Advanced Materials Research Vols 490-495 (2012) pp 2105-2109 Online: 2012-03-15

© (2012) Trans Tech Publications, Switzerland

doi:10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMR.490-495.2105

Digital Design Technology in the Contemporary Architecture

Ping Su 1, a, Lu Xiong 1,b
1
School of Architecture, State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Building Science
South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
a
[email protected], b [email protected]

Keywords: digital design, contemporary architecture, representation technology, generative

technology, supporting technology.

Abstract. Under the influence of development in digital science, a trend of digital design is growing
quickly in the contemporary architecture. According to the function for design process, digital design
technology of contemporary architecture can be summarized in three aspects: representation
technology, generative technology and supporting technology. In this paper, it will study on the main
idea and content of each technology, in order to discover the new developing direction of digital
architecture design methods.

Study Background
Nowadays, digital science is changing the way of living and working in the whole world. In the field
of architectural design, with the development of computer technology, more and more digital design
methods are presented. According to the function for architecture design process, we can summarize
them in three main aspects: representation technology, generative technology and supporting
technology. Each of them will be the major trend of development in architecture design.

Representation Technology
It is the earliest and most widely used digital design techniques in architecture and urban design.
Rendering and Animation. It is demonstrated by the visual analog scene to show the view of
building in the digital space, to help designers and owners to check and adjust the design before
construction. The most popular software in this way for architecture is 3dsmax and Sketchup.
Virtual Reality. This technology is widely used in many fields, including entertainment, training,
design and military affairs.
Process Design Expression. Process-based model can rapidly produce virtual reality scenes.
Architecture design model can be quickly transformed into a virtual reality scene which can roam
even for general public. Rely mainly on the computer automatically processed, architects need only a
simple setup, and as far as possible in 30 minutes to begin the virtual reality presentation. The main
computer operations luminous efficiency (such as light environment simulation, radiosity or global
illumination, etc.) and collision (such as the object can pass through the system with gravity, people
can walk on the floor and up and down stairs, encountered in the wall to stop roaming and pass
through the door in digital space). If the computing time can be limited in 12 hours, the architect will
be able to use the computer for work breaks, and the next day the program evaluation process can be
used through the virtual reality system. So improve the efficiency of virtualization software is the
future direction of development.
Final Results Expression. Model based on the final design results need more details to produce
the digital scenes completely real. It requires a lot of human resources for model refinement and
optimization, add various effects (such as opening and closing of doors and windows, electrical
switches, AI character, etc.), and strive to achieve the effect of real environment. Production cycle
would take even more than a week. The expression of the final results does not affect to the design, it
mainly face to the owners and the general public to show and propagandize the project. The result of
virtual reality expression can be seen in Fig. 1.

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2106 Mechatronics and Intelligent Materials II

Generative Technology
Generative technology refers to the practice of any art; the artist applied a certain degree of autonomy
in the design system, such as a series of natural language rules, a computer program, a machine, or
other processes. There are many types in these systems and close ties with each other.
Formal Grammars. The simple process of this method can be explained as to set some basic rules by
human and create the design by computer. The rule can be everything but need to be changed in
computer logic, it is something related with AI.
Shape Grammars. Shape grammar is invented by Georgy Stiny and James Gips in 1971. Shape
grammar contains the rules and shape generation engine, which select and shape the implementation
of the rules. Shape grammar is used to generate the design and research of historic buildings.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology is mainly research institute of shape grammar.
L-system. L-system is a form of grammar, by the Hungarian theoretical biologist Aristid
Lindenmayer invented in 1968. The most famous application of L-system is simulation on plant
growth. L-system can also be used to generate self-similar fractal graphics. Architects are also using
L-system to simulate the biological characteristics to generate design idea. Fig. 2 is to show a
architecture design research of L-system by the Columbia University.

Fig.1 The presentation of virtual reality scene in campus design (left)

Fig.2 Concept design by Columbia University using the L-system tools (right)

Biological Models. With the development of biology, genetic and computational science, people
realized that biological growth, reproduction and morphology and computer science are closely
linked. One can conclude that biological laws, and then use the computer's powerful computing
capability, analog to generate biological patterns. Human beings can even set your computer of the
genetic code of species, to create the evolution of the virtual environment.
Genetic Algorithms. Genetic Algorithms (referred GA) is a new artificial intelligence algorithm,
which uses genetic development algorithm, simulate the genetic (copy), recombination and mutation
(mutation) to constitute the answer of design questions. As the population biology and evolution
through competition, so the genetic algorithm can be calculated the best of the knowledge structure.
Designers use a variety of programs to generate ways to generate possibilities, and when the
number of possible options to achieve optimal is to large to be artificial, you can use genetic
algorithm optimization program, to compete and evolve the possibilities of the program and thus
produce the best possible solution.
Karl Chu of Columbia University proposed the concept of genetic architecture. He believes that
building has its own genes, and can be the same as biological evolution of development. Gene
architectural concept is shown in Fig. 3, which is still at an experimental stage of construction.
 Advanced Materials Research Vols. 490-495 2107

Fig.3 Gene architectural design experiment by Karl Chu

Cellular Automata. Cellular automata rules included in the distribution grid of cells. Each cell
has its own state. The state of each cell will affect the state of its neighboring cells, in turn, the state of
each cell are determined by its neighboring cells. Such that whenever a cell's status changes, the entire
system will have a corresponding change.
Cellular automata have been widely applied to social, economic, military and scientific research in
various fields. Boundary in nature, some organisms show a natural cellular automaton generation
process which can be seen in Fig. 4. Many architects are also applications of cellular automata to
generate design works.
Parametric Design. This is a more efficiency way to related with traditional design approach. For
example, using the software likes Rhino and Grasshopper, to make the non-linear forms in
architecture design like Zaha. There are two ways for parametric design. One is call up-down process,
designers make the overall design concept in the beginning, computers in the design process become
a thinking media for designer, thought step by step detailed design, automatically implementer the
designer’s ideas. The other way call down-up process; it is a relatively new design method. The
architecture does not make the final outcome of the design concept, but set up the relationship
between the basic structure and logic, then the rules entered into the computer, let it calculate the
design results. The result could be the one which the designers never imagined, but the logic of it is
able to meet the requirements of architectural design. This design approach is similar to the natural
formation process. No one form the nature to make the idea of diversity, but the emergence of
self-organization in nature is a variety of different structures. The way of parametric design is widely
used in many design fields; Fig. 5 is to shown the examples how parametric design works.

Fig.4 Cellular Automata in nature (left)

Fig.5 Sample of bottle design using parametric technology by Lu Xiong (right)
2108 Mechatronics and Intelligent Materials II

Construction of Digital. Currently, there is variety of digital design technology present, but most of
them are still remain in the digital space instead of the real world. Complex shape challenges the
traditional building construction technology. In many cases, how to design the shape is not a problem,
the problem is how to build. This is also a test to the designers. Architects are responsible to study the
design and construction methods for building the structure to meet the digital requirements. CAM is
the most important direction for research in the future.
Digital City generated. In the field of urban planning, it also presents some research on digital urban
form making. The principle of it is to analyze and summarize the city's rules (like grammar to
languages) and elements (like vocabulary to languages) firstly, and then translated it into the rules of
syntax which the computer can identify, finally entered the data into the computer, the computer
automatically generate the urban form consistent with the design grammar of urban planning and
design (like the languages itself).
In entertainment field, such as movie making has developed a technique to generate a mature urban
system, the user can quickly generate a metropolis, including the road network, streets, buildings and
so on. Such systems for movies, computer games also provide a scenario for urban designers to
optimize the digital design tools.

Support Technology
These technologies will enhance the design and construction skills, advance the work efficiency and
quality of building.
Human-Machine Interaction Design. It is a computer input-output device, an effective way of
dialogue between man and computer. System can be a variety of machines; it can be computerized
system and software. Interactive user interface usually means the visible way. Designers use the user
interfaces to communicate with the computer system and operate it. The technique of human-machine
interaction design will change the way of drawing and construction.
Electronic Communication. Internet technology change the organization of design, time and place
is not a limitation for working in the internet times. But the most important change is not the way of
working, the change of the living style will maximally affect the design thinking of architecture. The
traditional rules for function and space will be different in the information times, it calls a new logic
of design methods.
BIM (Building Information Modeling). BIM is a construction model of the building with relevant
information and data base. The building model has five characteristics: visualization, coordination,
simulation, optimization and printing. Some of the big scale building projects are using this
technology to manage the life-cycle process of building; popular software of BIM in architecture field
is DP, Revit and Archicad.
Architecture Robotics. Robotics is the implementation of automatic machine device. It can accept
human command, and can run a pre-arranged program, also based on the principles of artificial
intelligence techniques to develop programs of action. Its mission is to assist or replace human work,
such as manufacturing, construction, or dangerous work. Prof. Behrokh Khoshevis and his team in
the University of Southern California had developed a model of construction robot can build the
concrete structure house in according to the 3D digital model automatically, and complete a two-story
house within 24 hours.
Conclusion
Up to now, even the digital technology is changing the way of architecture thinking, but the basic
concept of building is still not change so much. Development of information technology will be a
revolution to the human society, so that we can no longer maintain the tradition of modernist
architecture. Flickering in front of us, it is sometimes exciting, sometimes horrifying. We are bound
to be in the age of exploration, but we believe of information technology, information society,
information is our city future, and for us the struggle for direction.
 Advanced Materials Research Vols. 490-495 2109

Acknowledgements
This work was financially supported by the Research Subject of State Key Laboratory of Subtropical
Building Science, South China University of Technology (2009ZC12).

References
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[4] T. Leng, Technology • Body • Inspiration：About Clarification of Computer Technology Cover
Design Inspiration, Huazhong Architecture, 01 (2011), 21-24 (in Chinese)
[5] H. Lu, Y. Ji, Digital Leading Design: Impact of Architecture Design from Digital Technology,
A+C Design, 07 (2009), 46-4 (in Chinese)
Mechatronics and Intelligent Materials II
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Digital Design Technology in the Contemporary Architecture

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