Parametric Design Environment Research Articles

Comparing Designers' Behavior in Responding to Unexpected Discoveries in Parametric Design Environments and Geometry Modeling Environments

This paper presents a protocol study which compares designers' behaviors when unexpected discoveries appear in a parametric design environment (PDE) and a traditional geometry modeling environment (GME). From the view of design situatedness, designers tend to adapt and respond to the design situation as it continuously changes during the design process. The hypothesis is that when unexpected discoveries appear, these changing design situations can significantly affect designers' cognitive activities. In this study, we are interested in exploring designers' behaviors in responding to these unexpected discoveries in PDEs, and further, to compare those behaviors in GMEs. An experiment was conducted in which five designers completed two similar design tasks respectively in a PDE and a GME. Applying the research method of protocol analysis, designers' behaviors in response to unexpected discoveries in these two design environments are compared and discussed.

Comparing Designers’ Problem-Solving Behavior in a Parametric Design Environment and a Geometric Modeling Environment

This paper presents the results of a protocol study which compares designers’ behavior in a parametric design environment (PDE) and a geometric modeling environment (GME). An experiment was conducted in which seven designers were required to complete two architectural conceptual design tasks with similar complexity respectively in a PDE and GME. Protocol analysis is employed to compare the cognitive behavior of designers in these two environments. By analyzing the designers’ actions, including shifting between “problem” and “solution” spaces, it was possible to compare their cognitive activities in PDEs and GMEs. Results of this research suggest that designers put similar effort into the design problem space and the solution space in PDE and GME and that interaction between these two spaces also appears similar in the two design environments. However, different Problem-Solution index values and discontinuity ratios are found across design stages of the two design environments.

Embedded Rationality: A Unified Simulation Framework for Interactive Form Finding

This paper describes embedded rationality as a method for implicitly combining fabrication constraints into an interactive framework for conceptual design. While the concept of ‘embedded rationality’ has been previously discussed in the context of a parametric design environment, we employ this concept to present a novel framework for dynamic simulation as a method for interactive form-finding. By identifying categories of computational characteristics, we present a unified physics-solver that generalizes existing simulations through a constraint-based approach. Through several examples we explore conceptual approaches to a fixed form where the resulting effects of interacting forces are produced in real-time. Finally, we provide an example of embedded rationality by examining a constraint-based model of fabrication rationale for a Planar Offset Quad (POQ) panelization system.

Computational Design of Parametric Scripts for Digital Fabrication of Curved Structures

This paper explores strategies for building toolchains to design, develop and fabricate architectural designs. It explains how complex curved structures can be constructed from flat standard panels. The hypothesis of this research is that by embedding ruled based procedures addressing generative, variational, iterative, and fabricational logics into early phases of design, both design techniques and digital fabrication methods can merge to solve a recurrent problem in contemporary architectural design, building double curved structures. Furthermore it achieves this using common fabrication methods and standard construction materials. It describes the processes of programming computational tools creating and developing designs to fabricate continuous complex curved structures. I describe this through a series of experiments, using parametric design environments and scripted functions, implementing certain techniques to fabricate these designs using rapid prototyping machines. Comparing different design and fabrication approaches I offer a discussion about universal application of programmed procedures into architectural design.

Integrating Parametric Hull Generation into Early Stage Design

Parametric hull surface generation is presented as an alternative to the traditional approach of scaling from parent hull forms or manually modifying the hull surface definition. The arrangement of these patterns constructs an intrinsic hull form topology. This topology simplifies the definition and modification of hull shapes. An interface provides tools which constrain surface definition to shapes in the topology. Geometrical curve definition allows changes to propagate, maintaining the correct hull form shape. Alternatively, numerical form parameters can transform the design by modifying the definition at the correct location in the topology. The IntelliHull concept is used as detailed example, demonstrating the capabilities of this commercial software when integrated into the Paramarine parametric ship design environment.