6
Automation in Construction 1 (1992) 1-6 1 Elsevier A conceptual model for CAAD Herman Neuckermans University of Leuuen, Department of Architecture, Kasteel van Arenberg, B-3001 Heverlee, Belgium Keywords: Computers; design; architecture; modelling. 1. Introduction Computer-aided design in architecture is still in its infancy. Although numerous packages are sold for drafting, for computation and word pro- cessing, one can hardly say that CAAD has had a significant impact on architecture till now. On the contrary, there is a serious gap between the ongo- ing debate on architecture amongst the leading theoreticians on the one hand, and CAAD on the other hand. While architectural theory empha- sizes strongly the semantic approach using the metaphor as generator of concepts, CAAD seems to be based mainly on the problem-solving paradigm, on functional and rational reasoning [1]. Both domains need mutual fertilization to exploit fully the potentialities of computers, now and in the future, and to direct the use of com- puters in paths which are beneficial for architec- ture. Architects need software which enhances their capabilities, software which is in tune with their designerly way of thinking [2], software which makes a more intelligent use of computers [3]. Such an approach, in which the computer really is integrated in the design process, requires a conceptual system for architecture at the basis. 2. The conceptual model: levels, entities, grids, tests Architects seem to use a great variety of con- cepts while designing; types, building elements, spaces, blocks, planes, volumes, structure, etc. Using these concepts some of them follow a top- down procedure, they start from an idea for the overall shape of the building, others proceed ac- cording to a bottom-up strategy, they solve the parts first and assemble them step by step [4]. Whatever the approach, the most important design decisions are taken in the early stages of the design process. That is the reason why a more clever use of computers should start from then. If so, computers can provide the designer with facts and data he could never produce by hand. If the model is built right from the beginning on com- puter, it can be used for computing those tests the designer judges to be relevant at that mo- ment. Doing so, at the same time the unproduc- tive translation of a design made by hand into a digital version of it, is avoided later on. The conceptual model, shown in scheme 1, can be seen as a plan of work capable of handling this reality in the sketch design phase [5]. 2.1. Levels In this model the building program is subdi- vided hierarchically in 3 levels. Each level is com- posed of entities of comparable size or impor- tance, requiring a similar treatment in the design process. These 3 levels span the normal scope of architectural design, but can be extended up- wards so as to encompass the urban design scale. For our purposes we distinguish: 1. the level of the masterplan; 2. the level of singular building blocks; 3. the level of singular rooms or spaces. Each level can be seen as an entry point to the model, allowing the architect to start at the bot- tom, at the top or in the middle, depending on his personal way of working and/or the nature of the problem at hand. Along with the progress of the design process into preliminary and detail design, the model has 0926-5805/92/$05.00 © 1992 - Elsevier Science Publishers B.V. All rights reserved

A conceptual model for CAAD

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Page 1: A conceptual model for CAAD

Automat ion in Construction 1 (1992) 1-6 1 Elsevier

A conceptual model for CAAD

Herman Neuckermans

University of Leuuen, Department of Architecture, Kasteel van Arenberg, B-3001 Heverlee, Belgium

Keywords: Computers; design; architecture; modelling.

1. Introduction

Computer-a ided design in architecture is still in its infancy. Although numerous packages are sold for drafting, for computation and word pro- cessing, one can hardly say that CAAD has had a significant impact on architecture till now. On the contrary, there is a serious gap between the ongo- ing debate on architecture amongst the leading theoreticians on the one hand, and CAAD on the other hand. While architectural theory empha- sizes strongly the semantic approach using the metaphor as generator of concepts, CAAD seems to be based mainly on the problem-solving paradigm, on functional and rational reasoning [1]. Both domains need mutual fertilization to exploit fully the potentialities of computers, now and in the future, and to direct the use of com- puters in paths which are beneficial for architec- ture. Architects need software which enhances their capabilities, software which is in tune with their designerly way of thinking [2], software which makes a more intelligent use of computers [3]. Such an approach, in which the computer really is integrated in the design process, requires a conceptual system for architecture at the basis.

2. The conceptual model: levels, entities, grids, tests

Architects seem to use a great variety of con- cepts while designing; types, building elements, spaces, blocks, planes, volumes, structure, etc. Using these concepts some of them follow a top- down procedure, they start from an idea for the overall shape of the building, others proceed ac-

cording to a bot tom-up strategy, they solve the parts first and assemble them step by step [4].

Whatever the approach, the most important design decisions are taken in the early stages of the design process. That is the reason why a more clever use of computers should start from then. If so, computers can provide the designer with facts and data he could never produce by hand. If the model is built right from the beginning on com- puter, it can be used for computing those tests the designer judges to be relevant at that mo- ment. Doing so, at the same time the unproduc- tive translation of a design made by hand into a digital version of it, is avoided later on. The conceptual model, shown in scheme 1, can be seen as a plan of work capable of handling this reality in the sketch design phase [5].

2.1. Levels

In this model the building program is subdi- vided hierarchically in 3 levels. Each level is com- posed of entities of comparable size or impor- tance, requiring a similar t reatment in the design process. These 3 levels span the normal scope of architectural design, but can be extended up- wards so as to encompass the urban design scale. For our purposes we distinguish: 1. the level of the masterplan; 2. the level of singular building blocks; 3. the level of singular rooms or spaces. Each level can be seen as an entry point to the model, allowing the architect to start at the bot- tom, at the top or in the middle, depending on his personal way of working a n d / o r the nature of the problem at hand.

Along with the progress of the design process into preliminary and detail design, the model has

0926-5805/92/$05.00 © 1992 - Elsevier Science Publishers B.V. All rights reserved

Page 2: A conceptual model for CAAD

2

building . ,,program

level 1

MASTERPLAN

level 2

BLOCK or TYPE

level 3

ROOM or SPACE

name

- basic building types

- masterplan blocks

- circulation axes - site

contingencies

- rooms or singular spaces

building elements:

wall column beam arch opening door window stair chimney

H. Neuckermans / A conceptual model for CAAD

design entities

geometry & attributes

~ < .,

grids

topology & attributes

I 60/90

I n

30/60

10/30

t e s t s

c o s t / m 2 or cosVm 3

surface / block

corn p a c t n e s s

energy requirements

traffic

morphology

views and sights

shade and shadowing

cost ]m 2 based on r a t i o s

surface and volume / space

temperature fluctuations level of insulation

morphology

gross-nett surface / space

cost based on elements

method

comfort prediction

daylighting

sunshining

morphology elementary stability

Scheme 1.

to be extended downwards with another level of building elements.

2.2. Entities

On the level of the masterplan, the designer manipulates basic building blocks called BUILD- ING TYPES, they contain the larger functional components of the building program. The master- plan of a hospital, for example, shows the depart- ments and their layout around the circulation pattern, taken into account the contingencies of the site. On the level of the singular building blocks or types the designer operates on SPACES. Spaces are designed by the positioning of BUILDING ELEMENTS.

2.3. Grids

All these entities are positioned on grids, that are also intertwined in an hierarchic way. The

mesh widths follow the logic of modular co- ordination. This guarantees that entities of a smaller level fit into the larger ones.

On the highest level, the masterplan, the grid is sized according to the spacing of the structure of loadbearing parts of the building. Space di- mensioning follows the logic of a grid with smaller meshes derived from anthropometry (60 cm) and ergonometry (90 cm). Building elements are posi- tioned on a grid with even smaller meshes, 30 cm in horizontal direction in first priority and 10 cm in second priority. These grids have to be 3-di- mensional and finer in the vertical direction than horizontally.

2.4. Tests

For each level a number of tests relevant for that level and that design phase is proposed (scheme 1, column 5). These tests also depend on the specificity of the building program (hospitals,

Page 3: A conceptual model for CAAD

H. Neuckermans / A conceptual model for CAAD 3

schools, offices, housing . . . . ). So will the traffic efficiency, for example, be relevant for the mas- terplanning of hospitals, but not at all for hous- ing.

Decisions about layout of spaces can be checked on floor surface, outer wall and glazing

surface, heat loss and heat gain, cost, 2D and 3D visual impact, daylighting, sunshining and some- times room acoustical qualities.

The masterplanning of complex buildings on the other hand needs other tests: built volume, gross-net surface proportion, compactness, global

/

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N 0 R M A L

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IN

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El2 <1>

Ln5 <1>

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Xi3/3 <2>

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Fig. 1.

Page 4: A conceptual model for CAAD

4 H. Neuckermans , /A conceptual model for CAAD

energy requirements, circulation network effi- ciency, expandability, endowed surface, zoning and layout of equipment . . . .

Some of these tests, although they look the same at first glance, differ from level to level a n d / o r from design phase to design phase. The key issue here is that the calculation has to be integrated in the process and be in tune with the precision of the model at that moment. A good example is the cost calculation through the design process. At the beginning it is based on the estimated cost per m 2 or m 3, later on making use of ratios and the element method, at the end based on quantities and prices per unit.

Computation methods based on incomplete data, as it is the case in course of the design process, still have to be developed. They can be derived from and checked against the precise methods existing now for post-design calculation.

3. Evolution of the model

During the design process, the model of the building evolves from an elementary description towards a complete and detailed specification, graphical as well as alphanumerical. This is re- flected in the use of drawings on increasing scale, showing more and more detail.

3.1. Intelligent z o o m

Architects are very familiar with this scale dependent representation. In the sketch design phase the most important options are taken re- lated to shape, layout, structure and equipment. The building model is essentially composed of 'trailers' or 'leader planes' with elementary al- phanumerical data attached to it. In the draw-

(part of) REFERENCE

graphical element library

type-solutions in parametric form or not, linked with guide for specifications

(part of) graphical PROJECT

library

I FOUNDATIONS I WALLS

TYPE 2

SKELETON "tYPE 1 CAVI'r'Y WALL

e

. . . . . . . d . . . . . c

,L

i i i

(21) ÷ <1 >

9

10 _,_ : . , .

14

FLOORS VERT_CIRC ROOFS SKELETON

",M , NTWA EXTERN [ ~

TYPE1 TYPE1 "rYPE 1 TYPE1 PLAIN SANDWICH

facing brickwork

mineral insulation - medium density

perforated bricks

plastering

(21) + <2>

9

3 . . . . ~ . 3

19

facing brickwork

cavity

hard insulation

plain bricks

Scheme 2.

Page 5: A conceptual model for CAAD

H. Neuckermans ,/A conceptual model for CAAD 5

ings, on 1/200 or 1/100, they are represented by single or double lines, thick or thin.

Preliminary design drawings are made for ne- gociating the agreement of the owner and for asking the building permit. They show the layout and use of spaces, their access and openings, the facades, characteristic sections through the build- ing, the materials and colour of the facades. Drawings, on scale 1/50, show these choices. In a layered external wall, for example, the layering will appear now.

Working drawings show precise dimensioning, materials and technology. These drawings on 1/20, 1 /10 or 1/1, show full detail.

The proposed system has an intelligent zoom built in. It is a stepwise zoom with scale depen- dent representation, co-existing with the normal zoom (for positioning and better seeing) required to overcome the small size of computer screens, Fig. 1. The intelligent zoom adds information along with the increasing scale. It replaces primi-

tive descriptions of building elements by more elaborated ones copying them from a reference library which is structured in an hierarchic way according to the principles of the international CI /S fB classification system, it is both graphical and alphanumerical.

3.2. Parametric building elements

Graphical data are stored in the library in parametric form or as idiosyncratic solutions. They are copied in the project library, accepting the default values or they are instanced interac- tively or accepted as such. Nodes between differ- ent building elements appear to have to be solved manually, unless one uses prototype details which can also be stored and retrieved. Scheme 2 shows a part of the reference graphical library for walls and, as an example, 2 versions of cavity walls instanced in the project library. Alphanumerical data or specifications are kept in the reference

VERTICAL WALLS MENU STRUCTURE

FOUNDATION

WALLS

FLOORS

VERT CIRC

ROOFS

SKELETON

t lEXTE"" WALLII II I'"TE"N W'LLI I IOELLAR WALLI/

PLAIN

OPENING

S'D" I

LOAD B.

NO LOADB.

1 EMPTY

INFILL

P.D. PRIM_ELEM EXT_FINISH INT_FINISH

H PRIM .FIN..EXT I PRIM_FIN_INT I UNDR FIN EXT]

UNDR FIN INT } ~

..oo ]11

]11

4 [ MATERIAL 1 [ FIXED I 2 [ OPENING 5 [ COLOUR

POSITION

_~ I RABBET EXT_EXT

[sequence] I INT INT

tl OTHER inPLAN ) QinSECTION )

Scheme 3.

t l BRICK ~]~ FACADE BRICK

WOOD PLASTERING

SLATE OTHER

ASHLAR I REIN F_CONCR. |

BRICK I~ STONE |

! OTHER i-Jr --

WOOD I METAL /

PLASTICS I-- GLASS BRICK |

I OTHER I'-t--

o

ROTATING I BLAcKWHITE TILTING I RED SLIDING BROWN GREEN

I OTHER ~ I OTHER

I ?

Page 6: A conceptual model for CAAD

6 H. Neuckermans / A conceptual model for CAAD

library, which is s tructured in descriptions of: - Elements (E): parts of the building with the

same function, s tructured according to Table 1 of CI /SfB . . e.g. windows, walls, floors . . . .

- Realizations (R): working units in which ele- ments can be subdivided.

- Materials (M): s tructured according Tables 2 / 3 of C I / S f B .

- Tests (T): on materials, realizations and ele- ments [6].

This proposal for structuring or restructuring the existing reference documenta t ion creates the op- portunity to link the system with computer ized technical building documenta t ion codified ac- cording to C I / S f B .

3.3. Menu monitored choices

The t ransformat ion of building elements into more and more detailed descriptions of it, is moni tored by menus like the one shown in scheme 3 for walls. These menus highlight the crucial choices in sketch design and preliminary design phase. They follow the logic of C I / S f B [7].

At the beginning of a worksession the designer chooses the design phase and scale he is working on. He can switch scale temporari ly by hitting the appropr ia te menu item.

The options plan and section give access to the appropr ia te graphical representat ion. Materi- als gives access to a list of materials a n d / o r realizations in case one does not like to choose within the proposed list. The option characteris-

tics allows choices of properties, performance,

qualities. The idea behind these menus is guiding the architect through the relevant choices in that stage of the design and doing so to activate pro- gressively those bits of information which ulti- mately will be needed for a full description of the building model.

The system is built on top of an existing draft- ing package [8]. It remains primarily graphical, open, not deterministic but interactive. It aims at serving the designer, not at steering the process.

R e f e r e n c e s

[1] J. Schreurs, Ontwerp en metafoor--Bijdragen tot een architectuurpoEtiek, Ph.D. Thesis, FTW KU Leuven, Leu- yen, Belgium, 1986.

[2] N. Cross, Designerly ways of knowing, Design Studies, 3 (4) (October 1982) 221-227.

[3] G. Schmitt, Microcomputer Aided Design for Architects and Designers, Wiley, New York (1988).

[4] B. Lawson, How Designers Think--The Design Process Demystified, Butterworth Architecture, London (1990)(2).

[5] H. Neuckermans, The Intelligent Pencil A framework for CAAD in education, in: Turner, J.A., (Ed.) ACADIA Workshop '86 Proceedings, Houston, 1986, pp. 113-128.

[6] F. De Troyer et al., Rapport E: Structureren van lasten- boeken volgens BB/SfB, Vol. 1: Algemene Principes, Re- search Report, Afdeling Architectuur, FTW KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium, 1990.

[7] H. Neuckermans, Rapport C: BB/SfB en de grafische voorstelling van ontwerpbeslissingen bij her computerge- steund ontwerpen, Research Report, Afdeling Architec- tuur, FTW KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium, 1989.

[8] A. Hendricx, CAAD: menugestuurde keuzen en intelli- gente zoom, Ph.D. Thesis, Afdeling Architectuur, FTW KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium, 1990.