts, artificial languages, 129/130. https://www.architettiroma.it/armag/ Young, L. (2020). Planet City. Uro Publications.

In this article, we propose that new architectural design practices might be based on machine learning approaches to better leverage data-rich environments and workflows. Through reference to recent architectural research, we describe how the application of machine learning can occur throughout the design and fabrication process, to develop varied relations between design, performance and learning. The impact of machine learning on architectural practices with performance-based design and fabrication is assessed in two cases by the authors. We then summarise what we perceive as current limits to a more widespread application and conclude by providing an outlook and direction for future research for machine learning in architectural design practice.

This study addresses the challenges and barriers associated with the implementation of circular economy principles in architectural design and construction practices. It highlights the fragmented knowledge and lack of a unified approach to circular design as a major obstacle hindering the adoption of circularity. The existing frameworks for assessing circularity, such as the Material Circularity Indicator (MCI) protocol and the Level(s) assessment protocol, are applied to two projects with a high degree of deconstruction to understand their applicability in the architectural design process and identify their limitations. The study emphasises the significance of considering structural connectivity and circularity strategies during the concept-design stage, advocating for the incorporation of circularity at various scales beyond the microscale of materials. Furthermore, it emphasises the need for early implementation of Design for Disassembly (DfD) strategies on circularity scoring to enable meaningful comparisons of alternative designs using circularity metrics. The findings reveal the variability of circularity indicators based on the hierarchy of disassembly and highlights an early-stage design approach to deconstruction strategies to achieve circularity in architectural design. Overall, this study upscales the significance of a comprehensive and integrated approach to circularity in architectural design practices.

"Koolhaas, Prof. Remment, (born 17 Nov. 1944), Joint Founder and Partner, OMA (formerly Office for Metropolitan Architecture), since 1975; Professor in Practice of Architecture and Urban Design, Graduate School of Design, Harvard University, since 1995" published on by Oxford University Press.

This paper is dedicated to predictive relationships between space design and acoustic performance in architectural practice through auraliza-tion. With such a relationship, design alternatives can be evaluated subjectively, as well as objectively, without being constructed. In traditional practice, designers rely on vague experiences and rough estimates to predict acoustic effects while designing architectural spaces. Acoustic analysis and predication are seen as a luxury remedy and only affordable in large-scale theaters and concert halls. The recent available personal-computer-based auralization technologies brought the possibility of applying the latest science and art of architectural acoustics into design practices. Case studies presented in this paper illustrate that the auralization technology makes it possible for potential occupants as well as designers to evaluate the acoustic performance of a design by hearing it directly before a decision to build is made. They also illustrate that the auralization is a powerful tool for the general public to uncover everyday acoustic problems in common building types that have been constantly harming their well being and would otherwise be undetected. Furthermore, they demonstrate that auralization is an effective means to evaluate noise effect on subjective perception where the noise effect is signal context dependent.

The aim of the paper is to formulate scientific foundations for the effective functioning of communication in architectural design practice. More specifically, communication is considered in the context of the architectural process. Current relevance. The need for establishing interaction or communication between the architect, the customer, the user and other participants of the architectural process has arisen due to the changes in Russian society and modern-day Russian architectural and building construction legislation. The nature of interactions between the architect and authorization agencies has changed, the number of participants in the architectural process has increased, customers in the architectural and building process have become more diverse, and the procedures for obtaining authorizations for the design documentation have changed. Research methods. The article reviews actual design cases in Ekaterinburg and demonstrates essential points of conflict arising in the communication processes. From the perspective of architectural theory, the authors formulate fundamental concepts of communication, communicative processes and communicative space of the architectural and building process. An interdisciplinary approach to the problem helps to formulate the basic vectors of interactions in the architectural process as a communicative space. Main conclusions. The article presents the distinctive features of communication in the design practice of Ekaterinburg. The basic fundamental concepts of communication in the theory of architecture are defined.

Purpose: This research is a review of current and past daylighting simulation tools from the perspective of the Architect, one of the key stakeholder in the integration of the science of daylighting into architectural practice. The review is evaluated based on criteria identified through existing literature. First, a review of integration and interoperability with mainstream architectural CAD platform is initiated and second an evaluation of select tools were performed based on a simple simulation task involving a typical classroom. Method: Over fifty daylighting simulation tools are categorized based on its integration and plotted on an “integration matrix” to illustrate compatibility with mainstream architectural software. The matrix is used as a basis to identify daylighting simulation tools for further evaluation. Evaluation of the tools are based on functionality, ease of use, and visualization. Result: Findings include recent increase in available daylighting simulation tools in the form of plug-ins to existing architectural CAD platforms. In addition, the integration matrix provides valuable information to architects and designers in the selection of Daylighting Simulation Tool, one of the key hurdles that designers face in the implementation of daylighting in architectural design practice. Furthermore, the evaluation of the tools provides information in the aid and development of future Daylighting Simulation Tools.

Ethics based on subjectivity and freedom is little recognized as a plausible ground for informing the ethical practice of architectural design. Sartre's existentialism is suited to address the ethical issue of architectural design freedom and subjectivity, and, as such, to contribute to an ethical framework for architectural design practice. Sartre's philosophy is concerned with subjectivity and freedom and focuses on making choices in full awareness and acceptance of personal freedom and responsibility. Drawing on Sartrean concepts, an ethical framework for architectural design practice is proposed. It takes the form of a reflective process aiming at encouraging a clearer awareness of individual design freedom and responsibility that can lead to “authentic” architectural design practice. In this lies the value and significance of the framework for architectural design practice with regard to ethical design dilemmas.

Existing sensory design literature indicates that architectural and urban design practices are creating spaces that fail to deliver on non-visual experience. New technologies provide opportunities to measure specific environmental characteristics and human response to them. Similarly, new environmental design evaluation tools have been developed. Yet to date, few empirical studies have applied these in assessing the interface between humans and the designed environment, limiting discussion regarding their potential use in urban and architectural design practice. This paper outlines the findings of two pilot studies; in Hanley, Stoke, England and the Neues Museum, Berlin, Germany, and introduces a hybrid method with potential to enhance understanding of the relationship between humans and sensory urban and architecturally designed space. The results suggest different emotional and sensory profiles according to urban typology and spatial characteristics and indicate that further understanding in this area would assist in realising more humanistic architectural design.

ABSTRACTWell-considered building codes turn out to be insufficient to ensure inclusive building design, suggesting a need for change in how building accessibility is addressed in architectural design practice. This article presents Rent-a-Spatialist, an attempt at socially innovating architectural design practice based on the skills of disabled people. Due to their particular interaction with the built environment, disabled people are able to appreciate spatial qualities architects may not be attuned to, which would contribute to a more inclusive built environment. Because this ability is rarely used in architectural design practice, and disabled people have a vulnerable position on the job market, we explored the potential of mobilising disability experience as a consultancy service to inform architectural design practice, which connects improving material conditions with improving social relations. To this end we probed the interest in such a service by interviewing 34 built environment professionals involved in building design and construction or exploitation in Belgium or the Netherlands. In addition, seven disabled people and 12 HR experts specialised in workforce diversity were interviewed about the potential of the envisaged service. Findings suggest that the service could strengthen disabled people's position on the job market by enabling them to gain work experience. However, efforts are needed to convince built environment professionals of its added value, and to clarify issues related to disabled people's employee status.

Increased timber construction is putting pressure on Ireland’s limited structural-grade timber stock, while recovered timber is currently downcycled or incinerated. Design for Adaptability, disassembly and reuse (DfADR) has emerged as a response to this wasteful linear process, which can increase the life span of structures, the ease of disassembly during and after use, and improve the quality of recovered material. However, while many DfADR strategies have been identified, uptake in architectural practice is lacking. Impediments to DfADR were identified through an analysis of an existing timber-framed structure and a modified design developed based on the ISO 20887:2020 principles to illustrate practical solutions. In tandem, a decision tool was developed that organised the plethora of identified strategies by the ISO principles and the work stages used by designers to facilitate integration into practice. Modest reconfigurations of the space and roof structure increased adaptability, access to services for replacement and repair, and expansion potential to increase service life, while rationalized timber sizes improved reuse potential. Using wood nails in stud and joist framing, with screws replacing nails elsewhere, and omitting adhesives from the floor panels increased the ease of disassembly. These relatively minor changes resulted in nearly 3 times the amount of solid timber with a high reuse potential (≥2348 mm) recovered over the original design, highlighting the impact DfADR can have on the recoverability and reusability of timber.