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Comprehending Algorithmic Design

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Computer-Aided Architectural Design. Design Imperatives: The Future is Now (CAAD Futures 2021)

Part of the book series: Communications in Computer and Information Science ((CCIS,volume 1465))

Abstract

Algorithmic Design (AD) allows for the creation of form through algorithms. Its inherent flexibility encourages the exploration of a wider design space, the automation of design tasks and design optimization, considerably reducing project costs and environmental impact. Nevertheless, current AD uses representation methods that radically differ from those used in architectural practice, creating a mismatch that is further exacerbated by the inadequacy of current programming environments. This creates a barrier to the adoption of AD, demotivating architects from its use.

We propose to address this problem by coupling AD with adequate representation methods for designing complex architectural projects. To this end, we explore three essential concepts: storytelling, interactive evaluation, and reactivity. These concepts can be both complementary and mutually exclusive, which means compromises must be made to accommodate them all. We outline a strategy for their integration with the AD workflow, highlighting the advantages and disadvantages of each one, and pinpointing their intersection. Finally, we evaluate the proposed strategy using computational notebooks as programming environments.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by national funds through Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) (references UIDB/50021/2020, PTDC/ART-DAQ/31061/2017) and a PhD grants under contract of FCT (DFA/BD/4682/2020).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. INESC-ID/Instituto Superior Técnico, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal

    Renata Castelo-Branco & António Leitão

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  1. Renata Castelo-Branco
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  2. António Leitão
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Renata Castelo-Branco .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    David Gerber

  2. University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Evangelos Pantazis

  3. Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA

    Biayna Bogosian

  4. University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada

    Alicia Nahmad

  5. Aalto University, Espoo, Finland

    Constantinos Miltiadis

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Castelo-Branco, R., Leitão, A. (2022). Comprehending Algorithmic Design. In: Gerber, D., Pantazis, E., Bogosian, B., Nahmad, A., Miltiadis, C. (eds) Computer-Aided Architectural Design. Design Imperatives: The Future is Now. CAAD Futures 2021. Communications in Computer and Information Science, vol 1465. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-1280-1_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-1280-1_2

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