Decoding Kashgar

Gamification of digital heritage

through decoding brick architecture in Kashgar

SERDAR AYDIN

DECEMBER 23, 2014 AIT BUILDING, CUHK

CONTENT CONTEXT DECODE RTD PROBLEM STATEMENT RESEARCH QUESTIONS OBJECTIVES & SIGNIFICANCE SCOPE METHODOLOGY CASE STUDIES CONCLUSION

Context Gamers, digital heritage and

computational architecture

“Games are serious, more serious than life.”

– Baudrillard

The research context

Gamers Digital

Heritage

Computational Architecture

GAMIFICATION OF ARCHITECTURE

Supported by

Decode Converting a message into

intelligible language

By decoding Kashgar, this research aims at designing an ‘architecture

game’ through which collective intelligence could make contribution

to digital heritage of the historical town.

the moment of decoding as

'the moment of reception

[or] consumption... by... the

reader/hearer/viewer' which

is regarded by most

theorists as 'closer to a form

of "construction"' than to

'the passivity... suggested by

the term "reception"'

(Chandler 2002). Research Through Design

RESEARCH DESIGN

?

decode

CODED MESSAGE INTELLIGEBLE LANGUAGE

Decode transformation diagram

Kashgar’s narrow alleys Game

through Decoding brick architecture

in Kashgar

Gamification of digital

heritage

…'decoding' involves not

simply basic recognition and

comprehension of what a

text 'says' but also the

interpretation and evaluation

of its meaning with

reference to relevant codes.

RTD (RESEARCH THROUGH DESIGN)

RTD provides the epistemological concepts for the development of

genuine design research paradigm, which is a condition for

methodological development. (Jonas, 2007, 187)

RTD diagram

RESEARCH decoding Kashgar through

Design Science - Emphasise the discipline of designing - Based on analysis of the essential elements of products - How products are produced and distributed

shape grammars

through through

DESIGN gamification through

Rhetorical Inquiry - Emphasise the inventive and creative designer - Effect social change through argument and communication

game design

RTD diagram

through through

RTD diagram

DESIGN

through

RESEARCH

gamification

through

decoding Kashgar

methodology

through

through

shape grammars

game design

methodology

RESEARCH

DESIGN

through

decoding Kashgar

gamification of architecture

through

Design Science

Design Inquiry

Rhetorical Inquiry

Dig

ital H

erita

ge

Arc

hite

ctur

e through

through

shape grammars

game design

RTD diagram

SYNTHESIS “the real” SYNTHESIS “the real” ANALYSIS “the true”

Domains of design inquiry (Jonas, 1996)

Shape Grammars

- Fieldwork

- Expert-minded

Game development

- Prototyping

- User-centred

PROJECTION “the ideal”

Future work

- Market analysis

- Wider audience

Statement Kashgar, a walled city with a maze of

narrow cobbled alleyways

In contrast to building its instantly accessible digital images to which

the idiosyncrasies of Kashgar are irreducible, this project needs not

to identify with Kashgar. Otherwise, it would be a delusion of

believing that visualization of such a distinctive heritage is possible.

Kashgar

Location of Kashgar on a map drawn in Divânu Lügati't-Türk, the first comprehensive dictionary of Turkic language written by Mahmud al-Kashgari, who is an Uyghur scholar from Kashgar, in the 11th century .

Sad'i and the Youth of Kashgar. http://www.wikiart.org/en/kamal-ud-din-behzad/sad-i-and-the-youth-of-kashgar-1486

Lost Enlightenment by F. Starr tells the history of Central Asia between the 8th and 12th centuries.

igmirien@instagram

igmirien@instagram Duarte, JP, JM Rocha, and GD Soarez. 2007. "Unveiling the structure of the Marrakech Medina: A shape grammar and an interpreter for generating urban form." Artificial Intelligence for Engineering Design, Analysis and Manufacturing no. 21:317–349.

kurbanjansamat@instagram

ninizhengying@instagram

igmirien@instagram

Questions “What function of the imagination

can erect absolute difference at the

point of deepest resemblance?”

http://travelcathay.com/2014/11/11/kashgar-controversial-facelift/ Photo by Josh Summers

http://travelcathay.com/2014/11/11/kashgar-controversial-facelift/ Photo by Josh Summers

Peirce, Aileen, and Polly Putnam. 2014. Authenticity and Authorship: The Chocolate Kitchens at Hampton Court Palace. Proceedings of Proceedings of Nodem 2014: Engaging Spaces Interpretation, Design and Digital Strategies, December

1-3, 2014, at Warsaw

http://www.vsmm2014.org/

LUXLAB Workshop 2013

• How does digital means create a new hustle-and-bustle based on the social

dimension of the maze-like urban character of Kashgar’s brick architecture?

• How different are the spatial organisation hitherto generated by Kashgar

people and that of a modern understanding of younger generation? Therefore

how applicable is the Kashgar architecture to others’ understanding of spatial

organisation?

• How do game environments help a younger generation (=community)

contribute to digital heritage of an ancient town?

• How do different cultures empathy with each other through contemporary

digital mediums?

• How accurate a shape grammar method to deliver an architectural knowledge

and generate new variations?

• Given that majority of the old city has been demolished, how can a novel

digital heritage modelling technique – shape grammars – reinvigorate an

already demolished entity?

Research questions

Objectives &

Significance This is a unique and very timely research opportunity. Since Kashar’s

old city centre will be destroyed over the next years, the research

allows capturing the extraordinary cultural expressions that

profoundly influenced both by Arabic and Chinese Architectures.

Scope Converting a message into

intelligible language

By decoding Kashgar, this research aims at designing an ‘architecture

game’ through which collective intelligence could make contribution

to digital heritage of the historical town.

Former ‘World’s largest LAN Party’ DreamHack in Jönköping, Sweden, 2007

Methodology Design Research

By taking a design research approach, this project aims to provide

new insights gained through design practice to provide a better

understanding of complex and future-oriented issues in digital

heritage.

Design as:

- projective process

- human-centred process

- innovation process

- political / social process

Design as:

- cognitive process

- semiotic process

- communicative process

Observer perspectives in the design research process

research for design ou

twar

ds research through design

Design as subject of

disciplinary research:

- historical

- philosophical

- psychological

research about design

Design as the

INACCESSIBLE medium of

knowledge production

research as design

inw

ards

Observer Position

Looking

Outside the design system Inside the design system

Topography of Design Research (Sanders, 2006)

Participatory Mindset

Expert Mindset

Design-led

Research-led

Users seen as subjects “reactive informers”

Users seen as partners “active co-creators”

A new bubble on the map, Gamification


Expert Mindset

Design-led

Research-led



Gamification

A new bubble on the map, Gamification


Expert Mindset

Design-led

Research-led



Gamification

Steps of the iterative micro process of learning / designing

research analysis synthesis realization

Do

main

s o

f d

esi

gn

in

qu

iry,

ste

ps

/ co

mp

on

en

ts o

f

the ite

rati

ve m

acro

pro

cess

of

desi

gn

ing

ANALYSIS

"the true"

how it is today

How to get data on

the situation as it

IS?

How to make sense

of this data?

How to understand

the situation as a

whole?

How to present the

situation as IS?

data on what IS knowledge on

what IS

worldviews consent on the

situation

PROJECTION

"the ideal"

how it could be

How to get data on

future changes?

How to interpret

these data?

How to get

consistent images

of possible futures?

How to present the

future scenarios?

future-related

data

information

about futures

scenarios consent on

problems / goals

SYNTHESIS

"the real"

how it is tomorrow

How to get data on

the situation as it

SHALL BE?

How to evaluate

these data?

How to design

solutions of the

problem?

How to present the

solutions?

problem data problem, list of

requirements

design solutions decisions about

"go / no go"

COMMUNICATION

"the driver"

How to establish the process and move it forward? How to enable positive team

dynamics? How to find balance between action/reflection? How to build hot teams? How

to enable equal participation?

focused and efficient teamwork

Generic design process model (Hugentobler et al, 2004)

Bi-furcation of the design process model

Coding Scheme

• UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehical) + GoPro

• Uploading Data via Autodesk Recap

• Translating in Autodesk Revit

• Initial Analysis & Measuring

research

analysis

• Path Finding Rules

• Lot Generation Rules

• Lot Division Rules

• Function Rules (Space Syntax)

• Clash Intelligence

• Testing - Rule Variations

synthesis

• Game Mechanics (Verbs)

• Game Components (Nouns)

• Game Dynamics (Grammar)

• Aesthetics

• Experience

• Initial Testing on ModRule

THE designer

gamerS

realisation

• Uploading Rules (Unity3D)

• Game Development

• Interactivity Design

• Launch a Prototype

Bi-furcation of the design process model

Feedback Levels

First-level feedback

Feedback Levels


Second-level feedback

Feedback Levels


Third-level feedback


Feedback Levels


Games as Culture Game Dynamics



Feedback Levels




Games as Culture Game Dynamics

igmirien@instagram

As products of human culture, games fulfil a range

of needs, desires, pleasures and uses. As products

of design culture, games reflect a host of

technological, material, formal and economic

concerns (Salen and Zimmerman, 2004)

Games as culture

Cases Design research; digital heritage;

shape grammars; gamification;

game design

Unveiling the structure of the Marrakech Medina (Duarte et al, 2007)

Foldit

Monument Valley

How cultural heritage inspires

creative studios to create best-

selling games

http://youtu.be/mCCC9hQm6MM

Impossible connections



Anatomy of a node


Is it accessible?


Loops – Dynamics – Levels + Sub-levels

Conclusion A new layer on Kashgar’s map sits on its architectural aspect where

the social dimension converges with the computerised game levels.

In ‘Military Report on Kashgaria’ prepared by the British Intelligence Branch in Simla, India. The map is credited to Captain A.R.B. Shuttleworth.

http://horsethatleaps.com/kashgarmap_oldnew/



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Game Over Thanks for your attention

to be continued…